Sarah Moss: Cold Earth (Granta, 2009)

[Mark Harwood]

Sarah Moss is a writer and academic, and this is her debut novel.
Set in Greenland, it tells the tale of how a group of post-grad students on an archaeological dig become cut off from the outside world, in which a pandemic seems to be taking hold. It is creepy, and has hints of insanity along with supernatural agencies that just might be imagined.
The telling of the tale is through letters written home but not confidently expected to be read whilst the writers still live.
I would say it is well-written on all levels; it is made of good sentences, terse paragraphs, interesting ideas and intriguing surprises.
I warmly recommend it.