Cold As Hell is the third in the author’s series set in Haven’s Rock. The town doesn’t officially exist on any map; it was constructed from scratch in the remote wilds as a refuge for people who needed to disappear from their previous lives in warmer climes. I haven’t read any earlier books in the series (or in a predecessor series featuring Casey that was set in a similar locale). However, I gather that earlier books in both series explored the background and politics of these towns in greater depth. That lack of backstory in Cold As Hell isn’t a problem for readers; the book is self-contained. Also, by streamlining the storyline, the author keeps readers from getting bogged down in needless details.

Haven’s Rock comprises a few stores and dwellings and one bar where the residents often socialize. All the buildings are fairly close together, a safety precaution that comes in handy when the multiple blizzards in Cold As Hell strike. Unfortunately, those safety precautions don’t help one resident, Kendra. Her drink is spiked in the bar one night, and when she gets lost while trying to go home, she is almost raped. Fortunately, the assault was halted by the fortuitous arrival of a passerby. The next day, Casey begins her investigation, which proves tricky. Although the town has few residents, many of them were in the bar that night, and they all could have spiked Kendra’s drink.

At least Kendra fares better than Lynn, another resident of Haven’s Rock. While Casey is still investigating Kendra’s assault, Lynn disappears. After several hours, a search party finds her dead body in the woods. While the cause of death first appears to be accidental hypothermia, Casey determines Lynn was tied down and left to die. Now, Casey has a murder to solve besides an assault, both probably committed by the same person.

Cold As Hell is a relatively good mystery. It’s an interesting riff on classic detective stories in which a murder takes place on a remote island or similar isolated locale, where there are only a few possible killers. Haven’s Rock has 70 residents. However, the author streamlines the suspect list considerably, since the killer would have had to be in the bar that night to spike Kendra’s drink. Readers follow Casey’s interrogation of the various witnesses, which goes on a bit too long and drags. The story’s repetitious pace is especially noticeable before Lynn’s disappearance, when Kendra’s assault is the only crime Casey is investigating. Still, the author does a good job of using Casey’s interrogations and observations of the witnesses to create multi-dimensional characters that feel real. Mystery fans will also appreciate that the author plays fair in Cold As Hell. Kelley Armstrong reveals (but doesn’t call undue attention to) the significant clues that allow Casey to guess the killer’s identity.

Discovering Lynn’s killer isn’t the end of the mystery in Cold As Hell. Casey researches the killer’s past and discovers an extremely twisted motive for the murder. Some people may not like this type of plotting, but I found this complexity refreshing in a story I thought would have a more straightforward motive. Once Casey learns the killer’s identity, the novel still has another 20% to go. Since Haven’s Rock is a blip in the middle of a vast wilderness, the killer has plenty of places to hide, and they take another woman hostage to make the track down more treacherous. The author brings the harsh environment into the storyline multiple times during the book. At one point, Casey has to fend off an attack from a ravenous wolverine. (You won’t find that in the big city.) The author has thoroughly researched the scientific details surrounding Haven’s Rock, which makes “Cold As Hell” even more entertaining.

One issue I had with the book was the treatment of Casey’s pregnancy. It doesn’t take much imagination to guess that the pregnancy will figure in the storyline. I felt the book had enough going for it without inserting a needless and very predictable complication to what should have been a suspenseful conclusion. Far from building tension, the pregnancy is a distracting complication.

Overall, Cold As Hell is an entertaining mystery in a most unusual setting. The book mixes traditional mystery elements with an outdoor adventure thriller. The author’s attention to environmental details is impressive. I didn’t fully understand how easy it was for people to get hopelessly lost in a major blizzard, even if they’re only a few feet from safety. (I also didn’t understand how vicious wolverines are. Hugh Jackman’s Marvel character name makes more sense now.) The author throws in some needless third-act complications involving Casey’s pregnancy when the hunt for the killer at large is ongoing and suspenseful. Still, Cold As Hell merits a solid recommendation for mystery and suspense fans.  

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.