Book Review - Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

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Title: Midnight in the Snow

Author: Karen Swan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Pan

Publication Date: 14th October 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Award-winning director Clover Phillips is riding high when she encounters Kit Foley; a surfer and snowboarder as well-known for controversy as he is for winning championships.

Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never spoken about what really happened that day. Determined to find out the truth, Clover heads to the snowy wilderness of the Austrian Alps, sharing a romantic winter wonderland with a man who can’t stand her.

But as she delves deeper, Clover finds herself both drawn to Kit, and even more convinced he’s hiding something. Is Kit Foley really as cold as he seems?

Wow that is one ride and a half, from being thrown under the barrel of a wave at the start, to getting some awesome amplitude and killer tricks at the end, this is on exhilarating read. 

Not least because it features the world of snow boarding on a super pipe for fabulous tricks, and to a lesser extent some of the world of surfing.  Two big sports for adrenalin junkies, which given I read this just as the Summer Olympics came to an end, and I know I will equally be obsessed come Beijing 2022 and the Winter Sports - this let me have my sporting obsession continue for a bit longer. 

But really it's not specifically about the sports themselves, so don't worry if you don't know your olly from your cab, your switch from your goofy, (and if some of those are more skateboarding than snowboarding terms then sorry but I was hooked on watching that too!), then honestly the sports technical bits are only a small part of the book itself. 

Clover is a director whose film about Cory Albright basically ended up vilifying Kit Foley to the world. So it becomes a bit of a shock for all, that after all that time spent essentially as Team Cory, to discover she is willing to now do a film all about Kit. 

It's clear Kit has been pressganged into it and they both appear to hate each other with a passion, and what I found fascinating was seeing just how Kit's character and personality developed, as we incredibly slowly start to learn a bit more about him. 

As after all he has a few loyal friends  and none seem that happy about the presence of a film crew - as Kit emerges back on the world stage as a snowboarder, after spending most of his life as a champion surfer. 

Set predominately in the Austrian Alps, this really is a treat of a winter book, I could barely put it down and found myself finding reasons to reach for my kindle at all times of day and night just to read more. I couldn't get enough of the story. 

I needed to know as much as Clover does, as to just what happened on that fateful day between Cory and Kit.  And I have to say the answer surprised me, as did most of the aftermath once the truth finally comes out. 

This is easily another of Karen Swan's best books and I know I said that recently about The Secret Path.  This is definitely an author going from strength to strength and so long as she keeps writing books like these then I will be one incredibly happy reader! 

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which i have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.