The setting: a deserted ski resort in the French Alps.

The characters: a group of former competitive snowboarders and friends.

The story: the group is invited back to the resort to reunite 10 years after they had last been together at the resort as competitive snowboarders. During that fateful season, passions and tensions ran high, and at the end of the season, one person was missing and lives were forever changed. Now they apprehensively gather to see each other once more, but arrive to find the resort deserted except for themselves. A heavy atmosphere pervades the resort and they are all still haunted by the events of that time. Why have they been invited here? Is it a reunion or a reckoning?

Sound good? This book has been much-hyped on Instagram and of course I have seen that before, so I began with very moderate expectations. What a pleasant surprise - I was completely hooked and could not put it down. The novel alternates between telling the story of the characters' relationships 10 years ago and present events at their reunion, which creates a wonderful rhythm to the unfolding of the story and the connection of past events to the present day lives of the characters. I don't want to reveal much since it is a spoiler free review, but this was an engrossing read which I would recommend to any thriller or suspense fan. For a debut novel, this author stomped it! A rad five-star read all the way, dude!