Freeze

⭐⭐⭐

Freeze by Kate Simants is a thrilling locked-room mystery novel that revolves around a reality TV show called Frozen Out. Tori Matsuka, the creator of the show, has put everything on the line to launch her production company with this project, which features eight contestants competing for £100,000. Camerawoman Dee sees it as a new beginning after her journalism career took a hit following a tragedy. However, things take an unexpected turn when one contestant is found dead and Dee realizes that the death was not natural.

As errors and mishaps pile up on the set, tensions rise among the cast and crew. The situation worsens when they find themselves stranded in freezing Arctic conditions with no hope of escape. As secrets come to light and suspicions mount, they realize that it's not just outside forces that want them dead.

While Freeze had its entertaining moments, there were some issues that lowered its rating. Firstly, the author failed to embrace what could have been an incredibly creepy atmosphere given the setting. Secondly, I found the story's dual POVs (Tori and Dee) challenging to follow as both sounded similar without clear definitions between them. Despite these flaws, I loved how red herrings and twists kept me guessing throughout.

Overall, if you're looking for a fast-paced page-turner with plenty of suspenseful moments and plot twists, then Freeze might be perfect for you! However, readers should be aware of its shortcomings before diving in. Hence, 3 stars seem like an appropriate rating for this book.

ARC Via NetGalley