Erica Ferencik

“Girl in Ice is a lot of things: a psychological suspense novel, a linguistic thriller and a scientific puzzle…Ms. Ferencik describes the Arctic topography with a poet’s awe, and some of her set-pieces—the procession of a huge herd of caribou, an Arctic dive gone badly awry—are breathtaking. But it’s the enchanting Sigrid, and her growing attachment to Val, whom she calls ‘Bahl,’ who makes this book such a singular sensation.”

– The Wall Street Journal

“Erica Ferencik, who writes evocative novels set in extreme landscapes, has placed the hauntingly beautiful Girl In Ice at a research station in the remote reaches of the Arctic Circle . . . . Like Peter Höeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow and Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life, Girl in Ice uses the subtleties of translation to draw us into different worlds and ways of thinking. It turns out that the word for ‘climate change’ in Inuktun, a language of northern Greenland, translates to ‘a friend acting strangely,’ which is sad and apt.”

– The New York Times Book Review

“Known for immersing herself in challenging environments, Ferencik infuses every page with her research in the fjords of Greenland (where the Inuktun word for climate change translates to “a friend acting strangely”). That plus a writer’s eye for the telling detail have produced some of the most original thriller writing about Arctic environments since Peter Høeg’s 1993 novel Smilla’s Sense of Snow. As science-driven thriller and probing exploration of fear, language and family bonds, Girl in Ice will not be easily forgotten.”

– Los Angeles Times

“An excellent, thrilling mystery . . . With its fascinating science and compelling characters (one or more of whom may be a murderer), Girl in Ice demands to be read in one sitting.”

– BookPage, starred review

“Exemplary . . . Trenchant details about catastrophic climate change bolster a creative plot featuring authentic characters . . . Ferencik outdoes Michael Crichton in the convincing way she mixes emotion and science.”

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Original, intense, powerful, disturbing, and utterly mesmerizing, this one, which evokes Peter Høeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow, will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the book.”

– Booklist, starred review

“In Ferencik’s supple, dazzling novel, Val Chesterfield, a Massachusetts-based linguist with a passion for dead Nordic tongues, tumbles into a perilous Arctic maze that wends back and forth to her own troubled psyche.”

– Oprah Daily

“[Girl In Ice] explores complex issues of grief, fear, language, found family, and climate change. It is [Ferencik’s] third thriller, all holding true to her stated passion to ‘create un-put-downable novels set in some of the most inhospitable regions on earth.’”

– The Boston Globe

“This literary speculative fiction thriller not only tackles issues of language and first-contact colonialism, as well as climate change and what we’re doing to the planet, but also what it means to overcome your greatest fears in order to do the right thing . . . .The mysteries are many-layered and intriguing.”

– Criminal Element

“Girl in Ice is a novel of secrets. It is also an allegory for what human beings are doing to the natural world and the terrifying possibility that Mother Nature might one day strike back in unpredictable ways. All in all, this is a memorable and literally chilling read.”

– BookReporter

“An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel by an author with a remarkable flair for imaginative, compelling, and narrative driven storytelling, Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik will prove to be an immediately popular and enduringly prized addition to community library contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.”

– Midwest Book Review

“Girl in Ice…is a propulsive, utterly unforgettable, jaw-dropping thriller about one woman’s quest to learn to communicate with a young girl who has been thawed alive from a glacier. “

– Nancy Harris, The Patriot Ledger

“Whether I was desperate to solve a mystery, marveling at a beautifully described part of the northern scenery, or absorbing some fascinating tidbit of knowledge, this book held me rapt from start to end. Already one of my favorite books of next year, I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.”

– Fiona Cook, Mystery and Suspense magazine

“I knew little about linguistics or the Arctic until I read Erica Ferencik’s fascinating book. Her style is fast, impossible to put down, and the landscape is beautifully written. This is my first Ferencik book; it will not be the last.”

– Connie L. Eaton, Three Sisters Books & Gifts, Indie Next citation

“Mysterious, anxiety-inducing and with a touch of magic, Girl in Ice is a wonderfully unique thriller that’s literally bone chilling.  Erica Ferencik has delivered a nerve-wracking thriller that will have you shivering on the edge of your seat.”

– Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

“This dark, suspenseful, visceral thriller combines the pressing issue of our time—human destruction of the environment—with a gripping and beautifully written mystery set in the frigid far reaches of the Arctic Circle. Unflinching, devastating but ultimately hopeful, Girl in Ice grabbed me and didn’t let me go until the last page.”

– A. J. Banner, #1 Amazon, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author

“With its jaw-dropping premise, unique locale, and great emotional depth, Ferencik’s latest adventure thriller is riveting from the first page to the last.”

– Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Perfect Family

“Uniquely imagined in a spectacularly unforgettable setting that simultaneously filled me with wondrous awe and absolute terror. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”

– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice and Remember

“Ferencik’s beautifully written suspense chiller held me in its icy grip and wouldn’t let go. Meticulously researched, rich in scientific detail and Inuit folklore, this moving human story is one you won’t soon forget.”

– Catherine Burns, author of The Visitors

“This fiercely intelligent thriller delivers an ice-cold shot of adrenaline. Erica Ferencik takes the reader on a unforgettable ride through the Arctic where the menace of the starkly beautiful landscape is matched by that of the human psyche.”

– Lexie Elliott, author of The French Girl, The Missing Years, and How to Kill Your Best Friend

“This gorgeous, captivating thriller sets a dangerous, precious environment against an inner landscape of grief and longing. Moving, provocative, and breathlessly entertaining, this journey lingers long after the last page is turned.”

– Kassandra Montag, author of After the Flood

“An arctic location, a dead language, and a mysterious girl: the combination of these three things made Girl in Ice a must-read for me. Ferencik’s descriptions are so powerful I feel as if I’ve experienced the frigid, uncanny dreamscape of Greenland. I was in Val’s head, seeing the wonders and terrors through her eyes, fully attuned to her introverted existence. This haunting tale of love and obsession is peppered with lines so beautiful and profound that sometimes I had to stop and catch my breath.”

– Zoje Stage, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Baby Teeth and Getaway