This mystery is the story of Dafydd Woodruff, a Welsh surgeon, who seeks to escape from a tragic event by taking a temporary job in the sub-Arctic region of Canada. He assists in a medical clinic for a short period of time and then returns to Wales and marries.
The story begins many years later, when his wife is trying desperately to get pregnant. Out of the blue, Woodruff receives a letter from a 13-year-old girl claiming to be his biological child. She explains that her mother, a nurse Woodruff worked with at the clinic in Canada, claims he is the father of her and her twin brother. The timing is right, but our narrator says he never had an intimate relationship with the nurse.
As Woodruff’s marriage is falling apart, he heads back to Canada to meet the children and figure out how the paternity test proved he was the biological father when he knows he isn’t.
I enjoyed this story as much for the setting as the story, but the elements of suspense were a nice addition. The author actually moved to an arctic outpost, where she lived for two years, and based the story’s setting on that experience.
People who enjoy mystery/psychological suspense novels as well as learning about far away places will enjoy this book.
Check the WRL catalog for Ice Trap.
