Ice Hunters — Neil Roberts

Imagine embarking on a peaceful fly-fishing trip in New Zealand's beautiful Southern Alps only to witness a brutal murder along the banks of the very river you were fishing.

This is the harrowing predicament Ryan finds himself in after his first day alone in the wild. Frightened that the murderers will find him and kill him as well, Ryan strikes out into the wilderness, desperately hoping that he will not be followed.

Meanwhile, Auckland detectives Sean Ford and Patuki Robson are investigating a series of deaths related to crystal meth, also known as ice. Their investigation leads them to the same isolated, mountainous area where Ryan, now exhausted and near starvation, is trying to survive until his prearranged helicopter ride home arrives in two weeks. Even if the drug dealers don't kill Ryan, it seems likely that the elements will.

Ice Hunters is a fast-paced and multifaceted survival thriller that pits one man against nature and his fellow humans. Buried within the suspenseful novel is a warning that crime never pays and that the temporary release of drug use will only result in more intense suffering in the long run.