The Chilling by Riley James

Publisher's Synopsis

There's nowhere to run. But so much to hide.

Keen to flee the wreckage of her marriage, Australian scientist Kit Bitterfeld accepts a coveted winter research position at Macpherson Station in Antarctica. On the way there, Kit and her fellow researchers field a distress call from a nearby ship.

By the time they reach the vessel it is on fire and the crew has vanished. A lone survivor is found, but he can't remember who he is or what has happened.

They bring the survivor, identified as geophysicist Nick Coltheart, to Macpherson but it's clear that something is wrong. More and more of Kit's colleagues are acting strangely. And she can't shake the suspicion that Nick knows more than he's letting on. With the winter darkness setting in, Kit must figure out the truth before they are completely cut off from the outside world. But is the danger lurking out on the ice, or is it closer than she thinks?

My Review of The Chilling by Riley James

Rug up warm because The Chilling, the debut thriller by Riley James, demonstrates just how harsh and unforgiving Antarctica in winter can be. This is a suspense novel that simply drips with atmosphere and tension and not just because there are numerous ways a person can die in the unforgiving deep freeze of the most southern continent on earth. Chuck a bunch of humans into the mix and the number of ways you can die tends to dramatically increase.

Recently divorced Kit Bitterfeld has found her way onto an Antarctic expedition that will see her isolated, with her team, through the dark winter months. As the ship is nearing the Antarctic coast they receive a distress call from the ship transporting the summer team so they race off to assist. What they find is devastation and the crew is missing. There’s only one person found on board, and he was unconscious inside a coolroom.

The man’s name is Nick and when he comes out of his coma it’s apparent he’s suffering psychogenic amnesia with absolutely no memory of the events leading up to when he was knocked out. His predicament is accepted by everyone with the exception of Kit who’s dubious about the amnesia believing he’s faking it - at least to some extent.

While this is going on we’re introduced to the survivors of the abandoned ship. They’re in a fight for their lives as they make their way from the dangerous ice floes in the harbour to the more stable continental coast. It’s clear that a man had been murdered on board the ship before the fire broke and the ship had to be abandoned. What’s unclear are the circumstances surrounding the death and that’s where the story's big mystery lies.

The unique and forbidding setting of the Antarctic adds plenty of interest to this murder mystery. The prospect that any ill considered move outdoors could end in a quick death definitely adds a high level of jeopardy all round and gives The Chilling a unique point of difference. 

From very early the seeds of foreboding are sown with the doubts placed on the head of Nick, the plight of the missing crew members wandering about looking for the base camp and then, when a mysterious outbreak hits Kit’s camp, the danger levels are raised yet again. This is an outstanding debut thriller that manages to provide occasional well-disguised twists and surprises.

Riley James has clearly done her research with detailed descriptions of the landscape, life inside the Macpherson base camp and methods used by the inhabitants for survival and day to day living. This aspect of the book was important in creating a credible backdrop to the dramas that were being played out within.

I let myself be transported to Antarctica and found myself fully immersed in the story. I’d recommend this to any reader who enjoys thrillers with an action adventure side to it.