Cover Your Tracks by Daco S. Auffenorde – Review

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Description:
Margo Fletcher, eight months pregnant, is traveling by train from Chicago to Spokane, her childhood home. While passing through an isolated portion of the Rockies in blizzard conditions, the train unexpectedly brakes. Up ahead, deadly snow from a massive avalanche plummets down the mountain. Despite the conductor’s order for the passengers to stay seated, former Army Ranger Nick Eliot insists that survival depends on moving to the back of the train. Only Margo believes him. They take refuge in the last train car, which Nick heroically uncouples in time to avoid the avalanche. The rest of the train is hurled down the mountainside and is soon lost forever in a blanket of snow. Margo and Nick, the sole survivors, are stranded in the snowstorm without food, water, or heat. Rescuers might not arrive for days.

When the weather turns violent again, the pair must flee the shelter of the passenger car and run for their lives into the wilderness. They must fend off the deadly cold as well as predatory wild animals foraging for food. Eventually, Nick leads Margo to shelter in a watchtower atop a mountain. There, we learn that both Margo and Nick have secrets that have brought them together and threaten to destroy them.

Cover Your Tracks is a chilling story of love and hate, the devastating power of nature, and the will to survive.

Review:

Cover Your Tracks by Daco S. Auffenorde is a psychological thriller that was a bit different.  Margo Fletcher, our heroine, is 8 months pregnant and on a train from her home in Chicago to Spokane to attend her niece’s wedding.  Margo notices many of those sitting around her, especially a young man who seems to be watching her, especially when she gets some pains.  Suddenly the train makes a sudden stop, shaking the passengers, who are wondering why they stopped.

Nick Eliot is a former soldier, who upon looking out the window, recognizes why the train has stopped.  He shouts to everyone to get up and move to the back of the train; since there is an oncoming avalanche. When the conductor tells everyone to stay at their seats, Nick convinces Margo that she needs to go with him to the back end, as they will not survive if they stay.   After some doubt, she sees the snow, and goes with Nick to the end, where Nick releases the last train car.  Shortly, the avalanche strikes and the entire train is buried down the mountain.

Margo and Nick are shocked at the magnitude of the disaster, which has no survivors.  Nick takes control, and makes sure that Margo follows him, as they try to find some where they can trek to for safety; since the last car is now not safe.  Being 8 months pregnant makes it difficult for Margo, but at times she gets mad at Nick as he pushes her into the snow-covered wilderness, and demands she do what he says, but he has led her to safety, with rescuers possibly weeks away due to the conditions.  Along the horrible conditions, they must fend off coyotes looking for food; and finally come across a watchtower atop the mountain, where they at least can make fire for warmth, with little food that Nick is able to hunt for.  

What follows is an exciting, wild adventure of survival that begins to change into a chilling dangerous tale of wills, secrets, obsession and precarious behavior.   Cover Your Tracks also back tracks in two POV’s to both Margo’s life, her pregnancy and her distant family; and Nick’s life as a teenager and in the army. I enjoyed this nail-biting story, but I also thought too much detail was done with going back to the past.  To say too much more would be spoilers, but you need to read this book to understand how some things unexpectantly tie in, as well as to find out if they survive. Cover Your Tracks was very well written by Daco S. Auffenorde.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review