Under the Alaskan Ice

Alaska Wild #2

by Karen Harper, Courtney Patterson (Narrator)

The truth always surfaces. When a small bush plane smashes through the ice at Falls Lake Lodge, it's a chilling reminder of everything Megan Metzler has lost. Three years ago, Meg's pilot husband died in a similar crash, a tragedy Meg and her young son, Chip, have struggled to move on from. Still, Meg does everything she can to assist when Commander Bryce Saylor arrives to investigate, even as working alongside the handsome pilot stirs up painful memories--and an attraction that catches them both off guard.

Bryce knows time is of the essence as he plunges into the frigid water in search of clues. But when vital evidence is destroyed, it soon becomes clear this downed plane was no accident. With someone tracking them from the woods, Meg and Bryce must race to unravel a mystery as indomitable as the Alaskan wilderness, or they might be the next victims to crash and burn...

An Alaska Wild Novel

Book 1: Deep in the Alaskan Woods

Book 2: Under the Alaskan Ice

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Audiobook, Thriller

Audiobook

First published December 29, 2020

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[BethFishReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, I didn't finish this one.

I was attracted to the premise of the mysterious unmarked private plane that crashes into a frozen Alaskan lake. What I didn't realize, though, was this mystery had a heavy romance factor. That in and of itself would have been okay, but I had problems with the writing/style.

My primary issue was the number of times the author asks the questions that should be left up to the engaged reader. For example, Harper has one of the characters think through a long list of questions about the plane: Why did it crash? Why now? Why here? and so on. The plotting should have made me ask those questions without the prompting. This happens more than once. Eventually, I put the book aside.

In addition, the young child was little too precocious for my tastes.

I'm a mystery fan and love an Alaskan setting, but this one just didn't click with me.

Thanks to the publishers for audio and digital review copies.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another dud, hiding on the library shelf as a mystery. The book should be labeled Young Adult, who else would read something so trite? It was an obvious plot from the very start and extremely boring.

I was hoping for a good adventure story, not a Harlequin romance novel 👎

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Under the Alaskan Ice is the second book in the Alaska Wild series. This one is Megan and Bruce's story. It can definitely be read as a stand alone book. The characters from the first book were mentioned but didn't show up in this book. The premise is that Megan and her son are out or a walk when they witness a plane crash. Bryce is called in to dive down to the wreckage to see if the pilot can be saved. Someone wants the plane left alone and Megan and Bryce soon find themselves in danger.

Out of the two books in the series, I liked the first book much more than this one. This one wasn't bad, I mean I did ultimately enjoy the story. I just had a hard time staying focused on it. I did re-read a couple of parts over because I felt like I was missing context as to what was going on with the plane and treasure. The mystery was OK, I just felt like it was a bit convoluted and confusing. I also wasn't a fan of the romance. It was definitely an insta-love romance, but there was not a lot of chemistry between the couple. I mean I was told there was, but I just didn't see it. I would still recommend this one. I loved the cold Alaskan feel to the story. I look forward to the next one.

[Emily Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The love story in this book was terrible. It was so cheesey and over done I skipped over parts of it.
I enjoyed the mystery though and trying to figure out who did it. I liked that the book was engaging from the very first chapter. It didn't take long to pull me.

[Nancyann · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: My mistake for not knowing that Under the Alaskan Ice was a romance novel set in Alaska. The idea was intriguing, a mysterious private plane crashes into an Alaskan lake but we quickly lost that important storyline as heroine/widow Meg falls hard for pilot/diver Bryce Saylor. The dialog turned dopey fast and even my attempt at skipping entire paragraphs of the schmaltzy stuff didn't help. I surrendered at page 80.

[grace ☼]

dnf @13%. not connecting with the writing or characters. probably my love of slow burns ruining it for me, as they pretty much reveal a lot of the character’s backstories immediately. oh well, onto the next one!

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read except it seemed to be a much older book than one written in 2020. It was more like the romance with a little suspense that's very obvious from the beginning with no surprises at all.

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a lot harder to get into. Really frustrating as really enjoyed book 1. I just found that the romance dominated it rather than concentrating more on the mystry. It also progressed very quickly without meg and brice really taking time to properly get to know each other.

[Deb Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the plot with the confederate gold but the love story fell flat. Dialogue was corny and seemed contrived. No chemistry between the two lovers and could have cared less if they ended up together or not. Not one of my favorites.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was interesting but saccharine is the only word to describe the relationship between Meg and Byrce.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

So painfully boring, could not finish. Dialogue was stilted, awkward story flow.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in this series. This book features Meg, and her small son Chip, Meg’s father was a Bush pilot , and crashed into a mountain, in Alaska. Now Meg, Chip, and here sister Suze lives in the Lodge they have up graded as a quality B&B. The accident was so hard for everyone to get over three years ago. She has become the chef, and pastry, and candy maker. They are taking a Thanksgiving walk together, when they hear a small plain. It’s engine sounds in trouble. They watch it barely make it over the ice covered mountain, and try to land on the frozen lake . It is coming in at an odd angle, and to fast. Meg turns her and chip away, as the plane plunges a bit hole in the ice. It begins going under, with a wing up into the hole. Meg sees only bone pilot, but knows with the ice water and help so far, his chances are slim. Her sister shows up, as she is trying to decide what is the quickest way to get help with no shoes, and snow shoes. Her sister saw the crash, and brought her phone . The 911 call leads to a big authority who asks her stay at the sight. A commander, who is also able to dive into the deep to recover the pilot under the ice. She sends her sister, and Chip bag to the lodge, and prays the plane coming can land safe on the ice still intact. Then the book begins. It is a mystery, with lots of exciting underwater deep diving , which nearly takes out the team. The pilot totally frozen solid is eventually identified, since there was no identification on him, nor calling numbers, or markings on the plane. The story goes back to the civil war, and a treasure that has disappeared since . Another person dies, and the mystery becomes more suspenseful. A romance starts, and it is special. Both have waited for just the right person, and fears almost stop it. The books ends good. It was a solid read, and all the questions get answered. The author tries to push you to other red hearings, so it more complex , and harder to pick the murderer. It was very passionate. I am more anxious to read the last book now.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg Mettler is outside the lodge in Alaska where she works with her sister...when a small plane flies through the trees and crashes into an icy lake.
Bryce Saylor from the National Transportation Safety Board is asked to investigate.
Bryce is a diver and has to pull the body up from the plane as a first part of the investigation.
Bryce and his co-diver are on site and Bryce is under the water. But when Bryce surfaces he finds his co diver hit in the head and dragged to the edge of the lake.
The co-diver gets transported to the hospital.
A simple recovery dive has become something much more dangerous.
Meg insists on helping with some research as now there is treasure involved.
Bit of adventure and romance set in the Alaskan Wilds.

[Molly Wynen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Was going to power through since I only have 100 ish pages left, but decided I just don’t care what this mystery is! I was so excited about the premise in the Alaskan wilderness but wow the characters and plot are both really lacking.

[Joe McGonigle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad storyline, but the awful, cheesy dialogue between the main 2 characters was off-putting.
It might be the cold, Alaskan air but the amount of times they 'blinked back tears' throughout just got silly by the end.
Forgettable book really

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
An Alaska Wild Novel (Book #2)

[Sally Ladyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book but spoiled a bit in that no one was ever in much danger and you came to expect all would be ok.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb. DNF

[Spini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story…..held me from the beginning to the end!

[Peggy Stillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading about life in Alaska and of course, solving a mystery.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg and her young son Chip are walking off their Thanksgiving dinner when they see a small plane spiral down through the ice of Fall Lake, Alaska. She's quick to call for help, which arrives in the form not only of first responders but also Bryce, who works for a mysterious Big Man and the NTSB. Meg's a widow, whose much loved bush pilot husband died in a crash; she now lives and works with her twin sister at the lodge they own. Who was the pilot and what was he carrying? And who is the man in the white blanket? The mystery gets a tad convoluted (in fact, some of it doesn't make a whole lot of sense) but the relationship between Meg and Bryce is nicely captured with a little (not a lot of) steam thrown in. I'm a sucker for an Alaskan setting and this one filled the bill. This is the second in a series but its fine as a standalone. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A quick entertaining read.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 2nd in a series but could stand alone. Better than the first with more action, faster paced. Like the first book the love story was sudden and cheesey.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Harper mastered the art of mystery - thrillers with a romantic twist. This one comes with chilling temps, icy water diving, and a plane crash through a frozen lake. As luck would have it, the plane and its deceased pilot carry no identification and a mysterious cargo. Both lead to secret investigations by NSTB. Add a plot to foil the investigation, some bombs, and arson, and you have a mystery/thriller.

Pacing, plot, and scene were Karen’s go-to tools for crafting an intense story. “Under the Alaskan Ice” has all that and more.

Sadly, Karen Harper died in April from complications from COVID-19. How I wish she’d written more books in this series.

For a different review, see the Ohioana Library Association Quarterly http://www.ohioana.org

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like most about this story is that it takes place in Alaska. There are not a lot of books that have a setting in the Great Alone. It makes for a good backdrop. It's a typical romance with a little bit of action and mystery.

[ANNETTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read surrounding the beautiful Alaska setting.
The romance and mystery snagged my interest.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a writer myself, I'm always torn about writing reviews for books I don't like. One part of me wants to avoid the negative take on the book and the other part wants the writer to take a look at what she's putting out into the world and decide if that's really how she wants to represent her muse. In the end, feedback wins. I gave this book two stars because I generally reserve one star for DNF books, but this came pretty close to being one star. I could list a host of "don't do this when you're writing a book" mistakes that an established, multi-published author definitely shouldn't be making (like don't shortchange your research--I was in Alaska for one long, amazing weekend and I can tell you that Alaskans refer to snowmobiles as "snow machines", for instance), but I'll just focus on one. Writers have all heard the adage "show, don't tell". What made this book so hard to read is that the author appears to be more of a "tell, don't show" type--and it grates. She follows most of her dialogue and every action with an explanation of what the reader is supposed to think or notice or see. Not only does this give the impression that she feels her average reader isn't clever enough to draw their own conclusions (and the writing isn't nuanced enough to fool anyone, so this can't be true), but any interesting plot twists wind down before they ever have a chance to be a plot twist because she can't resist giving away the farm immediately after introducing that story point. I love to dive deep into a book and frankly, it annoys me to be "author-splained" to. Add the completely unrealistic...well, everything, the two-dimensional characters, and the jumpy, disconnected storyline and this is a book I'd put back on the shelf before you read any farther than the jacket blurb. Just don't do it.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about Civil and old jewelry, I enjoyed the characters and being in Alaska since I lived there for 3 yrs and remember things that was talked about in the book. I wasn't much with all the romance in the story, it seemed like a lot, but I will read Karen Harper again.

[Kathy Schouten · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I chose this book because it was set in Alaska and enjoyed that aspect. The story was solid and I liked the mystery and the following of clues to the final conclusion. The romance was ok, a little too “love at first sight”, but I enjoyed the book.

[Barry Martin Vass · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Thanksgiving Day, young widowed mother Meg Metzler and her six-year-old son are walking around a remote Alaskan lake, trying to burn off some calories, when a small plane loses power and crashes into the lake ice right in front of them. Stunned, Meg dials 911 and reports the incident, and the operator dispatches an NTSB pilot and diver, Bryce Saylor, to take charge of the situation. Investigating further, and dry diving in the frozen lake, Bryce discovers that the plane has no markings or other identification, as required by law, and the pilot is similarly missing any forms of ID. What's going on? Author Karen Harper has created an involving mystery here, with a mysterious branch of the NTSB investigating missing gold and jewels from the Confederacy in the Alaskan wilderness. A fun read!

[Gloria Zak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time. Book couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a romance novel or a mystery novel and it did a horrible job of both. So unrealistic and contrived. Not one couple falling in love at first sight but 2! How stupid. Mystery surrounds civil war jewelry and Meg and Suze just happen to own some and can help with investigation.

Should have read reviews in Goodreads first. Any book that mostly gets a 3 star rating is one to pass on!