Blizzard

'The Alaskan wilds are the setting for Marie Vingtras's compelling Blizzard ... a chilling, tense read' - Observer

Winner of Prix Des Libraires, the French Booksellers' Prize for Best Novel of the Year.

An Observer Crime and thriller of the month

I lost him. I let go of his hand to do up my shoelaces and I lost him ...

As a blizzard rages in the vast, white expanse of the Alaskan wilderness, a woman walks alone with a child. No-one sees her as she stops to tie her laces. Seconds later, the child has vanished.

In the snow, every minute counts. Soon, each of the very few neighbours joins the search to find the boy before it's too late. As their hunt intensifies, connections are made, their secrets unearthed, and it seems that freezing to death is not the only danger they fear in this isolated edge of the world.

What readers say about BLIZZARD

'Remarkable ... The atmosphere and scene setting is off the charts'

'Blizzard is a book that FLIES BY. You can't help but want to devour it in a single sitting - that's how addictive it is. All the characters were super interesting ... I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen'

'The tension increases with each page ... Incredible'

'A raw and haunting novel'

'A brief but gripping tale'

'With complex characters, a rugged atmospheric setting ... with quite a few surprises along the way, this short novel is a gripping immersive read I finished in one sitting'

'A compelling survival story set in a desolate Alaskan landscape... this little novel packed quite a punch'

'I loved this book and devoured it in two days'

'A thought provoking, tightly packed thriller'

'I love multi pov novels and this hit all the marks - mysterious, thought provoking and incredibly well written'

'It was hard to put down, gripping & really fast paced. i loved the setting, the characters (& shifting POVs) & the tension building'

Marie Vingtras was born in Rennes in 1972. Blizzard is her first novel.

Stephanie Smee is a translator of French literature into English.