What an amazing thrill ride of a book! I read this book whilst listening to a Naturespace snowstorm track and it upped the atmosphere and isolation by 1000! What an incredibly clever ending, I never ever saw that coming.

I'll just be brief, I absolutely love stories about isolation and the struggle to survive in isolated remote locations so I was super excited for this. A d it did start off OK... but then it just felt like nothing happened. I couldn't get invested, it felt so slow and like it was dragging. I was wanting tension and an atmosphere and to be on the edge of my seat as I rooted for MC to find a way but this just didn't give me any of that. I ended up skimming most of it. Maybe it'll be up your street if you like more a slow burn?!

I'm sorry but this was so boring. I went into this ready for an action packed survival thriller about a woman stranded in Antarctica, and not only that but she thinks that the world has ended and she might be one of the last people left alive. Sounds like my kind of thing, so I swept it up. Unfortunately, I fell asleep. Over and over as I tried to read this book. It was like I was also battling the eternal darkness trying to power through this book. The female main character wasn't relatable or well written as she was just so bland. I don't think the author utilised the remote setting enough.

Whiteout by R.S. Burnett is a gripping and intense thriller set deep in the icy, unforgiving Arctic, where danger lurks at every turn. The main character Rachel, ends up there in an attempt to escape her real life. Once an experienced scientist and expedition leader, she is now a new mom struggling with the demands of everyday life. Her friend from past asks Rachel to help collect an important data in the Arctic that could save the ice shelf and prevent global flooding. Without much hesitation, Rachel agrees.
Now, she’s stranded with no connection to the main base, with only a single repeated message on the radio about nuclear war. How will she find her way out?
The beginning of this book seemed very strong and promising. But as the story went on, I found myself constantly thinking 'really??'. The novel has all the elements you'd expect from a good thriller - suspense and survival atmosphere, and a dynamic of twists and turns. However, I got the feeling that the author wasn’t sure how to properly conclude the story. And while I can overlook the fact that the FMC survived some of the extreme situations, it was still questionable.
Despite these issues, I’ve rated it 4 stars for this debut novel because there were definitely moments that took me by surprise and I didn't see it coming, and I appreciated the good parts of the story.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Rachael is a researcher who is stranded in remote Antarctica with communication lost with her base. She then receives a radio message to say that nuclear war has broken out. Alone in the darkness with supplies running out will she survive and is there anything left?

I enjoy a survival thriller and although I have read a few in this setting, this sounded like it would be a creepy, dark read. The story starts strongly and continues to be intense and claustrophobic. The atmosphere is excellently portrayed, I felt the isolation and coldness while the whole premise felt scarily real.

Although this was an interesting story I found that there was something missing with the characters and they lacked a certain depth, this made it hard for me to connect with them. I also found it repetitive at times which made it feel slightly on the slow side. There is a good twist at the end, however I did see this coming, which maybe made it feel a little predictable. This was a decent story overall and I would pick up more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Rachael is a bit bored with her life. She's a SAHM to a precious baby girl and wife to a man that she is pretty sure that she still loves. She is just so tired of the day-to-day monotony that her life has become. She's an adventurer! She is used to making a difference. So, when a former colleague invites her on a winter Antarctic research mission to save the world, she decides to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Rachael hates leaving behind her family, but she believes that the distance will revive her dying marriage and allow her to appreciate a quiet home life. Unfortunately, this trip is cursed in every conceivable way (and even in some inconceivable ways) and she may not make it back. And if she does, what is waiting at home?

This is a solid 4 ⭐ read. It was so much better than I anticipated and delivered on the suspense. I could barely put this down and will keep an eye on this author for sure. I won't say any more for the risk of adding in spoilers, but if you like a good thriller....this is it.

First time mum, Rachael, is persuaded to leave her husband & their infant daughter to winter in Antarctica. The ice shelf is breaking up & this is Rachael & her old boss Guy's only chance to get the data needed to persuade the government to stop drilling. Now weeks or months later, things did not go to plan & Rachael is alone on the Ross Ice Shelf in -70 degree cold, days from base camp.

None of the phones work & all Rachael receives is a repeating BBC World Broadcast message on a portable radio saying that there has been a nuclear strike on the UK - everyone she knew is probably dead & it seems to have knocked out all communication links everywhere. She is about to run out of food & fuel & help is not coming so Rachael will have to head out into the unknown to try & find her way home.

I love anything set in out in the wilderness or inhospitable climates so it looked right up my street. This started off strongly, alternating between the past & the present to what led up to Rachael's current predicament, but it did lose its way a little towards the end as it became more & more improbable that Rachael would keep surviving all these deadly occurrences. If you can suspend your disbelief a little though, it's a cracking read. 3.75 stars (rounded up) - liked this one a lot.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book was a bit disappointing, I loved the blurb but it didn't hold the attention it should / could have, the MC got out of same very strange and potentially life threatening situations with ease, this book was not for me not for me unfortunately, sorry.

This was such an intense read, I found myself not wanting to put it down as the pace kept me hooked, loved the twists too.

A thought provoking story with alot of tension. I enjoyed this one even though it gave me chills. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review

Rachael is persuaded to leave her home and 15 month old daughter to help save the world by measuring cracks in the Antarctic ice. No problem she is an experienced scientist with several trips to the Antarctic under her belt, but this is going to be in the winter when it is very cold and there is no daylight, and when they get there she discovers it is just a team of four, quickly reduced to three when Guy, the team leader takes ill and has to be evacuated on the last flight out.
Against all the rules Rachael continues the research, heading out alone to a research pod 90 miles from the station. Then all radio contact ceases and the only thing she can access is a BBC message telling people to stay calm and at home following the nuclear strikes.
This is where the book starts to get a bit far fetched for me, but it is a good read with a lot happening and then a good twist at the end.
On the whole I enjoyed the book and thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Whiteout

I feel a great movie coming… if there’s a book that deserves to be made into a blockbuster, it’s this one. Seriously, this story would make an absolute chilling, thrilling movie, with just a handful of characters set against the background of Antarctica.
Rachael, left alone in more than one way on the most dangerous continent on Earth, fights to survive in body and mind. She has to gather all her strength, and more, to not only keep her body alive after she’s lost what little protection she had against the brutal weather, she also has to fight to keep sane. It’s pitch black 24 hours a day, a fierce gale is blowing all the time and the temperature hoovers around the -70 degrees Celsius. She’s also convinced that her home country, the UK, was attacked with nuclear bombs and therefore, she’s lost her husband and young daughter.
The author paints a very, very vivid portrait of Antarctica, almost as if the continent is a character in this story. It’s literally chilling to read how Rachael fights against the weather and everything else that’s thrown at her – or taken away. In between all the horrible things she has to endure, we read how she came to be there and then, in the most dangerous season, and why it is of such importance she returns back to a safe place where she can contact the authorities. Sometimes it’s a little over the top but still very believable because by the time you’re halfway into the book, you really got to know Rachael and what drives her.
More words fail me to describe how I felt reading this – and I’m already urgently waiting for the next book of this author.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this review copy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7037579806

This has been very popular with others who have a similar taste in books to me so I went in expecting to love it. But a series of small issues built up and left me underwhelmed: I found the main character's love interest to be a bit of a pig and I thought less of her for blaming herself for his reactions; the unreliable narration was SO unreliable that I stopped being invested in the constant life-or-death scenarios - if what is happening could plausibly be all in Rachael's mind, it's hard to feel stressed about it. I agree that the baddie reached mustache-twirling pantomime levels of villainy rendering the final third of the book a little silly.

Overall this had some great moments but it never came together for me. I would read from this author in the future, though. I think they have a lot of potential.

Absolutely brilliant! I read this book within 24hrs, and whenever I put it down, I wanted nothing more than to sit down and continue reading.
Now, I do love action, and there was plenty of it! One could be forgiven for thinking 'just how could so many bad things happen to one woman in such a short time' but one reason is: 'It's a novel!' and the other is: 'It's Antarctica, for goodness sake!'.
And of course, it is a thriller, not a romance.
I felt that the author understood the psyche of a woman who wanted to go back to work, despite loving her family, also the attraction of certain places and careers for people. I thought the characters were quite well written, and one could empathise with them.
If it was a film it would probably have all kinds of warnings about things that upset people dreadfully nowadays, but I thought it was great. Yes, there is some violence against a woman, but that is what happens, and it wouldn't be much of a thriller if there wasn't.
But there is a huge amount of gripping, captivating, riveting, transfixing action. And obviously well researched, thank goodness.
I'm a bit shocked that this is the first book by this author, although he does have an interesting bio. This is definitely an author to watch!

This book started really strong, very interesting premise and the dual timeline was a very good choice for it. The pacing is really good and loved the writing style. I would've given it a higher rating if not for some twists towards the end that made me like... really?!
I fell like the author wasn't quite sure how to end it, and the charicature of the villain was poorly chosen, however I still really enjoyed by time with this book. Read it in two days to be fair.

‘Whiteout’ by R. S. Burnett is a pulse-racing, shiver-inducing thriller set on the desolate frozen continent. Scientist Rachel finds herself stranded alone in the Antarctic winter after a make-or-break research trip goes disastrously wrong. A repeating radio broadcast tells her that nuclear war has dawned and that despite her perilous isolation, she may in fact be the “lucky” survivor of the end of the world…

What I expected: tension, immersion in a hostile environment and apocalyptic dread.

What this book was: all of that and SO much more! A heart-stopping political cautionary tale blending action with emotion and existential questions, with a wonderfully well-developed and strong female lead character.

I was amazed by the depth and unexpectedness of this novel, and it feels more terrifying than perhaps even the author intended given the current knife-edge state of the world. While the macro issues in focus - the climate emergency, diplomatic relations, power plays and nuclear warfare - were affecting, the micro problems facing Rachel resonated even more. Her daily quest for survival was juxtaposed with her ponderings on the state of her marriage - now disintegrated along with all relationships with the outside world - and her consuming guilt about not being with husband Adam and toddler Izzy at the end of it all.

Honestly, this is a must-read book and gets the full five stars from me - a tale of resilience in the most hopeless of circumstances and a prescient warning… you won’t regret picking this one up (unless it gives you nightmares, in which case, same, but no regrets).

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'm a big fan of polar exploration literature and so was excited to read some fiction set in Antarctica. It started quite promisingly with some claustrophobic moments and an interesting premise.
There were quite a few typos in this ARC and one instance of someone 'going off half cock', so some extra proofreading is needed.
I got more dubious as the main character fed her baby cold mashed parsnips (bleh) and then proceeded to get into more and more unlikely situations. I know this is what most people like from thrillers, but for me I like things to be more believable. This got worse and worse until I felt sure Rachael should have died at least 8 times by the end. The end also got rather brutal, and I'm just not that into reading about so much violence towards women.
I think also for me I could tell this was written by a man and I don't think he did a great job of making us care about Rachael and her experiences.

4,5 Stars

I am drawn to stories with a setting in cold and remote areas. So this book was right up my alley. I will never understand why people travel to places we were not made for. High mountains, outer space, deep sea, Antarctica. But they make often for a good story.

Rachael is a glaciologist and has been several times to Antarctica. But now she is married and has a one year old daughter. But she misses work and when an old colleague and mentor visits her and wants her to return for a world changing mission she can’t say no. So she leaves again for Antarctica but as soon as she arrives things are not going to plan.

When we meet Rachael for the first time she is alone in a small hut in the middle of the antarctic winter and collects data for her research. But something has obviously happened. She receives a message via her radio that tells her that there was a nuclear attack to England. She can’t reach her base station and the only thing she gets over the radio is the repeated message about the attack. She begins to fear that she might be one of the only people alive and that nobody knows where she is.

At first I thought this would be a survivial thriller. Maybe a bit of a dystrophy. It is both but it is also a story about a woman struggling with being a stay-at-home mum and facing the changes in her life. And towards the end it also becomes a real thriller. So you get a few different things here and they are very well mixed together. Very soon this became a real page-turner for me and I was glued to the pages. Yes, some things are a bit unbelievable but holy moly was this entertaining and fun. I was so excited to see what this was all about and what really happened.

After some rather disappointing books recently and enjoyed this one very much.

Rachael is alone in the Antarctic, after losing contact with her team, and with radio messages telling her that a nuclear war has broken out, she realises that she may be the last person alive and may never see her husband and baby daughter again,

There were parts of this story that had me gripped, some full on icy action, but they were diluted by some rather dull flashbacks to Rachael’s life as a new mum, wondering whether she actually loves her husband or not.

As the danger mounted and Rachael was battling for survival, there were a couple of big twists - one that blew my mind and one that I had guessed.

An enjoyable read, if I was to read it again, I would just skip the flashbacks as they don’t bring anything to the Antarctic based part of the plot.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

In Antarctica it is mid winter and there is a massive spilt in the ice in the Ross Sea. How big it is and how dangerous it is to the world is unknown. Rachael has agreed to leave her family in England and travel there with a team of 4 to discover the actual size of the crack. They need to report back within a specific time frame as the US Government are planning on restarting fracking and the danger is that restarting it will cause the ice shelf to crack and break off resulting in a massive rise in sea levels.

Briefly, this is Antarctica so there is complete darkness and after a huge storm Rachael finds herself stranded on her own. Then her radio starts transmitting news of a nuclear attack and all communication with base camp is lost. Rachael can survive for approximately 14 days. Told in the first person we follow her journey as she tries to find safety and ultimately discover if there is anything or anyone left alive.

Having been to Antarctica I can only imagine how scary this must be - nothing but snow in every direction. Added to this the worry about her family at home and her stress levels must be through the roof. Rachael isn’t the most likeable of characters and she does seem rather unlucky with all the horrors she encounters but it is edge of the seat stuff. A good fast paced adventure/ thriller with plenty of twists along the way. Entertaining.