In April 1853, Virginia Reeve is summoned to Boston, Massachusetts, by a Mrs. Griffin. She makes her way across the country for the meeting only to find out it was a ruse. As a wagon-train guide helping individuals make their way out west, Virginia has skills many others do not possess when it comes to survival techniques. Lady Jane Franklin has asked for Virginia’s help in locating her missing husband, Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin --- or, at the very least, finding out what happened to him and his crew.

Virginia, who led almost 600 people safely to new lives in California, was living a semi-retired life free from her guide duties in San Francisco. While she was looking for a new adventure, the Arctic was never a consideration for her. After meeting Lady Franklin, Virginia is convinced that she can use her skills for good and agrees to lead a group into the Arctic, even knowing firsthand the hardships they will face in the frigid tundra. The argument that solidifies her commitment is hearing that only women will make up the expedition. Lady Franklin is confident that they will find the answers that previous search parties have failed to discover. Virginia is intrigued and eager to test herself on a new adventure.

"I recommend reading THE ARCTIC FURY curled up in a blanket and drinking some hot tea.... There is nothing like an Arctic exploration to make you feel like celebrating the holidays and the onset of winter."

Brooks, Lady Franklin’s contact, reaches out to Virginia to begin planning. It turns out that the arrangements and decisions, along with the picking of the crew, have already been made --- leaving little for Virginia to do aside from accepting that she will be leading a group of women she barely knows into the great expanse of the Arctic with extraordinarily little training.

One year later, after returning to Boston with only a few survivors of the expedition, Virginia finds herself on trial for the murder of a member of her search party --- a Boston heiress whose family is convinced that she killed her. While she sorts through her feelings over the failed mission and tries to come to some understanding about what actually happened, Virginia’s life plays out in spectacular fashion in the courtroom. When some very damaging information from her past comes to light and is introduced as evidence of her guilt, she grapples with the consequences and is unsure of what will be left of her future.

This wonderful novel by Greer Macallister is a fast-moving story, and we learn along with Virginia just how poorly equipped the expedition was. It was almost set up for failure from the start, with little to no backup if something did happen out on the ice.

Like Virginia herself, we do not get to know many of the expedition members well, but we do see them chronicled during her trial, only finding out more about their lives and deaths through the prosecution’s questioning. While I would have loved to have learned more about some of these individuals, using the trial to tell the story is an effective way to move readers between the past and present. It also allows us to experience the short and frightening timeframe of the novel and the trauma inflicted by the actions of a few.

I recommend reading THE ARCTIC FURY curled up in a blanket and drinking some hot tea. You will need the extra warmth to get through this one. There is nothing like an Arctic exploration to make you feel like celebrating the holidays and the onset of winter.