The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert
No. 6 of 6 Det. Shana Merchant cases
Genre: Detective thriller
Length: 306 pages
Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024

Thank you SO very much to @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Det. Shana Merchant finds herself called specifically to another Thousand Islands case on the remote island of Running Pine. Eight people are there overwintering and one has gone ice fishing and never returned.
Shana Merchant, her partner (now husband) Tim Wellington, and a third officer go to investigate. They find the missing man dead, but he has been murdered.

The suspects are few, and as the case progresses it seems to Shana that there is more to this murder and a secret that has been hidden for generations on Running Pine. Those who live there are interconnected in ways that make both everyone and noone seem likely suspects. Could it be the dead man's partner, Internet content creator Sylvie? Or is it one of the original island inhabitants who hate the newcomers and how they've brought thousands of Internet followers to their little slice of remote heaven?

Opinion:
It was awesome to see how this final installment of Det. Shana Merchant played out! I love how this book could easily be read as a standalone or as the final in the series. As usual, Tessa Wegert keeps you on your toes throughout with a setting that both chills and excites! I loved how there were actually a few different mysteries happening at once, one directly related to Shana's past, and also the murder at hand. The motive for the murder was very surprising and I would never have guessed the who or the why. I've truly enjoyed following this series and am sad to see it end. I can't wait to see what the author creates next!

Planted out in Thousand Islands, we are found in another Shana Merchant mystery. For many years, Running Wild has been an isolated small community off of Thousand Islands, a group of several families who stick to themselves. However, after influencers Cary and Sylvie arrive, things start to change, showcasing the remote Running Pine island, racing around to get the perfect photo, and hundreds of free gifts daily. Until one day, Cary is missing and Sylvie is convinced Shana is the only person that can help. Tormented by harsh weather, isolation, and hidden secrets, we follow as Shana and her team locate the truth!

I really loved this book and I am so sad I haven't read any other Shana Merchant mysteries! It was easy to read as a stand alone so if you haven't read the others like myself, don't feel like you can't pick up this one. However, I am planning to go back and read the others for sure! It was so immersive and I felt frustrated with the team struggles and happy with the team victories. I would recommend this book to any mystery lovers out there, along with everyone else!

It was an easy read for me and I did NOT expect that endings! Multiple surprises, which I absolutely love! 10/10

Thank you to Tessa Wegent and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this book.

A solid entry in Wegert's Shana Merchant series, fans will eat this up and readers new to the series will want to go back and read the earlier entries. As a New Yorker who spends a lot of time in the NYS North County, I adore Wegert's settings in and around Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands, and this one is no different. Fans of fast-paced, semi-hard-hitting police procedurals will enjoy the ice-covered ride of this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of The Coldest Case!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏝️ have ever wanted to live remotely
🕵🏻‍♀️ believe you’d make an excellent detective
🤰🏼 are pregnant but still doing dangerous things
📸 are an Instagram influencer

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Cary Caufield isn't the first man to go missing on an island, but when he doesn't return from ice fishing, his neighbors still fear the worst. Though Cary and his girlfriend run a profitable Instagram account about their year of living on a remote island, they don't understand the dangers of the ice. The tight-knit community of long-time islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous - especially for city slickers who'll do anything to get the perfect shot. Newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant takes her own safety into her hands to help, but it soon becomes clear that Cary's disappearance is more complicated than she first thought. In a place where collaboration can save your life, the islanders are secretive, the newcomers aloof, and there's evidence of an outsider hiding somewhere in the snow.At the same time, aspects of the case remind Shana of a homicide she worked back in Manhattan, a murder that haunts her still. As she enters a new phase of her life, she's compelled to revisit the cold case, plunging headlong into the darkest part of her own past. And when a wind storm traps her on the island with a killer, she'll need to solve both crimes before she becomes the next victim. 

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

Another fantastic police procedural from Tessa! I really loved that this one took place on an island where few people live. I had no idea who to trust or believe and I was genuinely surprised by who the killer turned out to be. I also liked the inclusion of a second mystery/murder that took place 4 years ago when Shana was still in NY. I didn’t see any of that coming as well. Overall, this has definitely been one of my faves! I can’t wait to see what happens next when Shana finally has her baby!

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

The Thousand Islands are icy, remote and incredibly wild in the winter months - few stay during that time. Heavily pregnant, Shana is called out specifically to search for a missing man who stars in an instagram account about living in the wild. His wife is frantic and believes Shana is her only hope. It's not long before many nefarious plans and people come to light and Shana needs to solve the case before her own life and the life of her baby are put in danger.

Great plotting and perfect setting. Loved this procedural and you will too - even if this is your first Shana story! #thecoldestcase #tesswegert #severnhouse

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Was kind of slow going and I didn't quite understand how the 2 timelines fit together, but the mystery and the twists were good. :) thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I enjoyed it!!!

I loved this book!! My love for the river runs deep and with each book set in the 1000 islandsI can see that love mirrored. The latest Shana book is full of twists and turns and suspense. I was all anticipation in waiting to find out how it would all play out. My new favorite book in the series! Thank you to Severn House and Tessa Wegert for the ARC!

A missing Instagram celebrity. A small frozen island community of just eight people and Senior Investigator Shana Merchant is back to investigate!

The remote island of Running Pine is cut off from the world, with most people returning to the mainland, leaving only eight people overwintering there. Then one goes missing. Cary - a social media sensation, out taking pictures, and his girlfriend, Sylvie, is terrified as to what may have happened to him. She only wants to talk to one person - Shana Merchant and she is keeping some secrets.
Meanwhile, Shana is also trying to dig into a cold case from years ago, that just won't let go.

I absolutely adore this series! The author has so many twists and turns, the return of supporting characters and some new introductions. There are so many obstacles and the old cold case adds another layer of complications.
This may be one of my favourite yet by the author. Highly recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Severn House for this gifted review copy.

The Coldest Case certainly gives the reader chills with its winter setting and central plot. Shana Merchant and Tim Wellington are settling in to their lives as a married couple when they get the call that someone has gone missing from a small island called Running Pine. Since Shana is 7 months pregnant and the weather is treacherous Tim and the other local authorities go to the island to search while Shana digs into the missing man's personal life and the island's community. The missing man is Cary, one half of an Instagram famous couple who are documenting their year on the remote island. The more Shana digs, the more she realize how unprepared Cary and his girlfriend Sylvie were for the harsh winter. Pictures online have been staged to look authentic and Sylvie seems oddly unaffected by her boyfriend's disappearance. Eventually, Shana joins Tim and the others on the island, where she eventually finds out that the locals were not happy with the couple's presence. Tessa Wegert, as usual in this series, keeps twisting the plot to keep the reader off balance. I've enjoyed the evolution of the characters in the series, especially Shana. She's been through a lot and keeps going. I look forward to the next book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Despite this being the sixth book in the Shona Merchant (and my first book by Tessa Wegert), when I read the synopsis, I just had to give it a go! I picked up the character of Shona – here she’s pregnant - just fine and want to read more in the earlier series now too.

Five things appealed to me initially about this novel:
1. I love a book where it’s a ‘locked room’ approach and a remote island has the cut off/locked feel I enjoy.
2. There’s something fascinating about remote islands (I have read a few murder mysteries set on them previously and watched documentaries about families who live in such places in Scotland etc).
3. It said it was ‘perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’ – that’s me.
4. I knew that I would appreciate cooling off by reading it!
5. The cover! I am regularly drawn in by an appealing cover.

Overall, I found Wigert’s writing style strong and thoroughly enjoyed how she ended chapters as it left me wanting more…and often reading another chapter (or more) when I had intended to stop.

There’s a good balance between dialogue, action and description. The latter was very well used, and I could really picture everything happening. Dialogue seemed appropriate with distinct characters and the action was exciting!

Shana is a great detective, and I will be interested in seeing how her character evolves beyond this story in the series. My detective skills, however, were lacking and I did not solve the case. Did I mind? No…it added to my enjoyment as the reveals were worth the suspense (and not guessing correctly).

With thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the chance to read eARC.

This was my first read by Tessa Wegert, the 6th in the Detective Shana Merchant series. Can be read as standalone.The book kept me at the edge of the seat.The author has written a detailed investigation, she has set up a perfect atmosphere for the thriller.I couldn't guess the killer till the end.Thank you net galley and Severn house for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This was my first book by Tessa Wegert, the sixth in the
detective Shana Merchant series.
I thought it was easy to read as a standalone.
Shana is expecting a child, but when a man goes missing on an island that has only 6 permanent households Shana and her husband, as well as the rest of their unit travel there despite the dangers - it's bitterly cold and very treacherous.
It's a good, tense mystery with a great ending, but I couldn't help worry about the baby with all the risks Shana took!

This is the sixth book in the Shana Merchant series. Publication is not until November, but to me, this was the perfect cold setting on a sizzling summer afternoon.
Eight people, six locals and two influencers, Cary and Sylvie are on the remote island of Running Pine. It is February and the weather is brutal. When Cary is reported missing, his girlfriend only wants to speak to one person, Shana Merchant.
And so, begins another life-or-death quest full of lies and deception. The relationship between the locals and the influencers seems to have soured. But why. As Shana tries to dig through the lies and misdirections, a storm traps her and her team on the island. I will not say much more for fear of falling into a spoiler covered snow drift. But, when everything was revealed, it was a perfect mix of the past and the present. I did not even come close to guessing what led to Cary’s disappearance and what the remaining seven people were hiding. Another page flipper in this engaging series.
If there’s another book in the series, there will be some interesting changes in Shana’s life. 🤐

This was a great mystery! The writing style really made the setting become immersive for the reader and the book had so many intensely suspenseful moments. I love the Shana Merchant series in general but this installment is definitely my favorite.

I absolutely love this entire series. Wegert's writing reminds me of Louise Penny as the setting always comes alive. Loved the premise of social media influencers living on an isolated island along with a past unsolved murder.

Running Pine is a tiny frozen island where only a handful of people live year-round. It makes an excellent setting for this tale of wannabe celeb adventures gone wrong.

This year the half-dozen year-rounders are joined by a couple of social media influencers who are determined to barter their Instagram celebrity into gifts, endorsements and cold hard cash. Not to mention, a whole slew of new followers!

But as investigator Shana Merchant soon discovers, Sylvie and Cary may just have bitten off more than they can chew with this wilderness adventure of theirs, because Cary fails to return from a fishing expedition one day.

And the real question is, did he succumb to the hostile natural surroundings, or was there foul play? Also, why does his partner Sylvie refuse to speak to anyone but Shana?

A taut gripping thriller with a unique and atmospheric setting, this story is worth reading - an easy 3.5 stars.

Tessa Wegert writes a great series about Shana Merchant.

Thriller, detectives, murderers, family, and so much more are involved in this series.
You will love Shana and how she fights for what’s right.
I love strong female characters and Shana Merchant is exactly that.
A must read series for sure.

This book was a masterpiece!

This was my most anticipated book of 2024 and I am so grateful for having this opportunity to read this ARC.

I have read and loved all of the other books on this Shana Merchant series, but this book #6 “The Coldest Case”, in my opinion, was perfection!

It was tense and the suspense got me hooked since the first chapter. It left me turning the pages quickly and kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was so surprisingly shocking!

In a secluded island in middle of winter, Tessa’s imagination went above and beyond creating an atmospheric mystery that will leave you breathless. At the same time, revising an old cold case, that completes the perfection.

Shana’s character is very smart and confident. She’s so determined to help and trusts her instincts that you will love her. All of the characters are very well written and Tessa did a great job.

If you haven’t start this series yet, I highly recommend.

Thank you so much Tessa Wegert, you are so kind and amazing. Also, thank you NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC.

Publication day 11/05/2024.