Northern Escape

by Cindy Folk

Hiding from a controlling and dangerous partner, Grace Rhodes goes off the grid when she joins an artists’ retreat to escape to a remote area of Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park. There, she bumps into Cam, who brings back old memories—happy memories. If only she had done things differently in the past.

In the stunning beauty of the north with her newfound creative friends, Grace finds respite through poetry and reflection but is distracted when she stumbles upon two men searching for a missing friend.

The pursuit is on to locate the lost friend in the vast wilderness of the park, but the group soon learns of the cryptic messages he left behind in geocache boxes. Spun with hidden innuendo, the messages hint at something sinister.

Will they find him, or is he setting a trap? Will an old flame be rekindled, or is it too late? And what will happen if Grace’s ex-boyfriend finds her?

Fast-paced and engrossing, Northern Escape sends the reader down a winding trail of secrets, lies, and dire consequences.

Genres: Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 17, 2121

About the author

Cindy Folk was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. She attended the University of Regina, majoring in finance. The co-operative education program there took her to work terms in Toronto and Ottawa. After university, she moved to Ottawa, where she competed in rowing and had the opportunity to explore Eastern Canada and the United States. She moved home in 1998 and met and married her husband, Dan. They now have three children. Although her work environment is very structured, Cindy has always had a creative side that was bubbling just below the surface, waiting to be discovered. Writing has allowed that part of her to flourish. Northern Escape is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Nancy Pavloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cindy Folk’s Northern Escape will definitely be added to my classroom library! This book offers insight into the impact relationships can have on our identity. Very few relationships start out unhealthy - teaching young women the signs to watch out for and empowering them to trust their guts is essential to healthy, happy relationships. Asking for help and leaning on others to gain strength are also true lessons to be learned in Folk’s book. It’s a quick, suspenseful read that leaves you remembering days gone by and the need to reconnect with the things you love, so you don’t lose yourself in every day life.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully quick read with equal elements of heartbreak and suspense, Folk's debut novel is a great look at the resilience and strength of Grace. The first few pages reach out and grab the reader, drawing you into this carefully woven tale of domestic abuse and how Grace learns to trust and lean on others. Writing in her journal becomes her saviour as she accepts that she can be in control of her own circumstances. I loved the great descriptions of the Canadian northern lake setting.

[Tara-Dawn Wark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace ran away from an abusive partner and found a nice quiet place (so she thought) to relax and stay “hidden”. With a few twists Grace finds herself in dangerous situations she needs help to get out of.

I enjoyed reading this as I could picture the scenery and sounds.

[Cardmaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hiding from a controlling and dangerous partner, Grace Rhodes goes off the grid when she joins an artists’ retreat to escape to a remote area of Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park. There, she bumps into Cam, who brings back old memories—happy memories. If only she had done things differently in the past.

In the stunning beauty of the north with her newfound creative friends, Grace finds respite through poetry and reflection but is distracted when she stumbles upon two men searching for a missing friend.

The pursuit is on to locate the lost friend in the vast wilderness of the park, but the group soon learns of the cryptic messages he left behind in geocache boxes. Spun with hidden innuendo, the messages hint at something sinister.

Will they find him, or is he setting a trap? Will an old flame be rekindled, or is it too late? And what will happen if Grace’s ex-boyfriend finds her?

I actually didn't read the entire book because a little more than halfway through I started skimming to the end. Grace, the main character, wasn't as totally clueless as a lot of main character hunted women are but she was so boring that after half the book, I didn't care what happened to her anyway. I couldn't get interested in the (too) many side characters either. Boring, boring, boring.

It IS a debut novel so that's as harsh as I'm going to be on this one. I can't recommend it though unless you're having trouble sleeping. This might do the trick.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book! It will be a great read for many. The character development was fantastic and I could see the images come to life as I read the book! The story itself was well told with plenty of suspense and I also really enjoyed the way this talented new author wove stories into the main plot. I can’t wait to read the sequels!

[RC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about northern Canada along with the well developed cast of characters and the very interesting plot. I was drawn in right away and read the book in one sitting to find out how it would end. Great character development and engaging storyline. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to three stars because I’m a sucker for local settings, and the author rendered the setting quite well. She also did a good job developing her characters.
Her description of a controlling relationship was also well done.

There wasn’t a lot of depth or nuance in the story, and the ending was just too convenient. The love story was a bit too Harlequinesque for me as well. There was also at least one loose end which didn’t get addressed. Plus I found POV issues: the story was entirely from Grace’s perspective, so describing the look in her eyes doesn’t fit. She can’t see it!

Overall, a fun read, especially if you’re familiar with Algonquin Park and geocaching. Recommend.

[Morag Riddell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give this 3 1/2 stars but it won’t let me give half stars. It was a good story but I found it had too many plot lines. I would have preferred one storyline more thoroughly developed. The use of Thoreau quotes was well done.

[BrittRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read! I picked up this book with no expectations at a local artisan market and am glad I did so. A bit of thriller, adventure, character self-discovery, and friendships.

[Barbara Heisler]

I enjoyed reading this book. I can’t wait for the next book .

[Ngu · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is a train wreck. Loons warbled, yodeled and trilled. I wished I could have liked it.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, enough suspense to keep you wanting to turn the pages. Strong storyline with many great messages. Cant wait to read the next book in the series.

[Kylynne McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in one day. No matter what I did I couldn’t put it down. Definitely keeps you on your toes. For a first time author this book exceeded my expectations.

[True]

some surprises, some predictable outcomes, but overall great read. left me searching for a sequel