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On the Ice: A Mystery
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A chilling, complex mystery about a screenwriter's feverish search for her missing brother on an Antarctic research station by debut author Keaton McGruder.
Ellie Best wins a coveted grant to write a screenplay while staying in Antarctica at McMurdo Station, and the best part is that her brother Leo, a climate scientist, is leading a research expedition there. But when she arrives, Leo has gone missing . . . and no one can survive for long out on the ice.
Desperate to find out what happened to Leo, Ellie begins to investigate. Everyone is a suspect in the isolated, claustrophobic research station. The scientists and support workers Leo knew were changed by the months of darkness, forming a tangled web of relationships, lovers, enemies and secrets. And when there’s a deadly fire on the base that echoes the script Ellie is writing, she realizes that danger is still lurking in the station—and she could be the next target.
Told in dual perspectives, in Leo’s polar winter in pure darkness and Ellie’s austral summer in constant light, On the Ice is a chilling debut mystery about isolation, survival, and the need for human connection and love—set against the breathtaking, and deadly, landscape of Antarctica.
Ellie Best wins a coveted grant to write a screenplay while staying in Antarctica at McMurdo Station, and the best part is that her brother Leo, a climate scientist, is leading a research expedition there. But when she arrives, Leo has gone missing . . . and no one can survive for long out on the ice.
Desperate to find out what happened to Leo, Ellie begins to investigate. Everyone is a suspect in the isolated, claustrophobic research station. The scientists and support workers Leo knew were changed by the months of darkness, forming a tangled web of relationships, lovers, enemies and secrets. And when there’s a deadly fire on the base that echoes the script Ellie is writing, she realizes that danger is still lurking in the station—and she could be the next target.
Told in dual perspectives, in Leo’s polar winter in pure darkness and Ellie’s austral summer in constant light, On the Ice is a chilling debut mystery about isolation, survival, and the need for human connection and love—set against the breathtaking, and deadly, landscape of Antarctica.
- GenresMystery
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 2, 2027
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the Ice by Keaton McGruder
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Antarctica, a missing scientist, a screenwriter who arrives at a remote research station only to discover her brother has disappeared, and a whole lot of secrets? Yes, please.
Ellie Best is a screenwriter who has been given the incredible opportunity to spend a month at McMurdo Station in Antarctica researching for her murder mystery. Her brother Leo is already there, working as a climate scientist studying the shrinking ice caps. But when Ellie arrives, Leo is nowhere to be found. And with only a couple hundred people at the station, the question becomes: How does someone simply disappear?
As Ellie starts asking questions, it becomes increasingly clear that people are hiding things. Strange things begin happening around the station, and suddenly Ellie isn't just trying to figure out what happened to her brother—she may have to figure out who she can actually trust.
I absolutely loved the dual POV structure, which alternates between Ellie and Leo and gives us two very different perspectives of life on the Antarctic ice. Seeing Leo experience the months of darkness and isolation while Ellie arrives during the endless daylight was fascinating. The descriptions of Antarctica really stood out to me, and the extreme environment becomes almost a character itself. The cold, isolation, darkness, and sheer impossibility of surviving outside the station create an incredibly effective backdrop for a mystery.
I also really loved Ellie. She is dealing with her own trauma while trying to piece together what happened to her brother, and I found myself rooting for her on both fronts. I wanted her to solve the mystery, but I also wanted her to find some healing along the way. Her investigation slowly exposes the complicated relationships and secrets within the station, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what everyone was hiding.
This book manages to blend mystery, suspense, a little romance, and plenty of interpersonal drama into a setting you don't see every day. There were definitely moments when I thought I had figured everything out, only to question myself again. While the pacing is more of a slow burn than an all-out thriller, I found the atmosphere and the mystery compelling enough to keep me reading.
And honestly, reading about months of darkness, isolation, and extreme cold makes you appreciate something as simple as sunlight. 😂 I may never complain about a cloudy day again.
On the Ice is an atmospheric, unique, and thoroughly entertaining debut. I loved getting lost in the frozen isolation of Antarctica, and I will absolutely be watching to see what Keaton McGruder writes next. If you enjoy mysteries with unusual settings, complicated characters, secrets, and a touch of romance, this is definitely one to add to your list.
4.5–5 stars!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Antarctica, a missing scientist, a screenwriter who arrives at a remote research station only to discover her brother has disappeared, and a whole lot of secrets? Yes, please.
Ellie Best is a screenwriter who has been given the incredible opportunity to spend a month at McMurdo Station in Antarctica researching for her murder mystery. Her brother Leo is already there, working as a climate scientist studying the shrinking ice caps. But when Ellie arrives, Leo is nowhere to be found. And with only a couple hundred people at the station, the question becomes: How does someone simply disappear?
As Ellie starts asking questions, it becomes increasingly clear that people are hiding things. Strange things begin happening around the station, and suddenly Ellie isn't just trying to figure out what happened to her brother—she may have to figure out who she can actually trust.
I absolutely loved the dual POV structure, which alternates between Ellie and Leo and gives us two very different perspectives of life on the Antarctic ice. Seeing Leo experience the months of darkness and isolation while Ellie arrives during the endless daylight was fascinating. The descriptions of Antarctica really stood out to me, and the extreme environment becomes almost a character itself. The cold, isolation, darkness, and sheer impossibility of surviving outside the station create an incredibly effective backdrop for a mystery.
I also really loved Ellie. She is dealing with her own trauma while trying to piece together what happened to her brother, and I found myself rooting for her on both fronts. I wanted her to solve the mystery, but I also wanted her to find some healing along the way. Her investigation slowly exposes the complicated relationships and secrets within the station, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what everyone was hiding.
This book manages to blend mystery, suspense, a little romance, and plenty of interpersonal drama into a setting you don't see every day. There were definitely moments when I thought I had figured everything out, only to question myself again. While the pacing is more of a slow burn than an all-out thriller, I found the atmosphere and the mystery compelling enough to keep me reading.
And honestly, reading about months of darkness, isolation, and extreme cold makes you appreciate something as simple as sunlight. 😂 I may never complain about a cloudy day again.
On the Ice is an atmospheric, unique, and thoroughly entertaining debut. I loved getting lost in the frozen isolation of Antarctica, and I will absolutely be watching to see what Keaton McGruder writes next. If you enjoy mysteries with unusual settings, complicated characters, secrets, and a touch of romance, this is definitely one to add to your list.
4.5–5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the Ice is a thriller/murder mystery set in Antarctica, told across two separate timelines that eventually converge satisfyingly as the story reaches its climax.
Ellie Best is a playwright who receives a grant to travel to Antarctica and work on a project involving climate scientists. Her brother Leo and her “kinda love interest” are both big brained but apparently really handsome scientists stationed there, along with a group of researchers whose professional and personal relationships are tangled together in increasingly complex ways. Complicating matters even more, Leo witnessed his fiancée die in a freak accident shortly before leaving England for Antarctica, and her best friend is also part of the research mission.
Once Ellie arrives, the story quickly becomes a frantic search for Leo, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
I struggled a little with the first third of the book. Part of that may have been that I wasn’t able to read in longer stretches at first, and this is a book that benefited from having more time to sit with it. Once I was able to read larger chunks, especially through the final two-thirds, I found myself much more engaged with the mystery.
Early on, I also wasn’t quite sure which characters I was supposed to care about. Some felt a little distant or wooden to me, and there were times when the descriptions, especially of food, eating and drinking, and the characters’ internal thoughts and emotions, felt more detailed than I needed. There were also a few small continuity or logic issues that pulled me out of the story. Nothing major, but details involving injuries or physical actions occasionally made me stop and think, “Wait, wouldn’t that still be a problem?”
But the central mystery kept working on me. I wanted to know whether Leo was still alive, what had actually happened, and whether something more sinister was going on. The dual timelines were effective, and I enjoyed watching them gradually move toward one another. In that sense, it reminded me a little of Gone Girl, not necessarily in tone, but in the way the structure makes you keep reassessing what you think is happening.
The Antarctic setting may have been the most intriguing part. McGruder does a good job making the isolation, strange light, cold, and sheer otherness of the continent feel tangible. It made me think about what it would actually be like to live and work in a place with months of near-constant daylight or darkness.
In the end, I found On the Ice satisfying because the story itself kept me curious and paid off well enough to make the journey worthwhile. I do think it could have been somewhat tighter, perhaps fifty pages shorter, and there were moments when the writing pulled me out of the story rather than deeper into it. But I’m glad I finished it, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries in unusual settings.
3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Ellie Best is a playwright who receives a grant to travel to Antarctica and work on a project involving climate scientists. Her brother Leo and her “kinda love interest” are both big brained but apparently really handsome scientists stationed there, along with a group of researchers whose professional and personal relationships are tangled together in increasingly complex ways. Complicating matters even more, Leo witnessed his fiancée die in a freak accident shortly before leaving England for Antarctica, and her best friend is also part of the research mission.
Once Ellie arrives, the story quickly becomes a frantic search for Leo, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
I struggled a little with the first third of the book. Part of that may have been that I wasn’t able to read in longer stretches at first, and this is a book that benefited from having more time to sit with it. Once I was able to read larger chunks, especially through the final two-thirds, I found myself much more engaged with the mystery.
Early on, I also wasn’t quite sure which characters I was supposed to care about. Some felt a little distant or wooden to me, and there were times when the descriptions, especially of food, eating and drinking, and the characters’ internal thoughts and emotions, felt more detailed than I needed. There were also a few small continuity or logic issues that pulled me out of the story. Nothing major, but details involving injuries or physical actions occasionally made me stop and think, “Wait, wouldn’t that still be a problem?”
But the central mystery kept working on me. I wanted to know whether Leo was still alive, what had actually happened, and whether something more sinister was going on. The dual timelines were effective, and I enjoyed watching them gradually move toward one another. In that sense, it reminded me a little of Gone Girl, not necessarily in tone, but in the way the structure makes you keep reassessing what you think is happening.
The Antarctic setting may have been the most intriguing part. McGruder does a good job making the isolation, strange light, cold, and sheer otherness of the continent feel tangible. It made me think about what it would actually be like to live and work in a place with months of near-constant daylight or darkness.
In the end, I found On the Ice satisfying because the story itself kept me curious and paid off well enough to make the journey worthwhile. I do think it could have been somewhat tighter, perhaps fifty pages shorter, and there were moments when the writing pulled me out of the story rather than deeper into it. But I’m glad I finished it, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries in unusual settings.
3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Pub Date 2 Feb 2027
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m the third person to review this one on Netgalley, following a 3-star and a 5-star review. I’m taking the middle ground with 4 stars!
This is only the second novel I’ve read set in Antarctica (the first was The Dark by Emma Haughton, which I highly, highly recommend), and I really love this setting. Antarctica is basically the ultimate closed-door, claustrophobic location: you’re surrounded by endless ice and snow, completely isolated from the outside world, and there’s nowhere to go if things start to go wrong. It creates such a naturally tense atmosphere for a thriller.
I also really liked the structure of this book. The story alternates between timelines, gradually revealing more about what happened until the two timelines ultimately converge in the present. I thought this worked well and kept me interested in figuring out how everything connected.
Where I struggled was with Ellie, our main character. I never really connected with her, and I actually found myself wishing that we were following someone else. I also wasn’t particularly keen on the way the novel mirrors the script Ellie is writing. I understand what the book was doing with this, but it didn’t quite work for me and ultimately felt a little too self-conscious.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m the third person to review this one on Netgalley, following a 3-star and a 5-star review. I’m taking the middle ground with 4 stars!
This is only the second novel I’ve read set in Antarctica (the first was The Dark by Emma Haughton, which I highly, highly recommend), and I really love this setting. Antarctica is basically the ultimate closed-door, claustrophobic location: you’re surrounded by endless ice and snow, completely isolated from the outside world, and there’s nowhere to go if things start to go wrong. It creates such a naturally tense atmosphere for a thriller.
I also really liked the structure of this book. The story alternates between timelines, gradually revealing more about what happened until the two timelines ultimately converge in the present. I thought this worked well and kept me interested in figuring out how everything connected.
Where I struggled was with Ellie, our main character. I never really connected with her, and I actually found myself wishing that we were following someone else. I also wasn’t particularly keen on the way the novel mirrors the script Ellie is writing. I understand what the book was doing with this, but it didn’t quite work for me and ultimately felt a little too self-conscious.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of On the Ice by Keaton McGruder. Its publication date is set for February 02/ 2027. This unusual, puzzling mystery is set at the isolated McMurdo Station in the Antarctic.
Screenwriter Ellie has received a prestigious grant to write a screenplay while residing at the remote McMurdo Station. She feels honoured and excited that it will enable her to be reunited with her brother Leo, a climate scientist who is leading a group of researchers studying climate change caused by the reduction in Antarctic ice.
On her arrival, she is heartsick to learn that her brother Leo has gone missing. No one admits to knowing anything about what happened to Leo. This is during the polar summer with 8 months of light. Even during summer, it is bitterly cold, with turbulent weather. Outside the base, there are deep crevasses, no shelter, and little chance of survival out on the ice. Ellie fears her brother is dead and is determined to search for him and discover his fate. She feels that scientists and workers on the base know something about what has happened to him in this hostile environment, but they are keeping secrets, so she views them as suspects. There is a deadly fire at the base, mirroring the script that Ellie is writing. She fears that she is also in danger. The home lives of Leo and Ellie before coming to the Antarctic is clearly stated.
Seals and sea lions are mentioned, but also the sound of a fox that seems out of place. The extreme isolation and claustrophobic setting bring people together during months of darkness, but also provoke changes in personalities and behaviour. New relationships, one-night stands, and enemies develop, with people holding grudges, hostility and secrets. Leo's thoughts, behaviour and actions are the focus of his months of polar darkness. We eventually learn his fate. Recommended for readers looking for a gripping mystery in a unique location.
Screenwriter Ellie has received a prestigious grant to write a screenplay while residing at the remote McMurdo Station. She feels honoured and excited that it will enable her to be reunited with her brother Leo, a climate scientist who is leading a group of researchers studying climate change caused by the reduction in Antarctic ice.
On her arrival, she is heartsick to learn that her brother Leo has gone missing. No one admits to knowing anything about what happened to Leo. This is during the polar summer with 8 months of light. Even during summer, it is bitterly cold, with turbulent weather. Outside the base, there are deep crevasses, no shelter, and little chance of survival out on the ice. Ellie fears her brother is dead and is determined to search for him and discover his fate. She feels that scientists and workers on the base know something about what has happened to him in this hostile environment, but they are keeping secrets, so she views them as suspects. There is a deadly fire at the base, mirroring the script that Ellie is writing. She fears that she is also in danger. The home lives of Leo and Ellie before coming to the Antarctic is clearly stated.
Seals and sea lions are mentioned, but also the sound of a fox that seems out of place. The extreme isolation and claustrophobic setting bring people together during months of darkness, but also provoke changes in personalities and behaviour. New relationships, one-night stands, and enemies develop, with people holding grudges, hostility and secrets. Leo's thoughts, behaviour and actions are the focus of his months of polar darkness. We eventually learn his fate. Recommended for readers looking for a gripping mystery in a unique location.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the Ice by Keaton McGruder plunges screenwriter Ellie Best into the most isolated place on Earth – Antarctica's McMurdo Station – where her climate scientist brother, Leo, has mysteriously vanished. Stranded and desperate, Ellie is forced to navigate a hostile environment both inside and outside the station.
Amidst a crew already frayed by extreme isolation and deep-seated secrets, a sinister incident, mirroring events from Ellie's own screenplay, ignites a terrifying realization: the threat isn't just the frozen wilderness, but lurks within the station walls, making everyone a suspect and Ellie a potential target.
McGruder masterfully crafts two parallel narratives: Leo's desperate struggle for survival during the endless polar night, and Ellie's relentless investigation under the perpetual summer sun. The Antarctic setting itself transcends mere backdrop, becoming a palpable, claustrophobic presence that heightens the psychological tension.
For fans of chilling psychological thrillers and complex mysteries exploring human nature pushed to its limits, On the Ice is an unforgettable debut. Prepare for twists, turns, and a profoundly unsettling atmosphere. You won't regret picking this up!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Amidst a crew already frayed by extreme isolation and deep-seated secrets, a sinister incident, mirroring events from Ellie's own screenplay, ignites a terrifying realization: the threat isn't just the frozen wilderness, but lurks within the station walls, making everyone a suspect and Ellie a potential target.
McGruder masterfully crafts two parallel narratives: Leo's desperate struggle for survival during the endless polar night, and Ellie's relentless investigation under the perpetual summer sun. The Antarctic setting itself transcends mere backdrop, becoming a palpable, claustrophobic presence that heightens the psychological tension.
For fans of chilling psychological thrillers and complex mysteries exploring human nature pushed to its limits, On the Ice is an unforgettable debut. Prepare for twists, turns, and a profoundly unsettling atmosphere. You won't regret picking this up!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you
This was an interesting book. I've never been to Antarctica, and after reading this, not sure I could handle being there for a year, like some of the scientists.
Leo Best is a climate scientist who will be leading an expedition to Antarctica. His sister Ellie has been awarded a grant, to write a screenplay about global warming, and will join him for one month. Leo gathers a team, with high hopes. His team is good, and they are diverse. While he's excited and focused on the expedition, right before leaving his fiancée breaks up with him, and he has to leave his young son.
It doesn't take long for the excitement to run out, and soon his team always seems at odds, the darkness grows tedious and turns people inward. He finds rather than having these great team moments, everyone is always angry, including himself. There are things going on behind the scenes that no one realizes. As the year wears on, less is getting done, and secrets are being kept. As summer nears, Ellie prepares to join him, only to get a cryptic note that he doesn't want her to come. She goes anyway, and finds he's not there when she arrives.
The story is told in dual timelines, Leo experience and Ellie's once she arrives and desperately tried to find her brother.
This story is dark at times.
This was an interesting book. I've never been to Antarctica, and after reading this, not sure I could handle being there for a year, like some of the scientists.
Leo Best is a climate scientist who will be leading an expedition to Antarctica. His sister Ellie has been awarded a grant, to write a screenplay about global warming, and will join him for one month. Leo gathers a team, with high hopes. His team is good, and they are diverse. While he's excited and focused on the expedition, right before leaving his fiancée breaks up with him, and he has to leave his young son.
It doesn't take long for the excitement to run out, and soon his team always seems at odds, the darkness grows tedious and turns people inward. He finds rather than having these great team moments, everyone is always angry, including himself. There are things going on behind the scenes that no one realizes. As the year wears on, less is getting done, and secrets are being kept. As summer nears, Ellie prepares to join him, only to get a cryptic note that he doesn't want her to come. She goes anyway, and finds he's not there when she arrives.
The story is told in dual timelines, Leo experience and Ellie's once she arrives and desperately tried to find her brother.
This story is dark at times.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
On the Ice tells the story of Ellie Best, a screenwriter who wins a prestigious grant to live and write at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Her brother, Leo, a climate scientist, is currently leading an expedition there. However, when Ellie arrives, she discovers that Leo has gone missing.
I had forgotten why Ellie was in Antarctica! She certainly didn't do much writing, considering she had a prestigious grant ... much less writing about global warming. I'm sad to say I found all of the characters to be quite immature for their ages. Another reviewer wrote that there were "Pages upon more pages of absolutely useless, repetitive, trivial conversations and the same bitter arguments over and over, and even MORE pages of endless internal monologues from our two over-thinking main characters" and I couldn't agree more. The book was filled with deep secrets, drama, secret sex, and constant drinking, even among top leaders.
I'm sure there are readers who enjoy this type of book. It just wasn't for me, although I loved the part about the seal!
Thank you, @MinotaurBooks, for providing this book for consideration and review via @NetGalley. All opinions are my own. On the Ice has an expected publication date of February 2, 2027.
I had forgotten why Ellie was in Antarctica! She certainly didn't do much writing, considering she had a prestigious grant ... much less writing about global warming. I'm sad to say I found all of the characters to be quite immature for their ages. Another reviewer wrote that there were "Pages upon more pages of absolutely useless, repetitive, trivial conversations and the same bitter arguments over and over, and even MORE pages of endless internal monologues from our two over-thinking main characters" and I couldn't agree more. The book was filled with deep secrets, drama, secret sex, and constant drinking, even among top leaders.
I'm sure there are readers who enjoy this type of book. It just wasn't for me, although I loved the part about the seal!
Thank you, @MinotaurBooks, for providing this book for consideration and review via @NetGalley. All opinions are my own. On the Ice has an expected publication date of February 2, 2027.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ellie is a screenwriter that has won a grant to go to Antarctica to write about the effects of climate change. She has the opportunity of a lifetime to create entertainment for the masses that actually can make a difference. An added bonus is that she gets to be with her brother, Leo, who is there with his work as a climate scientist. However, when she shows up, Leo is missing.
The premise is good. The backdrop is phenomenal. The mystery is good. However, this book was waaaaaayyyy too long. I believe you could have cut 100 pages of filler that would have tightened this novel.
The other issue I had was that pretty much none of the characters were particularly likable. I don’t know if that was intentional or just how the author views people. I struggled to fine someone to really care about.
This wasn’t a bad first novel, but with so many great novels out there and so much competing for our attention, things will have to go better for a second novel to keep an audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
The premise is good. The backdrop is phenomenal. The mystery is good. However, this book was waaaaaayyyy too long. I believe you could have cut 100 pages of filler that would have tightened this novel.
The other issue I had was that pretty much none of the characters were particularly likable. I don’t know if that was intentional or just how the author views people. I struggled to fine someone to really care about.
This wasn’t a bad first novel, but with so many great novels out there and so much competing for our attention, things will have to go better for a second novel to keep an audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
September 7, 2026
Synopsis: Ellie’s brother Leo is going to save the world. A scientist studying climate change and the Shrinking ice caps of Antarctica. And now, she gets to join him on the ice. A screen writer she has been given the chance to spend a month in Antarctica researching for her murder mystery. But, when she arrives she realizes Leo is missing! How does someone go missing in Antarctica with only a population of 100 something? How did no one see or hear anything? Has she begins to ask questions strange things begin to happen.
Thoughts: told from duel POVs between Ellie and Leo this book was so good. Seeing the trials of months of darkness on the Artic ice makes you appreciate the day. I loved Ellie and was rooting for her to heal from her own trauma and solve the muster of what happened to her brother at the same time. A combination of a love story and mystery this book will keep you guessing what happened to Leo Best.
Thoughts: told from duel POVs between Ellie and Leo this book was so good. Seeing the trials of months of darkness on the Artic ice makes you appreciate the day. I loved Ellie and was rooting for her to heal from her own trauma and solve the muster of what happened to her brother at the same time. A combination of a love story and mystery this book will keep you guessing what happened to Leo Best.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you are looking for a page turning thriller, then look no further! Ellie Best is a screenwriter who wins a grant to spend a month at a research station in Antarctica. Her brother Leo is a lead scientist there on a year long research project,. They email frequently and he was excited she was coming but then as she was about to get on the plane he sent her a cryptic message. When she arrives he is no where to be found. Desperate to find her brother she begins to investigate. Everyone is a suspect, and she isn't sure who she can trust, but she is determined to find out the truth.
A fantastic debut novel that brings the importance of climate change to the forefront amidst a heart pounding mystery. I literally had trouble putting this down and read into the wee hours of the night. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes mystery thrillers, I look forward to her next novel. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
A fantastic debut novel that brings the importance of climate change to the forefront amidst a heart pounding mystery. I literally had trouble putting this down and read into the wee hours of the night. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes mystery thrillers, I look forward to her next novel. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
A mystery set in Antarctica! Yeah! I got the opportunity to go to Antarctica a couple of years ago and the description about how the beauty of the place is simply not something you can describe or even adequately photograph is spot on. I also liked the idea of this being the setting based on how the seasonal daylight can affect people. Well done.
I only took at star off because of the impossibly contrived way that this group of people all got to know each other. It was beyond believable. I mean, I've personally never met someone who has spent time researching in Antarctica, but somehow I'm supposed to believe that one scientist finds a girlfriend across the pond and her bestie AND her cousin are also researchers in the exact same discipline? Come on.
Otherwise, quite well done. Kept me guessing!
A mystery set in Antarctica! Yeah! I got the opportunity to go to Antarctica a couple of years ago and the description about how the beauty of the place is simply not something you can describe or even adequately photograph is spot on. I also liked the idea of this being the setting based on how the seasonal daylight can affect people. Well done.
I only took at star off because of the impossibly contrived way that this group of people all got to know each other. It was beyond believable. I mean, I've personally never met someone who has spent time researching in Antarctica, but somehow I'm supposed to believe that one scientist finds a girlfriend across the pond and her bestie AND her cousin are also researchers in the exact same discipline? Come on.
Otherwise, quite well done. Kept me guessing!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Antarctica is my dream destination, so I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw it! On the Ice definitely didn't disappoint! There are two POVs and two timelines and I thought that worked really well for this book. I loved seeing what led up to Leo's disappearance as well as Ellie's search for him. Though I enjoyed both POVs, Leo's was my favorite. Ellie could be a smidge annoying at times. The setting is great and though the pace was a little slow, I was still able to read this book in less than 48 hours. There is a lot of suspense and mystery, and I did not know how it was going to end. Overall, On the Ice is a great debut and I look forward to seeing what Keaton McGruder comes up with next! 4.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the Ice was such an immersive and captivating read! I was completely pulled into the isolated Antarctic setting, and I loved how eerie and mysterious everything felt at the research station. I found myself constantly questioning the characters and wondering who I could actually trust, which kept me hooked and made me want to keep turning the pages. I loved the suspense, the secrets, and that constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right. The atmosphere really stood out to me and made the story feel incredibly tense and intriguing. I was genuinely invested in finding out what was happening and how everything would unfold. This was such a fun mystery for me, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves atmospheric suspense, secrets, and isolated settings!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the Ice is a dynamic debut from Keaton McGruder. Any book set in Antarctica has an engaging backdrop guaranteed. McGruder doesn't waste any opportunities to have the environment post threats to her motley McMurdo Station crew. Throw in the human threat element and you have enthralling entertainment. McGruder opts for a split-time narrative which works but I think a linear narrative might have been a better choice. Obviously that's just my opinion. This is a book with red herrings galore but the villain is no surprise if you paid attention.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On The Ice used two seasons; winter and summer, to tell the traumas of 104 people isolated for one year on a research station on Antarctica. Anticipation can turn into boredom, excitement into anxiety, love into hate. Who will survive?
The frequent flipping between the seasons caused me to lose interest if I had to take a break from reading. The setting is not somewhere I would even remotely consider exploring. The book is fueled by fear and trauma. If that is your "thing" you'll probably love this novel.
The frequent flipping between the seasons caused me to lose interest if I had to take a break from reading. The setting is not somewhere I would even remotely consider exploring. The book is fueled by fear and trauma. If that is your "thing" you'll probably love this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ellie Best is a screenwriter who has won a grant to write at McMurdo station in Antarctica for a month. Her brother. Leo, is a climate specialist, working there for a year. At the airport, Ellie gets a cryptic email from Leo, telling her not to come. Upon her arrival, her brother is missing, and no one knows what happened to him...
I really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of Antarctica were particularly descriptive, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of Antarctica were particularly descriptive, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Highly recommended.
October 4, 2026
On The Ice, Keaton McGruder’s debut novel was quite good. When Leo, an environmental scientist, heads to Antarctica for a year to study the melting ice he was not prepared for what awaited him. Once his sister, Ellie, finally arrives in Antarctica her main priority is to locate her brother. They are as close as siblings could be, that’s what makes the situation so confusing. Overall, a good story that kept me guessing until the very end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my Advance Copy of this mystery thriller about a young screenwriters search for her missing brother on a research station in Antarctica. I loved the setting, the science, and feel that this is a good strong debut novel from the author.
It’s told in dual POV - her brothers winter of near darkness and her summer in constant light and this contrast adds so much to the suspenseful nature of the story. The dual timelines eventually meet in what is the peak of the story.
This story has a psychological thriller vibe heightened by the extreme isolated location. An unbelievable ending will leave you stunned!
It’s told in dual POV - her brothers winter of near darkness and her summer in constant light and this contrast adds so much to the suspenseful nature of the story. The dual timelines eventually meet in what is the peak of the story.
This story has a psychological thriller vibe heightened by the extreme isolated location. An unbelievable ending will leave you stunned!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What an awesome book to debut her writing talents. This book has it all. Mystery, suspense, a little bit of romantic feelings and a whole lot of wow! This is definitely a real page turner and I can't wait to see what this author writes next.
September 12, 2026
On the Ice features so many things I love, including climate change discourse, science, and a good mystery. I was disappointed in the abruptness of the ending, there was just so much build up. Otherwise this is a very solid thriller. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy to review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I found it to be extremely long and I couldn’t really get into the story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I couldn’t put this down, from the moment I started reading. It’s a compelling mystery, but it also really gives you an intense sense of place—I was blown away by the sheer poetry of the Antarctic wilderness. The bleak landscape mirrors the emotional isolation the characters suffer from, frozen by their fears and unable to connect. They share a fierce passion, though, to unravel the mysteries of climate change. It’s this fascinating combination, added to the pleasures of a locked room mystery, that gives this novel depth and complexity. I won’t spoil the great ending, except to say that someone is saved by a seal.
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