There's something about mysteries that take place in secluded locations, I just can't resist.
Guests are checking into a small lodge in the middle of nowhere, looking forward to a romantic and relaxing time. Alas, a winter storm blows through, knocking out power and contact with the outside world. One person dies by what seems to be accidental means, but when a second person dies, it's clear something sinister is afoot. Is it one of the guests, or is there an unknown, mysterious interloper on the loose?
This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I found the premise and initial setup thoroughly intriguing. Just like the best Golden Age mysteries, there is a limited set of suspects, and everyone is acting questionable and hiding something. In fact, the cover of the book compares this to Agatha Christie, which is high aspiration indeed.
But unfortunately, after the great start, the mystery didn't really come together the way I was expecting. What's amazing about Agatha Christie is that all the clues are there, and when it's explained in the end, you feel like you could have figured it all out if only you'd been a little bit more clever. But with this story, there were no clues for me to put together and solve, and the reasons became known only when the book chose to reveal it. That takes a lot of the fun out of the mystery, at least for me.
Another letdown is that the characters act all panicked and wacky, which leads to more drama than is necessary. I've noticed that this is a trend of modern mysteries, where instead of offering great clues and red herrings, a lot of them just have characters acting crazy as the element that propels the story along. In fact, there were a few weirdly emotional characters who I was hoping would get murdered to be rid of their annoying presence.
Still, if you don't go in expecting a mystery with actual clues, then this is an adequate one. The setting is atmospheric, the premise is interesting, and the unfolding of the plot is engrossing enough. I'm glad I picked it up, even if the mystery didn't quite live up to its potential.
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