Gray After Dark

by Noelle W. Ihli

First published 2026

Miley's Olympic dreams crash along with her body after a devastating accident. She takes a job at a remote mountain lodge in the Frank Church Wilderness, hoping the Idaho backcountry will help her heal and train. The other staff whisper about a worker who died there years before, but Miley brushes off their warnings. During her morning run, strangers grab her and drag her to an isolated cabin miles from civilization. Her captors keep her prisoner in the off-grid hideout, where survival depends on everything her athletic training taught her about endurance and mental toughness. The situation grows more dangerous each day. Miley must forge an unexpected partnership with another captive and plan a break for freedom through unforgiving terrain. The wilderness that was supposed to restore her might kill her instead. This psychological thriller draws from real events to create a story about physical and mental resilience when death lurks around every tree.

Genres: adventure, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller

Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unexpected-partnership

Setting: Frank Church Wilderness, Idaho

352 pages · Paperback · Kensington

Content warnings: kidnapping, violence

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