Author(s): Jack Drummond

Thriller

In the exclusive resort of Les Hauts des Aigles, skiers from around the world come to race on one of the Alp's most treacherous and thrilling pistes: Piste du Diable, the Devil's Downhill. Each February, the finest skiers gather to compete for their name in the record book, and the most glamorous people come to watch them. This year a mysterious Russian called Anatole Mayakovski is causing a stir. And his wealthy backer is offering a prize of more than just glory to the winner: a flawless rose-diamond worth six million dollars. Amongst the visitors to Les Hauts is Alex Ryland. Recently widowed, his business under threat, and his daughter a stranger to him, Ryland has come to Les Hauts looking for a change. Little does he know that the mountain is about to change everything. Days before the race, the skies darken and snow begins to fall. And fall. One crack in the ice triggers a seismic chain of events and an avalanche descends on Les Hauts: a deadly barrage of snow that threatens to crush, freeze and suffocate all in its path. As thousands of spectators and TV crews gather on the slopes, everyone knows that they are going to witness an extraordinary event.