The Shelter by G.N. Smith

An agonised scream cuts through the roar of the snowstorm. Horrified, Fiona twists around to look at the group of hikers behind her. There are four people, where there should be five…

When police officer Fiona MacLeish stumbles upon a group of fellow hikers in dire trouble in the dramatic peaks of the Scottish Highlands, she has no choice but to help. One of the party has fallen off the path, lying below with the crisp white snow around his head starting to turn scarlet.

Fiona soon learns the potential accident is actually a deliberate murder. But who would want to hurt this man and why? With visibility worsening and the snowstorm getting worse, Fiona and the group of hikers make it just in time to a nearby shelter. As Fiona questions those in the party, she realises that everyone is keeping secrets about their relationship with the victim. Any one of these hikers could be the killer…

When another brutal attack happens, it is clear that the murderer is still among them.
Trapped in a shelter at the top of a mountain, Fiona must move fast and identify the killer before they strike again. When her role as a police officer is revealed, Fiona herself becomes a target. With tensions rising and food running out, she knows she doesn’t have long until more people die. But can she find the killer and save herself and the innocent hikers in time?

The Shelter is the third book in the Fiona MacLeish series, set in the remote Scottish mountains. Fans of J.M. Dalgliesh, J.D. Kirk and Simon McCleave will love this character-driven police procedural with a dark twisty plot.

Not Again. HOW? At Least The MC And Author Acknowledge It. Third book in the series - and the third murder within a few weeks that our MC, police officer Macleish, finds herself locked in an enclosed environment with the bodies piling up and a murderer prowling about - but at least there is a quick line early where the MC (and thus, the author) acknowledge that this just doesn't happen to people normally. Which then allows the reader to settle in and just enjoy the book. For the established formula, this one again works well - though perhaps with even more pure speculation and even less actual evidence throughout this particular tale, due to the exact nature of this particular "locked room" isolated environment. (Here, a blizzard in the Scottish Highlands, vs the first book's flood-blocked valley and the second book's storm-blocked island.) Solid overall character work again with the MC though, bringing in the best friend for this particular event and then having some solid progression on the overall mythos of the series in the finale. Which leads to lingering questions of if this series will continue and if it will continue with the existing formula...

Overall a solid book of its type, and one that is well worth the read. Very much recommended.