Amy McCulloch’s survival thriller, BREATHLESS, released to rave reviews. Now she’s back with another high-stakes, pulse-pounding chiller, MIDNIGHT, this time set in the frigid waters of Antarctica.

Months ago, Olivia Campbell was at the top of her game. As an actuary at a leading firm, her sole goals were to be promoted to partner, earn a sizable pay bump, and ensure that her mother, who has early-onset dementia, has safe and stable housing. She was then personally requested as a consultant to Pierre Lavaud, the owner of LUJO, a luxury hotel chain. Lavaud was interested in acquiring art for investment purposes and wanted Olivia, still a junior at the firm, to take the lead in assessing the risks.

"MIDNIGHT is a solid thriller, perfect for readers of survival fiction and lovers of exciting, little-seen locations. McCulloch has a real talent for drawing immersive, authentic settings and perfectly matching them to the conflicts in her books."

As Olivia’s first task, she attended a gallery exhibition called INTO THE UNKNOWN, where the spotlight piece was a mixed-media work depicting a stark, barren landscape cast in glowing blues and whites: nemiga by Kostas Yennin. An artist on the brink of discovery and mainstream popularity, Yennin was represented by Aaron Hunter-Williams. Though Olivia ultimately advised Lavaud against buying the piece, her connection to Aaron resulted in a whirlwind romance. Until she put her career, her reputation and her relationship at risk.

It is now months later, and Yennin has passed away. As a result, his name and the value of his art have skyrocketed, turning Aaron into a high-demand curator. He has joined forces with Cutler Hughes, CEO of the luxury cruise line Pioneer Adventures, to launch a never-before-seen feat. Matching artist with adventure, Pioneer Adventures has invited prestigious and connected passengers aboard the MS Vigil to attend a live auction of Yennin’s work in the very place that inspired it: Antarctica. Featuring a journey through the notorious Drake Passage, a midnight sun camping trip, and access to nearly untouched land, the adventure part of the cruise is obvious, but it is the art that has Aaron nervous. The cruise must be a success, for both Aaron’s career and Yennin’s legacy, but also for Olivia, who worries that she has ruined everything. There’s just one problem: her soul-shaking fear of the sea, the result of a childhood tragedy that cost her her beloved father.

Gazing out into the Atlantic is daunting for anyone. For Olivia, at the tip of the world in Ushuaia, Argentina, the view is not inspiring but chilling. She is confident in Aaron, but worried after seeing him involved in an intense discussion with a man she has never seen before the night prior to launch. Still, she boards the Vigil, knowing that she must help him make the auction a success. But Aaron, who ran off for a last-minute emergency, does not board the ship, leaving Olivia to take his place as curator, schmoozer and expert.

Determined to make the best of it, and certain that Aaron will find a way to join the ship before they sail too far, Olivia graciously trades places with a newlywed couple, giving them her and Aaron’s luxurious cabin and taking the wife’s place in a dorm-like room with three other women. That night, the couple is poisoned by a mysterious bottle of champagne, and Olivia starts to feel like Aaron’s disappearance may be foul play. Trapped on a ship with glittery yet cunning strangers, spotty internet and no way home, she must keep up her façade as Yennin’s champion, even as she spots the mysterious man Aaron argued with on board and as strange accidents start to convince her that someone on the ship wants her dead.

As the Vigil makes its way into the dangerous Drake Passage and closer to the coast of Antarctica, Olivia carefully begins her own investigation into Aaron’s background. The stakes are riding on Yennin’s auction and her fellow passengers, each of whom seems to have a reason to hate either Aaron, Cutler Hughes or the auction, which, due to a series of last-minute decisions, threatens to cheapen rather than inflate Yennin’s name and legacy. Something is wrong on the Vigil. Despite her fear of open water, taking a stand and risking her relationship, Olivia must get to the bottom of it, especially as the night of the midnight sun is approaching and she’ll have nowhere to hide if she doesn’t find her mysterious stalker soon.

Amy McCulloch immerses readers in the frigid, desolate Antarctic waters. The juxtaposition of open sea and expansive views with smothering, stifling life on a ship is scintillating, and she makes tremendous use of her setting, creating a sort of locked-room mystery that puts her characters (and her audience) on edge. However, I found Olivia difficult to connect with. Her emotional reveals seem oddly timed, and her actions are not always consistent with her character. Also, her love for Aaron appears to be at odds with how he is described and what we learn about him over the course of the cruise. That said, the whodunit elements, the themes of art and legacy, and, of course, the brilliant, glittering and transfixing setting balance these flaws quite easily.

Overall, MIDNIGHT is a solid thriller, perfect for readers of survival fiction and lovers of exciting, little-seen locations. McCulloch has a real talent for drawing immersive, authentic settings and perfectly matching them to the conflicts in her books.