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Beneath the Snow |
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It's been a long, hard winter in the small Alaskan town of Lake's Edge - and things are about to get even tougher.
Lisa McCall, a young research scientist, has vanished in the wilderness in the middle of a snowstorm. Her sister, Abby, reluctantly drops everything and flies out of England to join the search party - she hasn't spoken to Lisa for four years after a terrible row and now she must face up to the fact there may never be a time for reconciliation.
Alaska is the last place Abby wants to be. Alone in the freezing outpost, bruised by a broken love affair, Abby struggles to understand Lisa's disappearance. But Abby soon realises the situation is far more sinister than it seems.
Her little sister, she discovers, had both influential friends and powerful enemies, and might just have been too clever for her own good. |
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Extract |
Abby awoke to the sound of hammering on wood. She thought she heard her name being called. Her eyes snapped open to see pale arrows of sunlight falling coldly through the window.
Pulling the robe tight around her, Abby blearily checked the VCR clock as she stumbled through the living area. Ten a.m.! She couldn't remember when she'd last slept in that long. Yawning, eyes watering and feeling every one of her thirty-one years, she peered through the window to see Trooper Demarco stamping her feet on the front porch, vapour pouring from her nostrils and mouth.
Abby groaned aloud. She'd arranged to meet Demarco at the Moose for breakfast at nine.
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Abby opened the door and made an involuntary sound, something between a yelp and a moan. Christ, it was cold. She was about to urge Demarco inside and offer her a coffee when she took in the trooper's expression. Her heart faltered.
Demarco took off her beaver hat and held it formally in front of her. She cleared her throat, held Abby's eyes.
Oh, God, please no. Please don't Lisa be dead. She's my past, my history, she knows everything about me. Please God, she can't be dead.
'I'm sorry, Abby. We've found the body of a woman in the mountains.' |
Background |
With Beneath the Snow I wanted to explore the sometimes tense relationship between sisters, how competetive they can be, the rows they have and how they make up. Abby is tormented by an inner conflict of wanting to find Lisa alive so she can forgive her - and find redemption herself - and anger at Lisa's disrupting her life for what feels like the hundredth time.
I was also interested in the issues of global warming, which are horribly apparent throughout Alaska - roads are buckling due to the permafrost melting, and houses tilting - and look at possible solutions and how they might affect the oil industry.
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'There's passion, heart-stopping suspense, and plenty of action in this pacy thriller
. . . Like a new theme park rollercoaster, it's a thrilling ride.'
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
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'A real rollercoaster of edgy thrills and spills.'
Lancashire Evening Post
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'A tense, action-packed adventure that grips the reader right from the start
. . . Carver beautifully conjures up the stark beauty of Alaska.'
Western Daily Press
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'A fast-moving adventure novel that definitely falls into the category of unputdownable
. . . Leads to a nail-biting climax. Read and enjoy.'
Shotsmag
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'This is a well-written thriller which makes you turn the pages faster and faster. Real characters people the tale
. . . the background is magnificently delineated by Caroline Carver.' Read the full review here
reviewingtheevidence.com
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'A thrilling mystery set during a freezing hard long winter in Alaska, Beneath the Snow is a real page-turner.'
Mystery Women
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'As a fast moving thriller with strong female protagonists it's pretty much perfect.'
Crime Time
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