Dollycas's Thoughts
Beth Rivers came to Benedict Alaska to hide from her kidnapper, Travis Walker. She had made friends and felt more at ease because the man had been captured. But during a recent transfer, he escaped and has made it known he is after Beth again. Her new friends have vowed to keep her safe. They come up with a plan to get her out of town. She and her boyfriend, Tex are going on a hike and will find the perfect place to set up camp until Travis is recaptured.
That plan is upended when Tex and Beth get near the tiny community of Blue Mine. They meet a woman heading to Benedict with her husband's dead body atop a horse. After visiting the people at Blue Mine they learn of some strange happenings and other suspicious deaths. They agree to get her and the body back to Police Chief Gril so he can launch a full investigation.
Back in town, Beth is again on high alert but some of her protectors are on the way to Blue Mine. The widow disappears when a secret is revealed so others are searching to find her. With a limited number of people to keep her safe, they stay hyperaware because you never know who or what may be out in the Alaskan wilderness, especially during the unrelenting storms.
There are several reasons that this is one of my favorite series.
First, the characters in this series are unique and continue to grow in realistic ways. Beth gets more confident in every installment and every chapter. She and Viola are now true friends, both learning from each other. Viola is one tough lady but you have to be in the wilds of Alaska. Beth and Tex have a relationship that is in no way conventional but it works for them. Gril's job is to keep everybody safe and he goes to all ends to do that. Beth's safety is a priority for him. Orin is concerned about Beth's safety as well. He has an actual fortress for her to stay in but she is too stubborn to take him up on his offer. Park Ranger Donner and Beth's dad Eddy are also part of the team involved in Beth's safety. The people who live in Benedict Alaska are strong and unshakeable. Ms. Shelton's words bring these wonderful people to life. I could get dropped in Benedict today and pick out each one of them just from her words. I can't forget Gus, he is such a smart and loyal dog.
Her descriptive details also set each scene vividly. The torrential rainstorms of course, but also the beauty of the entire area. The area around Blue Mine is so aptly described, as is an abandoned mine. The town of Benedict, Viola's boardinghouse, Orin's fortress, the mercantile, the bar, the post office, the trail to the library, and Beth's old hunting shed. â everything is brilliantly described.
Ms. Shelton takes us to this amazing place and wraps her characters in a suspenseful mystery that is impossible to put down. With dead bodies, Bigfoot sightings, and a felon on the loose after one of their own, readers are pulled in and are allowed to travel along with Beth and her friends as they try to make sense of what is happening around them and if and how kidnapper Travis Walker is involved. Will they be able to find him before he finds Beth? The pages on my Paperwhite were flying and there truly were times I was at the edge of my seat.
Perfect Storm is a compelling, complex mystery plotted with such precision that it is absolutely a must-read. Full of suspense and drama with twists and turns, Ms. Shelton continues to impress me every chapter. This series would make an excellent movie or short drama series. Someone call Netflix! You shouldn't be surprised when I say this book deserves more than 5 stars. I am very intrigued about Beth's next adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Beth Rivers came to Benedict Alaska to hide from her kidnapper, Travis Walker. She had made friends and felt more at ease because the man had been captured. But during a recent transfer, he escaped and has made it known he is after Beth again. Her new friends have vowed to keep her safe. They come up with a plan to get her out of town. She and her boyfriend, Tex are going on a hike and will find the perfect place to set up camp until Travis is recaptured.
That plan is upended when Tex and Beth get near the tiny community of Blue Mine. They meet a woman heading to Benedict with her husband's dead body atop a horse. After visiting the people at Blue Mine they learn of some strange happenings and other suspicious deaths. They agree to get her and the body back to Police Chief Gril so he can launch a full investigation.
Back in town, Beth is again on high alert but some of her protectors are on the way to Blue Mine. The widow disappears when a secret is revealed so others are searching to find her. With a limited number of people to keep her safe, they stay hyperaware because you never know who or what may be out in the Alaskan wilderness, especially during the unrelenting storms.
There are several reasons that this is one of my favorite series.
First, the characters in this series are unique and continue to grow in realistic ways. Beth gets more confident in every installment and every chapter. She and Viola are now true friends, both learning from each other. Viola is one tough lady but you have to be in the wilds of Alaska. Beth and Tex have a relationship that is in no way conventional but it works for them. Gril's job is to keep everybody safe and he goes to all ends to do that. Beth's safety is a priority for him. Orin is concerned about Beth's safety as well. He has an actual fortress for her to stay in but she is too stubborn to take him up on his offer. Park Ranger Donner and Beth's dad Eddy are also part of the team involved in Beth's safety. The people who live in Benedict Alaska are strong and unshakeable. Ms. Shelton's words bring these wonderful people to life. I could get dropped in Benedict today and pick out each one of them just from her words. I can't forget Gus, he is such a smart and loyal dog.
Her descriptive details also set each scene vividly. The torrential rainstorms of course, but also the beauty of the entire area. The area around Blue Mine is so aptly described, as is an abandoned mine. The town of Benedict, Viola's boardinghouse, Orin's fortress, the mercantile, the bar, the post office, the trail to the library, and Beth's old hunting shed. â everything is brilliantly described.
Ms. Shelton takes us to this amazing place and wraps her characters in a suspenseful mystery that is impossible to put down. With dead bodies, Bigfoot sightings, and a felon on the loose after one of their own, readers are pulled in and are allowed to travel along with Beth and her friends as they try to make sense of what is happening around them and if and how kidnapper Travis Walker is involved. Will they be able to find him before he finds Beth? The pages on my Paperwhite were flying and there truly were times I was at the edge of my seat.
Perfect Storm is a compelling, complex mystery plotted with such precision that it is absolutely a must-read. Full of suspense and drama with twists and turns, Ms. Shelton continues to impress me every chapter. This series would make an excellent movie or short drama series. Someone call Netflix! You shouldn't be surprised when I say this book deserves more than 5 stars. I am very intrigued about Beth's next adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
This is a series that I've enjoyed from the very first book. I've enjoyed learning about life in a remote area of Alaska, the customs that have come about due to the land and the weather, and the way the people band together in difficult times.
In Perfect Storm, Beth Rivers learns just how many friends she's made in tiny Benedict. When they learn that the man who kidnapped and almost killed her has escaped and is on his way there, they form a united front to keep her safe. However, when Tex and Beth come across a woman walking to Benedict to bring in the body of her murdered husband, all their planning runs right off the rails. Between trying to find the woman when she vanishes, trying to keep Beth safe, trying to locate a missing man, and trying to figure out what's going on at a tiny place called Blue Mine, all the characters scatter in different directions. Here Beth is, trying to keep out of the hands of the man who kidnapped her, and she can't keep track of anyone there in town. She's trying to herd cats.
But the book truly begins to shine when things get darkest. Beth has had so much trauma in her life. She's felt so frightened and helpless for so long. When all her friends seem to run off and desert her, does she fall apart?
You're just going to have to read Perfect Storm to find out. What a character Beth Rivers is!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
In Perfect Storm, Beth Rivers learns just how many friends she's made in tiny Benedict. When they learn that the man who kidnapped and almost killed her has escaped and is on his way there, they form a united front to keep her safe. However, when Tex and Beth come across a woman walking to Benedict to bring in the body of her murdered husband, all their planning runs right off the rails. Between trying to find the woman when she vanishes, trying to keep Beth safe, trying to locate a missing man, and trying to figure out what's going on at a tiny place called Blue Mine, all the characters scatter in different directions. Here Beth is, trying to keep out of the hands of the man who kidnapped her, and she can't keep track of anyone there in town. She's trying to herd cats.
But the book truly begins to shine when things get darkest. Beth has had so much trauma in her life. She's felt so frightened and helpless for so long. When all her friends seem to run off and desert her, does she fall apart?
You're just going to have to read Perfect Storm to find out. What a character Beth Rivers is!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
