Glacial Fear: A Rowan Campbell Thriller

by Holly Petersen

Rowan Campbell, a Federal Agent for the National Parks has a specialty - investigating paranormal and unexplainable cases. Agent Campbell is thrust into her most baffling investigation yet when a dismembered body is found at a rural campsite in Glacier National Park, sparking fears of both foul play and possibly a dangerous predator. Complicating matters, a reality show is filming a competition centered around capturing evidence of Bigfoot. Do the reality show contestants have anything to do with the mysterious death or is it the result of a more serious, primal creature lurking in the woods? When Rowan's own life is threatened, she is forced to go deeper into the woods than she ever has before in search of answers and her very own survival.

Genres: Thriller

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2025

About the author

Holly grew up in Kansas. Some of her fondest years growing up were on her grandparent’s farm outside the tiny town of Towanda, Kansas. She is a self-proclaimed National Parks Geek and loves to travel. Holly is married with two children. They also share her love of the outdoors and nature. The family frequently spends time at a family cabin in Colorado, where they occasionally experience the paranormal in the woods. When Holly isn’t writing, she co-owns a Digital Marketing company with her husband, Jason, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Holly enjoys reading, including mystery, historical fiction, and some romance. Her favorite book series is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Mongomery. When she isn’t working, reading, or chauffeuring her children around town, she is tuning in to her favorite paranormal and cryptid podcast shows. Her office mates are two collies - Gillian and Liam, and two cats - Loki and Freya.

Reviews

[Holly Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s me! The author. This book was so fun to write. I wrote it because I wanted a paranormal/cryptid story that’s realistic and not “off the rails” like so many of them (if they exist at all) tend to be. If you are a fan of the X-Files, this might be for you. 😉

[Jeff Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glacial Fear by Holly Petersen was right up my ally for so many reasons. One, I like finding debut authors with so much potential. This is Petersen’s first novel, and it was amazing. The main character is Rowan Campbell (strong female lead), a federal agent for the National Park system. When a dismembered body is found at a camp site in the Glacier National Park, Rowen is assigned the case. Good murder case and an excellent conspiracy. I’m all smiles. No, I grew up spending much of my summer in Yosemite National Park and the golden chain of parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. For me, the setting was old home week. The descriptions were so real, I swear that I could feel the cool mountain breeze on my face and smell the pine scent in the air. I wondered if Petersen lived in or near or worked in Glacier National Park for real. Well done debut novel Petersen. I can’t wait for the next Holly Petersen thriller. I can’t help but recommend Glacial Fear by Holly Petersen one hundred percent.

[martha s. williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glacial Fear

This one started a little slow, but then took off. If your thing is sasquatch, this should be added to the tbr (to be read) list. I enjoyed it, even as I felt the gamut of emotions for the good guys and bad guys. Good start for a series!

[Speedybooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely incredible! The premise for the mystery is very unique, what with the cryptid and paranormal aspects of it.

I’m always looking for fiction books that involve Bigfoot or paranormal activity that’s written in a way that isn’t cheesy or campy. Unfortunately, those books are pretty much impossible to find. Glacial Fear, though, is the unicorn I’ve always been looking for. Instead of poking fun at cryptids, it provides a realistic and refreshing viewpoint on one of the most famous creatures out there.

In terms of the thriller story itself, I really enjoyed it. I was constantly kept on my toes, with the story taking me places that I didn’t expect at all. The reality TV show competition also contributed wonderfully to the progression of the plot, as well as giving us some entertaining comedic relief characters.

The writing was great, very witty and quippy, making it fun and easy to read. On top of that, it provided quite a bit of information on the outdoors, national parks, and ISB agents. It was done in a very natural way that didn’t bother you at all when some facts and information were dropped. I’ve read many books, and this style of writing is actually pretty rare. I loved it though, getting both a thriller story and real life knowledge simultaneously.

Holly Petersen is a very talented writer, especially considering this is her debut novel! I can’t wait for her next installment of the series!

Note: Pickle the cat is amazing.

[Tyler Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every second of it! Hard to find a bigfoot book that isn't a corny slasher. Side note: I read "Beartooth" by Callan Wink right before this. The books aren't related but they just so happened to compliment each other very well.

[Oren Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Peterson’s debut novel Glacial Fear is a statement that demands attention. ISB agent Rowan Campbell is instantly likable and relatable, and Peterson demonstrates complete command of her characters from page one.

What makes this novel particularly ingenious is Peterson’s use of modern-day video blog entries to advance the plot and maintain pacing across multiple points of view. While not employed consistently throughout the entire book, this technique—reminiscent of epistolary storytelling—is executed with precision. The video blog format serves the narrative perfectly, creating momentum without overstaying its welcome.

This is an impressive introduction to both a compelling protagonist and an author worth watching.

[Angie G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of mystery, Glacier Park adventures, and my favorite, Sasquatch appearances. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book.

[L P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glacial Fear is a very entertaining and well written mystery thriller with multiple twists and turns. I'm a huge fan of Michael Crichton and have read virtually all of his books. He was a master at composing compelling and engaging story lines around futuristic paranormal concepts and ideas. In my view, Glacial Fear is that kind of book and would highly recommend it for readers who are Crichton fans.

[Norm S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mysterious death in Glacier National Park has Park investigating agent Rowan investigating a possible connection to "Bigfoot". The book was draggie at times but the conclusion was fairly exciting. 3 1\2 stars.

[Paige Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, boring, boring.

[Britt King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off kind of slow but I ended up really enjoying this book. Loved when the contestants for the show were introduced and brought some good action into the story.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent debut! It had so many of my favorite elements - supernatural, mystery, thriller, the National Park system. Highly recommend, and will be keeping an eye on this author in the future!