“He was born in the lead. I don’t have that luxury.”
I’ve never been skiing, snowboarding, or really ever had much of an appetite for having a holiday in the Alps, Aspen or anywhere else that is cold and attracts adrenaline junkies who love that sort of thing. So I chose to read a book that is set in the mountains and follows a group of professional snowboarders.
Why? Well, I’ve been in a bit of a ‘whodunnit’ phase since demolishing Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party, and am a self-confessed sucker for those claustrophobic thrillers set in a lodge in the middle of nowhere. Join us here at What We Reading for our Shiver book review!
Date Published: 2020
Author: Allie Reynolds
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Pages: 432
GoodReads Rating: 3.81/5
Premise
Shiver revolves around an assortment of hyper-competitive people amassing in an environment filled with danger, where mind games and increasing paranoia drives one of them to commit the biggest crime of all. Following this group as they reconvene at the scene of the crime a decade on, old secrets are dug up as author Allie Reynolds casts the spotlight on every character before finally revealing which of these former friends is a cold-blooded killer.
Reynolds’ mystery-thriller novel is split into two different times: the present day in a lodge in the French Alps, and with the same group ten years earlier.
Professional snowboarder Milla acts as our protagonist, a headstrong and fiercely-competitive figure who is coaxed into returning to the lodge by Curtis. Reuniting with her old friendship circle, the group are quickly left isolated in the lodge and forced to face the dark secrets they had left behind, with absolutely devastating results.
What Worked
Allie Reynolds recites the story exclusively from Milla’s perspective from a first-person narrative. This strategy relies on the protagonist being an interesting, capable and likeable character and, for the most part, she does a stellar job with that. Main characters tend to be purposely written as headstrong and independent, however, it’s usually done in such a way that it’s never to the extent of being toxic.
Milla’s complexities stand as an exception to that rule, and that’s what makes her such an interesting protagonist. In fact, with the exception of Heather and Dale, all the characters introduced worked as unique figures all capable of housing hidden motivations.
The structure of the book is split between the present day and events that occurred in the same location with the group ten years prior. Mainly revolving around Milla’s rivalry with Curtis’ sister, Saskia, it’s made clear that Saskia is presumed dead in the modern day, and the glimpses into the past are used to explain how each member of the party wound up having a grudge with her.
It’s a really neat way of doing things and does a solid job of keeping things from ever feeling stale. I actually found the chapters set in the past to be the more interesting of the two, just for the insights they gave into the characters during their heyday.
And of course, a title like this lives and dies on its setting, and Shiver nails it with the ski lodge nestled in the French Alps. With the characters all being professional snowboarders, there are obviously a lot of references to the sport, but it’s all easy to follow and never feels like anything integral is being missed out on by not knowing anything about it.
What Didn’t
For as stellar a title as Shiver is for creating suspense and a frosty atmosphere, the overall delivery on the climax of proceedings left a bit to be desired. ‘All on mystery, less on thriller’ might be the best way of describing it. There are a few instances of characters dipping out on their own, doing reckless acts and being presented in the most suspicious of circumstances that things begin to feel a little forced.
There’s the odd bit of cringe-worthy dialogue and interaction that feels a bit teen drama-y, which might alienate some readers.
It’s also the first mystery-thriller book I managed to correctly guess what had happened. If you’ve read our Chasing the Boogeyman book review, you’ll know how bad at guessing things I am. I went through a couple of revisions but, by about the halfway mark, I had a pretty solid incline which undoubtedly made the final few chapters a little less punchy.
Verdict
Shiver does a heck of a lot right, and it’s a lot of fun as your next mystery-thriller book. It’s great Allie Reynolds was able to tap into her knowledge as a former snowboarder for the book, but she should be seriously commended for translating that knowledge into an engaging and atmospheric backdrop anyone can dive into.
The characters are all so headstrong and competitive that it might put some readers off, however, it’s undoubtedly a reflection on the very real world of competing in a sport like snowboarding. It also helps sell some of the drastic and heartless acts they end up committing.
It’s not the most ‘punchy’ of thriller novels I’ve ever read, ultimately closing with a finale that doesn’t quite do the intense character dynamics justice, but it isn’t offensive enough for a read to not feel worthwhile at the end of it.
Our Rating: 3/5
Views From Around The Reading World
“Allie Reynolds’ Shiver takes the old plot device of a group of characters, each with their own secrets, being killed off one by one in an isolated location, and gives it a modern sheen.
The story alternates between events ten years ago when one of their friends was killed at a snowboarding competition, and the present day, when they are all regathered at an isolated ski lodge high up in the French Alps. Allie uses her background as a champion snowboarder to add some interesting background detail to the story, and the plot unwinds at a good pace with lots of surprises and suspense. Recommended.”
Quote supplied by Jeff Popple from Murder, Mayhem and Long Dogs
“Shiver is a well-written and fast-paced thriller, with an enticing mystery set in a chilling and unforgiving atmosphere. A whodunnit that’ll keep you guessing.”
Quote supplied by Trey Stone, author of At The Gate and The Columbus Archives
“Allie Reynolds’ debut novel, Shiver, kept my heart pounding until the final page. There was romance, intrigue, complex characters, and suspense-packed in every page. I couldn’t read it fast enough! The fact Reynolds went below the surface with her characters and let readers see into their core really made a difference. It may just be my favorite debut thriller ever!”
Quote supplied by Carly Rae from HeyIt’sCarlyRae
“Shiver has an old-school 1990s slasher film feel along the lines of Final Destination, I half expected Matthew Lillard or Freddy Prinze Junior to pop up. The tension was parsed out excellently, without it becoming overly forced and, although the final ‘twist’ was easy to spot, it didn’t feel boring.”
Quote supplied by Lydia from Broken Geek Designs
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
