A tale of good versus evil set in intensely harsh conditions with survival a 50/50 proposition, Cold Snap will seep deep into your bones and set up residency like the unforgiving subzero temperatures of the wild Alaskan backcountry. Marc Cameron’s fourth book in the Arliss Cutter series will have you on the edge of your seat, wrapped tightly in the warmest parka you can find, wondering if the venerable US Marshall has finally met a situation he cannot control and overcome.
While Anchorage police find dismembered body parts and kick off a search for a serial killer, Arliss Cutter is summoned to northern Alaska to transport several prisoners back to Anchorage to face justice. However, this routine assignment quickly turns into a fight for survival when the bush pilot hired for the transport makes a detour to check on a friend who’s gone radio silent at a research outpost, providing an opening for the prisoners to attempt their escape. In the process, the plane is blown up and now Cutter, the pilot, the prisoners and 3 researchers are stranded in the freezing wilderness with little shelter, no communications capabilities and a huge grizzly bear stalking their every move. Meanwhile, one of the prisoners is more than meets the eye and is scheming to overpower Cutter to maintain his freedom. It’s a desperate fight for survival from the elements…and the dark nature of man.
Cold Snap is fantastic and my favorite in the series so far. There are multiple plot lines – search for a serial killer, surviving the Alaskan wilderness while fending off desperate criminals, looking deeper into Ethan Cutter’s death, and a budding romance for Lola – that work well together to provide excitement, intrigue, and meaningful character development. Readers get to see a supremely confident, capable and seemingly infallible Arliss Cutter put to the test in an extreme way with an uncertain outcome, showing his vulnerability and making him more relatable while also marveling in his mental and physical fortitude. We also get to witness Lola Teariki’s evolution as a US Marshall and as a person, being a party to her unflinching loyalty to Cutter as well as having a front row seat to a budding romance with a young Anchorage PD officer. And finally, Marc Cameron once again does a masterful job of making Alaska more than just the setting, but a living breathing character of its own that tests everyone in a way that you can feel, despite sitting comfortably in a warm and safe location.
Marc Cameron delivers yet again with Cold Snap, reaffirming what thriller fans have known for years – that anything he writes is a must read. The Arliss Cutter series continues to get better and better, with Cold Snap being the best one yet. And with the continued development of Cutter, Lola and the characters around them, combined with the many possible storylines featuring the great state of Alaska, this series has unlimited potential to thrill fans for years to come.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Cold Snap
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
