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Nils Shapiro #2
Broken Ice
Nils Shapiro has been hired to find missing Linnea Engstrom, a teenager from the small northern hockey town of Warroad, MN. Most of Warroad is in Minneapolis for the state high school hockey tournament, and Linnea never returned from last night's game. Linnea's friend Haley Housch is also missing--and soon found dead. Shot through the arm with an arrow at the Haley Housch crime scene, only the quick work of medical examiner Char Northagen saves Nil's life. Nils should be in the hospital recovering from his near fatal injury, but he knows that the clock is ticking. Linnea could be anywhere, and someone doesn't want her found. Is Linnea a victim, or is she playing a dangerous game? As bodies start piling up, the clues lead Nils and Ellegaard north to Warroad, a small, quiet town with many secrets to hide.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published June 12, 2018
460 people are currently reading
2489 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
August 31, 2018
INTUITION, is something Nils Shapiro has in spades, and fully developed. Comes in handy for this ex cop now private detective. Set in Minnesota, this second in series, finds Nils hired to find a missing girl. Actually tei girls are missing, but one is found fairly quickly. An unusual weapon will be causing much pain, and a few deaths. A bow, with some lethsl and expensive arrows.
Yes, I know, I seemed to have picked up another series, but I quite enjoy the characters in this one as well as the storylines, which are a little unusual. Nils character, with his unique ability, able to see what others miss and his personality, appeal. He is a good guy, a rather nice man who is still in love with his ex wife, and loyal to his friends. He also has a valid sense of fairness, and is dogged in his pursuit of answers. He doesn't work only for the money, much to his partners dismay. I like the cold setting of Northern Minnesota too, especially with the heat we have here in the Midwest again.
Well written, solid story and character development, fast paced, this is a good series, and another I will be adding to my series list.
Yes, I know, I seemed to have picked up another series, but I quite enjoy the characters in this one as well as the storylines, which are a little unusual. Nils character, with his unique ability, able to see what others miss and his personality, appeal. He is a good guy, a rather nice man who is still in love with his ex wife, and loyal to his friends. He also has a valid sense of fairness, and is dogged in his pursuit of answers. He doesn't work only for the money, much to his partners dismay. I like the cold setting of Northern Minnesota too, especially with the heat we have here in the Midwest again.
Well written, solid story and character development, fast paced, this is a good series, and another I will be adding to my series list.
January 29, 2019
No better than average story. MacLeod Andrews does not impress as narrator. 4 of 10 stars
September 18, 2018
This is very good, above average. And better than Nils #1, IMHO.
Of course, and once again, MN is the pivot character in the mix. And could hockey be far behind it?
We find Nils and his work partner Ells (and does he need him to have eyes to structure and finance) have within the one year just passed (and in which he has not seen the ex once) really dished out the partner combined new business entity. But there is a progression to change there coming for that too.
The case is looking for a missing 17 year old. But there are multiple bodies on the way and you are brought to the Canadian border several times. WAY ON TOP, 6 hours from St. Paul / Minn. a few times within the case progression.
The events jolt. And again. Nils being the bulls eye himself before the second half of the book begins.
Too many conversational and character carving pluses to list them all. It's easier to list the few negatives. Too much extremely clever TV sit. com. conversations per chapter and too much eye color and clothing descriptions for my taste. I am absolutely sure that this novel listed and described more blue eye colors than I knew existed. Pale grey blue, cornflower, baby clear blue, aquamarine going green etc. Usually within designer name dropping too for the shoes, clothing, and baggage lines. That does not feel like Minnesota to me in my own experiences of Minnesota or Minnesotans. It does sound like Matt Goldman the network Hollywood/ NY studio writer. LOL!
Regardless, the improbable lovemaking under bandage and winter wrap conditions, and a few several other minor hitches- the character and mixed groups conversations in this one are far better than they were in #1, Gone to Dust. And also more in keeping with the job and police associations too. The Amazon sized coroner is a fabulous character addition too. I wonder if she'll leave her job permanently after this "hiatus due to insubordination" thing. When they move to the smaller and nastier digs as an office, she'd be a good addition to the Nils' business team.
Loved the hunting asides, the hiker gear stuff, the Hockey Night frenzy of rural Minnesota towns feel.
The perp was not at all obvious and the last 1/4th of the book as intriguing and tension filled as any in the genre I've come across so far this year. Which is a bunch.
Matt Goldman sure has a winner. Now, if only he can cut down on the cutesy and yet mean-spirited put-down lines that he constantly uses for the thoughts Nils has upon his inquiries. (He has Nils doing this all the time- describing people with terrible judgment about teeth, glasses, body shapes etc. More than mean-at times just egotistically brutal!)
But then he makes up for that terrible habit by putting some pure quotable and so true paragraphs in there. Near the end he has 1/2 a page that is priceless about head smart and mean heart of the tech is the world young people of the present. Read it closely when you get to it.
Oh I'll keep reading these and Minneapolis is that clean too. And does have the exact polite response that you hear noted several times by Nils in observation. But hockey equipment smells worse than death. No Fabreze or any product will drown it. I once left a car open in the sun for days and that doesn't help either.
Of course, and once again, MN is the pivot character in the mix. And could hockey be far behind it?
We find Nils and his work partner Ells (and does he need him to have eyes to structure and finance) have within the one year just passed (and in which he has not seen the ex once) really dished out the partner combined new business entity. But there is a progression to change there coming for that too.
The case is looking for a missing 17 year old. But there are multiple bodies on the way and you are brought to the Canadian border several times. WAY ON TOP, 6 hours from St. Paul / Minn. a few times within the case progression.
The events jolt. And again. Nils being the bulls eye himself before the second half of the book begins.
Too many conversational and character carving pluses to list them all. It's easier to list the few negatives. Too much extremely clever TV sit. com. conversations per chapter and too much eye color and clothing descriptions for my taste. I am absolutely sure that this novel listed and described more blue eye colors than I knew existed. Pale grey blue, cornflower, baby clear blue, aquamarine going green etc. Usually within designer name dropping too for the shoes, clothing, and baggage lines. That does not feel like Minnesota to me in my own experiences of Minnesota or Minnesotans. It does sound like Matt Goldman the network Hollywood/ NY studio writer. LOL!
Regardless, the improbable lovemaking under bandage and winter wrap conditions, and a few several other minor hitches- the character and mixed groups conversations in this one are far better than they were in #1, Gone to Dust. And also more in keeping with the job and police associations too. The Amazon sized coroner is a fabulous character addition too. I wonder if she'll leave her job permanently after this "hiatus due to insubordination" thing. When they move to the smaller and nastier digs as an office, she'd be a good addition to the Nils' business team.
Loved the hunting asides, the hiker gear stuff, the Hockey Night frenzy of rural Minnesota towns feel.
The perp was not at all obvious and the last 1/4th of the book as intriguing and tension filled as any in the genre I've come across so far this year. Which is a bunch.
Matt Goldman sure has a winner. Now, if only he can cut down on the cutesy and yet mean-spirited put-down lines that he constantly uses for the thoughts Nils has upon his inquiries. (He has Nils doing this all the time- describing people with terrible judgment about teeth, glasses, body shapes etc. More than mean-at times just egotistically brutal!)
But then he makes up for that terrible habit by putting some pure quotable and so true paragraphs in there. Near the end he has 1/2 a page that is priceless about head smart and mean heart of the tech is the world young people of the present. Read it closely when you get to it.
Oh I'll keep reading these and Minneapolis is that clean too. And does have the exact polite response that you hear noted several times by Nils in observation. But hockey equipment smells worse than death. No Fabreze or any product will drown it. I once left a car open in the sun for days and that doesn't help either.
November 16, 2019
4.5 stars
Broken Ice is the second book in Goldman’s Nils (Shap) Shapiro series. Shap is a Minneapolis-based private detective who is clever, irreverent, and highly entertaining. In Broken Ice, Shap is hired to find Linnea Engstrom, a missing teenage girl who vanished during the Minnesota high school hockey playoffs. Early on in the investigation, he is shot in the arm by an arrow alerting him that someone does not want Linnea found. As he and his partner Anders Ellegaard dig further into Linnea’s disappearance and people continue to die, Nils realizes that his search for Linnea is uncovering dark secrets that people have gone to great lengths to keep hidden.
My favorite part of this book is Goldman’s rich evocation of Minnesota’s Scandinavian roots and culture. His descriptive imagery brings Minnesota’s unique personality to life, and this fabulous depiction of the area combined with Shap’s clever wit make Broken Ice a standout in the private detective genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Nils Shapiro mystery. In received this book to read and review; all opinions are my own.
For more reviews, check out my Instagram account, https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
Broken Ice is the second book in Goldman’s Nils (Shap) Shapiro series. Shap is a Minneapolis-based private detective who is clever, irreverent, and highly entertaining. In Broken Ice, Shap is hired to find Linnea Engstrom, a missing teenage girl who vanished during the Minnesota high school hockey playoffs. Early on in the investigation, he is shot in the arm by an arrow alerting him that someone does not want Linnea found. As he and his partner Anders Ellegaard dig further into Linnea’s disappearance and people continue to die, Nils realizes that his search for Linnea is uncovering dark secrets that people have gone to great lengths to keep hidden.
My favorite part of this book is Goldman’s rich evocation of Minnesota’s Scandinavian roots and culture. His descriptive imagery brings Minnesota’s unique personality to life, and this fabulous depiction of the area combined with Shap’s clever wit make Broken Ice a standout in the private detective genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Nils Shapiro mystery. In received this book to read and review; all opinions are my own.
For more reviews, check out my Instagram account, https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
January 10, 2023
Not bad, but not as entertaining as the first.
February 19, 2023
4 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot. Even more than the first book in the series.
May 13, 2020
3.5, rounded down. Broken Ice is the second installment in the Nils Shapiro series set in Minnesota. It is a worthy followup to Gone to Dust, and the character of Nils remains strong and likeable. In this installment, Nils is hired to find a missing teenage girl. The day after being hired, a second girl who went missing the same night, is found dead in a cave. In town during this time are contentious high school hockey teams vying for a championship. The girls knew each other and some members of the team.
Nils, while at the scene where the second girl is discovered, gets shot by an arrow. He is badly injured but survives. You may think getting shot by an arrow is strange. Well, yes it is. And soon two murders follow in the same manner. Despite the warning, Nils continues to follow up on leads to locate the missing girl. Some interesting characters appear and many have something to hide.
A huge drawback for me was 4 separate times I discovered typos in the novel. I know this is not the fault of the author, but it had a way of pulling me out of the story. This is a Forge Book, part of Macmillan Publishing Group. There is no excuse for this issue to occur.
Outside of that, the book was enjoyable and a solid entry in the series.
Nils, while at the scene where the second girl is discovered, gets shot by an arrow. He is badly injured but survives. You may think getting shot by an arrow is strange. Well, yes it is. And soon two murders follow in the same manner. Despite the warning, Nils continues to follow up on leads to locate the missing girl. Some interesting characters appear and many have something to hide.
A huge drawback for me was 4 separate times I discovered typos in the novel. I know this is not the fault of the author, but it had a way of pulling me out of the story. This is a Forge Book, part of Macmillan Publishing Group. There is no excuse for this issue to occur.
Outside of that, the book was enjoyable and a solid entry in the series.
October 8, 2018
I like the way this guy writes
"The morphine submerged me in amniotic fluid. I floated, cushioned and buoyant."
"After divorcing we agreed to joint custody of whiskey and sex and emotional support"
"When love has its grip on you, you shouldn't make financial decisions, operate heavy machinery, or play contact sports."
"A dying relationship is like an Alzheimer's patient. When it finally succumbs, it's less tragic because a big part of what you loved is already gone."
This was a sharply written, character driven read.
Nils Shapiro and his partner Anders Ellegaard. A pair of wise ass private investigators.
Char Northagen a six two lesbian medical examiner
Jameson White a six seven gay ex football player now a nurse practitioner.
Roger and Anne Engstrom. A family with many secrets.
Throw in a couple hockey players and a small town called Warroad and you have 'Broken Ice'
So what's the plot you ask? The GPS was broken so the plot did get lost at times.
One missing teenager, one dead teenager, one dead father, one dead mother(not related), one horny hockey coach, prostitutes, kidnapping, drug running, and people getting shot by arrows.
"The morphine submerged me in amniotic fluid. I floated, cushioned and buoyant."
"After divorcing we agreed to joint custody of whiskey and sex and emotional support"
"When love has its grip on you, you shouldn't make financial decisions, operate heavy machinery, or play contact sports."
"A dying relationship is like an Alzheimer's patient. When it finally succumbs, it's less tragic because a big part of what you loved is already gone."
This was a sharply written, character driven read.
Nils Shapiro and his partner Anders Ellegaard. A pair of wise ass private investigators.
Char Northagen a six two lesbian medical examiner
Jameson White a six seven gay ex football player now a nurse practitioner.
Roger and Anne Engstrom. A family with many secrets.
Throw in a couple hockey players and a small town called Warroad and you have 'Broken Ice'
So what's the plot you ask? The GPS was broken so the plot did get lost at times.
One missing teenager, one dead teenager, one dead father, one dead mother(not related), one horny hockey coach, prostitutes, kidnapping, drug running, and people getting shot by arrows.
October 9, 2018
3 stars
Nils Shapiro book #2. Nils and his partner have left the Minneapolis police department and are pursuing new careers as investigators for hire. Anders
Ellegard is hoping to snag a corporation for steady count-upon work to help their business grow. Meanwhile, Nils takes a case from distraught parents who are trying to find their missing daughter. But, the missing daughter case turns into so much more.
And that "so much more" is what I did not like about this book. Too many characters to keep track of with too many Scandinavian names but it is Minnesota! Not my favorite but I know I'll keep reading this new series. I like Minnesota!
Nils Shapiro book #2. Nils and his partner have left the Minneapolis police department and are pursuing new careers as investigators for hire. Anders
Ellegard is hoping to snag a corporation for steady count-upon work to help their business grow. Meanwhile, Nils takes a case from distraught parents who are trying to find their missing daughter. But, the missing daughter case turns into so much more.
And that "so much more" is what I did not like about this book. Too many characters to keep track of with too many Scandinavian names but it is Minnesota! Not my favorite but I know I'll keep reading this new series. I like Minnesota!
September 5, 2018
Well that was a disappointment. It started off so well too. Sorry to people I suggested it to before getting very far in.
Small bursts of great writing, but it just didn't come together well. I felt like some things were told too explicitly, others just popped up without any explanation. Mysteries should make you feel like you have just as much chance as solving it as the detective, I think.
And ugh, the sex scene. Has this author had sex with actual women? Or while injured? Seriously.
Small bursts of great writing, but it just didn't come together well. I felt like some things were told too explicitly, others just popped up without any explanation. Mysteries should make you feel like you have just as much chance as solving it as the detective, I think.
And ugh, the sex scene. Has this author had sex with actual women? Or while injured? Seriously.
June 18, 2019
I liked this one a lot more than the first in this series. Nils has some wicked and sometimes very inappropriate humor that had me snickering. This storyline was very interesting and the weapon of choice was a new aspect for a thriller.
October 15, 2018
Minnesota; Hockey; Hunting with arrows; private investigators who team up after being cops; unsophisticated stuff...
Two girls go missing after hockey tournament - one found dead in cave in St Paul, the other is quite a long and tangled story; enough tawdry stuff to fill the dirty clothes hamper.
So, I tried the book because he wrote for Seinfeld. That was not apparent within this book.
2.5 stars for me
Library loan
try it if you think hockey begins and ends in the cold state of Minnesota, perhaps
Two girls go missing after hockey tournament - one found dead in cave in St Paul, the other is quite a long and tangled story; enough tawdry stuff to fill the dirty clothes hamper.
So, I tried the book because he wrote for Seinfeld. That was not apparent within this book.
2.5 stars for me
Library loan
try it if you think hockey begins and ends in the cold state of Minnesota, perhaps
April 6, 2023
Another solid audiobook listen from the Audible Plus library. Book two was as good as the first with PI Nils Shapiro and his cast of characters. Enjoyable with some laughs but the perps haven’t been too difficult to figure out for either book. I look forward to starting the next one very soon!
October 5, 2018
Minnesota private investigator Nils Shapiro is hired to locate a teenager who disappeared. Actually, two girls disappeared the same night but one is soon located dead in a cave. After being allowed in the cave to view the scene, Nils steps out and is shot with an arrow. Although the police think they've spotted the girl, Nils refuses to give up the case until he finds her in person.
I liked this story better than the author's debut novel, Dust to Dust. From reading these books, I believe the author likes to create unusual situations so Nils can solve the crimes in his own intuitive way. I like his deductive reasoning. The story got a little complicated but again, I think this is the author's style. I know I like Nils and was happy to see more of his personal life in this book. I guess this will be a new series for me to continue.
I liked this story better than the author's debut novel, Dust to Dust. From reading these books, I believe the author likes to create unusual situations so Nils can solve the crimes in his own intuitive way. I like his deductive reasoning. The story got a little complicated but again, I think this is the author's style. I know I like Nils and was happy to see more of his personal life in this book. I guess this will be a new series for me to continue.
October 8, 2019
Back and forth, back and forth - This novel swings from one character to another and one storyline to another quickly and without much adhesion. I really enjoyed the character of Nils Shapiro and his partner, Anders Ellegaard. They are humane and kind men with a heightened sense of right and wrong. I happily read the other two books in the series and enjoyed them tremendously. While I did like this one I found it just slightly under par. Maybe it was the multitude of characters and families that were so intertwined that sometimes I felt like I was looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Two young women go missing on the same night in a small town. The chances of that happening are very slim and Nils Shapiro is called in by the family of one of the missing girls. There were some potential great characters like the nurse hired to take care of Nils and his injuries, but many of these minor characters never seem to get fully fleshed out. I liked the novel but it was in the just-above average range for me.
July 27, 2018
Nils Shapiro is a solid detective character and Matt Goldman has done a good job of building his character environment over the course of only 2 mystery novels. This current book did seem overly complicated though and I'll confess that I was getting completely confused in the end about who did what and why. This likely was due to my reading being of the audiobook edition as it would have been easier with a hard copy to scan back and check the back stories of various characters. The narration performance itself was excellent though and the sound mix was improved over that of the first book which suffered some audio volume drops.
July 27, 2018
I couldn’t put it down. Just like in the first book, the attention to detail and character development were spot on.
June 12, 2019
idk how to rate this. 2.75 maybe?
November 14, 2025
I read this for the library book club, Mn author, Mn setting. It was fun and kept my interest.
July 1, 2018
I loved the first book in this series, GONE TO DUST, and the second title did not disappoint. The PI, Nils "Shap" Shapiro has an appealing combo of vulnerability and toughness, and the peripheral characters were appealing and well "fleshed" out. The plot and twists kept me riveted although I felt by the end it got a little too convoluted with a few too many loose ends to knot but that's a minor quibble.
Goldman's comedy writing skills come through in some of the dialogue as does Shap's eye for detail in character introductions, both of which reminded me of Sue Grafton's writing. I believe fans of Grafton and J. A. Jance will enjoy this series as will Lee Child fans.
Goldman's comedy writing skills come through in some of the dialogue as does Shap's eye for detail in character introductions, both of which reminded me of Sue Grafton's writing. I believe fans of Grafton and J. A. Jance will enjoy this series as will Lee Child fans.
September 11, 2019
Maybe private investigator mysteries aren't as popular right now, but this genre is still one of my favorites. And it's a joy to see one executed so well. Nils Shapiro has added a partner, moved to tony offices and hired some interesting help for Stone Arch Investigations. Hired by the rich family of a girl who went missing the night of a hockey championship series game, Mila quickly discovers there is another high school girl who went missing that night. Hockey and the cold environs of St. Paul, MN provide an unusual backdrop for the story. Fast paced and well plotted, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rounding up from 4 and a half stars.
September 21, 2020
Another terrific murder/mystery series set in Minnesota! I have been slow to discover it and can’t wait to dig into the third book and find out how Nils and Ellie and team are doing.
What is it about Minnesota and the number of great mystery writers? Maybe it’s the cold winters that produce such great authors; PJTracy, David Housewright, John Sandford, William Kent Krueger, Vince Flynn, Brain Freeman, Allen Eskens and I’m sure I’m missing others! Add Matt Goldman to list even if he resides in New York!
What is it about Minnesota and the number of great mystery writers? Maybe it’s the cold winters that produce such great authors; PJTracy, David Housewright, John Sandford, William Kent Krueger, Vince Flynn, Brain Freeman, Allen Eskens and I’m sure I’m missing others! Add Matt Goldman to list even if he resides in New York!
December 20, 2018
3.5 stars. I really like the way this author writes and Nils Shapiro is a great character--plus I'm a sucker for anything set in Minnesota. This one was enjoyable, but a bit overly complicated to the point of being confusing at times. I had trouble following all the different threads of this mystery. Also, a small quibble, but the very unlikely way Nils managed to determine someone's laptop password had me rolling my eyes. But I like this series and will definitely be reading more of it!
July 1, 2018
Great continuation of this private investigator series set in Minnesota.
September 2, 2018
Can’t get enough of Nils! Another great, fast read. The authors’s attention to detail is spot on. Highly recommend.
January 16, 2020
Really like this series. Funny and suspenseful.
August 26, 2019
Broken Ice, the second in the series featuring private investigator, Nils Shapiro is a tale of crime noire at its finest. Set in the freezing temperatures of Minneapolis, this is a tale of drugs and murder and the darkest parts of the human heart.
"...I crawled out of the cave. Ellegaard waited for me outside the police tape. I told him all signs pointed to CO poisoning.
He said, 'Any sign of Linnea Engstrom?'
'Not yet.'
'Do you think she was in there?'
'I have no idea. But I know who we need to talk to next. By the way, we're working pro bono for the Houshes.'
I heard it before I felt it. At least that's what I remember. I don't know if the horror on Ellegaard's face was in reaction to 'pro bono' or because he saw the arrow lodge into my shoulder..."
The disappearance of Linnea Engstrom, a teenage girl from the hockey town of Warroad, Minnesota should have been a simple case to handle for the newly formed team of Shapiro and Ellegaard. The majority of the small town was in Minneapolis for the hockey tournament so finding people to speak with wasn't difficult. Linnea has not returned from the prior night's game and when her best friend Haley Housch also went missing, the parents became alarmed. But when Haley's body was found in a cave, Shapiro knew there was more to the case than met the eye. Then getting shot by an arrow confirmed that someone didn't want the girls to be found.
Shapiro should be in the hospital recovering from the injury and blood loss, but he knows that the clock is now ticking on the missing girl. If he doesn't find her quickly, then she could be as dead as Haley, if she wasn't already. But why?
The trail leads Shapiro back to the small town of Warroad. A small town with too many secrets to hide. Shapiro begins to suspect that maybe he has it wrong. That maybe Linnea isn't another victim, that maybe, Linnea is playing a game all her own. He will have to figure it out quick, the bodies are starting to pile up.
"....When I was eighteen I was dumb. All of us were dumb because we could only be as smart as our life experience would allow. But in the information age, kids can be smarter than their life experience. It's a false kind of smarts, of course. It's not learned the same way. It's learned through words and images on electric screens, not through joy, pain, and shame.
Linnea's generation is not ashamed. Of anything. And shame, really, is the seed of decency. But it's not their fault. How could they be ashamed? They've grown up in a shameless world..."
Nils Shapiro is a throwback, a detective the likes of which has faded from the crime genre and that is too bad. Shapiro's tales could have been written by the likes of MacDonald, Chandler or Hammett. A throwback to the time when private detectives were filmed in black and white and before the pretty boy genre hit. Shapiro is smart and clever and at times, incredibly jaded by what he has seen in the world around him. He is a detective in a large city but works it with a small town feel. He is far more of a Jim Rockford than a Magnum PI and that may be why he connects so well with the reader.
Broken Ice is a terrific mystery and in its way, a statement on our society. It is also a terrific follow up to the first novel in the series, Gone To Dust, which if you have not picked it up, you really, really should. Goldman writes seamlessly and to the reader effortlessly. The story is told through the grizzled and yet hopeful eyes of its main character and the lack of understanding he has with the younger set, which the crimes revolve in some part around, mirrors many of my generation's lack of understand for today's youth. Their values. Their needs. Their disconnect. Goldman handles this with grace and regret and without judgement. There is no right or wrong, just a disconnect.
A terrific novel and really good read!
"...I crawled out of the cave. Ellegaard waited for me outside the police tape. I told him all signs pointed to CO poisoning.
He said, 'Any sign of Linnea Engstrom?'
'Not yet.'
'Do you think she was in there?'
'I have no idea. But I know who we need to talk to next. By the way, we're working pro bono for the Houshes.'
I heard it before I felt it. At least that's what I remember. I don't know if the horror on Ellegaard's face was in reaction to 'pro bono' or because he saw the arrow lodge into my shoulder..."
The disappearance of Linnea Engstrom, a teenage girl from the hockey town of Warroad, Minnesota should have been a simple case to handle for the newly formed team of Shapiro and Ellegaard. The majority of the small town was in Minneapolis for the hockey tournament so finding people to speak with wasn't difficult. Linnea has not returned from the prior night's game and when her best friend Haley Housch also went missing, the parents became alarmed. But when Haley's body was found in a cave, Shapiro knew there was more to the case than met the eye. Then getting shot by an arrow confirmed that someone didn't want the girls to be found.
Shapiro should be in the hospital recovering from the injury and blood loss, but he knows that the clock is now ticking on the missing girl. If he doesn't find her quickly, then she could be as dead as Haley, if she wasn't already. But why?
The trail leads Shapiro back to the small town of Warroad. A small town with too many secrets to hide. Shapiro begins to suspect that maybe he has it wrong. That maybe Linnea isn't another victim, that maybe, Linnea is playing a game all her own. He will have to figure it out quick, the bodies are starting to pile up.
"....When I was eighteen I was dumb. All of us were dumb because we could only be as smart as our life experience would allow. But in the information age, kids can be smarter than their life experience. It's a false kind of smarts, of course. It's not learned the same way. It's learned through words and images on electric screens, not through joy, pain, and shame.
Linnea's generation is not ashamed. Of anything. And shame, really, is the seed of decency. But it's not their fault. How could they be ashamed? They've grown up in a shameless world..."
Nils Shapiro is a throwback, a detective the likes of which has faded from the crime genre and that is too bad. Shapiro's tales could have been written by the likes of MacDonald, Chandler or Hammett. A throwback to the time when private detectives were filmed in black and white and before the pretty boy genre hit. Shapiro is smart and clever and at times, incredibly jaded by what he has seen in the world around him. He is a detective in a large city but works it with a small town feel. He is far more of a Jim Rockford than a Magnum PI and that may be why he connects so well with the reader.
Broken Ice is a terrific mystery and in its way, a statement on our society. It is also a terrific follow up to the first novel in the series, Gone To Dust, which if you have not picked it up, you really, really should. Goldman writes seamlessly and to the reader effortlessly. The story is told through the grizzled and yet hopeful eyes of its main character and the lack of understanding he has with the younger set, which the crimes revolve in some part around, mirrors many of my generation's lack of understand for today's youth. Their values. Their needs. Their disconnect. Goldman handles this with grace and regret and without judgement. There is no right or wrong, just a disconnect.
A terrific novel and really good read!
August 22, 2020
Matt doesn't disappoint in this great follow up Nils Shapiro story! I love the inner dialog Shap has with himself! Lots of twists and turns. If you liked Gone to Dust you'll love this second outing.
July 1, 2023
was fire, hockey players are absolute beauties. hope they make it to the nhl. that flynn cop dude is a clown
November 15, 2018
Couldn't put it down ... so many twists & turns that keeps the story spiraling. Gone To Dust was an introduction to Nils ... Broken Ice was no-holds-barred suspense.
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