The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

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⭐ 4/5: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon — A Chilling Historical Mystery You’ll Want to Thaw Out Slowly

👉 Grab your copy here: The Frozen River on Amazon (affiliate link)

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⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This book contains:

• Rape & sexual assault

• Domestic abuse & misogyny

• Murder & violence

• Pregnancy loss & child loss

• Historical execution practices

• Racism

If any of these are tough subjects for you, proceed with care.

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❄️ First Thoughts

What a story. Honestly, I still can’t believe this novel is based (loosely) on real-life events. It’s wild to think there was a time when women could be punished for premarital sex, and when men with power could manipulate the courts so brazenly. Ariel Lawhon takes those fragments of history and spins them into a gripping mystery I literally could not put down. The only downside? A few too many sex scenes between Martha and her husband Ephraim that felt… let’s just say out of place. 😅 Otherwise, this book was a total win for me.

⭐ My rating: 4/5 stars

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📖 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary

(Spoiler Warning! Skip this section if you want to go in fresh!)

Set in 1789 Maine, the story follows Martha Ballard, a midwife and keen observer of her community. When a dead body is found frozen in the Kennebec River, Martha quickly determines the man—Joshua Burgess—was murdered by hanging. The problem? There’s no rope, and a local doctor (male, of course 🙄) contradicts her, undermining her credibility.

Complicating things further, Burgess was accused of participating in the rape of Rebecca Foster, the parson’s wife. The other accused? Colonel Joseph North, a powerful judge. Imagine the courtroom drama: North presiding over his own alleged crime. (Justice system, what justice system?)

As trials unfold, Martha faces hostility for daring to speak out. She’s threatened, intimidated, and even silenced in court—because of course women couldn’t testify without their husbands present. (Yes, really. My jaw is still on the floor.)

Meanwhile, side plots bloom: her mute son Cyrus becomes a suspect, her daughter navigates scandal, and Martha’s role as a midwife pits her against the shady Doctor Page, who leaves a trail of stillborns behind him. (Medical malpractice, 18th-century edition.)

The tension snaps when Martha pieces together the truth: Sam Dawin, the man who found Burgess’s body, killed him out of revenge for raping his wife May. But he wasn’t alone—Jonathan, Martha’s own son, helped cover it up. 😱

In a shocking climax, North tries to assault Martha as payback for her persistence. But this is not a woman to be messed with. Martha defends herself with Ephraim’s woodworking blade, leaving North—let’s just say—minus some important anatomy. 🔪😳

By the end, justice is messy: North escapes full punishment, but his crimes are exposed; Sam walks free because Martha keeps his secret; and Jonathan, ironically, gets to move on and start a family. The mystery is solved, the family is safe, and Martha’s strength holds it all together.

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💭 What Worked for Me

• Engaging central mystery — The who-done-it factor stayed strong till the end.

• Satisfying ending — Rare in historical fiction, but Lawhon ties it all together beautifully.

• Strong heroine — Martha is sharp, brave, and fiercely loyal to her family.

• Historical immersion — Lawhon makes 1789 Maine feel alive.

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😬 What Didn’t Work

• Too many sex scenes between Martha and Ephraim. Like, we get it—they love each other! But the romance detours distracted me from the high-stakes mystery.

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✨ Final Verdict

The Frozen River is everything I want from historical fiction: gripping, atmospheric, with a heroine who feels ahead of her time. Add a dash of courtroom drama, gender politics, and small-town secrets, and you’ve got a book that sticks.

⭐ 4/5 stars — A fascinating, suspenseful read that proves history can be stranger (and scarier) than fiction.

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📚 Read If You Liked…

• The Women by Kristin Hannah (nurses, war, untold women’s history)

• The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles (secrets + survival)

• A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (the nonfiction book that inspired this novel)