SHIVER
Publisher: Hachette Australia
They don't know what I did. And I intend to
keep it that way.
How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a
dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the
year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut
novel Shiver.
When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak
of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather
forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one
person she can't seem to let go.
The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance
of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns
menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and
how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to
come to light.
Debut author Allie Reynolds brings us SHIVER, a ‘locked room’ thriller that takes place at a ski resort in the French Alps during the desolate off-season. It’s ten years since Saskia Sparks’ disappearance, and the five closest people to her at that time reluctantly gather for a reunion. It quickly becomes clear that unknown persons have brought them together to finally answer the question: Which of them was involved in Saskia’s disappearance?
The story regularly switches between the present day and the time leading up to the day Saskia disappeared and it is told from the viewpoint of Milla Anderson, a fellow competitor on the professional snowboarding circuit.
It won’t take reader long to discover that Saskia is a psychopath. Her remorseless manipulation of people and events often ends with those closest to her being impacted by whatever fallout follows. I thoroughly enjoyed the antagonistic relationship between Saskia and Milla. Being in Saskia’s orbit shows Milla that she isn’t as calculating a person – in fact, Milla is often shocked at Saskia’s actions. Yet Milla’s equally competitive spirit sees her rising (lowering?) to that same level. They both enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game they were playing.
While I enjoyed the characters of Brent, Dale and Heather, it is Curtis’ story that also held my interest a lot. He’s Saskia older brother. He is not unaware of some of his sister’s machinations, and often tries to both protect Saskia and those that cross her path. His attraction to Milla makes for an interesting triangle; Saskia isn’t keen on Curtis having any partner. Milla is also attracted to Curtis but focussing on him means not focussing on snowboarding. Curtis finds himself stuck between the two.
Having said this, the book is not without its issues: There was a lot of snowboarding terminology which I tuned out early on because I just wasn’t interested. I also thought that some of the plot was implausible.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I thought it was well paced. I enjoyed the isolated setting. I loved the many villains. The twists were clever. I found it engaging. I would recommend it.
Review copy courtesy of Netgalley.
I was once a freestyle snowboarder in the UK top ten at halfpipe. I spent five winters in the mountains of France, Switzerland, Austria and Canada.
I taught English for fifteen years. I’ve also been a London primary school teacher, bookshop assistant, barmaid, nanny and French teacher/translator. My short fiction has appeared in women’s magazines in the UK, Australia, Sweden and South Africa. I’ve been a full-time writer since 2018.
Born and raised in Lincoln, England, I moved to Gold Coast Australia in 2003. I have two young children and a cat who thinks he’s a dog.
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