by Sandra Murphy

This week we have a review of Cold Wind By Paige Shelton along with an interesting interview with Paige. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon and an indie bookstore.

Cold Wind by Paige Shelton
Review by Sandra Murphy

Beth Rivers is in hiding. She’s a thriller writer who came close to the same fate as her characters. Kidnapped, held for three days, injured badly, and suffering memory loss, she left the hospital and chose as her hiding place, the most remote area she could find—Benedict, Alaska. So far, it’s worked. Only a handful of people know how to reach her and most of them don’t know her location.

She’s settling in and making friends. Alaska doesn’t seem so foreign as it did at first. She’s the editor for the small newspaper and is writing another book.

Years ago, a mudslide cut off part of the area. Now, a new slide has opened up roads again. Two young girls, mud-covered, and seemingly mute by choice, show up at the newspaper office. No one knows who they are. A trapper, rarely seen in town, now is noticed, and a woman’s frozen body is found in his storage shed.

Just like the mudslide uncovered formerly hidden roads, it’s also uncovering secrets from the past. Randy, owner of the mercantile store in town, is in the middle of all of them.

All in all, there are several mysteries to solve. And Beth is remembering more about her kidnapper. If only she could remember his face so she could stop wondering about everyone she meets.

This is book two in the series. Beth is learning more about living where the weather can change in a moment, where a reliable truck and always-ready gear are a necessity, and where people are willing to help, given the chance. This multi-layered tale will have readers turning the pages as fast as they can, to find out who is causing all the problems but wishing for more when the book is done.

Shelton also writes the Scottish Bookshop series (five books and a mini-mystery), the Country Cooking School mysteries (5), the Farmer’s Market books (6 plus a mini-mystery), and the Dangerous Type series (3). Many have been reviewed at KRL.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Interview with Paige Shelton:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

PS: All my life, but I decided to seriously pursue getting published in 1997. I thought I could manage to get it done by 2000. It didn’t happen until 2010.

KRL: When did your first novel come out? What was it called? Can you tell us a little about it?

PS: Farm Fresh Murder, published in 2010. The first in the Farmers’ Market Mystery Series. It was a delight to write six books about Becca Robins and the murders she solved in between working at her jam and preserve stall at the farmers’ market.

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense? If not what else have you written?

PS: Always mysteries. I tried to write romance when I first started, but I hadn’t read many of those, so I couldn’t quite find a direction. Things came together when I switched to writing mysteries, the genre I’ve been reading forever.

Paige Shelton

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

PS: I wanted to write about a place so remote that cell phone and internet signals were hard to find, but I still had to have a community. Alaska seemed like a good fit. My main character is also a writer, and I’ve always wanted to write a writer.

KRL: What are the differences in writing a thriller as opposed to a cozy?

PS: No need to move anything off the page in suspense or thriller. I still pare it down some, but not as much as with my cozies. There are comfort zones for both readers and writers, and it can take some time to find a good fit both directions.

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to take away from your work?

PS: Escape. If I can give anyone a story to fall into for a while, I’m thrilled.
KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just write whenever you can?

PS: I usually have a schedule, but it changes depending upon other things, like what my mom might need. At the moment, I write first thing every morning, which is my favorite time. My least favorite is at night, but sometimes deadlines mean changing things up.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

PS: I try to outline but I’m not very good at it. As I write I keep a spreadsheet that separates chapters, days, and characters’ names. I also leave notes throughout my first few drafts—in red. That helps too.

KRL: If you had your ideal, what time of day would you prefer to write?

PS: First thing in the morning.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

PS: Very hard. It took me 13 years.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

PS: The rejection I most remember was from an agent who said, “Not only do I not like your story, I don’t like the way it was written.” By the way, that agent is no longer in the business, not that I’ve checked or anything…

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

PS: I’ve been to one Malice Domestic conference. Sue Grafton was there too, and we had our signings at the same time. Her line stretched through the lobby and out the front door. Not quite the same for me, but it didn’t bother me in the least. Of course, we all would love that sort of readership, but just seeing her and seeing how much she was adored was an incredible experience I’ll never forget.

KRL: Future writing goals?

PS: I would love to keep writing cozies as well as suspense/thrillers. I have a million stories, and some aren’t even mysteries, so we’ll see.

KRL: Writing heroes?

PS: Phyllis A. Whitney and Sue Grafton are my two favorites.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

PS: I was lucky to visit both Scotland and Alaska before the first books of each of those series, but much of my research in from my desk, using the internet.

KRL: What do you read?

PS: Everything, all genres, and I usually listen to science fiction when I’m in my car. I love listening to space travel books.

KRL: Favorite TV or movies?

PS: Gosh, that changes all the time. I recently saw The Queen’s Gambit and loved it. I’m about to watch season two of the Mandalorian and I bet I’ll love it too.

KRL: Any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

PS: There are no shortcuts. If you really want to become published, never give up.

KRL: Anything you would like to add?

PS: Thanks for the interview! Hello to everyone. May 2021 be good to you all.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

PS: Let’s see…by the time I was 12, I lived in eight different towns. The number is up to ten now. I’d be okay staying put. I really love Arizona.

KRL: Website? Twitter? Facebook?

PS: www.Paigeshelton.com
www.facebook.com/authorpaigeshelton
twitter.com/AuthorPaige
www.instagram.com/paigebooks

To enter to win a copy of Cold Wind, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “wind,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 30, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase this book from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

Cold Wind: A Mystery (Alaska Wild #2)

You can use this link to purchase these book from Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.