Eis

Alex Carter #2

by Alice Henderson

Nichts ist kälter als der Tod im ewigen Eis

Wildtierbiologin Alex Carter nimmt ein Angebot an, in der kanadischen Arktis eine Eisbären-Population zu erforschen. Gemeinsam mit ihrem Team spürt sie die Bären auf, folgt ihnen mit dem Helikopter über gefährliches Terrain. Doch es passieren immer bedrohlichere Dinge: Irgendjemand will um jeden Preis Alex' Forschung verhindern. Als ihr Helikopter in der Luft in Flammen aufgeht, findet sie sich plötzlich inmitten von nichts als Eis wieder – und am Horizont nähern sich bewaffnete Unbekannte …

Die Idee für die Reihe um Alex Carter kam Alice Henderson bei ihrem Brotjob, den sie mit großer Leidenschaft ausübt: Sie arbeitet als Rangerin in einem Naturreservat, wo sie abgelegene Kameras überprüft, das Auftreten bestimmter Spezies überwacht und Brutgebiete aufzeichnet. Neben Grizzlys, Wölfen, Wildkatzen und gefährdeten Fledermäusen beobachtete sie auch Vielfraß-Populationen.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Animals

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2021

About the author

Alice Henderson's love of wild places inspired her thriller series which begins with A Solitude of Wolverines, and continues with A Blizzard of Polar Bears and A Ghost of Caribou. The latest novel is The Vanishing Kind, about jaguars in New Mexico. The series features a wildlife biologist who encounters dangerous situations while working to protect endangered species.

She has also written media-tie in novels, including official novels for the TV shows Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While working at LucasArts, she wrote material for several Star Wars video games.

She was selected to attend Launchpad, a NASA-funded writing workshop aimed at bringing accurate science to fiction.

In addition to being a writer, Henderson is a wildlife researcher, geographic information systems specialist, and bioacoustician. She documents wildlife on specialized recording equipment, checks remote cameras, creates maps, and undertakes wildlife surveys to determine what species are present on preserves, while ensuring there are no signs of poaching. She's surveyed for the presence of grizzlies, wolves, wolverines, jaguars, endangered bats, and more.

Please visit her at www.AliceHenderson.com.

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Henderson has become my favorite author that emphasizes facets of nature in a crime thriller. A Blizzard of Polar Bears is the second book in the Alex Carter mystery series. After the opening scenes in northwestern Montana, the rest of the book takes place in and around Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Dr. Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist who is wrapping up a study on wolverines when a friend calls and asks if she would like to do a polar bear study in Manitoba. With two weeks left on her current assignment, she jumps at the opportunity. Her assigned research assistant, Neil Trevors, has lined up a helicopter pilot for them. Tracking the polar bears by air, Alex then tranquilizes, examines, and measures them. Taking samples for study in the lab in Churchill is part of the job along with updating or adding GPS trackers. However, things start to go quickly wrong. Their pilot suddenly quits and an intruder breaks into the lab, steals her samples, and deletes her files. After finding a replacement pilot, their helicopter catches fire and armed assailants come after them. One might think this would be enough to deter Alex from her study, but it isn’t, and this is only the beginning. Who wants to stop the study and why? Will Alex and Neil survive?

Alex is a likeable character who is three-dimensional and had depth. She is a skilled wildlife biologist, adept at Jeet Kune Do style of martial arts, and an expert shooter. She enjoys solitude, but has a few very good friends. She’s supported by an array of secondary characters that enhanced the story, but were not as fully developed. However, the relationships seemed believable and not contrived and provided the needed support or conflict.

The writing was so descriptive that I felt like I was with Alex as she carried out her research. The plot had some twists and turns and several surprises. It was engrossing, heartfelt, well-researched, and action-packed. I’ve seen comparisons to Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series and I can see the similarities. The story was compelling, shocking at times, intense, and a great sophomore novel for the series. A gripping and dramatic ending was a little over-the-top, but it also tied up loose ends nicely. I enjoyed reading the Afterward that included information on the artic. The author also included a list of books and articles about polar bears as well as other reference information.

Overall, this combined mystery, nature, the environment, action adventure, and survival into one fantastic crime novel. Not only was this a fascinating mystery that kept me fully engaged, but I learned a lot about the polar bears, artic ice, and atmospheric conditions that Alex encountered. If you enjoy action-packed crime thrillers with an environmental and threatened wildlife theme, then this is a series to consider reading. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

William Morrow and Custom House and Alice Henderson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was November 9, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

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Review coming soon.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m growing fond of brave alex with her idealism and survival instinct. Another action fueled plot that kept me engaged from start to finish.

[TXGAL1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATED: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This story was a solid follow-up to the first book in the Alex Carter series, A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES, by Alice Henderson.

Alex Carter is an accomplished wildlife biologist and strong-willed individual who has just finished her study of wolverines in Montana. Her next thrilling study takes her to the frigid environment of Manitoba, Canada to study polar bears. Dr Carter barely gets her study underway when it is met with head-scratching obstacles. It will take all her cunning and tenacity to complete her mission.

I enjoyed the premise of the story and became interested in the characters. Unfortunately, the amount of knowledge regarding the study of polar bears and the environment that was included did not help the pacing of the suspense. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy learning these things—I did. I just felt like the education wasn’t as seamlessly interwoven into this book as the previous. I was all in on the excitement and the twists and turns; it just lost its steam at different junctures.

This book is recommended to all and especially those that loved A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES and the Alex Carter character.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson is a 2022 William Morrow publication.

Still working in Montana, Alex gets an unexpected phone call. Would she like to study polar bears in the Canadian Arctic?

For Alex, it was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, upon arrival, things begin to go awry, culminating in a helicopter fire than forces Alex and her team to land in an uncivilized, unforgiving environment. Survival would be hard enough in those circumstances, but it seems they have company…

Armed assailants with an agenda….

This is a very solid follow-up to “A Solitude of Wolverines”. This is a story of survival, with plenty of action, adventure, suspense, surprises, and information on the climate and polar bears. Some stunning developments will have an impact on future installments, which will very interesting!

This high-octane environmental thriller should appeal to a wide audience-as it combines elements that appeal to many crime fiction readers. Just be sure to fasten your seat-belts before takeoff!

4 stars

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down
A Blizzard of Polar Bears is the second in the Dr. Alex Carter series but works well as a stand-alone. It’s perfect for animal and nature lovers and science nerds. Carter is a wildlife biologist and this time around, she has gone to the Canadian Arctic to study the effect of climate change on polar bears. Henderson gives the reader plenty of facts about polar bears and the various environmental issues they’re facing.
The writing about the Arctic was gorgeous and I could feel myself out on the frozen tundra. While I love a thriller as much as anyone, this one went OTT. The story would have actually been stronger with one or two fewer intense scenes. The constant movement from one violent confrontation to the next dulled my senses. This made me realize I much prefer a strong sense of foreboding and tension to nonstop fight scenes.
We learn more about her stalker, the person who was sending her postcards in the first book and prevented her from being shot. This person’s background could lead to an interesting discussion about how far someone should go to correct a bad situation.
I will continue with the series as the third book is coming out in a few months. I hope Henderson tones down the drama and amps up the wildlife and nature scenes.
Eva Kaminsky did a good job as the narrator.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars! I was anxious to read this book as I enjoyed the Solitude of Wolverines, the first book in the Alex Carter series. I have also been concerned about the survival of polar bears and their perilous situation due to global warming. I regret that I was disappointed with this book.

My sister lived and worked in Churchill for several years, but my own work schedule prevented me from visiting during the season when polar bears were prevalent in/ and close to town. I finally managed to go to Churchill during the most favourable time to see polar bears in the wild. I was thrilled to tour areas where there were many to see and to photograph. On the morning I was leaving for the airport, two bears had wandered into the back yard of the guest house where I was staying. A helicopter was in clear view in the sky at the airport, airlifting a bear from town out into the wilderness. It was illegal to shoot the bears, and when they were captured in town and put in the polar bear jail until they could be transported back to the wilds.

Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist dedicated to saving endangered species. Having completed her study of wolverines in Montana, their habitat has been protected for a sanctuary. She now accepts a new appointment to study polar bears from Churchill on the Hudson Bay, northern Manitoba. She is dauntless, brave, athletic, and well trained in the martial arts. She loves the solitude of a wilderness and her commitment to the preservation of its animal life. She will need all her resources to outwit and survive some ruthless villains in the story ahead.

After her first day on the ice, taking blood and hair samples from tranquillized bears, the lab is broken into and her notes and samples stolen. It is evident that someone does not want Alex's studies completed, but why? Global warming destroys the polar bears' ability to find sufficient food as the ice melts, and contaminants affect their once robust health. I found descriptions of poachers illegally killing bears for their fur very disturbing.

There was certainly plenty of action, maybe a non-stop abundance of it. This was a case where less would be more to hold my interest. I found myself going numb and was failing to engage with the events that were becoming tedious. I wasn't feeling the tension and suspense as intended.

Alex and her assistants were continuously being shot at, dodging bullets, fighting to stay alive, running, and hiding from enemies. The helicopter was sabotaged, and they were left stranded on the ice with well-armed people following them with murder on their minds. The crew must endure the cold and dampness amidst some fierce blizzards, and they have no way to call for rescue.

Their new helicopter pilot has a traumatic past and seems to have secretly followed Alex on her former assignments to Churchill. Can he be trusted? Will he become a romantic interest for her? Alex manages to solve some codes which add to her powers. There were some deaths and police who mainly were ineffective or have ignored her reports and suspicions. The crimes turned out to be complex within a somewhat unbelievable plot.
Prospective readers should not be deterred by my misgivings, as many loved the relentless action and mystery and its theme of wildlife conservation.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. This is the Alex Carter series. Dr. Alex Carter, our main protagonist, is a wildlife biologist who travels around the world studying animals. And, as one would guess from the title, this one focuses on her study of polar bears. In Manitoba.

One thing that may be of particular interest is the effort the author makes in sharing background on the specific role of a wildlife biologist. Details of those careful, meticulous and thoughtful duties are provided within the plot, thus making this novel also feel somewhat educational.

Readers may be drawn into the mystery of what happens when someone decides to steal samples from Alex’s study. Other mishaps occur which also add to the mystery, and tension.

But is the plot plausible? Is this what most wildlife specialists would do in any given day (the running from “bad” guys, so to speak)?

Between the environmental landscape, the study of polar bears, and the action within the storyline, readers may still find themselves most likely fascinated with this distinctive focus in a suspense series.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 wildlife preservation stars

This was another stellar installment in the Alex Carter series. This time she’s off to Canada and engaged to do a polar bear study. This one is important as polar bear habitat is increasingly threatened. Alex quickly gets to work with a helicopter at the ready and a team member who helps gather data from the polar bears they tranquilize.

It was so interesting to read about the work that goes into doing a study like this, gathering samples, analyzing the results, and ending with a report that hopes to protect important animal species.

Just like in book #1, trouble seems to follow Alex. There’s a theft, the helicopter pilot quits, sabotage, and then the lives of the whole team are threatened as they are stranded out on the ice.

Author Alice Henderson does an excellent job putting us into the setting, I could easily visualize the ice features and the harsh cold. It wasn’t clear if the study was at risk or if there was another element at play in this one. There were some serious people after Alex, and I worried countless times for her safety. She does know how to defend herself, but eventually her luck must run out.

Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow/Custom House for the copy of this one to read and review. I'm ready to read #3 in the series!

[L.G. Cullens · Rating 4 out of 5]

For you action fans, another WAM, BANG, POW eco-thriller by Alice Henderson that'll keep you reading — even if you're oblivious to the ecological issues it makes note of. Hopefully, some of the ecological issues will sink in.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just completed Jane Goodall’s The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, what better timing than to read a thriller by wildlife researcher Alice Henderson? I enjoyed Henderson’s writing in A Solitude of Wolverines, so I was excited to dig into a wintery adventure,A Blizzard of Polar Bears. After completing her stint in Montana, where she studied wolverines, Alex Carter takes on a new challenge in Churchill, Manitoba. While she is there, she will track polar bears, another solitary species. Since they, like the wolverines, do not hunt packs, she dubs them a “blizzard,” which seems appropriate, given the climate of the Canadian Arctic.

The book is part informative, part adventure, part thriller. For those who love winter weather settings, you will get plenty of cold, wind, and snow. If you love nature and the environment, this book is jam-packed with facts about polar bears and their surroundings. It starts out with Alex being offered a job in Churchill studying polar bears just as she is wrapping up her job in Montana. Perfect! This time, instead of working solo, she is working with a team of scientists and technicians, plus a helicopter pilot, who flies her and her assistant to remote sites to track, tranquilize, and draw samples from polar bears in order to examine them and draw blood samples to assess their health.

When someone vandalizes her workstation one night, Alex becomes wary. This is only the beginning of the threat to the study and to the well-being of the personnel working on the project, including Alex herself. As in the series debut, Alex is extremely capable, both as a scientist, and as a survivor. She is a practitioner of the martial art, Jeet Kune Do, which proves to be beneficial more than once.

I found the information on polar bears fascinating. Along with that, however, come some scary facts and projections. Drought is becoming worse, and in Canada, snow drought is becoming a serious problem for polar bears, since they depend upon the snow and ice for survival. In her Afterword, the author mentions research that estimates “…that all nineteen subpopulations of polar bears will be gone by 2080.” The causes mentioned are pollutants, and most of all, global warming.

There are several puzzles going on at once in this story. I had strong feeling that it would turn out that the same actors were mixed up in all of it once the, er, snow settled. But holy moly, there was a lot of tension and tons of action before that happened! The author seemed quite familiar with the equipment and terminology required for the polar bear research and working out on the ice, and it really showed when Alex, assistant Neil, and her pilot, Casey, had to go into survival mode. And the bad guys – talk about persistent!

In fact, I am regretfully taking off a point for that because the action just got to be a bit much, to be honest. Overkill. Despite that, I really enjoyed this book, and I so admire Alice Henderson for blending her research, knowledge, and support for wildlife with an exciting story.

4 stars

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second eco-mystery by this author and I LOVE how Henderson transported me to the Canadian Arctic and alerted me to challenges due to anthropogenic climate change while also capturing my interest with a fantastic mystery and archaeological discoveries! I felt as though I was alongside the wildlife biologist, learning about these majestic creatures and discovering firsthand the difficulties of studying polar bears in such an extreme climate. Being pulled into the setting allowed me to become quickly invested in the story, making this a binge read.

I honestly had difficulty setting this one down. My heart ached with the polar bears’ plight and beat at a steady and rapid rate with an intense, race against time mystery, filled with clever assassins and the ever-present knowledge that Alex was a target that needed to be taken out. There were times when I didn’t know who to trust and this kept me turning pages.

This is not a beach read and needs your attention. The payoff is so very worth it. Alice Henderson loves wild places and that love shines throughout her captivating novels.

I can’t wait to queue the next Alice Henderson book on my Kindle!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Henderson's first outing as a thriller writer, A Solitude of Wolverines, and was eagerly anticipating this second book in the series featuring wildlife biologist Alex Carter. I'm happy to report that this second novel is every bit as good! Henderson again captures the sense of place in the Arctic that she so adeptly did in rural Montana. Additionally, it is not necessary to have read her first book; this book works well as a standalone although I recommend reading them in order..

Picking up where the first book ended, Alex Carter has finished her study of wolverines and is looking for her next project. She doesn't need to wait long. She accepts an assignment doing a polar bear study in Hudson's Bay, Canada. All begins well with her small team, tracking, tranquilizing and taking samples from polar bears. Then her lab is broken into, samples and data taken, her helicopter pilot suddenly quits and crucial research tools go missing. Who and why is someone trying to sabotage her study? She stumbles across a dead body that adds a subplot to the antics going on in the Arctic. What follows is a chilling (literally and figuratively) ride featuring the Canadian Arctic, murder, corruption and a mysterious new helicopter pilot to whom Alex is drawn.

I have found that a second book by a new fiction writer is often a let down, not so with this book. Alice Henderson continues to deliver with an excellent plot, superb pacing and well-placed twists. And, like her first book, this novel is also educational in that we get a first-hand look at an endangered species and the effects of global warming on their plight.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book. The publication date is November 9, 2021.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist who we first met in A Solitude of Wolverines. At that time she was working in Montana but at the end of that assignment she takes on a job monitoring the polar bear population in the Yukon. Very quickly it becomes apparent that someone is determined to sabotage the project.

It's a fast moving story but to the point where it totally defies credibility - there are crashes, intruders, dead bodies, poachers, killers, animal rescues - it's frenetic, there are sub-plots everywhere and then every now and then the pace suddenly lags and we get a two page lecture on polar bears and the importance of conservation. Also the writing was odd - for example people were variously described as having sienna, beige and sepia coloured faces.

If you have a passionate interest in polar bears or you want something super fast paced and undemanding this is a good choice but otherwise I'd skip it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first in this series , Solitude of Wolverines, last week and loved it. In this book, I'm hoping more light will be shed on Alex's secret admirer/stalker.

Wildlife biologist Alex Carter is looking for a new assignment as she wraps up her study of wolverines in Montana. She takes a job studying a threatened population of polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. Upon her arrival, incidents begin to happen - lab broken into and trashed, records stolen, helicopter pilot quits, fire onboard the chopper, etc. Seems like someone is trying to stop Alex from doing the job. Then armed gunmen come after her.

Climate change is melting the Arctic ice and affecting the ability of polar bears to hunt seals. I felt sad as Alex documented the thinness of the bears. The author gives readers a tremendous amount of information on polar bears and their habitat. I thought it was very interesting but it did affect the flow of the book. Due to so much information, the book slows and the story of her job takes a back seat to that part. But again, I liked it. For me, the best part of the book occurred after the helicopter went down and the survival attempts began. This author is excellent at making readers feel the frigid temperatures. All of the outdoor scenes are so descriptive!

The next book is this series is due out in November, 2022 and I can hardly wait!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex takes a job doing a Polar Bear study in Churchill, Manitoba. But someone is intent on sabotaging her research and if nothing else works murder will do just fine.

A rollicking adventure is a pretty good way to describe this book. Think Matthew Reilly or Clive Cussler. Some aspects of the book are well researched other parts not so much. But it doesn't really matter, the book is great fun with a strong environmental message thrown in for good measure.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that a novel can combine thrilling action with fascinating characters and a setting that is depicted so precisely that we shiver while reading about venturing out onto pack ice in Northern Canada. Alice Henderson accomplishes all that and more in A BLIZZARD OF POLAR BEARS, which finds wildlife biologist Alex Carter taking a job researching polar bears for Canada's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

But as Alex arrives in Churchill on Hudson Bay in frigid weather, her study seems plagued by unfortunate events. The helicopter pilot quits to get a better paying job, equipment is missing when it's badly needed, and there’s a break-in at the lab where someone wipes Alex's computer and steals her polar bear samples, which she had meticulously collected and stored. We know that a group of people are looking for something as we witness a violent act in the prologue, and Alex is caught in the middle of this desperate search. Henderson maintains the mystery throughout most of the story as we read the third person narration from Alex's point of view. We feel her frustrations, but we admire her resiliency and ability to take care of herself.

Henderson works with wildlife as a sanctuary monitor, so not only are her novels a gripping reading experience, they provide information about the animals and habitats that the scientists in her books are studying. One such climatic event is called the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge, which is the cause of droughts in California. In spite of its "ridiculous" name, it's a real thing. We also learn about how polar bears are studied by seeing how Alex monitors them after they are sedated. Researchers look at notes that were tagged previously to see how they are growing and what chemicals and pollutants are in their blood, fat, hair and nails.

Through Alex's narration, we read about the fascinating and horrifying fact of biomagnification. PCBs were banned in the US almost half a century ago, but they still contaminate much of the earth and are in the soil, air and water. They harm humans and animals by interfering with their ability to produce antibodies, thus making it more difficult to fight off infection. Because PCBs and toxins such as mercury, both products of industrial waste and pollution, are everywhere, tiny organisms like plankton consume food tainted with the pollutants. Then, when a larger organism eats lots of tiny ones, they become "carriers" of the pollutants.

Most of us who keep up with the news know about the disappearing pack ice that is making it more challenging for polar bears to survive. Henderson provides facts about exactly why this is so. Readers who love wildlife and express concern over climate change and the depredation of our natural resources will feel a camaraderie with Alex as she explains why she became a wildlife biologist: "Monarch butterflies are vanishing. American pikas are disappearing as the earth warms. Wolves and grizzlies are being killed in staggering numbers, gunned down by trophy hunters and governments; vast tracts of habitat are being destroyed; acidification of the ocean; the vanishing of polar sea ice..." After reading Henderson's novels, maybe more people will understand why this situation is so egregious and frightening.

The author also perceptively highlights how the rich and powerful, who benefit financially from the destruction of our earth due to their investments, gaslight those who would call them out by claiming their companies only care about people and their jobs. Protecting bears and other wildlife while trying to stop climate change and save our environment will only help us in the future.

Henderson's writing is not all mystery, action and climate change. Her narrative is beautiful and evocative, and she so capably describes a setting that we can practically feel, smell and hear it: "At night, the fragrance of desert wildflowers carried on the wind. The moon rose, painting the desert silver. Javelinas snuffled around in the undergrowth, their little brown-and-white-striped babies skittering and prancing playfully among the adults. Coyotes serenaded them with their eerie yips and howls. Nectar-feeding bats came on silent wings, hovering over night-blooming cacti. And up above, the curve of the Milky Way spanned the heavens like a magical trail of campfires of ghosts long past." Here we have poetry mixed in with the mystery at no extra charge.

Reading Alice Henderson's books almost feels like cheating. Her mysteries are exquisitely expressed, and we admire Alex Carter’s passion for doing the right thing. We also get to visit exotic locales while never having to leave the comfort of our couch. As still another added bonus, by the time we finish A BLIZZARD OF POLAR BEARS, we feel as though we could explain the process of studying polar bears and why it's imperative that this research be done. There are so many benefits from reading a book that once begun is difficult to put down.

Reviewed by Pamela Kramer

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am surprised I am in the minority of the reviews here. This book was such a disappointment, and it started out so well. By the end, I was fast forwarding the audio, and skimming the pages. I was so excited to read a book about Polar Bears, that also had a mystery attached. Where do I start? First, there was very little, disappointing little, about polar bears and their behavior and habits, etc. In fact I think they only appeared four or maybe five times. Next, the entire story/mystery, was all over the place and not believable, to the point of being outrageous. One violent incident after another, the characters murdering people, defending themselves over and over from mysterious nefarious characters, helicopter crashes, car accidents, boat accidents, being chased in the forest, other peripheral people getting killed, no investigations by law enforcement....not to mention lack of a trauma response from the main character to any of these incidents...diving in ice to check out a shipwreak, after only diving once in Hawaii, really? Our main character is jumping from one scene to the next, almost acting like Wonder Woman, but making stupid decisions. And to have her shrouded love interest essentially be a stalker and a murderer (even if he murders terrible people) was expecting the reader to believe this and be sympathetic. Some reviewers have stated this was non-stop action, I felt it was a poorly written 007 type of action, and different elements of "the mystery" thrown together. I was so irritated but wanted to finish the book, as I always do. I gave it two stars because I think it is difficult to write a book, but her editor was not working for her If I was a polar bear, I would ask for a re-write.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder of crows, a gaggle of geese, a blizzard of polar bears. And the Kensington Runestone of Viking exploration.
Reading this book eased my angst at the death of Clive Cussler. Here is a story with lots of great characters, action/adventure, close calls, and impeccable research to provide all the learning of new things I could want! The main character is a wildlife biologist studying the plight of polar bears in the arctic and is based out of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Someone is sabotaging her work and things become very dangerous there in the frozen north. There is also an archaeologist with an agenda who winds up dead and as a meal for a starving polar bear. That's it for the almost spoilers. Terrific read that I can't praise enough!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from William Morrow and Custom House, William Morrow via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Alex Carter, a wildlife biologist travels to Manitoba and the Artic to study the habits and health of polar bears.
While she gathered information on the bears, suspicious persons were sabotaging her efforts, supplies were stolen and their airplane was destroyed and some polar bears were killed for their pelts.
Dr. Carter and her assistances were endanger for their lives. Someone wanted something they had in their possession.
If you are looking for action and a fast paced read, this is the book for you.

[Moshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Blizzard of polar bears got me out of my reading slump! It was so good. Alice Henderson really fulfils my nerdy needs to be informed of current affairs and the impact on nature with a lot of thrilling scenes.

From the skies to the vast ice landscape to freezing ice waters, all scenes were so descriptive that I felt I was watching a movie and rooting for Alex. I like Alex and I like Casey and I’m hoping there will be more partnership between them.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars Lots of action, a hint of romance, fascinating, even enigmatic characters, lots of info on polar bears and climate change, even a treasure hunt. The story dragged a bit at times but I liked it a lot. Now to see if my library has the first book. Some plot bits in this book may have been less confusing if I'd read the first book though this one worked fine on its own. If you like mysteries and action mixed with science and wildlife, then this book is for you.

[Gedankenlabor · Rating 4 out of 5]

>>Nichts ist kälter als der Tod im ewigen Eis ...<<

Eine kleine Abkühlung gefällig?! Mit "EIS" nimmt Alice Henderson uns Leser mit in die kanadische Arktis, um dort mit der Wildtierbiologin Alex Carter die Eisbärenpopulation zu erforschen. Doch was mit Tatendrang beginnt, wandelt sich in ein rasantes und sehr frostiges Unterfangen und das nicht nur im Bezug auf die klimatische Lage. Denn Alex' Arbeit wird ganz offensichtlich mehr und mehr sabotiert. Die große Frage ist nun, was steckt dahinter? Und wer setzt alles daran ihre Arbeit zunichte zu machen?
Mir persönlich hat "EIS" sehr gut gefallen! Zu Beginn lernt man vieles rundum Klimaschutz, Eisbären etc. Man nimmt quasi in gewisser Weise an dieser Forschungsarbeit teil und das Setting wird einfach sehr greifbar bzw. fühlbar beschrieben. Zudem gibt es auch ein paar Besonderheiten der Gegend, die hier, wie ich finde toll um- & beschrieben sind (z.B. Gletscher, das Eis, die Tierwelt, Nachthimmel etc.) Schon nach kurzer Zeit wird es ziemlich rasant und die Spannung blieb für mich persönlich lange auf hohem Level. Da hätte ich mir an der ein oder anderen Stelle mal den Moment des Luftholens gewünscht. Alex als Protagonistin mochte ich ganz gern, besonders interessant war für mich persönlich allerdings Casey, der doch das ein oder andere Geheimnis hat, was hier dann auch aufgelöst wird.
Für meinen Geschmack hätte die kleine Liebelei, die mit eingeflochten wird nicht sein müssen, aber es ist auch nicht zu viel, von daher lag der Fokus ganz klar auf der Forschung und der Sabotage und was eben dahinter steckte.
Fazit: Insgesamt ein rasanter, frostiger, für meinen Geschmack toller Thriller, der gleichzeitig das Thema Klima- & Tierschutz aufgreift und interessante Aspekte dahingehend in die Forschungsarbeit geboten hat. Ein toll beschriebenes Setting der kanadischen Arktis war das Sahnehäubchen auf der eisigen Thriller-Torte😉

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Alex Carter is starting to grow on me. She is both intelligent and has common sense. Outside, she might come across as an introvert, but don't mess with animals (wildlife).

This story is a continuation of A Solitude of Wolverines, but with a new theme/plot. If you think you might enjoy an environmental thriller with a kick as* female protagonist, start there first. Once again, it's Alex vs. The Bad Guys. Who isn't trying to sabotage her work and who can she trust?

Sure, there are some OTT moments, but it was like watching a movie. I know in real life the MC would die, but it is a movie, so the person won't. That, and I liked Alex. She represented good against evil in the form of bad men and their maliciousness.

I also liked learning about polar bears as I did wolverines in the first story. It was not preachy yet I knew the author was trying to convey an important topic. I also liked discovering the identity of a certain unknown character from the first story.

Now I just need to wait and see where Alex will go next on her next assignment...

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was even more exciting that the first and kept me in its grip. A great story of suspense, thrills and once again beautiful descriptions of the Hudson Bay area, the aurora borealis, polar bears, seals, ice formations and nature in general. I so enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one. I love that Alice Henerson has found a way to give us an exciting thriller of a story while using the same fictional story to show us how we can conserve this beautiful world and better care for nature.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

"Eis" klang mit seinem Setting in der Arktis sehr spannend und ich habe mich sehr auf den Thriller gefreut und war gespannt was mich erwartet.

Das Setting war auch absolut überzeugend und nebenbei geht es auch um die Gefahren der Klimaerwärmung und der damit verbundenen Gefahren für die Tiewelt der Arktis, insbesondere der Eisbären. Das Klima der Arktis und die Umgebung wurden sehr gut beschrieben und man konnte die Kälte regelrecht fühlen.

Mit der Protagonistin, der Biologin Alex Carter, bin ich nicht ganz so warm geworden und sie war mir leider auch nicht so richtig sympathisch.

Die Handlung war insgesamt unterhaltsam, aber mir fehlte es an Spannung. Hier hätte ich mir ein wenig mehr Action und Thrill gewünscht. Die Beschreibung von vielen kleinen Dingen hat die Spannung sehr ausgebremst. Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist jedoch sehr flüssig zu lesen.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the author’s debut book and was eager to start this one. I know very little about Polar Bears and was excited to know more as she’s masterful at weaving in wildlife and conservation information in her books. I come away with so much more than just the entertainment of the thriller. But make no mistake the book is a thriller and this is a doozy.

Alex Carter has finished her study in Montana and has moved on from the Wolverines to Polar Bears in Canada. It seems long before she arrived, the mishaps involving this study has made it seem doomed. Will Alex be able to turn things around and make a recommendation on the longevity of the Polar Bears?

I really like Alex, she is strong, independent and knowledgeable. Her determination and willingness to help the animals really tugs at my heart. There is an interesting cast of characters and while I never truly believed Alex was in mortal danger since this is a series, I kept guessing on if there were multiple culprits and what their true motives were.

This is a fast paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love the interesting location and the wildlife data in addition to the danger. I think all thriller lovers should jump in and read this series.

[Brittany (Rescues and Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

I do not normally bother with quarter-star ratings but I could not just leave this as a four-stars because it honestly was one of the most fast-paced, heart-pounding thrillers I have read in ages. Alice Henderson and her Alex Carter series is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller series of all time.

After reading and loving A Solitude of Wolverines I was nervous heading into A Blizzard of Polar Bears for two reasons:
1. I was nervous this book would have "Second Book Syndrome."
2. I find that there is always added intensity to these stories as the lives of animals are always involved as well. So the stakes are always much higher for me then if it were just humans were invovled.

Thankfully, I am pleased to say that this not only lived up to A Solitude of Wolverines but, in some ways, I think it exceeded it.

For those not familiar, with follows Dr. Alex Carter, a wildlife biologist who is on a mission to save endangered species. Because of her career, there is always a strong natural and isolated setting tot these stories with a lot of fantastic education details on whatever species she is studying, including the humane-made threats to that species. Alice Henderson does an amazing job of bringing awareness to the plight of animals and our earth, without being preachy and I just very much appreciate this aspect to her stories.

There was a particular section in this book that I deeply related to and wanted to share:

"There are so many battles to fight. I wrestle sometimes with how insurmountable it all feels.....

When I was a kid, I thought one person make a difference, that I could take my sheer power of will and go out into the world and make people listen, make governments create protective Legislation.

But the battle is so much harder than I ever could have imagined. And while some people are out there fighting the good fight, many others who DO care feel paralyzed by a lack of hope and don't do anything. And that just makes me feel like I have to work ten times harder to make up for the people who are depressed into inaction. Not to mention the people who simply don't care at all and there are a hell of a lot of those out there."

This struck a big nerve with me, because I am both the person paralyzed by hopeless and the person who is fighting 10 times harder than any one else. I just don't know where to start and I don't know how to get the attention of those who can make change. And may don't even care.. which is mind boggling to me. That alone is enough to make me want to shrink into a ball.

So I love that Alice Henderson as made a heroine that is so inspirational and representative of what I want to do and who I want to me.

My only complaints with this story are very similar to the ones I had in the first book.. Alex seemed to have a lot of skills that helped her survive, skills I don't necessary think a normal person or biologist would have. For example, she was taught how to shoot multiple guns at a young age and her mom would make her play through survival scenarios. And in this story, she actually knew about all different types of ciphers and how to de-code them. All of this comes in very handy with these stories.

And of course, some of the circumstances in this book can be very over-the-top but it was high-octane, high-stakes and I thought it was well done over all.

Ultimately, I just really loved this book and I am so excited to continue!

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

In need of a book set in the Arctic Tundra for reading challenge, A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson caught my eye. It’s the second book in a series featuring wildlife biologist Alex Carter, though reads well as a stand alone.

In A Blizzard of Polar Bears, Alex has taken an assignment in the Canadian Arctic studying its threatened population of polar bears. Teamed with an assistant and a helicopter pilot Alex’s job involves tracking and sedating the majestic, but dangerous animals, and recording their condition. It’s exhilarating work but soon things begin to go wrong- the pilot quits without notice, equipment goes missing, and then Alex’s research is stolen. Refusing to abandon the study, Alex is relieved when she is able to secure another pilot but when the helicopter catches fire forcing the crew to ditch on the ice in the middle of nowhere, it quickly becomes clear that someone will do anything to stop her.

I enjoyed this fast paced, action packed thriller. Alex finds herself in several dangerous situations after being targeted by thieves, poachers, and an unscrupulous businessman. I thought the mystery was well plotted, with Henderson deftly crafting several red herrings diverting from the true motive of Alex’s most persistent attackers.

Though Alex is capable and resourceful, she doesn’t always make smart decisions, and the odds are often against her, so a little suspension of belief is required as her circumstances worsen. Alex is likeable though and I thought she was a strong lead character.

The appearance of helicopter pilot Casey, who apparently had a brief role in Henderson’s first novel featuring Alex, A Solitude of Wolverines, adds another layer of interest to the novel.

Henderson does a great job of evoking the Arctic landscape. I found Alex’s work with the polar bears to be interesting, and I appreciated the information Henderson included in an Afterword detailing the threats they face. The forecast that all natural populations of polar bears may be extinct by 2080 due to man-made pollutants and climate change is chilling.

A Blizzard of Polar Bears is a quick and easy read offering lots of excitement and a strong eco message.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Alex Carter, a wildlife biologist, is back for her second adventure. This time, she is collecting research on the polar bear population in the Canadian Arctic. Alice Henderson provides detailed information on polar bears and how the research studies are structured. I really enjoyed the science parts of this story.

What I didn't expect was that Alex would go directly to Churchill from Montana and immediately encounter some nefarious activities in play. It seemed rushed and much less believable. Part of the issue is mine, I read the first book last month and the familiarity of the story construct reduced my enjoyment. I'm not deterred from continuing this series as wildlife conservation is an intriguing element in a thriller.

[Maven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first in the series, and again with a twist I wasn't expecting! Can't wait to read the third. Henderson is giving Barr a run for her money.