Opening Line:  “Screw you, Bing Crosby.”

Overall:  On December 23^rd, Darby Thorne is on her way from Colorado to Utah to see her estranged mother before she has cancer surgery.  But, as she is driving up in the mountains, there is a massive snowstorm that forces Darby off the roads and into the nearest Rest Stop.  There are 4 other stranded motorists at the Rest Stop also.  When Darby goes outside to try, unsuccessfully, to get a cell phone signal to tell her sister that she is stuck at the Rest Stop until morning, she walks by a van in the parking lot.  Inside the van she sees a small girl locked in a dog kennel with duct tape over her mouth.  Who is this child?  Who does she belong to?  Where is she from?  Why is she in the back of the cold van like that?  Why
is she in a dog cage?  Who kidnapped her?  Who owns this van?  Which one of the people at the rest stop did this to her?  Which one of them can she trust?  How can she get this girl out of the locked van and safe?  How can she contact the Police?  With the roads all closed down because of this massive snow storm, Darby is stuck at the rest stop at least until morning.  There is no cell phone signal up there in the mountains and she has to try and save this little girl’s life somehow.  But, how can she get her out?  And how can she do it without being seen?  And where does she go with the girl once she is out?  What will happen if she decides to try and rescue the little girl alone?  They are all trapped at the Rest Area with a relentless snowstorm outside.  Who knows when a snow plow or the police will
come and open the roads up again?  What is Darby going to choose to do in the meantime?                                                                  

Ovations:  This is a riveting thriller that is action packed!  It’s twists and turns keep you guessing as to what might happen next.  It is a well written novel with no
wasted filler.  Every action leads to another action and keeps the story moving along at a non-stop fast pace.  Darby is an engaging heroine.  She is smart, caring, determined, tough, sensitive, resourceful, and brave.  But, she is human too and makes mistakes along the way, like a normal young woman would.  She is not some super human character that is unbelievable.  She has strengths and weaknesses that are realistic.  But she is a fighter, and is the perfect woman to be able to root for here.    

Oh Well:  The major problem with this book is that it was so suspenseful that I could not stop reading it and go to bed! Lol  I read it in two nights, stayed up way too late and lost some sleep.  So, that is a negative….but a positive one, if that is possible!?!  But, about the book, yes, there are some parts that are a bit implausible, but for the most part everything is realistic and very smartly written.

Opinion:  This book is an exciting, twisty, rollercoaster ride of a thriller!   It ultimately is about 2 people trying to outwit eachother in the most chilling cat and mouse game of their lives.  I don’t read horror books, and this is not one, although it does get very violent in some parts.  It is a tense, psychological thriller that I really enjoyed reading!  Rating is 10 out of 10  

(It is now a HULU film too!  The film does not follow the book exactly, there are a few changes, but it is still a very good thriller well worth watching after you have read the book.)