Review: Dark Night by Paige Shelton

Author: Paige Shelton

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: December 2021

Dark Night is the third book in the gripping, atmospheric Alaska Wild series by beloved cozy author Paige Shelton, in which Beth is met with an unexpected visitor: her mom...

Winter is falling in the remote town of Benedict, Alaska, and with the cold comes an uninvited guest. The dreaded "census man," seemingly innocuous, is an unwelcome presence to those members of this secretive community who would prefer to keep their business to themselves. Meanwhile, thriller writer Beth Rivers has received her own unexpected visitor: her mother. The last Beth heard, Mill Rivers had gone underground in the lower forty-eight, in search of Beth’s kidnapper, and Beth can't help but be a little alarmed at her appearance: If Mill was able to track down her daughter, who knows who else might be able to?

Beth doesn't have time to ponder this for long, after a battered woman stumbles into the town bar one night, and her husband is found dead the next morning. Suspicions immediately turn to the census man, but when he, too, goes missing, everyone in Benedict—including the police chief—is suspected, and Beth and Mill must work to figure out what really happened.

Dark Night is the third book in the Alaska Wild Series.  I am reluctant to say that you can read this one as a stand alone.  On one hand, there is a separate mystery that is solely contained within this storyline.  However, there are spoilers for Beth's story that has spanned over the last three books and will into future books.  In each book so far, we have learned more about Beth and who her abductor was as well as more about her father's disappearance.  

The self contained mystery in this one wasn't easy to figure out.  There were a few twists that I didn't call.  Beth, as well, really kind of stumbles on the truth rather than figuring it out for herself.  But what I liked more was the information we learned about her father and her kidnapper.  That story is getting more and more convoluted.  I can't wait for the collusion to it.  

I really like Beth as a character.  She is a mystery writer and uses her experience as an aid to her grandfather when he was a sheriff to her advantage in solving mysteries.  She is very likable and pretty smart.  I have been enjoying watching her growing friendships with the townspeople. I also liked getting to spend more time with Beth's mother Mill in this one.  Her character  easy to like. Even though she, at first, comes across as not very loving or caring toward her daughter.  As you get to know her, you can see she really does love Beth and wants her safe.    I highly recommend this one was well as the rest of the series.  I look forward to the next one.