In Ice Out by Susan Speranza, Vermont is a winter wonderland. Francesca’s life in the Vermont countryside with her husband and daughter is a dream until it becomes a nightmare.

Francesca is a music teacher and professional flutist. She and her husband moved to Vermont from Eastern Long Island. They had a daughter, Addie, and a dog, Cruz. Everything was perfect.

While on a snowmobile ride, there is an accident, which traps the three of them under water. Ben escapes and runs away, leaving his wife and child in the frozen lake. He may not have meant to have an accident but his actions could’ve led to their death. Francesca struggles to get out of the water so that she can save her child. She thinks that the dog might have pulled Addie out of the water but she wasn’t sure.

Francesca was probably suffering from hypothermia but in her mind she met a group of women who have also been left to die. The women have ill intentions toward Ben. Are they wrong? He left his loved ones behind for reasons that no one understands. However, Francesca doesn’t want the group to punish him. She thinks that he will come back to save Addie.

Francesca is a better person than me. After saving my child, I would have fought to live just so I could get revenge against that coward. I have been known to hold a grudge.

If you like books with both mystery and a paranormal twist, then Ice Out could be the book for you. If you are looking for vengeance for innocent victims, then it’s hard to say if you will be totally satisfied with the end. It’s worth reading anyway.

The book will be available on May 24. Pre-orders are accepted wherever books are sold.

• I received an ebook from BookSirens and the author. All opinions are my own. Obviously.