''Refreshing . . . I look forward to reading more'' Alex Gray

''First-rate'' Sunday Sport

A seasonal hotel where murder can be made to disappear with the sun . . .

Maggie Stewart travels with friends Liz and Harry to the Ice Hotel, a surreal building in Swedish Lapland constructed from ice cut from the nearby river. During the day, it is a museum housing ice sculptures, but at night it becomes a novelty hotel. Shortly after their arrival, the holiday turns into a nightmare. A near-miss snowmobile accident is followed by the discovery of the frozen body of one of the hotel''s American guests. Maggie is shocked to learn that this was no accident: the American was drugged and pushed out of his sleeping bag to freeze to death in the room.

As the body count rises and Maggie finds herself in mortal danger, she realises that the only person she can trust is Thomas Hallengren, the detective leading the case. But can he uncover the killer''s identity before the Ice Hotel and other buildings - the Ice Chapel and Ice Theatre - melt back into the river, taking the clues with them?

Praise for Hania Allen

''A fresh new find for crime fans'' Sunday Post

''Nicely nasty in all the right places . . . The story rattles along until bringing the curtain down with an unnerving twist'' Craig Robertson

''Captivating characters and an intriguing plot. A great new find for crime fans'' Lin Anderson

''Pitch-perfect . . . a witty, tense crime novel written in a highly readable style'' Russel D McLean