The novel follows nine friends who gather at a secluded hotel high in the mountains. A sudden ice storm cuts them off from the world, and shortly after, one of them is found murdered. Wagner uses the classic "closed room" trope (reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None ), but shifts the focus from "whodunit" to the psychological unraveling of the survivors. 2. The Metaphor of "Hiding"
: As the plot progresses, the line between the victim and the victimizer blurs. The group begins to wonder if they are all, in some way, responsible for the tragedy. The novel follows nine friends who gather at
: The characters are successful, middle-aged professionals who have maintained a veneer of perfect friendship. and shortly after
