https://lynns-books.com/2021/01/25/shiver-by-allie-reynolds/
5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Wow, such an impressive debut.

I loved Shiver. I part read and part audio listened and I can heartily recommend both versions, the audio is simply superb and I find reading both versions is such a great experience.

To my review. This is going to be a review that doesn’t focus too much on the story itself. Fundamentally this is a mystery and I don’t want to give anything away unwittingly so this will be short and sweet. Basically, as the story beings we meet up with five friends as they get together for the first time in ten years. They meet up at a ski resort in the French Alps which immediately provokes a flood of memories for our narrator Millie and, after a rather startling icebreaker it soon becomes apparent they they’ve been brought together for ulterior motives. Ten years ago one of their (then) party disappeared mysteriously. Now declared dead it seems that somebody is interested in finding the whys and wherefores behind this disappearance and with secrets running rife everyone is a potential suspect.

What did I love about this. It’s a great combination of compelling mystery, superb setting and intriguingly ‘grey’ characters.

On the face of it we have five characters in the mix, Milla, Curtis, Brent, Heather, and Dale, but given the dual timeline you can add in a further two characters, Odette and Saskia. All at their peak in terms of pro snowboarding, competition is tough, some will take risks, determined to win, others are more adept at pushing buttons and causing conflict. I like some of the characters more than others, which I think is inevitable in this sort of story, probably my favourite was Curtis. I enjoyed Milla’s narration and think telling the story from one pov was a really great idea. I think including more povs would have been very messy, not to mention would add to the potential to giveaway secrets, and what really worked just hearing from Milla is that she has her own shady backstory so that even though you’re privy to her thoughts it doesn’t leave her entirely in the clear.

The setting is great in more than one way. Firstly, the venue, which is creepily and curiously completely empty. The cable car is mysteriously out of operation and other means of communication have also been removed. There’s an ominous feel to such a deserted venue. it puts me in mind of the Overlook Hotel with all the long, door lined corridors. There’s just something insidious about such a large empty place isn’t there? That horrible feeling of somebody sneaking around, or watching you, the prickling on the back of the shoulders or the notion of seeing something out of the corner of your eye. Basically the atmosphere and suspense is really well done and the setting adds to this tremendously. Secondly, the outside is no more a refuge than the inside. Freezing cold temperatures and the possibility of falling into life threatening crevasses are just two very real dangers. Add to this a sense of rising panic and things fairly quickly start to spiral out of control.

There’s not too much more that I can add really. I really enjoyed this. It’s an impressive debut, smoothly written, well plotted and to be honest, gripping to the very end. Very impressive and an author that I will watch with interest.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 great stars

I really enjoyed this book, despite mainly unlikeable characters, I was hooked in from the start.

The chapters alternate between present day and 10 years ago, each chapter telling us a little more about what happened/is happening.

This works well, in fact I probably enjoyed more the 10 years ago chapters. The present day ones keep you guessing, I didn’t guess the end at all.

It only dropped a star due to two things, which may not bother everyone - the initial premise of meeting up with people you knew 10 years ago despite having had no contact with them all - really?! Also some of the chapters were overly descriptive on the details of snowboarding which could have been cut down a bit I think.

But overall a great debut, I recommend it and I will definitely be reading the author’s next book.

“I need to get it through my head that this is not the nostalgic reunion I hoped it would be. And these people are no longer my friends.”

Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career 10 years previously, and while she would rather forget the terrible events of that winter, the invitation is from Curtis. The one person from her past that she can't seem to let go. Alongside Curtis and 3 other friends, who haven't seen each other in those 10 years; since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia, they come together for this reunion, each of them hiding a secret about what happened all those many years ago. When they get there, an icebreaker game turns menacing. They realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
Written in two timelines, the current timeline when they gather for the reunion and ten years ago, at the peak of their careers; it helps build up the tension as we see the friends come together in the first place. I loved how there was so much unease around each character and seeing that tension build up that you're not sure who to really trust.
I have wondered if some of the character actions were realistic, but having not been in such a high pressure environment and high pressure and close quarters; I wouldn’t know. Some of the decisions Milla made just seemed a bit odd to me like playing chicken that could potentially cause her serious harm and putting pressure on her relationship with Saskia.
It was very cleverly written however and I liked how the little nuggets of information about each character came out gradually, and whilst they were not the nicest of people, it all helped build up the story. It was full of action and suspense that barrel rolled towards the end of the story and I loved it. One un-put-down-able book that I needed to keep reading to find out what happened!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has to be one of the most exciting, page turning, stay up all night thrillers I’ve read for a long time. Told from the point of view of Mella, an Olympic snowboarding hopeful over two time frames, current and 10 years previously it gives us an insight into a group of athletes in their 20s who are friends but also competitors, some much more competitive than others. The disappearance of one of the group and a tragic accident to one other is recounted in alternate chapters between then and modern day when the group are lured back to the Alps after not being together for a decade. The characters are well described and believable, some you like more than others, but who do you trust? I think this is an extraordinary debut book and gets a very well deserved five stars from me.

So many secrets then and now, a reunion was probably not the best idea after 10 years but secrets and lies come out eventually, fast paced, thrilling, and scary I loved this one, what really happened out there and who will leave the reunion alive? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thank you for this brilliant arc @netgalley it is now available to buy 😝 ❄️🏂

I chose to read and review an eARC of Shiver but that has in no way influenced my review.

I tried very hard to resist this book but I failed, and I'm so incredibly glad I did. I saw it mentioned a few times on blogs and the socials and it immediately caught my attention. But I am trying to be stronger this year. Yeah, who am I kidding?! So Shiver became my first NetGalley request of the year....and it blew my socks off! I'm still suffering from a bit of a book hangover several days after finishing it.

Milla and four other snowboarders (well, one hanger-on) are attending a reunion at a resort in the French Alps. Milla isn't sure she wants to attend after what happened last time they were all together. But her crush, Curtis, will be there and the desire to see him is just too much. In fact, he's the one who invited her so it would be interesting to see if she still feels the same. When they arrive at the resort they find it's deserted. It's off-season though so it's no great surprise. Perhaps the staff will arrive soon. When an ice-breaker game asks some distressing, unsettling questions, the five attendees start to wonder what's going on. There is no escaping the past. Last time they were together the abrasive, hyper-competitive Saskia went missing and has never been found. Now someone wants answers and they'll stop at nothing to get them...

I loved Shiver. It reminded me of a Lucy Foley novel in some ways (and I love Lucy Foley). Add to that the dangerous and atmospheric setting of the Alps and I was hooked from the very start. I wanted to return again and again to my copy of the book. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the story. Trying to work out how things were going to turn out, picturing the snow covered mountains and the pure terror of being trapped in such a hostile, unforgiving environment. Absolutely flipping marvellous. I lived and breathed Shiver.

There were a couple of tiny things which I didn't love so much but the overall story and the setting were so strong, I still fell madly in love with the book. For example, this is a book about snowboarding and each chapter is told in either the past or the present. I adored the 'present' chapters. The 'past' chapters paint the picture perfectly of what happened during that fateful season all those years ago. But there are a heck of a lot of technical snowboarding references and as someone who hasn't paid a lot of attention to the sport (let's be fair here, I've never really paid any attention to sport full stop! 😂), it all went over my head a little. I found myself googling a couple of things but by doing that, it took me out of the story. But, on the plus side, it's clear the author knows her stuff and has put her love of snowboarding into the pages of Shiver. It shines through and you can't knock that really.

I didn't warm to any of the characters but I loved how dark Saskia's personality was. She was, by far, my favourite character in the book. I'm not a reader who needs to fall in love with the characters to enjoy a story. All I want are strong personalities (good or bad....doesn't matter to me) who stand tall from the page and that's exactly what the author has achieved.

There are lots of lovely twists and surprises in store for the reader in Shiver. I was able to guess one aspect of the story and I had an inkling about another, but the author managed to keep me from committing to my idea by throwing sufficient doubt into situations so I was never 100% sure of anything! This is a suspense thriller so it should come as no surprise that nearly all of the characters carry a secret they would rather not have revealed. Reynolds keeps her reader on the very precipice of a snowy mountain by drip feeding information piece by tantalising piece, and I loved it. I wanted more. I had to know what was going to happen!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I heartily encourage you pick up a copy of Shiver if you enjoy contemporary mysteries with great big dollop of suspense (don't we all?!). I loved the setting, I loved the story and I loved the way Shiver wormed its way under my skin. It became a bit of an obsession for the five days I was reading it. Oh, and this is the author's debut novel. HER DEBUT!! I think the future is very bright for Allie Reynolds and I'm certainly going to be keeping an eye out for future releases. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Shiver. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

What a debut from Allie Reynolds! I really enjoyed the concept of this book. It had enough information in it to captivate the audience, whilst not overwhelming those who have never experienced the pure bliss of being on the snow.

They say write about what you know and it is clear that Allie has profound experience in which she is pulling from when writing this edgy thriller. I just hope her own boarding days were not as murderous.

A locked in murder mystery surrounded by open space and freedom of movement. A real twist on the classic trope which has been used time and time again.

I loved the characters and the emotional connections I made to each one. I felt every emotion, from love and hate, to betrayal and anger. Not to mention a dollop of healthy competition which I myself am rather partial too.

Definitely a debut to read thriller family, and an author to watch out for.

I have already pre-ordered my signed copy from Goldsboro Books and I am looking forward to displaying it on my bookcase when it arrives.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Allie Reynolds in years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and Allie Reynolds for my review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Out Now in both the UK & USA

I love a good thriller so I had high hopes for Shiver after reading the blurb - and even though the cover is simple, it certainly added an air of mystery!

A reunion of five old friends, ten years after one of the gang mysteriously disappeared during a snowboard competition in the French ski resort of Le Rocher - what could possibly go wrong?

The gang believe they're just there for a good old catch up until the Icebreaker reveals some deadly secrets - but they all know they're holding secrets of their own ready to be revealed throughout the story.

The suspense was very real right from the beginning - I was dying (excuse the pun) to know what was over each and every page. The way the chapters jumped between past and present definitely added to it; they each wove into the storyline seamlessly and added to character development and how I felt about them.

I didn't understand a lot of the references to snowboarding tricks etc but the way Reynolds writes made me want to find out more. I have to admit I also went and looked up Le Rocher because the descriptive writing was great!

I kept changing my mind throughout who the culprit/s could be, but I'm not sure I quite saw the ending coming!

A brilliant page turning debut from Allie Reynolds - definitely recommend reading!

When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go.

Five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.

I very much enjoyed this thriller, I found it engaging and easy to read. It felt very atmospheric, set in a deserted lodge high up a mountain, and the author certainly conveyed a creepy and dark feeling to the setting.

It was obvious that all of the 5 characters had secrets from their past and so the main character, Milla, did not know who to trust. There were quite a few twists and turns towards the end and it was great that the mystery was properly resolved- hate it when a story is left unresolved and the reader is left hanging!

In summary, this was a pleasing thriller and I would happily read more by Allie Reynolds.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advance copy in return for my honest personal opinion. I have also published this review on Goodreads.

This book is getting rave reviews, and it certainly is a decent slow burning thriller with a surprise twist at the end. The group are stranded up an empty mountain off peak, with no access to help/phones or radios. Mysterious events and sightings build tension.
If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding you will definitely appreciate the setting and focus of the novel around snowboarding competitions.
I found the constant references to snowboarding skills confusing and off putting. I also felt the characters were cold and unlikeable, and felt they were all guilty!
Unfortunately this novel is very similar to two other recent releases *One by One and The Chalet, which may have impacted my opinion as the idea didn’t seem so original!
But if you haven’t read those this is worth reading!

There is something about these dark, chilly nights that make me want to curl up with an unpredictable, pitch-black, ice-cold book and I knew this would be what this debut would serve.

Milla and her snowboarding rivals are reuniting in the French Alps after ten years apart. There’s the ex-model and board trick champ Brent; the apparently chilled-out, reserved Dale; the barmaid and reluctant snowboarder Heather and the strikingly beautiful Curtis who is one half of a snowboarding sibling prodigy along with his sister Saskia, who went missing ten years ago. However, things have changed in the last decade and there’s a few dark secrets still buried deep beneath the snow. And someone appears to want to unearth everything…

The setting of the French Alps is truly stunning and the lodge that the group are staying in has all of the ingredients to be a warm, cosy retreat. Of course because of the nature of this story and all of their crimes, it doesn’t pan out that way. In a different book, the luxurious decor inside and the sprawling clean sheets of white outside have the potential to create a comforting, magical atmosphere. A lone house set in a quiet, cold mountain can of course take on an ominous, claustrophobic personality and that in itself added to the tension and drama of the book.

The chapters alternate between what happened ten years before and the present day. We see things from Milla’s point of view in both timelines and a lot of the focus is on her rivalry with Saskia. Both women are at the top of their game and they share a fierce competitiveness. Inevitably, only one of them can be the best at their sport so the two of them enter into unspoken battles to try and upset the other. It seemed quite petty at times but I’m sure this is reflective of what highly competitive people do. They’re both so focused on winning that little else matters really.

Milla and Brent had a romance in the earlier timeline and despite them seeming good for each other, Milla decides that snowboarding is more important. Even Brent himself, a fellow very ambitious successful athlete, appeared to be astonished at the casual ease with which she dismisses him and their budding relationship. I couldn’t quite work out whether I was supposed to be championing her as an independent, career-driven woman or raise my eyebrows at how unfeeling and cold she seemed to be. As someone who has followed her heart for her whole life, I find it really hard to relate to competitive people anyway but I was completely blown away by how little sentiment Milla appeared to have. By the present day timeline, she has warmed up a bit although she still retains an air of aloofness.

Curtis seems to bring out Milla’s soft side and he is incredibly charming and beautiful. I think I’ve read too many thrillers where the perpetrator is always the most alluring, attractive character and so I thought Curtis was behind the mystery for most of the narrative. I wanted to warn Milla not to get too close to him but then other things began to crop up that made me suspect someone else. Reynolds did a great job of diverting the suspicion from one character to another and it was this that kept the pages turning. I really had no clue who was behind Saskia’s disappearance or who was tormenting them.

There is a lot of snowboarding appreciation passages in the book. If you know nothing about the sport, you’ll learn a lot of terminology and become fully immersed in the world of the snowboarding elite. If you have absolutely zero interest in this, these parts may spoil your enjoyment of the book, despite how gripping the story is. I am always open to learning about new things, so I didn’t find it too dull. However, I can totally see how some readers would skim these parts in a desperate attempt to just get on with the mystery.

Shiver follows a group of adults, none of whom are particularly likeable. They sleep with each other and try to sabotage each other’s success and that’s pretty much the scope of their dynamic. If the writing and very slow unravelling of the truth had not been done so well, I’d have probably put the book down within the first 30% because I really didn’t care very much about any of the characters as people. However, I was very invested in getting to the bottom of what happened. So, if you can deal with spending time with several unlikeable people for the sake of a very good, twisty thriller, I can thoroughly recommend it!

I loved this book from page one to the end. The story is about snowboarding competitions in France and a group of fierce rivals who would do anything to win a race, and I mean anything! I could taste the snow in my mouth and the cold wind chilling me to the bone!

Five friends, competing in snowboarding competitions in France 10 years ago, have been invited to a reunion at an out of season ski resort. Milla, Curtis, Brent, Dale and Heather each think the invitations are from one of the others. The writing is a rollercoaster ride which is fast, punchy, pacey with bumps in the night, creepy dark corridors, lights on and lights kind of read which had me guessing to the end. I loved this story. Read and enjoy, I did!

I give a 4-star rating.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK

What a thriller of a ride (on a snowboard)!

The story is based around a group of 5 friends who get together 10 years after the death of a competitive snowboarder. There are so many twists and turns before discovering what really happened.

Set in the French Alps during closed season. Aside from the strange goings on, the retreat sounded idyllic. The mountains clearly hold secrets!

I read this in 2 sittings as I couldn’t put it down. Each chapter alternates between the present day and 10 years ago. This made me page turn even more than usual as I needed to get to the next follow on chapter each time!

For a debut novel this is incredible. Allie writes with so much passion for the sport of snowboarding that it is clear this is very much in her heart. The descriptive writing on all the moves, perils and competitiveness of the sport made me really feel as if I was there. This shows that it wasn’t just written on a whim, it was well thought about and clearly Allie is very knowledgable about the sport.

As for all the twists and turn this contained; I was guessing right until up until the end. Nothing was clear cut about who had done what.

If you want a book about secrets, lies, perils and competitiveness which is a mystery thriller then this is for you! I really can’t recommend it enough and I now can’t wait for Allie to write her next book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an arc. I am so glad I had the chance to read this and discover a new author.

Well this is a heck of a ride - I spent the whole afternoon yesterday unable to put down this suspenseful thriller!

I’ve never stepped foot on a snowy mountain or picked up a snowboard, but after reading this brilliantly detailed story I feel like I have - the author has created such a strong sense of place in the mountains, and I absolutely loved the atmosphere and excitement of it all. You can absolutely feel her passion and love for the sport in these pages, and that draws you in just as much as the suspense element!

But oh what a brilliant thriller it is too - with a fantastic cast of competitive and ruthless people willing to go to any length to win, it’s almost impossible to guess who is guilty, and of what...I was left guessing right until the very end, and by then you could cut the tension with a knife!

I loved the dual timelines, and the present day reunion had that great, almost claustrophobic locked room mystery feeling - stuck at the top of a mountain with nowhere to run to and all the “suspects” together. And of course I loved all the passion and tension that was building up with Milla and Curtis - in fact, this was at times quite a sexy novel too!

Original, thrilling and impossible to put down - I just find it hard to believe this is Allie’s debut novel! Can’t recommend it enough.

I so enjoyed reading this book. It grabbed me from page 1 and didn't let go,piling tension upon tension with the story switching backwards and forwards from 10 years ago to the present day.
Friend of foe,who did the the evil deed? 1 of them,some or all and who is taking their revenge?
Each chapter there was revelation upon revelation!
Loved the setting, I could really imagine myself there on the mountain in the freezing temperatures.
A truly enthralling and gripping read.!
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Five friends return to the Alps ten years after their last visit; at the time Milla, Curtis, Brent and Dale were all snowboarders about to take part in the British championships. Heather worked in a bar in the resort. Also there a decade ago were Curtis’ sister Saskia and Odette a French snowboarder. Odette suffered a life threatening injury at the competition. Saskia didn’t turn up for the competition and hasn’t been seen since; it’s believed she had an accident on the glacier but her body has never been discovered. It soon becomes obvious to the five at the hotel that someone has lured them there under false pretenses and are determined to find out what happened to Saskia.

Really enjoyed this book. The story weaves back and forth between the present day and ten years earlier and it kept me gripped right from the start. Great read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Headline and Allie Reynolds for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Oh wow,this was a thrilling ride in every way and I steamed through this book. The premise is fantastic, a group of snowboarders reunited after 10 years, but all hiding secrets they don't want to share. Stuck high up a mountain in an empty hostel, things quickly turn strange. The setting is stunning but the reader is left constantly second guessing and wondering who is playing the games, which get dirtier and dirtier. I can't believe this a debut novel and will look out for more from this author. Thanks to #AllieReynolds and #Netgalley for the arc.

This really was a force-myself-to-stop-reading kinda book. I realised it was 1.30am and I had to make myself to put it down. After a false start with a few books prior to starting this it was great to read something that made me ravenous to finish it and figure out what was going on. It wasn't perfect and there were a few things about Millas inner monologue that irked me and the denouement, as with all these chiller thrillers, can't compete with the tension and excitement of the chase to that point, but still - a chilling, thrilling, addictive whodunit.

Set in the beautiful French Alps, high in an out of season ski resort, five former snowboarding champions meet up for the time in ten years. The last time that they were together Saskia disappeared and has never been found. Each of them had received an invitation, but none of them had sent the invitations out. They all had their secrets, and someone was determined to find out what had happened to Saskia the last time they were all there.
The story runs on parallel timelines with events ten years ago, and what happened, to the reveal and conclusion in the present day. All five of them had changed, settled into new careers and retired from the lime-light of attracting sponsors and being one of the chosen to represent their country in world-class events.
The group all came from very different backgrounds with the only thing binding them together being their skill on a board. The group were extremely competitive with each other, pushing boundaries. In the present day, the group were becoming quite paranoid as to which of them could be pulling the strings, cracking open old feelings and memories buried in the past.
The setting both breathtaking and deadly. Like an artist having a new canvas to work from every time fresh snowfalls. The author comes across as knowing her stuff, both from experience and impeccable research. A brilliant debut with a fabulous group of characters, tense and edgy with no escape from the past or present. Someone knew the truth, and someone was determined to know it. Awesome!
I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I devoured this book. Everything about it is spot on - the characters, the plot and the setting. I would recommend this to any thriller fans.