The Drift by C.J. Tudor

The Drift refers to a severe snowstorm that affects three groups of people. One group is on a coach that has crashed, one in a cable car that hangs precariously in the air and a third  group in a former ski resort that the residents refer to as The Retreat. All are nervous and suspicious of each other, have their own past issues and, just to add to the mix, at least one of them is a murderer.

Each chapter is told from one perspective of each of the three groups. The connection between them is unclear but becomes apparent at the end in a very clever way. The story is tense and claustrophobic, fast paced and menacing. The date is not mentioned but there is an apocalyptic dystopian feel with a potential breakdown of society. Written in an engaging manner, always maintaining an air of danger and terror.

This is a story about survival, grief. acceptance and vengeance. There is disaster, adventure and horror, expertly crafted into the plot, which unfurls with unexpected revelations. An original and exciting read.

Published by Penguin, Michael Joseph on 19 January 2023.
​Advanced review copy supplied by the publisher.

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