Chip Off the Ice Block Murder

A Shay O'Hanlon Caper #4

by Jessie Chandler

It's the dead of winter in Minnesota, and Shay O'Hanlon can't wait to close up her coffee shop and get out of town with her girlfriend, Minneapolis cop JT Bordeaux. But when she receives a call informing her that her dad is missing, Shay's plans for a romantic getaway are put on ice. Figuring her dad is on one of his periodic benders, Shay is shocked to learn that his gun has been used in a murder. With the dead man found in a giant ice cube unable to provide any answers, Shay and her quirky friends are bound and determined to find her father―and the real killer―before the trail turns cold. "Jessie Chandler's latest Shay O'Hanlon adventure is as sharp as a frigid winter day. A body in a block of ice meant for the Winter Carnival Ice Palace is just the beginning of this wild luge ride as Shay sorts through the clues to clear her father of murder. Like a luge, there are twists and turns throughout, but Jessie saves the bigest twist for (quite literally) the last few seconds. Highly recommended."―John Gaspard, author of The Eli Marks Mysteries

Genres: Mystery, LGBT, Ebooks, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Jessie Chandler is the award-winning author of the Shay O'Hanlon Caper series, the Operation Series, and the Art Thief Series.

Chandler lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her wife and two mutts, Fozzy Bear and Ollie. In the fall and winter, Jessie writes, and spends her summers selling T-shirts and other assorted trinkets to unsuspecting conference and festival goers. You can visit her at www.jessiechandler.com

Reviews

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started the book I wasn't sure if it was suppose to be a comedy but as the story progressed I found myself laughing. The mystery will boggle the mind. It is a quick page turner that you can read sitting by the fire.
The writing was on par for this style of mystery.

Advance Copy from Netgalley

[Ameliah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!
As with the first of Ms. Chandler's books, I could not put this one down either. I read it from cover to cover in a day. The mystery was believable and the plot engaging with plenty of turns. She has an easy, laid back style and way of inserting humour in her books that makes me smile and groan. There are no pretenses with this woman.

Ms Chandler writes her characters so well that Shay O'Hanlon and her rag tag bunch of friends and family feel like my friends and family. I even miss them, especially Dawg who, as Ms Chandler states does a kidney bean lean-o-rama to describe the lovable boxer's greetings. (My own boxer's did this too!) I can really connect with her characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I do have to admit I really, really like it when a book takes place in my back yard and I am able to recognize the places in the book. It is such a bonus and makes the story more real for me. However, this book could have been set in New Orleans or Boston or Seattle and I still would have devoured it. Its just such a fine, light hearted and intriguing mystery.

I am so very pleased there are two more books in the series already out and plans for a fifth in the works!

Thank you so much Ms Chandler!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body is found in a block of ice along with Shay's dad's gun. Pete, Shay's dad, disappears. Shay gives up her romantic vacation with JT, her partner, to find dad and take care of his bar. Shay, her collection of unusual friends and her partner, homicide detective JT, go on the hunt. When a sewer leak is being fixed in the bar's basement, the situation gets more complicated when another body is found. There's lots of action and characters I'd like to continue reading about.

I had never heard of this series and had no problem understanding what was going on and the dynamics between the characters despite this being book 4. I enjoyed it so much I was happy to find out my library had the first three books in the series so I can get caught up.

I don't think it was the fault of the writing or book, but I knew quite early on who the bad guy was (but not the individual's exact motivation, but I had general suspicions) and what the unexpected twist at the end of the book would be.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shay's dad owns a bar and he goes missing on New Year's eve so she has to take over. However, her anger at his irresponsible behavior soon changes to concern when he becomes a person of interest in a murder.

There are a lot of unique friends and characters, the pace is fast, but I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. My biggest issue is that I didn't much care for Shay. I really wanted to like her, but she's all over the map emotionally, going from concern to anger in a couple of seconds. Plus, I knew as soon as Lisa showed her the coin, what that meant. Shay missed it by a mile.

It was a quick read and easy to follow, but I just wish Shay didn't act angry all the time.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Shay O'Hanlon's 4th caper, Shay confronts a change of plans as her father, owner of the Leprechaun bar, disappears on New Year's Eve, one of the bar's busiest nights of the year. She also learns the St. Paul PD considers him a "person of interest" in the murder of a noted con man, found frozen in a block of ice along with a gun belonging to Shay's father. With the help of her partner, Minneapolis Police detective JT Bordeaux, and her close friends Nick "Coop" Cooper and Eddy Quartermaine, set out to find Pete O'Hanlon before the SPPD do! Fans of Janet Evanovich will like this humorous, fast-paced cozy.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of this series, for it's humor, well developed main characters and because Jessie Chandler makes reading fun!
Shay and JT are at it again - well, not really, because Shay's dad disappears just when Shay and JT are set to leave for a well deserved six days off.
Hilarity, and some blood, follow Shay and JT as they search for Dad. See, he's wanted for questioning after a dead body and Pete's gun are found frozen in a block of ice. And then there's the body in the basement of the Lep...
Great read! And the ending, yeah!

[Lance Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fourth in series entry is subtitled a "caper" but it is a fairly traditional murder mystery, and a nicely constructed one at that. It tends to solve itself in the end, however, with the lead character being more of an obstacle in the culprit's grand plan than the person responsible for gleaning the solution. Still, it's all good fun from a whodunit and whydunit perspective. Read our full review, here: http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/myst...

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series and I've read several of them. Shay heads to her dad's bar to help out on New Year's Eve. He is missing on his busiest night of the year. She and her police officer girlfriend search for him as the bodies start pilling up. With the help of friends they think they have found the murderer but something's not quite right.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body is found frozen in a huge chunk of ice...along with a gun belonging to Shay's father. It's New Year's Eve and Shay's dad is missing. Has he gone on another bender? Things get complicated fast as Shay and her unique group of friends try to find her dad and clear him of murder. The characters are eccentric and likable and the mystery well-done.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is full of suspense, comedy and it's set in Minnesota.....what more could I ask for?? The characters are so much fun and I love finding out more about them in each book. I hope you never stop writing, Jessie! Highly, highly recommended.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think this was the best one yet!!

[Sandra de Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessie Chandler's Shay O'Hanlon series is billed as a caper. Chandler does add a bit of humor to her mysteries, but it's the tight plot that keeps a person reading. There are always many named characters, making it more difficult to decide "whodunit." I enjoyed this very much, and finished it in short order.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent read. My bad is that i should have read others before first. Ill check them out

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading this cozy for Netgalley, this month. In the 4th installment of the Shay O'Hanlon series, Jessie Chandler introduced us to a new kind of twist. It's New Year's Eve and Day in a cold winter in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With Shay's father missing and the bartender quit on her, when it's heavy in the Leprechaun bar, it left Shay empty-handed and behind on the dispensing of drinks. What made matters worse was her father disappeared, a dead body's found in the body of ice, and Lisa Vecoli arrived on scene. Shay and her partner and lover, JT, and her best friend Nick Cooper are on the scene to find out what happened to her father, and what's causing the stink in the bottom of her basement. With the police harping on her, since he's a suspect, the closer to the truth of what went down and happened before it. Little did she knew, there's a hidden shocker, when things turn real cold, and a surprise ending she didn't expect to find. This is a good find for trying new authors.

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)

[Sheilah Coffey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but needs an editor.