Blade

When I was growing up, watching figure skating competitions on TV was a big deal. The athleticism and grace of the skaters has always been awe-inspiring! When I heard that Wendy Walker, a former competitive figure skater herself, was writing a mystery-thriller set in that world, I grabbed it right away, eager for an exciting inside view of that life.

The problem with looking behind the veil? Things are rarely as glamorous and fun behind the scenes as they look to the audience. While the premise had as much potential as some of these fictional young skaters, unfortunately by the story’s end I was left with one overriding thought: This Blade was just a little … dull.

Thirty-year-old lawyer and former competitive figure skater Ana Robbins is summoned to the Colorado training site she once attended to defend Grace, a young female skater suspected of murdering a coach. As a storm closes in, she and her male colleague try to figure out others who might’ve had a motive, and in the process reopen wounds of a dark past that involves four teen skaters dubbed “The Orphans”: Grace’s mom Jolene, Ana, and two others, Kayla and Indy.

Apart from the initial murder, there’s a mystery involving each of the Orphans, particularly Indy, that is continually hinted at with little breadcrumbs for three-quarters of the book through chapters from Ana’s past and present. The problem with breadcrumbs? They aren’t very filling, and as a reader I was getting so tired of being hungry for more that I actually started to LOSE my appetite for the answers altogether. Suspense is only fun up to a point.

This is a veeeery slow-burn with not a lot happening most of the time apart from watching a renowned female coach, her underling, a crackpot “doctor”, the mean-girl moms dubbed the “Bleacher Bees” find different ways to gaslight and abuse young skaters. The reveals weren’t surprising and the ending strayed into some convenient plot points that just didn’t work for me. 

Walker says in her author’s note that while this is a work of fiction, it also represents the “personal impact of my own experience”, in her case as a thirteen-year-old competitive figure skater who left home to train among the elite. If this story is in ANY way semi-autobiographical, I can’t help but wonder if it was a topic that was more personally sensitive to her and harder to put on paper. I’ve loved two of her prior books, but this one felt like she was holding back. It did give me a whole new level of compassion and concern for elite young athletes, though! 

Many others have loved this book, so please read other reviews before deciding. This just wasn’t a good match for me!

★★ ½ 

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and author Wendy Walker for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out on January 6, 2026.