With The Frozen People, Elly Griffiths takes a detour from her more traditional mystery offerings to write what can be best described as a speculative historical crime novel. It’s a testament to Griffiths storytelling prowess that the resulting cross-genre work will appeal to fans of mystery fiction, historical fiction, and even science fiction—specifically fans of time-travel plots and the various quandaries they inspire.
Alison Dawson—Ali to her friends and family—is a member of a special cold case team, one that focuses on crimes so cold, they might as well be frozen. With the help of a female physicist named Jones, this elite team can travel back in time, immersing themselves in the ambiance and settings of the past where they can investigate historical crimes. As The Frozen People opens, Ali’s team is hired by a government official—one for whom Ali’s son Finn works—to help clear the family name because his great-great-great grandfather was accused of killing a portrait painter’s model back in 1850.
This is the farthest back anyone has traveled, and Ali is chosen as the test subject, with all expectations that things will go smoothly. When Ali doesn’t reappear at the appointed time, the team is worried, and Finn has to be informed of what work his mother actually does. Elly Griffiths does an excellent job of making this version of time travel understandable to the average reader and the reason why Ali Dawson is unable to return is fascinating and best discovered while reading The Frozen People.
Things become more complicated when Finn is accused of murder in the modern setting and the novel perfectly blends the historical crime with the contemporary case. Elly Griffiths brings Victorian England to life for readers in an organic way that entertains as it educates. There is quite a bit of world-building in The Frozen People and most assuredly a jam-packed storyline that takes many tangents. This means that the novel, which comes in at just under 300 pages, is a fast and furious read. The number of unusual escapades and quicky complications appearing on the page is unexpected given the historical era and the dark crime under investigation.
Tailor-made for a first-person narrative, Elly Griffiths makes the controversial decision to tell this tale from multiple points of view, thereby offering readers a fuller canvas from which to view the crimes, investigations, and the time travel elements on display. The organic way in which this team works together is delightful to watch—with the cross-generations investigation being particularly intriguing. The solutions to the central mysteries are satisfying and surprisingly logical (even within the speculative fiction genre).
The Frozen People is the start of a new series and Elly Griffiths has laid the groundwork with some tantalizing loose ends and much to still be explored within this version of time travel. Pick up this series launch now and join the queue of fans awaiting Ali Dawson’s next time travel adventure.
BUY LINKS: The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
Disclaimer: A print galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
