Cold Wind

Bestseller Shelton’s serviceable sequel to 2019’s Thin Ice finds thriller writer Beth Rivers, who recently fled her home in St. Louis after being kidnapped and tortured by an unidentified assailant, still living in a halfway house for low-level female felons in the small town of Benedict, Alaska. The appearance on the home’s doorstep of two little girls, mute and covered in mud, throws Beth’s new life into turmoil. When Benedict police chief Gril Samuels, Beth’s friend, arrives to take charge of the children, he brings news that the frozen body of a middle-aged woman has been found in the woods. Arson and break-ins follow. Gril welcomes Beth’s assistance in figuring out who’s committing the crimes and why. Meanwhile, Beth is told by the St. Louis detective following her abduction case that the culprit’s identity has been determined, but he’s still on the loose. The appealing Alaskan atmosphere and a heroine with an intriguing backstory help make up for some pedestrian prose and the weak motives for the various crimes. Fans of light regional mysteries will be satisfied. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Dec.)