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Frank and Alice Thompson take their first winter trip to the San Juan mountains, where their cabin is located. Things don’t take long to turn terrible for them: their Chevy Blazer is dead and completely frozen, Alice forgets to pack the phone chargers, and they quickly run out of supplies. Frank decides that he will have to trek the twenty-two-mile hike to the town of Telluride, Colorado, or they won’t survive. On the way, Frank is being stalked by an alpha wolf named Rollo. Rollo is changing into something beyond the usual wolf after a fight with a bear. The transformation is called the “splitting,” and like Frank, Rollo is being hunted too. In the wolf's case, it is by his doppleganger. However, this entity or phantom has a purpose that’s closer to Frank than imaginable. It’s a battle between good and evil.
The story, both a psychological thriller and a classic adventure tale, is intertwined with elements of the supernatural. Duman’s plot is fantastical to the very end. His main characters are well-written and rounded. This can be seen in the author's exploration of the Thompsons' relationship. Frank is a father, husband, and a tire salesman who seems to be on the edge. His and Alice’s relationship is in a rut, which is one of the reasons why they decided to take the trip in the first place. However, Alice is worried about it because they are in their mid-forties and out of shape. Another high point in the story is the author's portrayal of the wolf's point of view. In fact, some of the best writing in the story is about Rollo and his inner thoughts. Overall, there is nothing ordinary about Duman’s novel, which makes it all the better for readers.