Slayed on the Slopes by Kate E. Dyer-Seeley (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"After talking her way into a job writing for Portland's Northwest Extreme magazine, Meg Reed may now really be in over her head. Actually, about 8,000 feet over her head. . .

She's at Mount Hood's remote Silcox Hut, covering the the seriously hardcore Ridge Rangers-- Oregon's elite high-altitude rescue team--during their four-day winter training. Sure, Meg beefed up her outdoor skills over the summer . . . but she's still hoping to cover the event with some hot chocolate by the cheery fireplace. Then, during a sudden blizzard, she swears she hears gunshots. No one stranded in the hut believes her . . . until self-absorbed Ridge Ranger Ben Rogers is found outside in a pool of frozen blood. Meg's now got to find this killer quickly . . . before cabin fever does them all in!"

My Thoughts:

Can I just start off by saying how much I loved this book?  This book solidified my love for this series with ease and now I'm left impatiently waiting for more!  I really enjoyed Scene of the Climb so I went into reading this one with very high hopes.  Happily enough I enjoyed this book just as much, if not even more than I did the first book.  What more can you ask from with a mystery series?  Not much more than that in my opinion!  Meg is back and better than ever as she manages to get herself caught up in a whole new set of outdoor experiences.  The mystery was compelling and made the book hard to put down.  But what really stood out for me in this book is how the author uses the setting to really add to the book as a whole.  I loved the fact that I learned a little bit about Oregon thanks to this book and the author's descriptions.  I would love to go visit the Timberline Lodge myself and get the chance to go skiing in the mountains.  The fact that this lodge was used in some of the filming for The Shining movie (which I learned thanks to this book) makes me want to visit even more!  It was these little details that really brought this book to life for me!

The author also continues on with the storyline from book one in regards to Meg's father and his mysterious death in this book.  Let me tell you that I am completely intrigued at this point!  I need to know the truth behind it all and am looking forward to finding out more of the answers in future books.  Really at this point I will be grabbing book three as soon as I can get my greedy hands on it!!  I am also really enjoying the chemistry that is growing between Meg and Matt.  Sorry if that is a slight spoiler to some of you.  I am just impatiently waiting for them to both realize that they are basically meant to be.  Ha!  (But seriously I hope they figure it out soon!)  I did manage to guess the killer with this book but there was so many other twists and turns going on that it really didn't matter.  I still loved this book from beginning to end!  By the end of this book I was left wanting more yet again and really wishing that I had my hands on the third book.  Ugh!  The waiting game when you find a great series....I do know already that it is going to be well worth the wait!

All in all, this was a really great follow-up to Scene of the Climb and I am now a huge fan of this author and her books!  Her ability to use the setting of this story to allow for me to feel like I was there along with Meg in the wintry cold helped to make this book an instant winner for me.  I still have a lot of questions in regards to the death of Meg's father which has me pining for the next book.  Plus, I'm absolutely sure that Meg is going to find herself in another crazy situation and I can't wait to read all about it!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A cozy mystery series that shouldn't be missed!  Read it!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher as part of a CBB Book Tour.  Thoughts are my own!