The Tenderness of Wolves, by Stef Penney

Don’t miss this breathtakingly beautiful novel, set in Canada in 1867, and combining elements of murder mystery, psychological thriller and historical narrative. A mother sets off on an epic journey into snowy wastes to find her 17-year-old son, who is suspected of a brutal murder. On the way, she bumps up against others' lives, and eventually discovers herself through the redemptive power of love. The labyrinthine threads of the story are inextricably intertwined around a complex cast and the dialogue is gritty and realistic. The descriptive language is poetic, and conjures up the icy landscape so evocatively that your own bones ache!