A chilling murder only a blind man can solve.
Who committed the murder in the ice house? A lawyer of questionable repute approaches PIs Smiley and McBlythe to find out. They agree on one condition: that truth will prevail. Even if that means the Russian cooling his heels in jail is guilty.
Smiley and McBlythe have ten days to name the killer before the lawyer, and the Russian mob, do things … and the Russian mob, do things their way.
The rules change when Heather arrives home to find her beloved cat gone. The ultimatum: Solve the murder in three days or she’ll never see him again. Smiley has one last trick up his sleeve to ferret out the killer. If it doesn’t work, Max will be gone, and so will his partner.
You’ll love this mystery where justice is served…ice cold!
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This is my first time reading anything by this author and I enjoyed reading this short mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the story interesting and the reader guessing. The characters have depth and are very likable. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
With a nod to classic detective stories, this is a fun and engaging read. Smiley and McBlythe make an interesting duo, each contributing individual strengths toward discovering “who done it.” A delightful escape into a mystery, with enough clues and red herrings to keep you guessing.
This is novella book three in the Smiley and McBlythe Mystery series and sees Steve Smiley and Heather McBlythe called in by a lawyer to help prove his client is innocent of the murder of an ice house owner. The lawyer normally works with much higher ranking clients within the Russian mob, so can’t be seen to be involved in the case of a lowly employee of the adjoining donut shop being the main suspect. The lawyer Judson Witherspoon, gives them ten days to prove his client Reuben Moscovitch innocent, or he will take matters into his own hands. The victim was Peter Grayson and he used the advantage of his wife Sissy’s family money and business to take advantage, skimming money from the ice businesses and going fishing every day, to enjoy his passion. His father-in-law, William Keyton and his wife’s sister Dagmar, didn’t like what he did.
When Heather’s cat Max is taken and held against the duo to get their actions speeded up and giving them an ultimatum to solve the case in three days now, or they will never see the cat again. Someone it seems, doesn’t like their slow progress in proving Reuben innocent, even after another person was put forward by someone else as the prime suspect. Steve has to try one final trick to oust the actual killer, but if he doesn’t then Heather will lose her beloved cat and he could lose Heather!
It will take a convoluted investigation to clarify the real reasons behind Peter Grayson’s murder and the real person or persons responsible for carrying it out, but they are not responsible. Someone paid for the murder to occur and Steve and Heather must work out who that was, if they are to reach a conclusion before matters are taken out of their hands. A great mix of mystery, red herrings amongst the clues and a multitude of suspects amongst a varied cast of characters. An ace pair of investigators that lead you around a case in a unique manner, never quite letting you glimpse the conclusion until they are ready. I look forward to reading more of these investigations. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
I love reading Bruce Hammack stories and the The Ice House Murder wasn’t an exception! Really enjoyable book!
These Smiley and McBlythe mysteries strike me as a cross between a cozy mystery and a police procedural. Hammack is a master of description–and both the characters and the settings literally jump off the page. With rich, vibrant characters that pull you along these novellas can be easily read over a weekend. Highly recommend!
I really loved this clever mystery. I loved the character’s and how they interacted with each other. I loved the plot. I want to read more from this author and this series. It was easy to read and I read it in one sitting. I will be following this author for more of course!