THE COLDEST CASE
News of a missing Instagram celebrity brings Senior Investigator Shana Merchant to a frozen island community of just eight people. When the visit turns deadly, her hunt for a killer collides with a cold case she'll never forget . . .
It’s February in the Thousand Islands and, cut off from civilization by endless ice, eight people are overwintering on tiny, remote Running Pine. Six year-rounders, used to the hard work, isolation and freezing temperatures . . . and two newcomers: social media stars Cary and Sylvie, whose account documenting their year on the island is garnering thousands of followers, and thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury gifts.
The long-term islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous – especially for city slickers who’ll do anything to get the perfect shot. So when Cary doesn’t return from ice fishing one morning, his neighbors fear the worst.
With the clock ticking to find the missing influencer, a police team are dispatched to take the dangerous journey to the island . . . but Sylvie, his frantic partner, will only talk to one person: newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.
Where is Cary – and what is it that Sylvie’s not sharing? With aspects of the case reminding Shana of an unsolved homicide from her past that haunts her still, she risks her own safety to help. But little does she know that a storm is coming – and if she doesn’t solve both crimes soon, she may become the island’s next victim . . .
What People Are Saying
“Tense. Sharp. Gripping. Tessa Wegert, one of the foremost crime writers of our time, does it again with The Coldest Case. When an influencer couple moves to a remote, ice-bound island and one disappears, detective Shana Merchant must figure out not only what happened, but also how the case is linked to an unsolved murder from her own past. With luscious prose and non-stop action, you’ll never want to leave Shana’s world.”
— Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat
"Grab your puffer coat and settle in for an incredible locked-island mystery where an Insta-celeb goes missing in the dead of winter and the past comes calling for Detective Shana Merchant. The Coldest Case is a chilling and propulsive addition to one of the most bingeable detective series going.”
— Vanessa Lillie, bestselling author of Blood Sisters
“No one today is writing locked room mysteries like Tessa Wegert – claustrophobic, heart-stopping, twisting like the frozen surface of the St. Lawrence. Put this book on your must-read list; but make sure you’re wearing wool socks and a sweater before you begin.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of Hid From Our Eyes
"The stakes have never been higher, and Tessa Wegert has never been in finer form. With her trademark blend of chilling, atmospheric suspense, scalpel-sharp wit, and lush, elegant prose, Wegert delivers The Coldest Case, another exhilarating installment in the Shana Merchant series that treats readers to the kind of riveting, deeply felt narrative found in the very finest thriller fiction. Don’t you dare miss it!”
— E.G. Scott, international bestselling author of The Rule of Three
"Suspenseful and terrifying…a brilliant mystery and yet another example of why Wegert is still going strong.”
— Booklist
"Wegert effectively shifts between the island case and the Manhattan investigation, taking both to surprising places. The real draw, however, is Shana, whose toughness is both inspirational and refreshingly understated.”
— Publishers Weekly
"Tessa Wegert is at her absolute best in this stirring, atmospheric whodunnit set on a remote island in the dead of winter. The most emotional of the Shana Merchant novels, The Coldest Case is both a satisfying stand-alone and a compelling continuation of her deeply absorbing journey. Ice-pick sharp and superbly sneaky, the jaw-dropping reveal will leave you breathless!"
— Susan Walter, bestselling author of Good as Dead
Preorder The Coldest Case today
