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The frontier spirit is alive and well in the old silver-mining town-turned-trendy resort of Aspen, Colorado, despite an influx of the rich and famous - and Regan Reilly. Regan has arrived with her mystery-writing mom and suave, funeral director father to spend the Christmas holidays on the slopes and visiting friends. Secretly, she wouldn't mind meeting a single man or two. She never expects to be rubbing shoulders, and maybe risking her neck, with varmints, desperadoes, or art thieves. Million-dollar paintings have been disappearing from elegant condos and chic chalets all over town. Suspicion immediately falls on a congenial ex-con caretaker named Eben Bean, who seems to have absconded with the loot. Worse, Regan not only knew and liked Eben, but also had helped him get his caretaking job. Now she may be the only person in town who believes he is innocent.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 1995
174 people are currently reading
1305 people want to read
About the author
Carol Higgins Clark
70 books835 followersCarol Higgins Clark was an American mystery author. She was the daughter of author Mary Higgins Clark , with whom she co-authored novels, and the former sister-in-law of author Mary Jane Clark.
Born in New York City, Clark received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1978 and then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She was the author of the Regan Reilly mystery series. She also acted in several films.
Clark's New York apartment building, The Belaire, was hit by a small plane flown by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle on October 11, 2006. Her 38th floor condominium was just a floor below the main impact zone. She was not injured in the accident.
She appeared on the game show, To Tell The Truth.
Carol died at the age of 66 on June 12, 2023 of appendix cancer.
Born in New York City, Clark received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1978 and then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She was the author of the Regan Reilly mystery series. She also acted in several films.
Clark's New York apartment building, The Belaire, was hit by a small plane flown by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle on October 11, 2006. Her 38th floor condominium was just a floor below the main impact zone. She was not injured in the accident.
She appeared on the game show, To Tell The Truth.
Carol died at the age of 66 on June 12, 2023 of appendix cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
August 11, 2020
Five fully deserved stars for Iced. I read it partially a year ago then picked it up again recently. I found myself being endeared to many of the characters in there. There are many loose threads that are kind of resolved at the end.
Regan Reilly is exactly thirty years old and has often received the favors of many a potential life partner. But this book is not a romance one. It's a characteristically old fashioned mystery. It's a full blown mystery.
Half the fun is watching Regan inch closer to the truth about the kidnapping of an ex jewel thief. Despite the title, no one dies in this jolly book. That's not a spoiler, instead it's a pointer to the atmosphere of the book. Give the latter a chance.
Regan Reilly is exactly thirty years old and has often received the favors of many a potential life partner. But this book is not a romance one. It's a characteristically old fashioned mystery. It's a full blown mystery.
Half the fun is watching Regan inch closer to the truth about the kidnapping of an ex jewel thief. Despite the title, no one dies in this jolly book. That's not a spoiler, instead it's a pointer to the atmosphere of the book. Give the latter a chance.
September 29, 2022
2.5 stars bumped to 3. Enjoyable cozy mystery set in Aspen, CO. There are art thieves afoot, stealing from some of the wealthiest residents. Regan has arrived with her parents for the Christmas holiday and her friend Louis' restaurant opening. Regan & Louis become aware that one of their acquaintances has disappeared and now is the prime suspect for the heists. Regan can't square that idea with the Eben she knows and soon tries to find the truth. There are a number of peripheral characters to keep the story moving along but an odd secondary storyline which concluded with an eye-rolling conclusion.
August 23, 2023
PI Regan Reilly is vacationing in Aspen, when there's art theft, and an allegedly reformed art thief is missing. She gets on the case, and finds a whole lot of trouble.
August 1, 2022
4 stars - English Ebook
A P.I.’s work is never don, especially when her ski vacation is interrupted by a high-end art heist in this brisk and breezy holiday mystery.
It's Christmas in Aspen and P.I. Regan Reilly is vacationing with her parents. And hoping to meet an unmarried man. Soon, however, all thoughts of romance turn to sleuthing when million-dollar paintings start disappearing, along with an old friend of Regan's, who happens to be an ex-con. Regan is sure he’s innocent, but proving it is going to be an uphill battle.
The snow is falling, the plot is thickening, and the danger is closing in on Regan. With all the assorted hijinks, adventures, false alarms, and yes, plain old silliness, can she get this case tied up in a nice, neat bow in time to enjoy the rest of her holiday?
Loved the plot!
There are more twists and turns to the plot. I was constantly rethinking who the guilty person could be!
Just when you think you have it solved, something happens and once again you are left resorting the characters.
It was a very quick and easy read for me and I would recommend to others who like the mystery novels. Aldo it still a 4 star read for me.
A P.I.’s work is never don, especially when her ski vacation is interrupted by a high-end art heist in this brisk and breezy holiday mystery.
It's Christmas in Aspen and P.I. Regan Reilly is vacationing with her parents. And hoping to meet an unmarried man. Soon, however, all thoughts of romance turn to sleuthing when million-dollar paintings start disappearing, along with an old friend of Regan's, who happens to be an ex-con. Regan is sure he’s innocent, but proving it is going to be an uphill battle.
The snow is falling, the plot is thickening, and the danger is closing in on Regan. With all the assorted hijinks, adventures, false alarms, and yes, plain old silliness, can she get this case tied up in a nice, neat bow in time to enjoy the rest of her holiday?
Loved the plot!
There are more twists and turns to the plot. I was constantly rethinking who the guilty person could be!
Just when you think you have it solved, something happens and once again you are left resorting the characters.
It was a very quick and easy read for me and I would recommend to others who like the mystery novels. Aldo it still a 4 star read for me.
April 2, 2021
The 3rd in a series I have not read, and not especially to my taste. It takes place in Aspen, CO right around Christmas. Several rich families are planning on skiing and going to parties during the holidays. They had not planned on being robbed of priceless pictures. Everyone thinks it is Eben, a caretaker with a criminal past. But is it? When he and a house keeper go missing, it is up to Regan to figure out the answer. A side story involves an elderly spinster and a secret to her past.
April 12, 2018
i like this book but i feel like the first two book in the series were better because of the great storyline .
i thought that this book took awhile to have anything happened that made you want to keep reading the book . but i am happy that i kept reading the book till the end because when all kinds things start to happen in the book. i hope the next book in the series will be better than this one. i give this book four stars because i all the things that happened near the end of the book . if more things had happened sooner in the book i would have get it five stars . i have to say that i like mary higgins clark writing lot better because she has a lot more action and mystery in her books . but carol higgins clark is a great writer too. but they sure do have different style of writing but that is a good thing. if they did have the same style of writing then i would not read there books because they would be boring to read.
i thought that this book took awhile to have anything happened that made you want to keep reading the book . but i am happy that i kept reading the book till the end because when all kinds things start to happen in the book. i hope the next book in the series will be better than this one. i give this book four stars because i all the things that happened near the end of the book . if more things had happened sooner in the book i would have get it five stars . i have to say that i like mary higgins clark writing lot better because she has a lot more action and mystery in her books . but carol higgins clark is a great writer too. but they sure do have different style of writing but that is a good thing. if they did have the same style of writing then i would not read there books because they would be boring to read.
September 22, 2021
Entertaining, but not particularly noteworthy and not much of a mystery. Some of the characters were funny and/or likeable, others were just annoying. Also, I just don't get rich people. Audiobook was read by the author, so that's nice.
August 7, 2023
Enjoyable enough, but many of the characters were just sketches.
August 3, 2025
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. There are a few nice little twists at the end of the book.
Read
January 2, 202570th book of 2024
November 12, 2014
I bought this book for our family's recent trip to Washington State. I didn't have time to read it during our trip, and afterward I had a hard time getting into it.
When I finally had the time to read it, the book really whizzed by. It was a really interesting read with a couple of surprising twists. Having read a lot of books, I'm not easily surprised, or rather, not easily majorly surprised, but this book did just that.
The only thing I'd wish the author would do is go into more depth into the main character, Regan Reilly's, emotional story. The story felt like a standard old mystery, which is great, but Clark would take it to another level if she explored Regan's character more fully. I.e., go beyond the surface and explore her inner story. (Review written August 2008.)
When I finally had the time to read it, the book really whizzed by. It was a really interesting read with a couple of surprising twists. Having read a lot of books, I'm not easily surprised, or rather, not easily majorly surprised, but this book did just that.
The only thing I'd wish the author would do is go into more depth into the main character, Regan Reilly's, emotional story. The story felt like a standard old mystery, which is great, but Clark would take it to another level if she explored Regan's character more fully. I.e., go beyond the surface and explore her inner story. (Review written August 2008.)
November 15, 2024
It’s a cute story. Very disjointed and hard to follow the plot. The writing was all over the place. And in the end, there was nothing to lead up to the finally, supposedly happy, ending. A lot of info was assumed that should have been explained prior to the events that took place in the final pages.
I don’t mind an east mystery read but it has to be written well to get me to pick up another.
Kind of a waste of time.
I don’t mind an east mystery read but it has to be written well to get me to pick up another.
Kind of a waste of time.
November 5, 2021
I always start out with the best of intentions when I read books by Carol Higgins Clark. The story line in this one is decent, but as I find in most of her novels, she has way too many characters that I have trouble keeping track of all of them. It was on ok read but a book like this normally takes me a few hours to read and instead it took me over a week.
July 11, 2016
Une lecture divertissante.
March 8, 2022
Always love her books.
July 29, 2022
Having lived there (18 years) and visited Aspen many ,many times it was a fun read ….and the disappearance of million -dollar paintings from million dollar homes , unleashed a host of typical Aspen characters that hang out there over a Xmas -New year ski holiday and starred in the 10 day period that this novel ICED played out.
And house-sitters , caretakers, maids, cooks, masseuse’s, ski bums, tourists, celebrities, waiters, entrepreneurs, Aspen historians, and fun down to earth regular locals ….all nurtured the storyline.
And of course “the art heists “ complicated the family/friends ski vacation of private investigator Megan Reilly. Unfortunately, her good friend Louis ,the owner of a new boutique ski lodge/restaurant, had referred a former employee to be a house caretaker and now was the primary suspect in the disappearance of valuable art from two homes in Aspen & one in Vail.
Fittingly, a long time 75 yr old grand dame resident , whose family dates back to the Silver boom in Aspen in late 1800’s , and her involvement with the towns historical societies , surprisingly weaves her influence to an interesting twist to various themes, characters and the stolen art fiasco.
So who gets Iced?….read it. Sort of corny but fun.
And house-sitters , caretakers, maids, cooks, masseuse’s, ski bums, tourists, celebrities, waiters, entrepreneurs, Aspen historians, and fun down to earth regular locals ….all nurtured the storyline.
And of course “the art heists “ complicated the family/friends ski vacation of private investigator Megan Reilly. Unfortunately, her good friend Louis ,the owner of a new boutique ski lodge/restaurant, had referred a former employee to be a house caretaker and now was the primary suspect in the disappearance of valuable art from two homes in Aspen & one in Vail.
Fittingly, a long time 75 yr old grand dame resident , whose family dates back to the Silver boom in Aspen in late 1800’s , and her involvement with the towns historical societies , surprisingly weaves her influence to an interesting twist to various themes, characters and the stolen art fiasco.
So who gets Iced?….read it. Sort of corny but fun.
November 29, 2022
This one is quite dated (such as the seemingly positive reference to Imus in the Morning although that little tidbit is quickly redeemed by one character suggesting to another that “Happy Holidays” might be a more appropriate general greeting than “Merry Christmas” when one is not sure of the receiving party’s religion which I certainly appreciate as a level of class & kindness that seems to elude many people even now). This book was actually published in the same year as when I lived in Aspen, so for the Aspen references, it rings nostalgically true for me. As places are mentioned (The Red Onion Restaurant, the movie theater, the McDonald’s, Snowmass, The Little Nell, Hotel Jerome) I’m taken right back to that tiny little town circa 1995. Especially the mention of the movie theatre; a cozy place where I saw ‘Legends of the Fall’ and thought Brad Pitt was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen on screen). Even though this is a really old book, I think that if you’ve spent time in Aspen, you might enjoy it for its uniquely Aspen vibes. “It’s got the advantages of a small town with all the activity of a big city”. The story itself is a bit over the top but it’s still a lot of fun.
June 12, 2017
"Another great cozy mystery series"
This book is set at Christmas time, so making it a perfect holiday read.
Ethan a reformed jewel thief, who now works as care taker for a well known actress in Aspen, Colorado.
One night when he had a bit much to drink he runs into a former fellow inmate and gives him the grand tour of the property, which his friend then decides to kidnap Ethan to rob the place and to frame Ethan for the crime.
Unfortunately for our villain, Regan Reilly happens to be a guest in Aspen and thru a turns
of events gets involved in catching the villain.
I loved the scenic descriptions, the humor and the mystery factor as well as some of the slightly exaggerated characters.
January 19, 2018
This book follows Regan and her friends and family as they arrive in Aspen Colorado for a much needed break and vacation spent skiing and having a wonderful time. When they arrive they find Eben the housekeeper missing. As they wonder what happened they hear about a Santa who is stealing from the wealthy over paintings. Regan begins to wonder what really happen to Eben? Is he a true bad guy or just a guy in a horrible situation?
This is a great winter tale at Christmas time where you can enjoy Aspen without going there with a great mystery inside of another mystery to boot! I really enjoyed following Regan and other guests as they try to put together what happened before their arrival and the truth was incredible and really threw me for a loop but I loved it all the same!
This is a great winter tale at Christmas time where you can enjoy Aspen without going there with a great mystery inside of another mystery to boot! I really enjoyed following Regan and other guests as they try to put together what happened before their arrival and the truth was incredible and really threw me for a loop but I loved it all the same!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2019
I read these Regan Reilly books some time ago, so I decided to listen to them.
Regan and her parents have traveled to Aspen, Colorado to spend time skiing and visiting friends over the Christmas holidays. Instead of the relaxing vacation she had been dreaming of, Regan finds herself in the midst of million dollar art thefts. What makes it worse is the one person missing is Eben Bean an ex-con whom Ragan had helped get a job as a caretaker for a wealthy friend of her parents. Now, it appears that Eben has fallen into his old ways; yet deep down Regan feels he is innocent and steps up to prove it!
But, there is more at stake then paintings and Regan is about to stumble onto a truth of a lifelong secret!
February 28, 2021
I enjoyed the character of Eben Bean - finally a good main character who's a blue collar; that seems to be missing in a lot of Higgins Clark books - Carol's as well as her mother's. Blue collar characters in most of their books always tend to be greedy and desperate hoodlums whose only motivation is money - so it's very refreshing to see someone like Eben Bean - blue collar ex convict with a good heart with some funny, clumsy quirks.
As for the story, it took me some time to really get into it. But once i did, it's a fun ride.
One thing i also really love about Carol Higgins Clark books is the humor. Like her mother's books, its a cozy mystery that'll keep you hooked - but the humor in it, plus Regan's fun personality, really makes it distinct and fun.
As for the story, it took me some time to really get into it. But once i did, it's a fun ride.
One thing i also really love about Carol Higgins Clark books is the humor. Like her mother's books, its a cozy mystery that'll keep you hooked - but the humor in it, plus Regan's fun personality, really makes it distinct and fun.
September 7, 2023
Cozy mystery set in Aspen, CO. There are art thieves afoot, stealing from some of the wealthiest residents. Regan has arrived with her parents for the Christmas holiday and her friend Louis' restaurant opening. Regan & Louis become aware that one of their acquaintances has disappeared and now is the prime suspect for the heists. Regan can't square that idea with the Eben she knows and soon tries to find the truth. There are a number of peripheral characters to keep the story moving along but an odd secondary storyline which concluded with an eye-rolling conclusion. The story moved quickly and had several twist and turns. It was not boring and one could keep up with who the characters were in each part. This is a good weekend read, travel read or beach read.
Read
May 22, 2025Regan & her family travel to Aspen for a Christmas vaca. Their hosts discover they have been robbed! They blame the caretaker ( he has been kidnapped by the thieves). R's friend Louis is trying to open a new restaurant & may lose a big booking because he vouched for the caretaker. R & he visit the head of the committee & convince her to keep the same site for the benefit. The art thieves come to the benefit & steal a valuable painting. Regan chases them ( with another art thief driving!) and ends up saving the caretaker & a housekeeper that was also kidnapped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
"Iced" by Carol Higgins Clark, is part of the Regan Reilly mystery series. It is a good choice for those looking for a light and enjoyable mystery without overly complex or dark elements. I enjoyed the humor that was woven into the story and found it quite entertaining. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. Many of the characters are reoccurring but the author explains their connections in each book . It is also an older series but love the aspect of little technology involved.
December 12, 2017
P.I. Regan Reily has been looking forward to her vacation in Aspen, Colorado. She has high hopes of
meeting an unmarried man! But the disappearance of a good friend an ex-con named Eben Bean
and a million dollar painting has been stolen. Everyone but Reily thinks the theft was made by
Eben. But Reily runs into all kinds of problems trying to solve the mystery and finds herself
running for her life!
meeting an unmarried man! But the disappearance of a good friend an ex-con named Eben Bean
and a million dollar painting has been stolen. Everyone but Reily thinks the theft was made by
Eben. But Reily runs into all kinds of problems trying to solve the mystery and finds herself
running for her life!
April 14, 2019
For someone who is related to one of the best mystery writer's, Carol keeps letting us know at least some of the guilty party from the beginning. The only suspenseful part is who is paying them, who has a secret identity and the small moments of threats.
Seriously though, I'm only still reading because of 2 reasons, one is I love Luke, which is Reilly's dad and I do like the humor. The second reason is I am waiting for my reading buddy to get back to our book.
Seriously though, I'm only still reading because of 2 reasons, one is I love Luke, which is Reilly's dad and I do like the humor. The second reason is I am waiting for my reading buddy to get back to our book.
February 20, 2021
My thoughts on Iced:
1. Similar to her other books, it’s not as suspenseful but I enjoyed the mystery.
2. I thought Coyote was Stewart because he was sketchy but I was wrong.
3. Didn’t expect it’s going to be Tripp, the Coyote.
4. Geraldine Spoonfellow having twins was a shock.
5. Even and Bessie being the missing twins was more shocking. To think they’ve been in Aspen for a long time.
6. Geraldine reunited and getting married were a sweet way to end the story.
1. Similar to her other books, it’s not as suspenseful but I enjoyed the mystery.
2. I thought Coyote was Stewart because he was sketchy but I was wrong.
3. Didn’t expect it’s going to be Tripp, the Coyote.
4. Geraldine Spoonfellow having twins was a shock.
5. Even and Bessie being the missing twins was more shocking. To think they’ve been in Aspen for a long time.
6. Geraldine reunited and getting married were a sweet way to end the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2021
3.5 stars
Reagan Reilly travels to Aspen to celebrate the unveiling of a recently discovered priceless piece of artwork. The unveiling is enough to put her friend Louis’s new resort on the map, but ex-cons and art thieves have other plans. Can Reagan save both the art and her friend’s business?
Another cheerful romping cozy mystery. Cheesy names abound, hints of danger, and a twisty plot made for an enjoyable read.
Reagan Reilly travels to Aspen to celebrate the unveiling of a recently discovered priceless piece of artwork. The unveiling is enough to put her friend Louis’s new resort on the map, but ex-cons and art thieves have other plans. Can Reagan save both the art and her friend’s business?
Another cheerful romping cozy mystery. Cheesy names abound, hints of danger, and a twisty plot made for an enjoyable read.
July 14, 2023
This book seemed slightly better than the other two I read before this one.The plot and the characters were a little more interesting as I began to see more potential in the Regan Reilly character.I like her parents.I guess maybe because I miss my own,and mine are dead.There was a very nice discovery/plot twist towards the latter half of the book.It makes me curious as to what the rest of the series is about and how much Regan and grown and changed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews