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In the Barren Ground
In the Barrens, a vast wilderness in northern Canada bordering the Arctic Circle, night consumes every hour of the winter. Humans are scarce; ferocious predators roam freely. Locals say spirits do, too.
Rookie cop Tana Larsson doesn’t mind the dark and quiet. Five months pregnant and hoping to escape the mistakes of her past, she takes a post in Twin Rivers, population 320. Maybe here she can find peace and community for her child.
But with her superior out of commission, Tana becomes the sole police officer in 17,500 square miles. One bitter night, she gets a call about the fatal wolf mauling of two students, and the only way to reach the remote scene is to enlist the help of the arrogant, irritatingly handsome Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation for smuggling and a past cloaked in shadow.
When the macabre scene they uncover suggests violence much more sinister than animal, Tana must trust Crash if she wants to protect the town—and herself—from the evil that lurks in the frozen dark.
IN THE BARREN GROUND, a dark, atmospheric romance and police procedural with gothic/horror overtones set in a remote fly-in community just south of the arctic circle ...
Rookie cop Tana Larsson doesn’t mind the dark and quiet. Five months pregnant and hoping to escape the mistakes of her past, she takes a post in Twin Rivers, population 320. Maybe here she can find peace and community for her child.
But with her superior out of commission, Tana becomes the sole police officer in 17,500 square miles. One bitter night, she gets a call about the fatal wolf mauling of two students, and the only way to reach the remote scene is to enlist the help of the arrogant, irritatingly handsome Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation for smuggling and a past cloaked in shadow.
When the macabre scene they uncover suggests violence much more sinister than animal, Tana must trust Crash if she wants to protect the town—and herself—from the evil that lurks in the frozen dark.
IN THE BARREN GROUND, a dark, atmospheric romance and police procedural with gothic/horror overtones set in a remote fly-in community just south of the arctic circle ...
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2016
3372 people are currently reading
3675 people want to read
About the author
Loreth Anne White
94 books7,332 followersLoreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts, Washington Post and Bild bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense.
With over 4 million books sold around the world in more than 20 languages, she is a Canadian Crime Writer winner, ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple other industry awards.
A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Vancouver Island, a ski resort in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo.
When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears.
For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com
Or connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorethBeswet...
Or via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorethannew...
With over 4 million books sold around the world in more than 20 languages, she is a Canadian Crime Writer winner, ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple other industry awards.
A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Vancouver Island, a ski resort in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo.
When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears.
For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com
Or connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorethBeswet...
Or via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorethannew...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
August 2, 2020
4.25 STARS
Wow.
Not for the faint-hearted. Dark, gruesome, brutal, disturbing. Very intense and atmospheric. It sucks you in and transports you to another weird Twin Peaks-Fargo-like back of beyond world.
Fantastic writing. Excellent characterization. Strong, relatable characters. Unique, gripping story line.
Romance is almost non-existent but the crumbs I was thrown here and there were absolutely enough for me.
Loreth Anne White has officially become my favorite author.
Wow.
Not for the faint-hearted. Dark, gruesome, brutal, disturbing. Very intense and atmospheric. It sucks you in and transports you to another weird Twin Peaks-Fargo-like back of beyond world.
Fantastic writing. Excellent characterization. Strong, relatable characters. Unique, gripping story line.
Romance is almost non-existent but the crumbs I was thrown here and there were absolutely enough for me.
Loreth Anne White has officially become my favorite author.
December 29, 2025
This is a book that’s hard to stomach. The violence described isn’t for the faint hearted, so I had to digest it slow and steady. But even if it was hard, I wouldn’t have skipped it. The author strength is creating realistic characters and scenes, so you’re drawn in. All in all a fantastic read.
June 20, 2020
Rookie cop Tana Larsson, trying to escape from a murky past, is posted to the town of Twin Rivers, population 320. However she soon finds the wilds of northern Canada are anything but quiet. When she hears of a pair of students that have been mauled by wolves on an expedition nearby, she has a feeling that the wolves didn't kill the students. However proving it is a different matter, with harsh terrain, winter storms setting in and superstitious locals she soon finds herself and the town cut off from the world, with a possible killer lurking amongst them.
In The Barren Ground is a highly enjoyable novel with wonderful, quirky characters, intriguing plot and a wonderful sense of place. The wilds of Canada and it's people really come to life on the page. With a plethora of possible suspects, this novel is one to become engrossed in, so set aside a few hours and enjoy the ride. I recommend this book to all lovers of mysteries and wild places.
In The Barren Ground is a highly enjoyable novel with wonderful, quirky characters, intriguing plot and a wonderful sense of place. The wilds of Canada and it's people really come to life on the page. With a plethora of possible suspects, this novel is one to become engrossed in, so set aside a few hours and enjoy the ride. I recommend this book to all lovers of mysteries and wild places.
August 17, 2016
It was my love for In the Waning Light that convinced me I had to read more from Loreth Anne White. Let me tell you, she is one heck of a storyteller. She really took her time piecing together an intricate plot with this one. A dark and atmospheric mystery, set in a frigid and often frightening location; I had chills the entire time.
Tana is a 24-year-old rookie cop in the small and very remote town of Twin Rivers in Northern Canada. Let me make this clear - she is the only cop. Can you imagine how creepy that would be? Not to mention, her two predecessors went mad from the sheer isolation and the perpetual darkness. If I was her, I would have been on the first plane out of there.
But she’s tough, resilient and pretty darn determined to get a fresh start. When the bodies of two researchers turn up ripped apart, I’m talking blood, guts, empty eye sockets and decapitation; it’s up to Tana to figure out if it was just an animal attack or if there’s something more sinister going on. Could there really be someone out there depraved enough to stalk and hunt humans?
“In the Barrens of the soul, monsters take toll, they come with hunger and ice in their heart.”
There’s a mile-long list of suspects, creepy local lore, little to no communication with the outside world, diminishing daylight, blizzard conditions and civilians unwilling to give up any information. Well, no one she can trust. The only person offering up any kind of help is Crash, a known criminal with a shady past. There's something about Tana that gets his guilty conscience working double time. I want to blurt out so many things right now, but I won’t. Lips sealed. Let’s just say, there were quite a few surprises along the way.
“You better stick around, you hear? I . . . I still need a pilot.”
While this story was an extremely slow build and a little light on the romance, in the end, I thought it was worth the read. I found the big reveal to be pretty surprising and I liked the way it all unfolded. It was definitely the ending I adored the most though.
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Tana is a 24-year-old rookie cop in the small and very remote town of Twin Rivers in Northern Canada. Let me make this clear - she is the only cop. Can you imagine how creepy that would be? Not to mention, her two predecessors went mad from the sheer isolation and the perpetual darkness. If I was her, I would have been on the first plane out of there.
But she’s tough, resilient and pretty darn determined to get a fresh start. When the bodies of two researchers turn up ripped apart, I’m talking blood, guts, empty eye sockets and decapitation; it’s up to Tana to figure out if it was just an animal attack or if there’s something more sinister going on. Could there really be someone out there depraved enough to stalk and hunt humans?
“In the Barrens of the soul, monsters take toll, they come with hunger and ice in their heart.”
There’s a mile-long list of suspects, creepy local lore, little to no communication with the outside world, diminishing daylight, blizzard conditions and civilians unwilling to give up any information. Well, no one she can trust. The only person offering up any kind of help is Crash, a known criminal with a shady past. There's something about Tana that gets his guilty conscience working double time. I want to blurt out so many things right now, but I won’t. Lips sealed. Let’s just say, there were quite a few surprises along the way.
“You better stick around, you hear? I . . . I still need a pilot.”
While this story was an extremely slow build and a little light on the romance, in the end, I thought it was worth the read. I found the big reveal to be pretty surprising and I liked the way it all unfolded. It was definitely the ending I adored the most though.
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
April 5, 2018
3.75 stars
I was in love with everything about this story up until the villain was revealed, then the story sort of deflated in that area for me. Although I struggled with buying into that part of the story, I loved everything else: the strong atmospheric feel of the setting, the slowly developing friendship between the main characters, the writing style, and how the loose ends were tied up in the final chapter. This author has a way of creating heroines that I strongly favor!
This story was the perfect representation of romantic suspense done very well! The steam was light, the build-up slow, and the well-executed characterization kept me thoroughly satisfied! I loved these characters for their flaws, maturity, and realism. I even loved the dogs!
I was in love with everything about this story up until the villain was revealed, then the story sort of deflated in that area for me. Although I struggled with buying into that part of the story, I loved everything else: the strong atmospheric feel of the setting, the slowly developing friendship between the main characters, the writing style, and how the loose ends were tied up in the final chapter. This author has a way of creating heroines that I strongly favor!
This story was the perfect representation of romantic suspense done very well! The steam was light, the build-up slow, and the well-executed characterization kept me thoroughly satisfied! I loved these characters for their flaws, maturity, and realism. I even loved the dogs!
January 4, 2022
That was harrowing. Set in the far northern Canadian town of Twin Rivers it also satiated my appetite for stories set in cold climates. Loreth Anne White is a go to author for dark thrillers but this one was also very creepy.
Constable Tana Larsson has been sent here as punishment. You learn all about that as the book progresses. She is also pregnant but hasn’t told anyone yet. So now she finds herself the sole police presence in the small town and environs of 17,500 square kilometres (or is it miles). And then the killings start…
A group,of wildlife biologists is doing a survey on threatened animal habitats in a remote setting as required before a planned diamond mine can commence operations. Selena Apodaca and Raj Sanjit are trying to get an idea of bear numbers so they are dropped off by helicopter at a different spot to the other 2 scientists. Due to the weather at this time of year helicopter pilot, Heather MacAllister, has warned them they may need to camp out overnight if the weather turns. And the weather turns. When she can finally get out to pick them up all that is left are badly mauled remains being feasted on by wolves. Everyone agrees it’s a tragic accident.
But Tana is not so sure. She learns that 4 years ago the then RCMP Sergeant Elliott Novak’s 14 year old daughter was similarly attacked and one year later a member of a youth camp was also attacked. She has a very bad feeling about all this. The local First Nations legends don’t help as they are full of scary mysticism. Native stone formations called Inukshuks appear to be present at each of the death sites. Tana finds herself thrown together with the other pilot in the area ‘Crash’ O’Halloran whom she trusts as far as she can throw him. Help from the larger centre of Yellowknife will not be forthcoming unless Tana can provide some evidence of foul play. But can she find any before she herself becomes a victim, and is Crash helping her or hindering her? Either way she has to enter the jaws of danger to find the answers.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. It was very scary and kind of claustrophobic. There were many suspects and theories but the truth was more shocking than any of that. I can highly recommend this to fans of dark thrillers and cold climates. The author is definitely one to watch.
Constable Tana Larsson has been sent here as punishment. You learn all about that as the book progresses. She is also pregnant but hasn’t told anyone yet. So now she finds herself the sole police presence in the small town and environs of 17,500 square kilometres (or is it miles). And then the killings start…
A group,of wildlife biologists is doing a survey on threatened animal habitats in a remote setting as required before a planned diamond mine can commence operations. Selena Apodaca and Raj Sanjit are trying to get an idea of bear numbers so they are dropped off by helicopter at a different spot to the other 2 scientists. Due to the weather at this time of year helicopter pilot, Heather MacAllister, has warned them they may need to camp out overnight if the weather turns. And the weather turns. When she can finally get out to pick them up all that is left are badly mauled remains being feasted on by wolves. Everyone agrees it’s a tragic accident.
But Tana is not so sure. She learns that 4 years ago the then RCMP Sergeant Elliott Novak’s 14 year old daughter was similarly attacked and one year later a member of a youth camp was also attacked. She has a very bad feeling about all this. The local First Nations legends don’t help as they are full of scary mysticism. Native stone formations called Inukshuks appear to be present at each of the death sites. Tana finds herself thrown together with the other pilot in the area ‘Crash’ O’Halloran whom she trusts as far as she can throw him. Help from the larger centre of Yellowknife will not be forthcoming unless Tana can provide some evidence of foul play. But can she find any before she herself becomes a victim, and is Crash helping her or hindering her? Either way she has to enter the jaws of danger to find the answers.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. It was very scary and kind of claustrophobic. There were many suspects and theories but the truth was more shocking than any of that. I can highly recommend this to fans of dark thrillers and cold climates. The author is definitely one to watch.
August 24, 2016
Wow, I really enjoyed this one!
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review and it's one of the best books I've read this month. I was pulled into the lives of the characters and the suspense plot of who or what had killed these young women (plus 1 man) and left their bodies to mother nature's scavengers.
Tana has had a rough life when she finds herself as the only RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in a northern region of Canada. She doesn't believe in herself and she doesn't trust others enough to ask for help. But with a child on the way and evil lurking in the frozen darkness, she must learn to trust her instincts and the community she has been assigned to.
I really liked Tana's character. She's brave without being foolish and recognizes her strengths and weaknesses. Her development from trying to "go it alone" to recognizing she must rely on others was really well done and believable.
Tana finds herself being dependent for help from a man that she doesn't trust. Crash is a little harder to accept, but underneath the crusty outside of a man who wants revenge and is skirting the outside of the law is a person who's willing to fight for the underdog and what's right.
You have two damaged people who really don't believe they have a second chance but who need each other to solve what really happened about how these victims died. Now if you are looking for romance and sex, this may not be your book. The relationship is important to the plot, but not the center of the plot. The relationship is one of learning to trust each other and really learning who the person is and what made them who they are. I enjoyed this a lot more than insta-lust and sex.
But what really pulled me into this book was Ms. White's story telling ability. Blended with the plot is the folklore of the indigenous people. Folklore that is supposed to be spoke and listened to and not written down and read. There are places you shouldn't go. There are monsters in the barren ground. The way this story is told you believe the folklore as much as you look for clues as to who the monster is. I don't want to say too much about the plot as I loved how it was developed and how the story unfolded.
This was the first book that I have read from this author and I would definitely read more of her writing. I'm intending to read In the Waning Light next.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review and it's one of the best books I've read this month. I was pulled into the lives of the characters and the suspense plot of who or what had killed these young women (plus 1 man) and left their bodies to mother nature's scavengers.
Tana has had a rough life when she finds herself as the only RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in a northern region of Canada. She doesn't believe in herself and she doesn't trust others enough to ask for help. But with a child on the way and evil lurking in the frozen darkness, she must learn to trust her instincts and the community she has been assigned to.
I really liked Tana's character. She's brave without being foolish and recognizes her strengths and weaknesses. Her development from trying to "go it alone" to recognizing she must rely on others was really well done and believable.
Tana finds herself being dependent for help from a man that she doesn't trust. Crash is a little harder to accept, but underneath the crusty outside of a man who wants revenge and is skirting the outside of the law is a person who's willing to fight for the underdog and what's right.
You have two damaged people who really don't believe they have a second chance but who need each other to solve what really happened about how these victims died. Now if you are looking for romance and sex, this may not be your book. The relationship is important to the plot, but not the center of the plot. The relationship is one of learning to trust each other and really learning who the person is and what made them who they are. I enjoyed this a lot more than insta-lust and sex.
But what really pulled me into this book was Ms. White's story telling ability. Blended with the plot is the folklore of the indigenous people. Folklore that is supposed to be spoke and listened to and not written down and read. There are places you shouldn't go. There are monsters in the barren ground. The way this story is told you believe the folklore as much as you look for clues as to who the monster is. I don't want to say too much about the plot as I loved how it was developed and how the story unfolded.
This was the first book that I have read from this author and I would definitely read more of her writing. I'm intending to read In the Waning Light next.
April 13, 2017
This is the first book that I’ve read of Loreth Anne White. I did not know what to expect from her writing or whether In the Barren Ground would be more thriller than romance. I personally would not put this book in the romantic suspense section. It was ALL thriller and horror, and a teeny tiny bit of romance. If you are queasy about gore, you might want to stay away. The crime scenes were descriptive and unsettling.
The setting of the book was fantastic! It was wild, isolated and utterly frightening. I was completely engrossed in this book. Wow, she blew me away with the setting, the characters and how well-crafted the plot was. The last ten chapters of the book was a binge read and I did not guess who the serial killer was until the end. When I look back at the rest of the book, I feel the plot was air tight with who the killer was, I just didn’t suspect it!!
Tana, the main character is a new RCMP officer that’s stationed up in one of the most desolate places in the world, northern Canada next to the Arctic Circle. I enjoyed this character because she was flawed from past mistakes, brave and had integrity for her profession. She wanted to do what was right, was intelligent about her limitations and knew she needed to be a part of the community to make a difference.
Crash was also a great character. It takes a while to get into his story and when you finally get to his past, it all comes together. He has a scarred background and I enjoy how his character battles on doing the right thing. He really wants to help Tana with the murders but was struggling on getting involved.
I was surprised on how much I really liked this book! The ending was fantastic and I was on the edge of my seat. I’m glad to find this author and I will be reading more of her books in the future!
The setting of the book was fantastic! It was wild, isolated and utterly frightening. I was completely engrossed in this book. Wow, she blew me away with the setting, the characters and how well-crafted the plot was. The last ten chapters of the book was a binge read and I did not guess who the serial killer was until the end. When I look back at the rest of the book, I feel the plot was air tight with who the killer was, I just didn’t suspect it!!
Tana, the main character is a new RCMP officer that’s stationed up in one of the most desolate places in the world, northern Canada next to the Arctic Circle. I enjoyed this character because she was flawed from past mistakes, brave and had integrity for her profession. She wanted to do what was right, was intelligent about her limitations and knew she needed to be a part of the community to make a difference.
Crash was also a great character. It takes a while to get into his story and when you finally get to his past, it all comes together. He has a scarred background and I enjoy how his character battles on doing the right thing. He really wants to help Tana with the murders but was struggling on getting involved.
I was surprised on how much I really liked this book! The ending was fantastic and I was on the edge of my seat. I’m glad to find this author and I will be reading more of her books in the future!
August 8, 2020
It’s like we’re entering a kingdom where everything is sacred, don’t you think? And that we ought to hold a special passport that admits us, or else we shall be punished by death.
Since reading The Girl in the Moss it's been on my mind that I NEED to read more of this mystery writer's catalogue. Originally published in 2016, an RCMP officer is tasked with an investigation into the mauling death of two graduate students in the Canadian Artic. But the further that Constable Tana Larsson digs, it soon becomes clear that it might be human hands that have done the most damage.
Right from the very first sentence I was on full alert and dived right into the narrative. I could feel the chill winds of the tundra and because of the winter darkness felt that this plot was very unpredictable. There's a bit of romance but it's not really steamy. But who cares? We have a baffling mystery to solve.
I loved the characters, the setting (which if you ever been to the Canadian territories is a character in itself) and despite the very graphic crime scenes which will haunt me for a long time(only a tad dramatic I assure you), I enjoyed the story very much.
This place seemed to possess a sentience, a maleficence, that was conspiring against her efforts to belong. Perhaps it sensed the badness, the shame, in her, and she had yet to prove her worth before she could be redeemed for the big-ass mistakes that had driven her north into the Barrens, to the very edge of civilization.
Goodreads review published 07/08/20
Since reading The Girl in the Moss it's been on my mind that I NEED to read more of this mystery writer's catalogue. Originally published in 2016, an RCMP officer is tasked with an investigation into the mauling death of two graduate students in the Canadian Artic. But the further that Constable Tana Larsson digs, it soon becomes clear that it might be human hands that have done the most damage.
Right from the very first sentence I was on full alert and dived right into the narrative. I could feel the chill winds of the tundra and because of the winter darkness felt that this plot was very unpredictable. There's a bit of romance but it's not really steamy. But who cares? We have a baffling mystery to solve.
I loved the characters, the setting (which if you ever been to the Canadian territories is a character in itself) and despite the very graphic crime scenes which will haunt me for a long time(only a tad dramatic I assure you), I enjoyed the story very much.
This place seemed to possess a sentience, a maleficence, that was conspiring against her efforts to belong. Perhaps it sensed the badness, the shame, in her, and she had yet to prove her worth before she could be redeemed for the big-ass mistakes that had driven her north into the Barrens, to the very edge of civilization.
Goodreads review published 07/08/20
July 18, 2016
I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank God I’ve read this book in July!!!! I was feeling freezing all the same!!! You must know that I hate cold, so I kept asking myself why people would live there all the time!!!!
Anyhow, the descriptions of the frozen ambient here were fantastic! You could feel the fog rising, the snow falling, the wind blowing, the temperature dropping… Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The story is a mix of horror and crime-mystery.
Our heroine, Tana is a rookie cop left alone to manage a huge territory by herself. She’s pregnant , she made a lot of mistakes both in her youth and after the death of her fiancé … She’s also a mix: her mother was native and her father Scandinavian. Her mother was abusive and promiscuous, while her father abandoned them when she was young. So Tana has a lot of issues, but she’s firmly convinced to change her life and make something of herself, starting with doing good with a terrible job.
Our hero, Crash, is one of the persons of interest in her first investigation: two young scientists has been found dead – ravaged by wild animals. Or not…???
Crash is shady… you don’t know at the beginning of the book if he’s a good guy or not. But step by step his character is revealed and you got to understand why he’s acting that way.
His life was not easy too. He lost a lot – he lost himself and his self-esteem, his family, he was shot, he was in a coma, he was betrayed… Now he’s working on revenge – outside the law, dealing drugs and booze with local lowlife… I know that seems bad, and it was, but you have to read the book to understand his motivations…
Both are very complex and very flawed persons, but I couldn’t not cheer for them: they suffered really very much!
And don’t think this is a hot romance! No, no, no… there’s just a glimpse of growing feelings between them.
There’s so many things happening, so many twist and turns that you’ll have your head spinning!
An Aboriginal Canadians lore with dark tale about monster ravaging people is woven into the gruesome crimes which Tana investigates. And it gave me creeps…
I didn’t get who was the killer until almost to the end, but let me tell you it was unexpected and really crazy!!!
…things a damaged mind can conjure is really, really weird… and sad… and sick…
It is book well worth reading, because it is well written and keeps you on your toes! And it is not for the weak of heart!
Thank God I’ve read this book in July!!!! I was feeling freezing all the same!!! You must know that I hate cold, so I kept asking myself why people would live there all the time!!!!
Anyhow, the descriptions of the frozen ambient here were fantastic! You could feel the fog rising, the snow falling, the wind blowing, the temperature dropping… Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The story is a mix of horror and crime-mystery.
Our heroine, Tana is a rookie cop left alone to manage a huge territory by herself. She’s pregnant , she made a lot of mistakes both in her youth and after the death of her fiancé … She’s also a mix: her mother was native and her father Scandinavian. Her mother was abusive and promiscuous, while her father abandoned them when she was young. So Tana has a lot of issues, but she’s firmly convinced to change her life and make something of herself, starting with doing good with a terrible job.
Our hero, Crash, is one of the persons of interest in her first investigation: two young scientists has been found dead – ravaged by wild animals. Or not…???
Crash is shady… you don’t know at the beginning of the book if he’s a good guy or not. But step by step his character is revealed and you got to understand why he’s acting that way.
His life was not easy too. He lost a lot – he lost himself and his self-esteem, his family, he was shot, he was in a coma, he was betrayed… Now he’s working on revenge – outside the law, dealing drugs and booze with local lowlife… I know that seems bad, and it was, but you have to read the book to understand his motivations…
Both are very complex and very flawed persons, but I couldn’t not cheer for them: they suffered really very much!
And don’t think this is a hot romance! No, no, no… there’s just a glimpse of growing feelings between them.
There’s so many things happening, so many twist and turns that you’ll have your head spinning!
An Aboriginal Canadians lore with dark tale about monster ravaging people is woven into the gruesome crimes which Tana investigates. And it gave me creeps…
I didn’t get who was the killer until almost to the end, but let me tell you it was unexpected and really crazy!!!
…things a damaged mind can conjure is really, really weird… and sad… and sick…
It is book well worth reading, because it is well written and keeps you on your toes! And it is not for the weak of heart!
October 30, 2024
My first book by this author and what a wild ride it was.
A very well written book with great characters and amazing story lines. Well paced and kept me on the edge of seat, but I had to put it down as there was no way I'd be able to read almost 400 pages in one sitting!
A rookie female police officer Tana, trying to find her place in the cold and unforgiving Canadian north, dealing with the murder of two students and severe injuries and while investigating this, comes across two more deaths with similar injuries and starts to look for reasons as to what happened.
The townsfolk who don't trust her and are reluctant to help, are there mythical spirits involved or a serial killer? A number of residents are are considered suspects because their stories don't seem to match up - according to Tana Oh yeah, she also has to deal with an arrogant helicopter pilot, Crash O'Halloran, who is the only one with the ability to get her from one remote place to another in the dead of winter.
Tana has to gain the trust of residents Harry Blundt, Markus Van Bleek, Sturman-Taylor, Jamie and Crow TwoDove, Heather MacAllister, Garth Cutter to name a few to get at the answers. But, she did gain their trust and was able to solve all the murders. And, what a surprise it is to find out who did it and why.
There are trigger warnings here, specifically the graphic details of the injuries, but those descriptions match what residents thought the local northern spirits might do to humans.
Recommend for those that enjoy psychological/murder thrillers
A very well written book with great characters and amazing story lines. Well paced and kept me on the edge of seat, but I had to put it down as there was no way I'd be able to read almost 400 pages in one sitting!
A rookie female police officer Tana, trying to find her place in the cold and unforgiving Canadian north, dealing with the murder of two students and severe injuries and while investigating this, comes across two more deaths with similar injuries and starts to look for reasons as to what happened.
The townsfolk who don't trust her and are reluctant to help, are there mythical spirits involved or a serial killer? A number of residents are are considered suspects because their stories don't seem to match up - according to Tana Oh yeah, she also has to deal with an arrogant helicopter pilot, Crash O'Halloran, who is the only one with the ability to get her from one remote place to another in the dead of winter.
Tana has to gain the trust of residents Harry Blundt, Markus Van Bleek, Sturman-Taylor, Jamie and Crow TwoDove, Heather MacAllister, Garth Cutter to name a few to get at the answers. But, she did gain their trust and was able to solve all the murders. And, what a surprise it is to find out who did it and why.
There are trigger warnings here, specifically the graphic details of the injuries, but those descriptions match what residents thought the local northern spirits might do to humans.
Recommend for those that enjoy psychological/murder thrillers
August 22, 2016
3.5 Stars
Tana Larsson is a young Royal Mountie policewoman, the lone law enforcement officer in the small town of Twin Rivers, way up in northern Canada. Five months pregnant and looking to heal from past errors, she doesn’t mind the isolated post, but her situation becomes very complicated when two research students are brutally killed by what appears to be animals. As details come to light, Tana questions whether it was just an animal attack. Delving into this mystery is a dangerous business, especially when it seems she has no one in her corner. Should Tana trust the local pilot, Crash O’Halloran, with his shady business dealings for help or risk plowing in alone?
This is the third mystery I’ve read by Loreth Anne White, and while In the Waning Light is still my favorite, In the Barren Ground creeped me out, and had me guessing until the end. I was definitely surprised and didn’t see how it all came together until pretty late in the story. I love it when I don’t have everything figured out!
While I liked the story, the romance was a bit disappointing. Tana was so suspicious of Crash until almost the end, so I didn’t feel a real bond between them, mostly because of Tana, for a lot of the story. I can see how she would have reservations about his character, but the situation was frustrating for me.
In the Barren Ground was eerie with the cold, dark, wintry setting of northern Canada giving it a sinister edge that felt similar (to me) to the movie 30 Days of Night. That was a paranormal horror flick, and while In the Barren Ground wasn’t paranormal, portions of this story had that feel to me. Definitely appealing to horror fans like me.
A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tana Larsson is a young Royal Mountie policewoman, the lone law enforcement officer in the small town of Twin Rivers, way up in northern Canada. Five months pregnant and looking to heal from past errors, she doesn’t mind the isolated post, but her situation becomes very complicated when two research students are brutally killed by what appears to be animals. As details come to light, Tana questions whether it was just an animal attack. Delving into this mystery is a dangerous business, especially when it seems she has no one in her corner. Should Tana trust the local pilot, Crash O’Halloran, with his shady business dealings for help or risk plowing in alone?
This is the third mystery I’ve read by Loreth Anne White, and while In the Waning Light is still my favorite, In the Barren Ground creeped me out, and had me guessing until the end. I was definitely surprised and didn’t see how it all came together until pretty late in the story. I love it when I don’t have everything figured out!
While I liked the story, the romance was a bit disappointing. Tana was so suspicious of Crash until almost the end, so I didn’t feel a real bond between them, mostly because of Tana, for a lot of the story. I can see how she would have reservations about his character, but the situation was frustrating for me.
In the Barren Ground was eerie with the cold, dark, wintry setting of northern Canada giving it a sinister edge that felt similar (to me) to the movie 30 Days of Night. That was a paranormal horror flick, and while In the Barren Ground wasn’t paranormal, portions of this story had that feel to me. Definitely appealing to horror fans like me.
A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2021
(second read and I still couldn't figure out who the killer was)
After her lover committed suicide, Tana fell into a deep dark depression during which she found comfort in the beds of strangers. Now after a hook-up with a married superior she is pregnant and unwilling to get an abortion. Her last chance for redemption is a remote town in the Barrens close to the Arctic Circle. As the only police presence in a town that's often cut off from the outside world she is isolated and untrusted.
When two biologists are killed, everyone is convinced it's a tragic animal attack, everyone except her. She immediately notices that things aren't quite right and begins an investigation and as she investigates she uncovers more deaths that have been attributed to animal attacks. Meanwhile a serial killer has decided that Tana needs to be dealt with before she gets too close to the truth.
Writing good romantic suspense is not easy. Even the best writers of the genre often themselves dipping into clichés and caricatures. But thankfully, not so here. The story isn't particularly original, but it's written with a deft hand, the characters are interesting and the location pushes in on all sides with an almost oppressive atmosphere making what could easily be average into something great.
It feels a lot like the best from Linda Howard and Karen Rose but dare I say it, this feels a little better.
After her lover committed suicide, Tana fell into a deep dark depression during which she found comfort in the beds of strangers. Now after a hook-up with a married superior she is pregnant and unwilling to get an abortion. Her last chance for redemption is a remote town in the Barrens close to the Arctic Circle. As the only police presence in a town that's often cut off from the outside world she is isolated and untrusted.
When two biologists are killed, everyone is convinced it's a tragic animal attack, everyone except her. She immediately notices that things aren't quite right and begins an investigation and as she investigates she uncovers more deaths that have been attributed to animal attacks. Meanwhile a serial killer has decided that Tana needs to be dealt with before she gets too close to the truth.
Writing good romantic suspense is not easy. Even the best writers of the genre often themselves dipping into clichés and caricatures. But thankfully, not so here. The story isn't particularly original, but it's written with a deft hand, the characters are interesting and the location pushes in on all sides with an almost oppressive atmosphere making what could easily be average into something great.
It feels a lot like the best from Linda Howard and Karen Rose but dare I say it, this feels a little better.
June 26, 2016
The complexity of which this author writes always astounds me. When you start the book its like a jumbled up jig saw puzzle. It doesnt make a lot of sense. Her characters are this way too. In the beginning when being introduced to a wealth of characters you tend to form an opinion on them as the heroine does. As the story goes along and puzzle pieces snap into place you see your first impressions were wrong. This was the case with the hero. It was also the case with the first deaths Rookie cop Tana Larsson had to investigate. Tana's first call is what looks like an animal mauling of two students who were up in the snowy mountains of The Barrens. From that point until the conclusion of the book – you were shocked at the things Tana uncovers and what is truly going on.
The story here is stuff of nightmares. The dark tales told by the Aboriginal Canadians come to life. This was a fascinating read that stayed in my head even in sleep giving me weird dreams. I dont dream often but something about this story got into my subconscious and wrecked havoc.
The story here is stuff of nightmares. The dark tales told by the Aboriginal Canadians come to life. This was a fascinating read that stayed in my head even in sleep giving me weird dreams. I dont dream often but something about this story got into my subconscious and wrecked havoc.
December 5, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Kindle Unlimited
I’m a mood reader and at any given moment I’ll stop reading whatever book (or books) I’m in the middle of and start searching for something else. That’s how I come to find this gem. I decided I wanted something I could read and listen to at the same time so I entered “Kindle Unlimited books that include audio” and this author and her books came up. I’d never read anything before of hers so I thought, “What the heck?” and…..
OMG, I’M SO GLAD I DID!!
Don’t let the fact that this is published by a romance publisher sway your decision to read this, because I wouldn’t categorize this as a romance. I would say it’s more suspense/horror. It’s atmospheric, taking place in Northern Canada during winter, suspenseful and gory. I literally LOVED this book and highly recommended it, especially if you love books about serial killers.
I’m a mood reader and at any given moment I’ll stop reading whatever book (or books) I’m in the middle of and start searching for something else. That’s how I come to find this gem. I decided I wanted something I could read and listen to at the same time so I entered “Kindle Unlimited books that include audio” and this author and her books came up. I’d never read anything before of hers so I thought, “What the heck?” and…..
OMG, I’M SO GLAD I DID!!
Don’t let the fact that this is published by a romance publisher sway your decision to read this, because I wouldn’t categorize this as a romance. I would say it’s more suspense/horror. It’s atmospheric, taking place in Northern Canada during winter, suspenseful and gory. I literally LOVED this book and highly recommended it, especially if you love books about serial killers.
September 16, 2020
4 stars
A little Fargo and Twin Peaks. Tana Larrson is RCMP stationed in a Canadian outpost after a some personal mistakes - does leadership want her to fail? She is hiding a pregnancy while trying to investigate a case of wolf maulings. What begins as a "natural" occurrence unravels into a full-blown investigation with twists, turns, red herrings and indigenous lore thrown in. Adding to the story is a very budding relationship that will need time to blossom with other books in a series(?).
I couldn't stop listening. The story evolves from a loner, outcast police officer with her dogs to finding community/a tribe and asking for help when needed.
A little Fargo and Twin Peaks. Tana Larrson is RCMP stationed in a Canadian outpost after a some personal mistakes - does leadership want her to fail? She is hiding a pregnancy while trying to investigate a case of wolf maulings. What begins as a "natural" occurrence unravels into a full-blown investigation with twists, turns, red herrings and indigenous lore thrown in. Adding to the story is a very budding relationship that will need time to blossom with other books in a series(?).
I couldn't stop listening. The story evolves from a loner, outcast police officer with her dogs to finding community/a tribe and asking for help when needed.
April 10, 2017
4/5; 4 stars; A-
I really enjoyed this unusual thriller. At first I considered abandoning it because the main character, Constable Larson, was very hard to like. She was judgemental, intolerant, and downright prickly. However, as the story progressed it became clear that she was also courageous, smart, and compassionate. She had a pretty big pile of baggage that she was carting around.
One of the things that makes this story unusual is the setting, the far north. Also, the author uses an interesting blend of multiple cultural details and native lore to add flavour to the story.
I thought the depiction of life in an isolated community was pretty accurate, as was the odd collection of personalities and social rules.
The only thing that bugged me in this book was a very minor quibble, the repeated use of the word 'fortnight'. It know it seems petty but its really jarring. I have never met a Canadian or an American who uses that word in their everyday speech yet Crash used it two or three times within a couple of days.
I really enjoyed this unusual thriller. At first I considered abandoning it because the main character, Constable Larson, was very hard to like. She was judgemental, intolerant, and downright prickly. However, as the story progressed it became clear that she was also courageous, smart, and compassionate. She had a pretty big pile of baggage that she was carting around.
One of the things that makes this story unusual is the setting, the far north. Also, the author uses an interesting blend of multiple cultural details and native lore to add flavour to the story.
I thought the depiction of life in an isolated community was pretty accurate, as was the odd collection of personalities and social rules.
The only thing that bugged me in this book was a very minor quibble, the repeated use of the word 'fortnight'. It know it seems petty but its really jarring. I have never met a Canadian or an American who uses that word in their everyday speech yet Crash used it two or three times within a couple of days.
July 27, 2025
***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***
Northwest Territories
There aren't many mysteries set in the NWT in my local library but this one sounded good. It is considerably creepier than my usual fare, as the young RCMP constable finds eerie similarities between current deaths and two historical events. I also find supernatural story elements from aboriginal lore are much spookier to me than those from European traditions, perhaps because I have less experience with them.
A warning to sensitive readers: the description of the crime scene at the beginning of the book is very gory and is described in a bit more detail than I really needed. Ironic that murder doesn't get me upset, but dismemberment does. I call it a crime scene, but it's unclear what exactly went on. Was it an animal attack, a disturbed human killer, or a supernatural event?
The author wastes no time introducing the reader to Crash O'Halloran, the bush pilot with a sketchy reputation. Constable Tana Larrson must fly to the remote death site and her usual pilot is on an alcoholic bender so O'Halloran is pressed into service. Tana is hostile to O'Halloran, but he continues to turn up in her investigation. He repeatedly warns Tana that law enforcement works differently in remote communities, irritating her further. Afterall, she's the one with Dogrib heritage and he's a white guy.
We get another, more sinister viewpoint occasionally, presumably that of the perpetrator. White gives us several possible identities for this person, seen by several people as a quick moving shadow in the darkness of a northern winter. The long hours of darkness and the icy cold lend their own special misery to the investigation. The author comments frequently about the number of people driven mad by life in the north. Tana's support staff member, Rosalie, intimates that white men are especially susceptible. And male RCMP officers seem almost destined for this fate!
Ms. White was born in South Africa, making Canada's diamond industry in the far north a somewhat familiar subject. The plot tension picked up rapidly in the last chapters, but in my opinion many plot points were glaringly obvious from the very first pages. I figured out Crash O'Halloran’s story long before it was revealed and Tana's hostility to him immediately set him up as a potential romantic interest for her. I was a bit dismayed at White's portrayal of the aboriginal population, writing them as much more superstitious, volatile, and irrational than I believe them to be. In my limited experience, our original people are practical, down to earth folk.
In short, take it all with a big grain of salt. This is fiction, not documentary. Not the best, but not the worst mystery that I've read.
Northwest Territories
There aren't many mysteries set in the NWT in my local library but this one sounded good. It is considerably creepier than my usual fare, as the young RCMP constable finds eerie similarities between current deaths and two historical events. I also find supernatural story elements from aboriginal lore are much spookier to me than those from European traditions, perhaps because I have less experience with them.
A warning to sensitive readers: the description of the crime scene at the beginning of the book is very gory and is described in a bit more detail than I really needed. Ironic that murder doesn't get me upset, but dismemberment does. I call it a crime scene, but it's unclear what exactly went on. Was it an animal attack, a disturbed human killer, or a supernatural event?
The author wastes no time introducing the reader to Crash O'Halloran, the bush pilot with a sketchy reputation. Constable Tana Larrson must fly to the remote death site and her usual pilot is on an alcoholic bender so O'Halloran is pressed into service. Tana is hostile to O'Halloran, but he continues to turn up in her investigation. He repeatedly warns Tana that law enforcement works differently in remote communities, irritating her further. Afterall, she's the one with Dogrib heritage and he's a white guy.
We get another, more sinister viewpoint occasionally, presumably that of the perpetrator. White gives us several possible identities for this person, seen by several people as a quick moving shadow in the darkness of a northern winter. The long hours of darkness and the icy cold lend their own special misery to the investigation. The author comments frequently about the number of people driven mad by life in the north. Tana's support staff member, Rosalie, intimates that white men are especially susceptible. And male RCMP officers seem almost destined for this fate!
Ms. White was born in South Africa, making Canada's diamond industry in the far north a somewhat familiar subject. The plot tension picked up rapidly in the last chapters, but in my opinion many plot points were glaringly obvious from the very first pages. I figured out Crash O'Halloran’s story long before it was revealed and Tana's hostility to him immediately set him up as a potential romantic interest for her. I was a bit dismayed at White's portrayal of the aboriginal population, writing them as much more superstitious, volatile, and irrational than I believe them to be. In my limited experience, our original people are practical, down to earth folk.
In short, take it all with a big grain of salt. This is fiction, not documentary. Not the best, but not the worst mystery that I've read.
July 18, 2016
Tana Larsson comes to be the new cop in a tiny Canadian town near the arctic circle. She almost immediately has to investigate the mauling deaths of a couple of student researchers. As she investigates, Tana comes to the conclusion that there is more to the deaths than being attacked by a bear or wolves. And then she discovers there are several deaths from earlier years that are suspiciously similar.
There are legends passed down by the native locals of an ancient creature who eviscerates and eats the organs of his victims. This lore has been incorporated into a grisly novel by a hunter from a nearby hunting lodge. The deaths are all identical to the descriptions in the legend. The story builds creepily and is quite gory in places. The investigation goes on, and questions create more questions. The mystical aspect is a large part of the story, which kept me glued to the pages. Strange things are happening, both to Tana and around her. There is a lot of local color and Canadian winter hardships. It's all good…great and absorbing reading…
Then at about the 80% mark, the story became a standard crime melodrama. All of the wonderful clues and mystical happenings turned out to be giant red herrings that meant absolutely nothing in the end. They were there only to distract the reader. So very disappointing. Where I couldn't tear my eyes from the pages earlier in the book I was skimming and rolling my eyes disbelief that the plotline had been reduced to such a dismal and almost routine level. It read like the author didn't know what to do next, so she fell back on cliché and overused tropes.
Overall, the story was very good. The last part was passable, if a major letdown. It was like thinking you were going to get prime rib, anticipating it and drooling over it while you're waiting…only to get a hamburger in the end. Good enough eating, but not at all what you were expecting.
There are legends passed down by the native locals of an ancient creature who eviscerates and eats the organs of his victims. This lore has been incorporated into a grisly novel by a hunter from a nearby hunting lodge. The deaths are all identical to the descriptions in the legend. The story builds creepily and is quite gory in places. The investigation goes on, and questions create more questions. The mystical aspect is a large part of the story, which kept me glued to the pages. Strange things are happening, both to Tana and around her. There is a lot of local color and Canadian winter hardships. It's all good…great and absorbing reading…
Then at about the 80% mark, the story became a standard crime melodrama. All of the wonderful clues and mystical happenings turned out to be giant red herrings that meant absolutely nothing in the end. They were there only to distract the reader. So very disappointing. Where I couldn't tear my eyes from the pages earlier in the book I was skimming and rolling my eyes disbelief that the plotline had been reduced to such a dismal and almost routine level. It read like the author didn't know what to do next, so she fell back on cliché and overused tropes.
Overall, the story was very good. The last part was passable, if a major letdown. It was like thinking you were going to get prime rib, anticipating it and drooling over it while you're waiting…only to get a hamburger in the end. Good enough eating, but not at all what you were expecting.
December 8, 2019
Constable Tana Larsson, a 24 year old beat cop with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was sent to work [to fail] at the Northwest Territories, near the Arctic Circle. She was the only officer in charged, covering the jurisdiction of 17,500 square miles and up against the weather, wildlife, locals, misogynist - racist supervisors. As if she had not enough on her plate, the clever author decided to add in some questionable deaths for her to investigate. The romance content was on the low fat side + mf, but I suspected that The BiForce is strong in her.
An intricate storyline that unfolded so delicately yet so powerfully, and built to a crescendo that at once made my heart sing and felt the absolute depths of depravity. It was clear that the author researched and created a story as close to reality as possible and effortlessly wove one of the best thrillers I think I've ever read. Some of the repulsive scenes might shock the living daylights out of you. Still, I wouldn't go so far and say that she did it for the sake of horrifying her readers, as the way she handled them, beautifying an otherwise a very disturbing story.
The most important component of any great thriller was being kept in the dark. I don’t know about you, but I want to be fooled. To be tricked. To have no clue who’s responsible until the very last minute. The author managed to keep the blizzards over my eyes for the majority of this story. Not in regards to everyone that was involved, but to how it all went down and more importantly - why. The convoluted half-truths, the deceit, the hidden evidence; it was all pretty shocking and sad, quite honestly.
The author also showed me a different side of love. A selfless kind of love. My heart broke for Tana, the pain of guilt she was carrying, her fear of loving, of not feeling as though she was worthy of love. In this story, there were these people with amazing souls who looked in the mirror and only saw the ugly versions of themselves, it pained me. I wished that I could tell them to love themselves, that love will never ever be perfect. Love changes its form over the years but if you nurture and cherish it, then it will always be there, stronger than before and ready to be called whenever you need it. It will be waiting for you in all its flawed yet intense beauty. Perfect in its very imperfection.
The trigger ⚠️ is a mile long but if you're interested
/curious, do ask. 4⅝°c for this gut-wrenching/ heartbreaking/a 2nd - 3rd chance in life thriller. If you're a thriller fan, you should not skip this.
These movies came to mind
Fargo - 1996 - Frances McDormand, William H. Macy
Insomnia - 2OO2 - Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank
3O Days Of Night - 2OO7 - Josh Hartnett,
An intricate storyline that unfolded so delicately yet so powerfully, and built to a crescendo that at once made my heart sing and felt the absolute depths of depravity. It was clear that the author researched and created a story as close to reality as possible and effortlessly wove one of the best thrillers I think I've ever read. Some of the repulsive scenes might shock the living daylights out of you. Still, I wouldn't go so far and say that she did it for the sake of horrifying her readers, as the way she handled them, beautifying an otherwise a very disturbing story.
The most important component of any great thriller was being kept in the dark. I don’t know about you, but I want to be fooled. To be tricked. To have no clue who’s responsible until the very last minute. The author managed to keep the blizzards over my eyes for the majority of this story. Not in regards to everyone that was involved, but to how it all went down and more importantly - why. The convoluted half-truths, the deceit, the hidden evidence; it was all pretty shocking and sad, quite honestly.
The author also showed me a different side of love. A selfless kind of love. My heart broke for Tana, the pain of guilt she was carrying, her fear of loving, of not feeling as though she was worthy of love. In this story, there were these people with amazing souls who looked in the mirror and only saw the ugly versions of themselves, it pained me. I wished that I could tell them to love themselves, that love will never ever be perfect. Love changes its form over the years but if you nurture and cherish it, then it will always be there, stronger than before and ready to be called whenever you need it. It will be waiting for you in all its flawed yet intense beauty. Perfect in its very imperfection.
The trigger ⚠️ is a mile long but if you're interested
/curious, do ask. 4⅝°c for this gut-wrenching/ heartbreaking/a 2nd - 3rd chance in life thriller. If you're a thriller fan, you should not skip this.
These movies came to mind
Fargo - 1996 - Frances McDormand, William H. Macy
Insomnia - 2OO2 - Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank
3O Days Of Night - 2OO7 - Josh Hartnett,
August 19, 2016
ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having read several of Loreth Anne White's books I have come to expect something different than the normal romantic-suspense genre and In the Barren Ground does not disappoint. The characters are fully developed and not your standard H/h variety either. The setting, Twin Rivers, the Barrens, two degrees south of the Arctic acts as another character in this dark, twisted tale.
Rookie Constable Tana Larsson has been posted to the outback of beyond in the far north of the Canadian north. She is on her own in this settlement of 320. She is the only law for miles around and now she has what, at first, appears as a deadly wild animal mauling of two biology students. Everyone wants to classify the attack as such, but Tana, although a rookie, is meticulous about the details and has decided to dig deeper, uncovering odd similarities to previous cases.
Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation and connections to the pervious attacks. He also feels protective of Tana and can't walk away when strange things start happening to her. Everyone has their reasons for living in such an unforgiving place, some people are hiding from their past, some just want to start over. For Crash and Tana, the past will need to be dealt with before they can even think about a future.
Having read several of Loreth Anne White's books I have come to expect something different than the normal romantic-suspense genre and In the Barren Ground does not disappoint. The characters are fully developed and not your standard H/h variety either. The setting, Twin Rivers, the Barrens, two degrees south of the Arctic acts as another character in this dark, twisted tale.
Rookie Constable Tana Larsson has been posted to the outback of beyond in the far north of the Canadian north. She is on her own in this settlement of 320. She is the only law for miles around and now she has what, at first, appears as a deadly wild animal mauling of two biology students. Everyone wants to classify the attack as such, but Tana, although a rookie, is meticulous about the details and has decided to dig deeper, uncovering odd similarities to previous cases.
Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation and connections to the pervious attacks. He also feels protective of Tana and can't walk away when strange things start happening to her. Everyone has their reasons for living in such an unforgiving place, some people are hiding from their past, some just want to start over. For Crash and Tana, the past will need to be dealt with before they can even think about a future.
March 5, 2018
Rookie cop Tana Larsson is the only RCMP officer manning Twin Rivers, which has a population of 320. Her patch is in the Northwest Territories and covers some 17,500 square miles, a huge area for a single police officer to service. A call comes in reporting the fatal wolf mauling of two students in a remote area of this barren wilderness.
In the Barren Ground is a great mixture of a story. There is suspense, mystery, gothic elements, romance and a regular tale of police procedures that you get in most crime thrillers. The writing is first class with a huge vocabulary and great attention to detail. Loreth’s descriptions of her scenes and the surrounding environment is top rate. You really feel you are on an outdoor adventure holiday.
In the Barren Ground is a creepy tale with lots of suspense. From very early on you wonder about the fatal wolf maulings and every character you meet raises your suspicions. Character development is spot on and each character has a good and a dodgy side to them.
There is lots of mystery in this novel as the chapters chart the history of this remote region. The culture of living in the bush is fully explored and I loved the details of hunting and surviving in this wilderness.
There are some gothic elements woven into this story. I do not read books in the gothic genre, so these elements came as a surprise to me. But these gothic elements added so much more to the story. They fitted in really well and added to the mystery a great deal. Then to add a character who happened to be an author of a gothic novel, was just icing on the cake.
As with Loreth’s other novels, romance takes a part in the story. It should appeal to both genders and adds so much to the fullness of this novel. Again like her other novels, the love is not just shown between humans but between dogs and their owners too.
The police procedure and job frustration parts are great. How can you preserve a crime scene when you are the only police officer around AND there is falling snow to contend with? Throw in the problem of wild animals eating the evidence and it is a huge challenge for Tana to deal with on her own.
Each character has the ability to be a criminal and you can point your finger at every one of them. The plot of this novel is very good indeed. There is no need to second guess if there is a bad guy or if the fatal wolf maulings were simply an accident, just enjoy this novel for what it is. I found this book a pleasure to read, it gave me plenty to think about. I really engaged with this story and felt I was there. Loreth makes great mention of her characters wearing Baffin boots. She wrote about them as commonplace. I love wandering about and I live in the UK but have never come across these Baffin boots. So involved I became in this novel, I felt I had to check these boots out online. Oh yes, they are the genuine item, roughty, toughty, snow hiking boots!
I found In the Barren Ground to be an outstanding read. It coupled regular reading enjoyment with a sense of adventure and a cultural learning experience. No risk of frostbite as I sat back in my favourite armchair with this top scoring 5 star read.
Review to follow as I am having trouble doing copy/paste to Goodreads. However my review posted on my blog okay...
http://standinginthelighttill.blogspo...
In the Barren Ground is a great mixture of a story. There is suspense, mystery, gothic elements, romance and a regular tale of police procedures that you get in most crime thrillers. The writing is first class with a huge vocabulary and great attention to detail. Loreth’s descriptions of her scenes and the surrounding environment is top rate. You really feel you are on an outdoor adventure holiday.
In the Barren Ground is a creepy tale with lots of suspense. From very early on you wonder about the fatal wolf maulings and every character you meet raises your suspicions. Character development is spot on and each character has a good and a dodgy side to them.
There is lots of mystery in this novel as the chapters chart the history of this remote region. The culture of living in the bush is fully explored and I loved the details of hunting and surviving in this wilderness.
There are some gothic elements woven into this story. I do not read books in the gothic genre, so these elements came as a surprise to me. But these gothic elements added so much more to the story. They fitted in really well and added to the mystery a great deal. Then to add a character who happened to be an author of a gothic novel, was just icing on the cake.
As with Loreth’s other novels, romance takes a part in the story. It should appeal to both genders and adds so much to the fullness of this novel. Again like her other novels, the love is not just shown between humans but between dogs and their owners too.
The police procedure and job frustration parts are great. How can you preserve a crime scene when you are the only police officer around AND there is falling snow to contend with? Throw in the problem of wild animals eating the evidence and it is a huge challenge for Tana to deal with on her own.
Each character has the ability to be a criminal and you can point your finger at every one of them. The plot of this novel is very good indeed. There is no need to second guess if there is a bad guy or if the fatal wolf maulings were simply an accident, just enjoy this novel for what it is. I found this book a pleasure to read, it gave me plenty to think about. I really engaged with this story and felt I was there. Loreth makes great mention of her characters wearing Baffin boots. She wrote about them as commonplace. I love wandering about and I live in the UK but have never come across these Baffin boots. So involved I became in this novel, I felt I had to check these boots out online. Oh yes, they are the genuine item, roughty, toughty, snow hiking boots!
I found In the Barren Ground to be an outstanding read. It coupled regular reading enjoyment with a sense of adventure and a cultural learning experience. No risk of frostbite as I sat back in my favourite armchair with this top scoring 5 star read.
Review to follow as I am having trouble doing copy/paste to Goodreads. However my review posted on my blog okay...
http://standinginthelighttill.blogspo...
August 17, 2016
I LOVED THIS! RTC
ETA: Review originally posted at All Books Considered: 4 STARS
This is the first book I've read from this author but it won't be the last because I completely loved this! It was super spooky and there were twists and turns that kept me invested and not wanting to put this down. The character development was excellent. Now to talk about probably the most unique part of this book and my favorite thing: the setting and amazing descriptions of being in such a setting. While I have not been to the Arctic Circle, I now feel like I have based on the amazing description -- all of my senses were engaged and I could feel the darkness, the cold, the life and the struggle in this tough and remote part of the world. Tana was easy to imagine in this setting and I could not admire her and love her more as a character -- you want only good things for her and Crash is definitely a good thing. One last thing -- the romance is definitely a very slow burn and much of the book is spent more on tracking the crime than the romance, necessarily. This implicitly worked for me because it felt real and worked for the story; however, I did want to tell you in case you were expecting a straightforward romantic suspense with an equal combination of romance and suspense.
This book is truly a dark, atmospheric romance and police procedural with a bit of a Gothic and/or horror feel; it was totally unique and it's hard to think of anything that is like it! In the Barren Ground comes out today, August 16, 2016, and I definitely recommend this one to fans of dark romantic suspense!
ETA: Review originally posted at All Books Considered: 4 STARS
This is the first book I've read from this author but it won't be the last because I completely loved this! It was super spooky and there were twists and turns that kept me invested and not wanting to put this down. The character development was excellent. Now to talk about probably the most unique part of this book and my favorite thing: the setting and amazing descriptions of being in such a setting. While I have not been to the Arctic Circle, I now feel like I have based on the amazing description -- all of my senses were engaged and I could feel the darkness, the cold, the life and the struggle in this tough and remote part of the world. Tana was easy to imagine in this setting and I could not admire her and love her more as a character -- you want only good things for her and Crash is definitely a good thing. One last thing -- the romance is definitely a very slow burn and much of the book is spent more on tracking the crime than the romance, necessarily. This implicitly worked for me because it felt real and worked for the story; however, I did want to tell you in case you were expecting a straightforward romantic suspense with an equal combination of romance and suspense.
This book is truly a dark, atmospheric romance and police procedural with a bit of a Gothic and/or horror feel; it was totally unique and it's hard to think of anything that is like it! In the Barren Ground comes out today, August 16, 2016, and I definitely recommend this one to fans of dark romantic suspense!
"Tana!" he yelled as he saw her disappearing around the side of his house. He broke into a run, caught her by the arm.
She swung around, eyes sparking. Her mouth was close. She was breathing heavily, their breaths clouding together. Snow settled like confetti on her fur hat. He wanted to kiss her. By God, he just wanted to kiss that full mouth, bury himself in her freshness and youth, cover himself in it. his eyes burned, heat seared his chest. And suddenly he ached--to star again, a second change, just to try. But he didn't dare. He could not do that to her. She was young, idealistic. He was far too jaded, carried too much dangerous baggage. She was going to be a mother, and there was no way in hell he could realistically be there for her, or a kid, so why in hell was his head even going there?
February 27, 2019
Si tuviese que describir esta historia en una palabra ésta sería desmesurada.
Ha sido todo tan extravagante, tan desmedido que al final ha sonado falso, difícil de creer… es una de esas ocasiones en las que se podría aplicar la máxima: Menos es Más.
Antes que nada dejaré claro que esta historia NO es un suspense romántico. Es un suspense. Con un poquitín de romance, pero muy, muy poco, casi imperceptible, y para los que no se lo crean:
Hasta para mí, amante incondicional de los romances sutiles y lentos, esto ha sido demasiado.
Una vez aclarado esto, decir que el suspense como tal ha estado muy bien, me ha gustado. Hasta casi el 80% de la historia me tenía completamente atrapada, intentando averiguar quién o quiénes eran los malos y por qué hacían lo que hacían. El hecho de que la trama esté ambientada en los recónditos y salvajes parajes del Círculo Ártico ayuda. La atmosfera es claustrofóbica, angustiosa y misteriosa… La lectora está siempre a la expectativa de qué va a pasar a continuación…ha sido excitante.
Pero todo se viene un poco abajo por el tema de la desmesura: demasiadas coincidencias, demasiadas casualidades para dar oxigeno a la historia y demasiado gore. Ha sido un poco desagradable. Aunque al final, y como ya me pasó con el anterior libro de esta autora, gracias a la inexistencia del romance he podido disfrutar del suspense.
Decir que los protagonistas tienen un pasado traumático es quedarse corto. El pasado es OTT. Demasiado para sobrevivir, pero suponiendo que lo consiguiesen, que se sobrepusiesen a ese pasado, ¿qué probabilidades hay de que el pasado de uno de ellos sea tan parecido (otra vez) al presente del otro? ¿y de que haya más de una persona con idéntico pasado? Es como si a todos les pasasen las mismas cosas malas y desagradables. Pobre gente.
Ha llegado un momento en que estaba todo tan liado que ya no sabía quién se había acostado con quién, quién quería pero no podía, quien era de todos los malos el más malo y sobre todo cómo la ley podía actuar con tanta impunidad… ni siquiera los policías que patrullan pueden ir solos, siempre de dos en dos, pero una novata consigue ser toda la ley que se puede encontrar en ese recóndito rincón del mundo…demasiado conveniente…y no hablemos de la climatología…otro personaje más de la historia a favor de los malos… ha sido demasiado…
El último 20% de la historia hubiese funcionado mejor en la pantalla de un televisor o cine que en las páginas de un libro. Muy melodramático y rebuscado. Creo que la autora olvidó (otra vez) que su protagonista estaba embarazada y no supo encauzar todas las expectativas que había creado.
Y para colmo de males al final ni siquiera conseguimos pasar página adecuadamente. Me he quedado con la sensación de que los malos no han recibido su merecido. Hubiese agradecido esas líneas que salen al final de los créditos en la pelis explicándote que:
O algo así…
Lo dejo en 3.5 stars porque el principio de la historia ha estado muy bien y la idea era original.
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley.
If I had to describe this story in three words they would be OTT.
It had been so extravagant, so excessive that, ultimately, it has sounded fake, hard to believe... is one of those occasions in which we could applied the key principle: Less is More.
First of all I should leave clear that this story is NOT a romantic suspense. It is a suspense. With a little bit of romance, but so, so little that is almost imperceptible, and for all those skeptic out there :
Even for me, unconditional lover of slow-building and subtle romances, this has been too much. (or less, for that matter)
Once that has been cleared up, I have to say that the suspense, as such, has been very good, I liked it. Up to almost 80% of the story it had me completely trapped, trying to find out who was/ were the bad guys, and why and how they did what they did. The fact that the plot is set in the wilderness near the Arctic Circle helps a lot. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, mysterious and gripping... The reader is always at the expectation of what will happen next... it has been exciting.
But everything comes down because of the excess: too many coincidences to give the story oxygen and too much gore. It was a little disturbing. Although at the end, and as happened to me with the previous book by this author, thanks to the absence of romance I've enjoyed the thriller.
To say that the MC´s have a traumatic past is an understatement. The past is OTT. Too much to survive, but assuming that they succeeded at it, that they overcome their past, how likely are that his past is so similar (again) at her present? How likely that there is more than one person with identical past? It is like the bad events are being repeated all over again. Poor people.
It has come a time when I was so busy trying to know who had slept with who, who wanted to but could not, who, from all the baddies, was the worst, that I get lost and bored. And above all, how the law could act with such impunity?... even the policemen who patrol can´t go alone, they always are in twosome, but a rookie gets to be the only law that can be found in that remote corner of the world... too convenient... and not to mention the weather... another character in the story helping the bad guys. It has been too much...
The last 20% of the story would have worked better on the screen of a television or cinema than in the pages of a book. It was so melodramatic and far-fetched. I think the author forgot (again) that her heroine was pregnant, and she didn´t know how to handle all the expectations she had created.
And to make matters worse, in the end I didn´t feel the closure properly. I was left with the feeling that the bad guys didn´t got theirs. I would have appreciated those lines that come out at the end of the credits in the films explaining that:
Or something like that...
I´ll give it 3.5 stars because the beginning of the story has been interesting and gripping and the idea was original.
Ha sido todo tan extravagante, tan desmedido que al final ha sonado falso, difícil de creer… es una de esas ocasiones en las que se podría aplicar la máxima: Menos es Más.
Antes que nada dejaré claro que esta historia NO es un suspense romántico. Es un suspense. Con un poquitín de romance, pero muy, muy poco, casi imperceptible, y para los que no se lo crean:
Hasta para mí, amante incondicional de los romances sutiles y lentos, esto ha sido demasiado.
Una vez aclarado esto, decir que el suspense como tal ha estado muy bien, me ha gustado. Hasta casi el 80% de la historia me tenía completamente atrapada, intentando averiguar quién o quiénes eran los malos y por qué hacían lo que hacían. El hecho de que la trama esté ambientada en los recónditos y salvajes parajes del Círculo Ártico ayuda. La atmosfera es claustrofóbica, angustiosa y misteriosa… La lectora está siempre a la expectativa de qué va a pasar a continuación…ha sido excitante.
Pero todo se viene un poco abajo por el tema de la desmesura: demasiadas coincidencias, demasiadas casualidades para dar oxigeno a la historia y demasiado gore. Ha sido un poco desagradable. Aunque al final, y como ya me pasó con el anterior libro de esta autora, gracias a la inexistencia del romance he podido disfrutar del suspense.
Decir que los protagonistas tienen un pasado traumático es quedarse corto. El pasado es OTT. Demasiado para sobrevivir, pero suponiendo que lo consiguiesen, que se sobrepusiesen a ese pasado, ¿qué probabilidades hay de que el pasado de uno de ellos sea tan parecido (otra vez) al presente del otro? ¿y de que haya más de una persona con idéntico pasado? Es como si a todos les pasasen las mismas cosas malas y desagradables. Pobre gente.
Ha llegado un momento en que estaba todo tan liado que ya no sabía quién se había acostado con quién, quién quería pero no podía, quien era de todos los malos el más malo y sobre todo cómo la ley podía actuar con tanta impunidad… ni siquiera los policías que patrullan pueden ir solos, siempre de dos en dos, pero una novata consigue ser toda la ley que se puede encontrar en ese recóndito rincón del mundo…demasiado conveniente…y no hablemos de la climatología…otro personaje más de la historia a favor de los malos… ha sido demasiado…
El último 20% de la historia hubiese funcionado mejor en la pantalla de un televisor o cine que en las páginas de un libro. Muy melodramático y rebuscado. Creo que la autora olvidó (otra vez) que su protagonista estaba embarazada y no supo encauzar todas las expectativas que había creado.
Y para colmo de males al final ni siquiera conseguimos pasar página adecuadamente. Me he quedado con la sensación de que los malos no han recibido su merecido. Hubiese agradecido esas líneas que salen al final de los créditos en la pelis explicándote que:
”Fulanito de tal pasó el resto de sus días en la cárcel repudiado por su mujer e hijos…”
O algo así…
Lo dejo en 3.5 stars porque el principio de la historia ha estado muy bien y la idea era original.
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley.
If I had to describe this story in three words they would be OTT.
It had been so extravagant, so excessive that, ultimately, it has sounded fake, hard to believe... is one of those occasions in which we could applied the key principle: Less is More.
First of all I should leave clear that this story is NOT a romantic suspense. It is a suspense. With a little bit of romance, but so, so little that is almost imperceptible, and for all those skeptic out there :
Even for me, unconditional lover of slow-building and subtle romances, this has been too much. (or less, for that matter)
Once that has been cleared up, I have to say that the suspense, as such, has been very good, I liked it. Up to almost 80% of the story it had me completely trapped, trying to find out who was/ were the bad guys, and why and how they did what they did. The fact that the plot is set in the wilderness near the Arctic Circle helps a lot. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, mysterious and gripping... The reader is always at the expectation of what will happen next... it has been exciting.
But everything comes down because of the excess: too many coincidences to give the story oxygen and too much gore. It was a little disturbing. Although at the end, and as happened to me with the previous book by this author, thanks to the absence of romance I've enjoyed the thriller.
To say that the MC´s have a traumatic past is an understatement. The past is OTT. Too much to survive, but assuming that they succeeded at it, that they overcome their past, how likely are that his past is so similar (again) at her present? How likely that there is more than one person with identical past? It is like the bad events are being repeated all over again. Poor people.
It has come a time when I was so busy trying to know who had slept with who, who wanted to but could not, who, from all the baddies, was the worst, that I get lost and bored. And above all, how the law could act with such impunity?... even the policemen who patrol can´t go alone, they always are in twosome, but a rookie gets to be the only law that can be found in that remote corner of the world... too convenient... and not to mention the weather... another character in the story helping the bad guys. It has been too much...
The last 20% of the story would have worked better on the screen of a television or cinema than in the pages of a book. It was so melodramatic and far-fetched. I think the author forgot (again) that her heroine was pregnant, and she didn´t know how to handle all the expectations she had created.
And to make matters worse, in the end I didn´t feel the closure properly. I was left with the feeling that the bad guys didn´t got theirs. I would have appreciated those lines that come out at the end of the credits in the films explaining that:
”John Doe spent the remainder of his days in prison, repudiated by his wife and children...”
Or something like that...
I´ll give it 3.5 stars because the beginning of the story has been interesting and gripping and the idea was original.
December 8, 2022
Four stars, thriller lite.
There were a few books that I listed as “read” but didn’t review, planning to write my reviews a few weeks later. This happened when I wasn’t feeling well enough to compose a decent review but wanted my friends to know that I was alive and still reading, or, sometimes, when several library books became available at the same time and I had to read them all within a three-week period.
IN THE BARREN GROUND was one of these. I read it last January, and the fact that I still remember the plot and my reading experience 11 months later lets me know that my four-star rating was correct.
The main protagonist is a young RCMP officer, Tana Larson, who has been sent to an isolated small Canadian town in the far north where the only way in and out is by airplane (or dog sled). Tana is part Dene and pregnant. Her superiors are not yet aware of this latter fact. In the past, a few people venturing outside the settlement have been attacked and killed by what might be animals or, according to several indigenous locals, could be an evil spirit. Tana believes that it might be a human who is carrying out the killing, disguising them as animal attacks.
I was enjoying the reading experience, putting together the clues, when the author threw in a disastrous chapter—all exposition (tell) and no show at all—and I stopped. It was just another Harlequin romance, I thought. Now the big, brave, hunk would step in and save Tana. After a bit more than a week, I decided to read one more chapter—by this time I was certain it was a human killer and wanted to know “who”. I am glad I continued. The “romantic hunk” faded into the background. He stayed close enough to satisfy those who like romantic thrillers, but didn’t dominate the narrative. And the unmasking of the killer was a surprise to me.
The atmosphere was great—horror in the cold north, blended with the folklore of indigenous people. Many suspects and many clues, and a real surprise ending. Plus not too much romance. Just be warned about that one terrible chapter.
There were a few books that I listed as “read” but didn’t review, planning to write my reviews a few weeks later. This happened when I wasn’t feeling well enough to compose a decent review but wanted my friends to know that I was alive and still reading, or, sometimes, when several library books became available at the same time and I had to read them all within a three-week period.
IN THE BARREN GROUND was one of these. I read it last January, and the fact that I still remember the plot and my reading experience 11 months later lets me know that my four-star rating was correct.
The main protagonist is a young RCMP officer, Tana Larson, who has been sent to an isolated small Canadian town in the far north where the only way in and out is by airplane (or dog sled). Tana is part Dene and pregnant. Her superiors are not yet aware of this latter fact. In the past, a few people venturing outside the settlement have been attacked and killed by what might be animals or, according to several indigenous locals, could be an evil spirit. Tana believes that it might be a human who is carrying out the killing, disguising them as animal attacks.
I was enjoying the reading experience, putting together the clues, when the author threw in a disastrous chapter—all exposition (tell) and no show at all—and I stopped. It was just another Harlequin romance, I thought. Now the big, brave, hunk would step in and save Tana. After a bit more than a week, I decided to read one more chapter—by this time I was certain it was a human killer and wanted to know “who”. I am glad I continued. The “romantic hunk” faded into the background. He stayed close enough to satisfy those who like romantic thrillers, but didn’t dominate the narrative. And the unmasking of the killer was a surprise to me.
The atmosphere was great—horror in the cold north, blended with the folklore of indigenous people. Many suspects and many clues, and a real surprise ending. Plus not too much romance. Just be warned about that one terrible chapter.
August 16, 2016
A great twisty whodunnit story.
But towards the end the heroine got a bit overdramatic and I just skimmed towards the ending.
Still, the unique plot and story line scored a 4Stars.
But towards the end the heroine got a bit overdramatic and I just skimmed towards the ending.
Still, the unique plot and story line scored a 4Stars.
January 30, 2018
I've been on a binge reading session of Loreth Anne White romantic suspense books lately. I had been avoiding this one because I thought the setting and all the wilderness stuff wouldn't really be my thing. Wrong. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this. Quite gruesome and unsettling in places. Completely unpredictable. I really had no clue as to the identity of the villain until it was revealed. Very light on the romance but heavy on the suspense. Excellent audiobook narration. I've read 5 books written by Loreth Anne White now and they have all been solid 4 stars.
January 6, 2023
This is not part of the Dark Lure series even though it was advertised as such. Although this is a solid police procedural set in the Arctic wilderness, I never felt invested in the main character. It was ok, but the plot dragged.
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