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Whiteout

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Whiteout

By: R.S. Burnett
Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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Perfect for fans of high-stakes survival stories like The Martian, the bleak atmosphere of The Terror, and the high-concept tension of apocalyptic thrillers.

'Gripping debut … Cracking' – The Times

'My favourite sort of thriller … tons of fun' Guardian

'Chillingly atmospheric debut' – T M Logan

'A fast-paced and gripping thriller' – Clare Mackintosh

Four months into an urgent scientific research trip at a remote field station deep in Antarctica, glaciologist Rachael Beckett loses all communication with base camp.

Trapped in perpetual darkness and brutal sub-zero blizzards, she receives a single, horrifying loop on an emergency radio broadcast: a catastrophic nuclear war has broken out, and she may be the last survivor on Earth.

As a lone scientist fighting for survival in the most hostile environment on Earth, Rachael faces an grueling battle against starvation, extreme isolation, and overwhelming grief. But as the polar winter deepens, a terrifying realization takes hold: she is not as alone in the dark as she thinks

_________________________ Lost in Antarctica. How long can she survive?

My name is Rachael, and I’m on a solo Antarctic expedition.

But a month ago I lost contact with basecamp.

No radio. No sat phones. Just static.

Only one thing has reached me: a BBC World Service broadcast, reporting a nuclear strike on the UK.

I’m safe for fourteen more days in my little hut at the bottom of the world. But I can’t stay here forever, I have to find out what’s happened.

Even if there’s no one left to tell.

Key Themes:

  • Claustrophobic Survival & Psychological Suspense: A tense, slow-burn cat-and-mouse dynamic set against a bleak, frozen landscape.
  • Apocalyptic Post-War Scenario: A technothriller premise that explores the psychological impact of global catastrophe from a completely isolated perspective.
  • Flawed, Courageous Protagonist: An authentic portrayal of resilience, maternal drive, and survival instincts on a knife-edge.

__________________________

Real readers love WHITEOUT:

'A fantastic thriller with the best twists that I honestly did not see coming' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The writing was phenomenal' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book was so suspenseful and so shocking, that I am almost at a loss for words after finishing it!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This is an amazingly tense and thrilling story for all thriller lovers' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Impossible to put down … well written and totally unique' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A superb survival thriller from a writer to watch' – Steve Cavanagh

'Gripping and chilling' – Amy McCulloch

'Unique and skilled debut' – Caroline Corcoran

'A fabulous debut thriller' – Simon McCleave

'Chilling, awe-inspiring' – James Rollins

'A riveting debut—I tore through it like a blizzard’ – Giles Kristian

©2025 R.S. Burnett (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure Dystopian Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Psychological Science Fiction Suspense Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Polar Region
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Critic reviews

'Gripping debut … Rachael’s resilience is convincing and her love for the young daughter she has left in London undoubted … Cracking' – The Times
'A gripping, claustrophobic scenario … Burnett shows promise' – Publishers Weekly
Immensely exciting and moving, this is adventure fiction of the best sort by a first-time writer who grew up on the Falkland Islands’ – Literary Review
‘Make sure you set aside enough time to read this intense survival thriller, because once you start you won’t want to put it down!’ – Prima
'Tense, compelling and incredibly atmospheric – the ultimate fight for survival against all the odds. A very impressive debut' – T M Logan
'A fast paced and gripping thriller you won't be able to put down' – Clare Mackintosh
'A superb survival thriller from a writer to watch' – Steve Cavanagh
'R.S. Burnett’s WHITEOUT sits in the very top tier of action thrillers … the chilling sense of dread is unrelenting. Highly recommended' – MW Craven
'WHITEOUT is an accomplished debut thriller … A fight to survive – not only for the protagonist Rachel, but also for our planet – a read that is gripping and chilling in equal measure' – Amy McCulloch
'Burnett’s WHITEOUT is a riveting survival tale that ratchets the tension with every turn of the pageChilling, awe-inspiring, and written with a scientific authenticity' – James Rollins
'Whiteout is a chilling heart-in-your-mouth thriller. So intense you can barely read on, but so gripping it's impossible to look away’ – Sarah Clarke
'One of the most unique and skilled debuts I've read in a long time' – Caroline Corcoran
'Gripping and tense throughout, this is a fabulous debut thriller. Incredibly atmospheric, I couldn't put it down' – Simon McCleave
'Whiteout is a white-knuckle thrill ride … can't wait to see what R.S. Burnett does next!' – Sara Ochs
‘Burnett masterfully evokes a horrifying sense of claustrophobia … A riveting debut—I tore through it like a blizzard’ – Giles Kristian
All stars
Most relevant
I only read this book because it fits one of the prompts in my reading challenge but I am so glad I did. It's my first 5* read of 2026.

Set in Antarctica, this is an absorbing, atmospheric and chilling thriller which starts slowly but gradually picks up pace until I was left on the edge of my seat as it hurtled towards its thrilling climax. I loved Rachel as a character. she is strong and courageous but also flawed enough to feel real. I loved the descriptions of the Antarctic landscape and what it is like to live in isolation and darkness in freezing blizzard conditions.

The narration by Catrin Walker-Booth was excellent.

Excellent

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Great story and very apt given current times. Great pace and kept me engaged throughout.

Thrilling and engaging

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Full disclosure – the author of 'Whiteout' is my son, Rob. I bought the audio book version because I drive a lot an wanted to enjoy the book as soon as possible. Knowing I could be subject to the charge of bias I was a little concerned I might have to be 'creative' with this review. I needn't have worried, Rob has created a thoroughly entertaining story of one person's attempts to triumph over almost unimaginable adversity. There is no gentle introduction to the story either – from page one the reader is plunged into the icy, dark world that is the Antarctic in winter, and is then hurled headlong from one crisis to the next, almost without respite. In fact, if I have any criticism at all it is that at times I felt like I desperately needed a break from the relentless tension. A friend, who has also just finished reading the paperback version, told me it was like "... reading Harlan Coben on ice!"
The audio version is narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth – a reader/performer I have not heard of before. She, however, delivers the story wonderfully well, matching voices and accents to the characters with impeccable and utterly believable precision. All bias, real or imagined, apart, I really have no qualms in recommending this book to anyone who appreciates a crackingly good adventure story – and who is prepared to sit up all night to finish it!

A Cracking Good Adventure Yarn!

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Had me questioning why, what, how from the start. My suspicions started to develope the same time as they did in the toryline, so just had to keep going. As a newbie to audiobooks I guess I have to get used to the narrators character voices, rather than my own imagination, but well told nonetheless.

It kept me wanting to carry on listening.

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I have rarely felt so little for a main character. Her motives are unconvincing and for a supposed academic she is really slow. The twists are predictable. Would I recommend this? No. Will I listen again? No.

Annoying protagonist

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