Valena Walker is a dedicated master's student in geology headed to Antarctica to study glaciology with the venerable Dr. Emmett Vanderzee. Being on the ice is something she's dreamed about since she was a little girl. But when she finally arrives at McMurdo, she discovers that her professor has been arrested for murder, and what's more, that the incident happened a year ago. A newspaper reporter who'd visited Antarctica the previous winter had died from exposure, and though no one was a fan of the guy—he was attempting to contradict Vanderzee's research—by all accounts, everyone was devastated to lose someone on the ice. Valena quickly realizes that in order to avoid being shipped north immediately and having her grant canceled, she must embrace the role of detective and work to clear his name—and save herself in the process.