Book One
When the River Freezes
Some secrets wait beneath the ice.
Book One in the Androscoggin After Dark series.
Available now in Kindle and paperback. Free with Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook coming soon.
About the Book
A cold river. A forgotten motel room. A woman who thought she had buried the past — until the North Country gave it back.
Maura Vale has spent years trying to keep old grief, old questions, and old names where they belong: behind her.
But winter has a way of preserving things.
When the frozen Androscoggin begins giving back what someone tried to hide, Maura is pulled into a mystery that reaches through motel rooms, missing women, small-town silence, and the kind of secrets people kill to keep buried.
Deputy Elias Thorne knows the North Country does not give up its dead easily. He also knows Maura is standing closer to danger than she realizes.
As the ice cracks and the past rises, Maura and Elias must decide who to trust, what to risk, and how much truth a small town can survive.
What to Expect
Dark romantic suspense.
North Country crime.
A frozen river.
A roadside motel with too many secrets.
Small-town silence.
A guarded heroine.
A steady deputy.
Old evidence, dangerous questions, and a past that refuses to stay buried.
Read This First
When the River Freezes is the first book in the connected Androscoggin After Dark novella series.
Each book has its own emotional arc, mystery, danger, and romance, but the larger story unfolds across all four seasons.
For the full experience, start here and follow the river through the thaw, the summer current, and the final autumn fire.
Series Reading Order
Book One: When the River Freezes — Available Now
Book Two: When the River Thaws — Releases July 1
Book Three: When the River Runs — Releases August 1
Book Four: When the River Burns — Releases September 1
Best read in order.
From the World of the Book
When the River Freezes begins the story of the Androscoggin River, the North Star Motel, and the secrets buried beneath the surface of a North Country town that remembers more than it says.
For behind-the-scenes notes, North Country inspiration, recipes, character extras, and bonus material from the series, visit From the Riverbank.
Explore Locations & Inspiration
Book Details
Title: When the River Freezes
Series: Androscoggin After Dark, Book One
Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense / North Country Crime
Formats: Kindle and paperback
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Audiobook: Coming soon
“The woods keep their secrets. The river eventually gives them back.”
— Erica R. Buteau
Start Reading
Begin the Androscoggin After Dark series with When the River Freezes.
Available now in Kindle and paperback. Free with Kindle Unlimited.
Androscoggin After Dark 