By Kaylie Seed
Content warning: rape, child abduction, addiction, alcoholism, car accident, vehicular death, attempted murder, attempted suicide, suicide
Black Ice is a thriller in which a group of strangers are brought together after a deadly accident and two different crimes entangle everyone involved. The plot began really slowly and did pick up as the story continued, but overall this was a slow-paced thriller. Gerhardsen has written an atmospheric read that will bring chills to readers as they unravel the secrets that Black Ice holds.
Since there are so many different characters throughout Black Ice, it can be difficult to keep track of them all and they can sometimes begin to blend together. The novel is narrated by a number of characters, and readers may find it overwhelming to follow at times. There is a lack of depth and development in each of the characters—which could also be an issue in translation, since this is a translated novel.
Gerhardsen has the plot go back and forth between timelines, but unfortunately this was not executed as smoothly as it could have been. Readers may find themselves having to go back and re-read sections to grasp where they are in the story. I personally found the novel lacked substantial themes and instead focused on psychological anguish. Even though the content warnings suggest that there will be substantial themes, they only seem to scratch the surface. Readers who enjoy numerous points of view will appreciate Black Ice and those who want a slower paced thriller will want to pick this one up.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.