Review: Out of the Ice

 

Out of the Ice by Ann Turner

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Published: 1 June 2016

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5 stars)

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Review

After about 30% into this book I literally could not put it down. I didn’t want to eat, sleep or go to work – I just wanted to know what happens next.

Turner builds up the mystery of the abandoned whaling station perfectly. Half way through the book I found myself coming up with elaborate theories about what could have happened, with each as implausible as the next. It was then that I knew I had stumbled upon a damn good thriller novel.

Let me be clear. While Turner writes well, this is not a book where you will be swept away by the writing. It’s extremely plot driven and there is very little character development.  What this is, however, is an incredible page-turner that you will not – seriously, will not – be able to put down. I did not come up for air until I finished it.

This was an incredibly clever plot, that starts off slow and builds momentum throughout the book, where by the end everything is crashing down upon you at astronomical speed. Did I care about the lack of character development in the book? Hell no! This is not supposed to be a character driven book. This book was all about the plot – and it was enough for me that the characters weren’t hollow or one-dimensional.

This book is my most satisfying read of 2016. By the end of the book, every loose end was tied,  every box was ticked off, every piece of the jigsaw puzzle fit. God how I love those types of books.

I had two small annoyances with the book. Firstly, some parts were rushed – the author was clearly aiming for a fast-paced plot, which at times backfired and left it feeling a bit too hurried. And secondly, Laura, the MC, was just a little too silly for my tastes at times. For example, when she meets Trevor she instantly calls him her “little brother”. Um no, you just met the guy like 10 seconds ago, you cannot possibly think of him as your “little brother” that quickly. 

However, given how good the plot was, they are annoyances I can easily look past and forgive. I feel like Ann Turner is the Australian version of Dan Brown – absolutely impossible to put down until the very end. 

Thank you to NetGallery for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.