First Descent Book One of the Crevasse Trilogy by Mike Pace

 

There’s a pull in First Descent by Mike Pace that comes from the way winter settles over both of its worlds. The story opens in the shadow of an Arctic mystery and quickly shifts toward a rising danger tied to ancient forces and modern secrets. Watching those elements move toward each other creates a feeling that something powerful—something long waiting—is about to surface.

Nearly twenty years after Virgil Landowski vanished on an Arctic expedition chasing a cave rumored to hold red diamonds, his son Nick has tried to forget the legend. Working as a mine foreman, he’s kept his life practical and rooted—until a sudden accident cracks open the odd geode his father left behind and reveals a hidden key. That discovery thrusts him into a dangerous convergence between two realms: a present-day world where ruthless players seek control of the iconic Coca-Cola formula, and an older, time-twisting realm shaped by winter-born magic. As Nick uncovers the truth behind his father’s disappearance, he realizes that the key unlocks far more than a forgotten trail. It reveals a connection between a guarded corporate secret, an ancient power tied to the season, and a threat with the potential to unravel Christmas itself. To survive, he must follow the path his father died pursuing—and confront forces that have waited centuries to be awakened.

Thriller author Mike Pace has spent his entire life weaving stories across an extraordinary range of experiences. One of his earliest creative memories is helping write his fourth-grade Christmas play in Pittsburgh, a spark that carried him to the University of Illinois on an art scholarship, where he earned a BFA. He later taught elementary school in Washington, D.C.’s inner city, filling his classroom with imagination games and daily storytelling as “Mr. Paste.” While teaching by day, he attended Georgetown Law at night and went on to serve on the editorial board of the Georgetown Law Journal, clerk for a federal judge, and prosecute major felony cases—including murder—as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. After serving as general counsel for a national environmental services company, Mike shifted his focus to his first love: creative writing. He has written for stage and screen, earning praise from The Washington Post, and is an active member of the International Thriller Writers and the Maryland Writers Association. Outside of writing, he enjoys painting, skiing, golf, the Baltimore Ravens, and learning new skills such as the soprano saxophone. Learn more at his website.

 

 

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/firstdescentmikepace

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243039452-first-descent