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DCI Jansen #1
Under the Ice
It is the week before Christmas and the cathedral city of St Albans is blanketed by snow. But beneath the festive lights, darkness is stirring. The frozen body of a young girl is discovered by the ice-covered lake.
The police scramble for clues. A local woman, Jenny, has had visions of what happened the night of the murder. But Jenny is an exhausted new mother, whose midnight wanderings pull her ever closer to the lake. Can Jenny be trusted? What does she really know?
Then another girl goes missing, and the community unravels. Neighbour turns against neighbour, and Jenny has no idea who to believe. As Christmas Eve approaches, Jenny discovers a secret about her past – and why she could be key to everything...
302 pages, ebook
First published November 1, 2018
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585 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 113 reviews
December 16, 2018
Rachael Blok's debut crime fiction is part psychological thriller and part police procedural set in St Albans as the festive season approaches. A young 14 year old schoolgirl, Leigh Horde is discovered dead, under the frozen ice of the lake. Jenny and Will Brennan have recently moved to the town from frenetic London, seeking a more rural setting to bring up a family. Jenny is a new mother, with son, Finn, feeling exhausted, suffering sleepless nights, isolated, having to cope with Finn on her own with Will out at work and often not coming back until late in the evenings after entertaining clients. Ever since giving birth, not unsurprisingly Jenny is missing her mother who she lost as a young child. She feels upset at the death of Leigh, feeling an odd connection to her. Jenny feels as if she is hearing Leigh's voice, seeing ghosts, and keeps finding herself sleepwalking to the lake with no idea of how she got there.
Feeling frustrated and not knowing what is happening to her, she is keeping her true mental state from her husband, who finds her strange behaviour totally out of character. Jenny decides to seek professional help and a space where she can be heard, and ends up being counselled by therapist, Dr Klaber, which she finds helpful. The police team investigating Leigh's murder are struggling to find any leads and cannot understand how Jenny is finding clues that they keep missing. DCI Maarten Jansen is heading the case, aided by DI Imogen Deacon. Maarten is Dutch, and in the process of being interviewed and offered another position in Rotterdam Police which he is seriously considering, taking account of his wife, Liv, and the needs of his two daughters, Nic and Sanne. Events take a turn for the worse when a 9 year old girl goes missing, and tensions in the local community rise sky high. Jansen and his team are struggling, the only lead they have is Jenny, but can she be trusted? Could she even be a suspect?
This is a great crime fiction story set in icy and wintry St Albans with a great character in Jenny, the new mother who is off kilter, seeing things, with secrets in her past, and driven to save the young girl, no matter what the personal cost. The police and Maarten in particular are unsure of what to make of her input but she has found crucial evidence. An entertaining, suspenseful and tense read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.
Feeling frustrated and not knowing what is happening to her, she is keeping her true mental state from her husband, who finds her strange behaviour totally out of character. Jenny decides to seek professional help and a space where she can be heard, and ends up being counselled by therapist, Dr Klaber, which she finds helpful. The police team investigating Leigh's murder are struggling to find any leads and cannot understand how Jenny is finding clues that they keep missing. DCI Maarten Jansen is heading the case, aided by DI Imogen Deacon. Maarten is Dutch, and in the process of being interviewed and offered another position in Rotterdam Police which he is seriously considering, taking account of his wife, Liv, and the needs of his two daughters, Nic and Sanne. Events take a turn for the worse when a 9 year old girl goes missing, and tensions in the local community rise sky high. Jansen and his team are struggling, the only lead they have is Jenny, but can she be trusted? Could she even be a suspect?
This is a great crime fiction story set in icy and wintry St Albans with a great character in Jenny, the new mother who is off kilter, seeing things, with secrets in her past, and driven to save the young girl, no matter what the personal cost. The police and Maarten in particular are unsure of what to make of her input but she has found crucial evidence. An entertaining, suspenseful and tense read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.
April 12, 2020
Laboured, unconvincing, overwrought and ultimately very irritating.
Rachael Blok’s debut crime release is an unconvincing and laboured affair that combines elements of a police procedural and a psychological thriller located in the commuter belt town of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Set during the countdown to Christmas and trumpeted as atmospheric I was anticipating an unsettling air of menace, especially given that a sleep-deprived and anxious new mother is central to the plot, but sadly this never translated with suspense pedestrian at best.
Thirty-something Jenny Brennan has recently moved to St. Albans with lawyer husband, Will, and their four month old baby, Finn. Exhausted and unbalanced by newly resurfaced memories of losing her own mother as a young child, Jenny is distracted, tearful and on edge. Awakening one morning from vivid dreams of a young girl lying dead in the frozen lake at the end of the lane she lives in Jenny doesn’t tell her husband, worried that he will think she is losing her mind. But just hours later when the body of fourteen year old Leigh Hoarde is recovered from the self same lake with suspicions of foul play involved in her death, Jenny starts to fear she might not just just be having visions but sleepwalking with all manner of disturbing implications. Plagued by inarticulately expressed dreams and happening to stumble upon several crucial pieces of evidence the police have to question whether Jenny is inveighing herself, or someone is entangling her, in a murder investigation. As distressed Jenny starts seeing a counsellor to discuss her fears, the disappearance of a second young girl sends shock waves through the town and a race agains time ensues to return the missing girl alive.
Dutch national, DCI Maarten Jansen heads up the investigation without seeming to have any idea of how to run a police operation, so much so that at times it is laughable. His team, like him, are no more convincing or distinctive and fail to pass muster at supposedly being given control of a murder investigation of national significance. The absence of urgency or leadership undermined the whole idea of a time critical operation and the half-cocked investigation ambles along at a pace dictated by Jenny’s dreams. This lack of impetus undermines the whole scenario and I couldn’t begin to care about Blok’s ponderous DCI Jansen or overwhelmed and insipid new mother, Jenny. Even the suspects and secondary cast feel one-dimensional, from the young male toff teacher who takes an interest in his pupils to Jenny’s overburdened and tightly-wound husband, Will). Crucially, although Jenny is a primary suspect in the police investigation she has a glaring absence of motive and the drawn out denouement is too improbable and convoluted for words.
The tone is literary and the writing itself is overly ornate and florid, establishing little of further substance but saying the same thing in a variety of impressive ways. There is a great deal of repetition within the story and disappointingly Jenny’s dreams fail to unsettle with numerous mentions of whispers, dripping water and a cold breeze becoming tiresome when they are bandied around without ever becoming coherent or advancing the plot.
On the evidence of Under the Ice, and ultimately what an irritating read it proved to be, I will steer clear of Rachael Blok’s further outings. For a far better read about an exhausted new mother I recommend Celia Fremlin’s ‘The Hours Before Dawn’.
Rachael Blok’s debut crime release is an unconvincing and laboured affair that combines elements of a police procedural and a psychological thriller located in the commuter belt town of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Set during the countdown to Christmas and trumpeted as atmospheric I was anticipating an unsettling air of menace, especially given that a sleep-deprived and anxious new mother is central to the plot, but sadly this never translated with suspense pedestrian at best.
Thirty-something Jenny Brennan has recently moved to St. Albans with lawyer husband, Will, and their four month old baby, Finn. Exhausted and unbalanced by newly resurfaced memories of losing her own mother as a young child, Jenny is distracted, tearful and on edge. Awakening one morning from vivid dreams of a young girl lying dead in the frozen lake at the end of the lane she lives in Jenny doesn’t tell her husband, worried that he will think she is losing her mind. But just hours later when the body of fourteen year old Leigh Hoarde is recovered from the self same lake with suspicions of foul play involved in her death, Jenny starts to fear she might not just just be having visions but sleepwalking with all manner of disturbing implications. Plagued by inarticulately expressed dreams and happening to stumble upon several crucial pieces of evidence the police have to question whether Jenny is inveighing herself, or someone is entangling her, in a murder investigation. As distressed Jenny starts seeing a counsellor to discuss her fears, the disappearance of a second young girl sends shock waves through the town and a race agains time ensues to return the missing girl alive.
Dutch national, DCI Maarten Jansen heads up the investigation without seeming to have any idea of how to run a police operation, so much so that at times it is laughable. His team, like him, are no more convincing or distinctive and fail to pass muster at supposedly being given control of a murder investigation of national significance. The absence of urgency or leadership undermined the whole idea of a time critical operation and the half-cocked investigation ambles along at a pace dictated by Jenny’s dreams. This lack of impetus undermines the whole scenario and I couldn’t begin to care about Blok’s ponderous DCI Jansen or overwhelmed and insipid new mother, Jenny. Even the suspects and secondary cast feel one-dimensional, from the young male toff teacher who takes an interest in his pupils to Jenny’s overburdened and tightly-wound husband, Will). Crucially, although Jenny is a primary suspect in the police investigation she has a glaring absence of motive and the drawn out denouement is too improbable and convoluted for words.
The tone is literary and the writing itself is overly ornate and florid, establishing little of further substance but saying the same thing in a variety of impressive ways. There is a great deal of repetition within the story and disappointingly Jenny’s dreams fail to unsettle with numerous mentions of whispers, dripping water and a cold breeze becoming tiresome when they are bandied around without ever becoming coherent or advancing the plot.
On the evidence of Under the Ice, and ultimately what an irritating read it proved to be, I will steer clear of Rachael Blok’s further outings. For a far better read about an exhausted new mother I recommend Celia Fremlin’s ‘The Hours Before Dawn’.
November 6, 2018
Loved this book! It starts off slowly and all very mysteriously and then you begin to realise how far it has worked itself under your skin. Richly atmospheric and moody with an intriguing, unusual detective and a haunted main character. Loved its St Albans Christmas setting. Beautifully written from start to finish This is most definitely an author to watch. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
February 18, 2025
Well written suspense novel.
May 12, 2022
The writing's AWFUL. So overblown,ornate and full of absurd turns of phrase it makes it impossible to read the book.
December 10, 2018
Under the Ice was a perfect wintry read, pacy and addictive with an intriguing mystery element and a sympathetic character in Jenny, a new mother who appears to be battling ghosts as well as the sleep deprivation that comes attached to a new baby…
The writing is beautifully immersive as we jump between Jenny, sleepwalking towards clues and the police investigation which ultimately focuses back on Jenny. It is tense and atmospheric, with a missing child’s life at stake and a snowy, chilly backdrop that makes you shiver.
The setting of St Albans is beautifully described giving an excellent sense of place and Under the Ice is unpredictable and highly readable, very creepy in places,with a cleverly done finale.
Very much enjoyed it. Recommended.
The writing is beautifully immersive as we jump between Jenny, sleepwalking towards clues and the police investigation which ultimately focuses back on Jenny. It is tense and atmospheric, with a missing child’s life at stake and a snowy, chilly backdrop that makes you shiver.
The setting of St Albans is beautifully described giving an excellent sense of place and Under the Ice is unpredictable and highly readable, very creepy in places,with a cleverly done finale.
Very much enjoyed it. Recommended.
August 16, 2020
Nejednalo se vůbec o špatnou knihu. Mám k ní však dvě výtky, kvůli kterým musím své hodnocení snížit. Autorka vypráví příběh ve třetí osobě, což by ještě nebyl až takový problém, ale v přítomném čase, který upřímně nemusím, a vadí mi. V kombinaci se jednalo o dost odosobněný příběh, zejména z pohledu Jenny, do níž jsem se nemohla vůbec vcítit. V jejích vidinách jsem spatřovala zajímavý prvek mysteriózna, který mohl příběh vyzdvihnout, ale nestalo se tak. I celkovou atmosféru (zasněžená krajina, adventní čas, mysteriózno, vražda dívky) autorka nevylíčila tak, jak bych si představovala. Druhou výtku mám k pachateli – jakmile se v knize objevil, tušila jsem, že jím bude on. Žádné překvapení se tak na konci nekonalo. Z knížky mám vcelku rozpačitý pocit, což se odrazilo i v mém hodnocení. Stíny jezera jsou průměrnou knihou, která neurazí, ale ani nenadchne.
Celá recenze k přečtení zde
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Celá recenze k přečtení zde
http://zaostrenonaknihy.cz/recenze/re...
April 21, 2025
Currently included with audiable this was a little obvious in the storyline however there was enough substance to keep me interested and listening. An easy listen that doesn’t take a lot of concentration to follow so was ideal for resting with!
May 11, 2021
I've read the second and third book in this series (The Scorched Earth and Into the Fire), and while they all work as standalones, I've been meaning to go back and read this first instalment for a while.
Set, as the other books are, in St Albans, here we meet DCI Maarten Jansen for the first time, after a 14 year old schoolgirl is found dead in the city park's lake just before Christmas. It's not long until another girl goes missing in ways that suggest that the two are linked. While Jansen takes more of a front seat than in the third book in particular, the story is still very much driven by the perspective of other characters. In this book, much of the story comes from Jenny, a new mother who feels incredibly connected to the case, and keeps finding herself sleepwalking in the park and seeing ghosts of girls. Jenny is a really interesting character to read, and Blok has done a good job of writing someone who is increasingly unsure of her own mental state.
Alongside DCI Jansen, and each book's other POV characters, Blok makes the weather a key character in her series. Under The Ice is set in a particularly cold, snowy, and icy December, adding an interesting threatening layer to the mood while at the same time lending itself to some beautiful descriptive writing while children make snowmen in the park which has become a crime scene.
Having read the later books, it feels apparent that this is Blok's debut. The writing is a little clumsy at times — I noticed, among other things, a couple of occasions where the tense changed mid-paragraph, and a few occasions during POV chapters where the perspective shifted to someone else slightly — and overall just not as polished as the later stories.
Unfortunately I found the outcome of the central mystery to be very easy to predict. There weren't a huge number of people to suspect so I'd decided very early on who my suspicions fell upon, and I didn't really falter in that decision while continuing to read.
The pace is decent; although perhaps a little slow to begin with. Towards the end it begins to race at breakneck speed, with chapters becoming shorter and shorter, hurtling towards the conclusion.
It's still a really decent read and I recommend the series. Some slightly clumsy moments in the writing let this one down a little, however Blok's style gets honed throughout the series.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
Set, as the other books are, in St Albans, here we meet DCI Maarten Jansen for the first time, after a 14 year old schoolgirl is found dead in the city park's lake just before Christmas. It's not long until another girl goes missing in ways that suggest that the two are linked. While Jansen takes more of a front seat than in the third book in particular, the story is still very much driven by the perspective of other characters. In this book, much of the story comes from Jenny, a new mother who feels incredibly connected to the case, and keeps finding herself sleepwalking in the park and seeing ghosts of girls. Jenny is a really interesting character to read, and Blok has done a good job of writing someone who is increasingly unsure of her own mental state.
Alongside DCI Jansen, and each book's other POV characters, Blok makes the weather a key character in her series. Under The Ice is set in a particularly cold, snowy, and icy December, adding an interesting threatening layer to the mood while at the same time lending itself to some beautiful descriptive writing while children make snowmen in the park which has become a crime scene.
Having read the later books, it feels apparent that this is Blok's debut. The writing is a little clumsy at times — I noticed, among other things, a couple of occasions where the tense changed mid-paragraph, and a few occasions during POV chapters where the perspective shifted to someone else slightly — and overall just not as polished as the later stories.
Unfortunately I found the outcome of the central mystery to be very easy to predict. There weren't a huge number of people to suspect so I'd decided very early on who my suspicions fell upon, and I didn't really falter in that decision while continuing to read.
The pace is decent; although perhaps a little slow to begin with. Towards the end it begins to race at breakneck speed, with chapters becoming shorter and shorter, hurtling towards the conclusion.
It's still a really decent read and I recommend the series. Some slightly clumsy moments in the writing let this one down a little, however Blok's style gets honed throughout the series.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
January 7, 2019
A promising debut. It's come with a certain amount of shouting and I'm mystified by some of it because there are definite flaws here, but I found this easy to read, well-written and engaging. How you react to the last 50 pages will, I suspect, depend a great deal upon the importance you attach to plausibility. It's certainly pacy and there are twists and turns aplenty in the plot but the closer we come to tying things up, the more everything relies upon coincidence and the failure of characters to communicate and take steps that are blindingly obvious.
The natural descriptions are good though and there is a fairly creepy atmosphere which is sustained throughout. I certainly had no problem in reading on for another couple of chapters which is always a good sign. On balance I'd say there's enough here for me to cast an eye over any future offerings from Rachael Blok and I suspect that there are hordes of readers out there who will be less pernickety and will gobble this up.
Promising.
The natural descriptions are good though and there is a fairly creepy atmosphere which is sustained throughout. I certainly had no problem in reading on for another couple of chapters which is always a good sign. On balance I'd say there's enough here for me to cast an eye over any future offerings from Rachael Blok and I suspect that there are hordes of readers out there who will be less pernickety and will gobble this up.
Promising.
September 4, 2018
I was delighted to receive an early review copy of Rachael Blok's beautifully written debut. The prose evokes the strange, disjointed world of a woman with a very young child brilliantly, and places it against a young girl's murder with unsettling results.
I found the culmination of the story particularly satisfying, with every character well-drawn and believable. This is a cerebral, moving and impressing book and I can't wait to read more from Rachael.
I found the culmination of the story particularly satisfying, with every character well-drawn and believable. This is a cerebral, moving and impressing book and I can't wait to read more from Rachael.
December 26, 2018
3,4/5
It was nice reading this in December. I never thought I’m a reader that needs to read differently in different seasons, or a mood reader at that, but I might reconsider.
The book itself was pretty good, it dragged a bit in the middle and the main character was just so unreliable at some point I was afraid it would be to annoying for me to continue( I have extremely little patience for this kind of nonsense) but the line wasn’t crossed.
Good start.
It was nice reading this in December. I never thought I’m a reader that needs to read differently in different seasons, or a mood reader at that, but I might reconsider.
The book itself was pretty good, it dragged a bit in the middle and the main character was just so unreliable at some point I was afraid it would be to annoying for me to continue( I have extremely little patience for this kind of nonsense) but the line wasn’t crossed.
Good start.
March 10, 2019
Rachael Blok’s debut literary psychological thriller has an interesting central hook but ultimately this is a disappointing affair where Jenny remains a shallow character and the antagonist was easy to guess and I found the writing repetitive and lacking in precision. What really irritated me was the fact that the police procedural side of it is poor and lacks credibility such that I wouldn’t rush to read Blok’s next book.
December 30, 2019
I devoured this captivating thriller in one sitting; I literally couldn’t put it down. Dripping with tension and suspense, well written and packed with great characters, this has everything you could want in a psychological thriller.
The eerie prologue sets the tone for this electrifying thriller, pulling me in and not letting go until the last page. Jenny was an interesting but unreliable character. She herself was never sure what she had really experienced or seen and what she had dreamed, which made me question everything she said, even when she was sure she was right. I couldn’t figure out why she was so traumatised by the death of a young girl she’d met just once and while I never suspected her I did wonder how and why she was finding herself so mixed up in vital parts of the investigation.
This book is the first in a new crime series, and DCI Maarten Jansen and his partner DI Imogen Deacon were both great characters that I found relatable, enjoyed reading and was left wanting to find out more about what happens to them after the events of this book. And though there were some hints at problems in Maaren’s past, I found him to be a sincere detective who wanted to find the person who had taken these girls and bring them to justice.
By about half way through I had come to some conclusions that were later proven right, but I didn’t put some pieces together and was astounded at the jaw-dropping revelations that came as we approached the conclusion of the story. If you are a thriller and crime fiction lover I would highly recommend this book. I will definitely be reading the subsequent installments in the series.
The eerie prologue sets the tone for this electrifying thriller, pulling me in and not letting go until the last page. Jenny was an interesting but unreliable character. She herself was never sure what she had really experienced or seen and what she had dreamed, which made me question everything she said, even when she was sure she was right. I couldn’t figure out why she was so traumatised by the death of a young girl she’d met just once and while I never suspected her I did wonder how and why she was finding herself so mixed up in vital parts of the investigation.
This book is the first in a new crime series, and DCI Maarten Jansen and his partner DI Imogen Deacon were both great characters that I found relatable, enjoyed reading and was left wanting to find out more about what happens to them after the events of this book. And though there were some hints at problems in Maaren’s past, I found him to be a sincere detective who wanted to find the person who had taken these girls and bring them to justice.
By about half way through I had come to some conclusions that were later proven right, but I didn’t put some pieces together and was astounded at the jaw-dropping revelations that came as we approached the conclusion of the story. If you are a thriller and crime fiction lover I would highly recommend this book. I will definitely be reading the subsequent installments in the series.
March 8, 2025
“Under The Ice” (UTI) is the debut novel by British author Rachael Blok. It’s is the first in a series of novels featuring DCI Maarten Jansen.
The body of a young girl is found drowned. Another goes missing. But one local woman seems to have detailed knowledge of both crimes…more than she should. It’s not clear to the police if or how Jenny Brennan is linked to these crimes, and Jenny isn’t sure herself.
UTI is a classic police procedural novel that will keep the reader engaged from start to finish. With an array of characters with multiple potential suspects and motives. The police lead investigator DCI Jansen has his own demons to deal with including a mysterious past that saw him relocate from Amsterdam to the English town of St Albans.
As the book progresses the race against time to find the missing child and the perpetrator becomes more urgent which is elegantly shown through the ever reducing size of the chapters.
Blok’s writing style is very easy to read though it did take about 20 odd pages to get into her “rhythm” but once there the pages flew by. The characters are interesting and the storyline is one that will keep you guessing until the reveal (which I must admit I didn’t see coming but the clues are there).
A throughly enjoyable debut and no doubt I will return to see what is next in store for DCI Jansen.
UTI gets 3.5 nocturnal wanderings out of 5.
The body of a young girl is found drowned. Another goes missing. But one local woman seems to have detailed knowledge of both crimes…more than she should. It’s not clear to the police if or how Jenny Brennan is linked to these crimes, and Jenny isn’t sure herself.
UTI is a classic police procedural novel that will keep the reader engaged from start to finish. With an array of characters with multiple potential suspects and motives. The police lead investigator DCI Jansen has his own demons to deal with including a mysterious past that saw him relocate from Amsterdam to the English town of St Albans.
As the book progresses the race against time to find the missing child and the perpetrator becomes more urgent which is elegantly shown through the ever reducing size of the chapters.
Blok’s writing style is very easy to read though it did take about 20 odd pages to get into her “rhythm” but once there the pages flew by. The characters are interesting and the storyline is one that will keep you guessing until the reveal (which I must admit I didn’t see coming but the clues are there).
A throughly enjoyable debut and no doubt I will return to see what is next in store for DCI Jansen.
UTI gets 3.5 nocturnal wanderings out of 5.
January 17, 2019
Fantastic book with a creepy factor which keeps you guessing until the end. One murdered child and another missing is the basis of this fast-paced mystery. Jenny is sleepwalking and finding evidence that the police ohave missed. How can she be sure what is real and what is imagined? Brilliant storytelling. #NetGalley
February 21, 2022
Atmospheric
October 29, 2024
3.75* loved that it was set in St Albans and recognized locations in parts of the story. Good mystery as well and psychological elements. Look forward to reading the next one
December 11, 2018
This was just ok, but I enjoyed reading it.
December 9, 2018
Suspenseful and with an ending I did not guess. Good characters and plot development.
April 19, 2019
Gripping story,hard to put down (so I didn't) and who was the mad one . Kept me guessing
January 7, 2019
I bought Under The Ice, a psychological thriller by Rachael Blok, to read over the Christmas period. I wanted a page-turner that wouldn't require any effort to get into, and which would be wintry and atmospheric.
Set in St Albans (a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, in case you don't know it) the plot centres on the murder of a young teenage girl at a lake a couple of weeks before Christmas. Jenny, struggling with post-natal depression and sleep deprivation after the birth of her first baby, lives with her husband Will in a house nearby and immediately feels a strong, disturbing connection to the case that she can't understand. Plagued by voices and sensations of drowning and repeatedly drawn to the lake, Jenny is frightened and confused, and it's up to DCI Maarten Jansen, heading up his final investigation in England before he returns to his native Rotterdam, to peel back the layers of the mystery and find out what Jenny really knows about the murder of Leigh Hoarde. Jansen's presence, the angsty heroine and the snowy lakeside setting give the whole thing the feel of a subtitled European TV crime series, so if they're your kind of thing you may well enjoy this book.
Regardless of this, Under The Ice is certainly a darkly atmospheric winter read if you're looking for a seasonal crime novel (I'm not sure I can imagine reading it in summer). Rachael Blok has a gift for description and you'll almost feel the biting December chill as you turn the pages. Jenny's anxiety and exhaustion as a new mother are also convincingly rendered. However, the psychological disturbances she suffers in relation to Leigh's murder do become somewhat repetitive - they're appropriately creepy and haunting, but there's only so many ways they can be put into words and they do occur frequently.
I have some other minor complaints, which are that there are some characters who seem underused (journalist Matt, who reports on the murder case, for instance) and I'd have liked to find out far more about the killer and their motives, which are sketched out with infuriating brevity and seemed a little lazily conceived.
While it's far from perfect, Under The Ice is a good, readable mystery with a tense race-against-time ending and has most of the key elements I'd look for in a strong, almost Hitchcockian psychological thriller.
Set in St Albans (a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, in case you don't know it) the plot centres on the murder of a young teenage girl at a lake a couple of weeks before Christmas. Jenny, struggling with post-natal depression and sleep deprivation after the birth of her first baby, lives with her husband Will in a house nearby and immediately feels a strong, disturbing connection to the case that she can't understand. Plagued by voices and sensations of drowning and repeatedly drawn to the lake, Jenny is frightened and confused, and it's up to DCI Maarten Jansen, heading up his final investigation in England before he returns to his native Rotterdam, to peel back the layers of the mystery and find out what Jenny really knows about the murder of Leigh Hoarde. Jansen's presence, the angsty heroine and the snowy lakeside setting give the whole thing the feel of a subtitled European TV crime series, so if they're your kind of thing you may well enjoy this book.
Regardless of this, Under The Ice is certainly a darkly atmospheric winter read if you're looking for a seasonal crime novel (I'm not sure I can imagine reading it in summer). Rachael Blok has a gift for description and you'll almost feel the biting December chill as you turn the pages. Jenny's anxiety and exhaustion as a new mother are also convincingly rendered. However, the psychological disturbances she suffers in relation to Leigh's murder do become somewhat repetitive - they're appropriately creepy and haunting, but there's only so many ways they can be put into words and they do occur frequently.
I have some other minor complaints, which are that there are some characters who seem underused (journalist Matt, who reports on the murder case, for instance) and I'd have liked to find out far more about the killer and their motives, which are sketched out with infuriating brevity and seemed a little lazily conceived.
While it's far from perfect, Under The Ice is a good, readable mystery with a tense race-against-time ending and has most of the key elements I'd look for in a strong, almost Hitchcockian psychological thriller.
November 22, 2021
Velmi zapomenutelné. Divné postavy, jejich hloubka byla zhruba úrovně "Tak jde čas". Ale tak úplně k smrti mě to neurazilo.
December 31, 2018
Under the Ice is Rachel Blok’s debut, a crime novel with a strong psychological thriller vibe set in the week before Christmas. As it happened, I read this book in the lead-up to Christmas which added a nice feel to it.
This book opens with the discovery of a young girl’s body in a frozen lake, and swiftly moves on to introduce us to Jenny, one of the protagonists. She’s a first-time mother who’s struggling with motherhood—and she sees ghosts.
Okay, her ghostly “visions” and experiences somewhat annoyed me. I found those sections slow and not that engaging. While the way they were written symbolised Jenny’s confused mindset at the time, where she was only half awake, I found these passages a challenge to read. I had to really concentrate as I read to work out what was going on, and it felt like hard work. I don’t mind reading engaging books where you have to really think to know what’s happening, but I don’t think the writing style quite worked here as it threw me out of the story and reminded me that it was writing that I was reading, which in turn slowed down the pace a lot for me during these sections. But the ghostly visions also certainly added a mysterious element to Jenny’s character, and played nicely into her unintentional unreliable qualities as a narrator.
One thing I really loved about this book was how it alternated between psychological thriller (with the narrator being Jenny) and police procedural (with the narrator being detective Maarten). I love police procedural and it was so interesting seeing the hunt for the murderer from two different perspectives—and more than once it made me convinced that Jenny was going to be revealed as the killer.
Adding in a second crime to this murder mystery—the disappearance of a second girl who has no connections to the first���was nice as it upped the stakes and really increased the tension. With the second girl also being the best friend of Maarten’s daughter, it added a nice personal element to Maarten’s motivation to find the killer. We saw the pressure on him both from a family perspective and a professional one. It really developed his character nicely.
The actual identity of the killer was not something I saw coming. I was shocked, both in a good and bad way—partly because the real killer had never been on my suspect list at all (or the police’s or Jenny’s suspect list). It did seem to come out of the blue, but it it didn’t seem totally unbelievable.
Overall, this is a solid crime thriller.
This book opens with the discovery of a young girl’s body in a frozen lake, and swiftly moves on to introduce us to Jenny, one of the protagonists. She’s a first-time mother who’s struggling with motherhood—and she sees ghosts.
Okay, her ghostly “visions” and experiences somewhat annoyed me. I found those sections slow and not that engaging. While the way they were written symbolised Jenny’s confused mindset at the time, where she was only half awake, I found these passages a challenge to read. I had to really concentrate as I read to work out what was going on, and it felt like hard work. I don’t mind reading engaging books where you have to really think to know what’s happening, but I don’t think the writing style quite worked here as it threw me out of the story and reminded me that it was writing that I was reading, which in turn slowed down the pace a lot for me during these sections. But the ghostly visions also certainly added a mysterious element to Jenny’s character, and played nicely into her unintentional unreliable qualities as a narrator.
One thing I really loved about this book was how it alternated between psychological thriller (with the narrator being Jenny) and police procedural (with the narrator being detective Maarten). I love police procedural and it was so interesting seeing the hunt for the murderer from two different perspectives—and more than once it made me convinced that Jenny was going to be revealed as the killer.
Adding in a second crime to this murder mystery—the disappearance of a second girl who has no connections to the first���was nice as it upped the stakes and really increased the tension. With the second girl also being the best friend of Maarten’s daughter, it added a nice personal element to Maarten’s motivation to find the killer. We saw the pressure on him both from a family perspective and a professional one. It really developed his character nicely.
The actual identity of the killer was not something I saw coming. I was shocked, both in a good and bad way—partly because the real killer had never been on my suspect list at all (or the police’s or Jenny’s suspect list). It did seem to come out of the blue, but it it didn’t seem totally unbelievable.
Overall, this is a solid crime thriller.
December 30, 2019
For a first novel, this book is certainly a page turner. At first, I must admit, that I found it a little slow going but it soon started to get interesting and I found myself wanting to turn the page to find out what was going to happen next. It has been very carefully written, using a descriptive style that paints an interesting picture and makes the words come to life. This style takes a little getting used to, but once you understand what the author is trying to do, it really adds another dimension to the story.
At the beginning, I found the Dutch detective – DCI Maarten Jansen – a little irritating and cold hearted, but gradually, as the investigation went on I started to warm to him and began to understand that he was much more sympathetic and understanding than the rest of his team. The plot was very cleverly conceived and well thought out, making the reader suspicious of pretty much everyone they encountered and not knowing what to expect next or, indeed, whether we would ever find out who the killer was. Of course, the last 10 or so chapters were fast paced and drew the reader into the melee of danger and confusion and the reveal of the killer was, for me, unexpected and very surprising.
I thorough enjoyed this book and, on finishing it, immediately went to find out if there is another in the series. I am pleased to say there is and I will certainly be purchasing it soon.
At the beginning, I found the Dutch detective – DCI Maarten Jansen – a little irritating and cold hearted, but gradually, as the investigation went on I started to warm to him and began to understand that he was much more sympathetic and understanding than the rest of his team. The plot was very cleverly conceived and well thought out, making the reader suspicious of pretty much everyone they encountered and not knowing what to expect next or, indeed, whether we would ever find out who the killer was. Of course, the last 10 or so chapters were fast paced and drew the reader into the melee of danger and confusion and the reveal of the killer was, for me, unexpected and very surprising.
I thorough enjoyed this book and, on finishing it, immediately went to find out if there is another in the series. I am pleased to say there is and I will certainly be purchasing it soon.
December 18, 2018
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
When 14 year old Leigh Horde was found dead under frozen house, New mum Jenny felt a deep sense of unease.
Jenny, husband Will and baby Finn had recently moved to St Albans. Ever since the birth of Finn, Jenny was exhausted and lonely living in a new area. From her house Jenny could see the lake where Leigh died. Shortly after this Jenny started sleepwalking to the lake and heard voices shouting save me!!
DCI Maarten Jansen was running the investigation with DI Imogen Deacon. Jansen was Dutch who had transferred to the UK with his wife Livi and daughters Nic and Sanne. Jansen had received a job offer from Rotterdam was considering returning home.
Jenny was soon considered a witness when she finds Leigh`s mobile phone during one of her sleepwalking episodes. Jenny doesn't know why she is returning to the crime scene and wonders if she committed murder.
This book was not bad but not my cup of tea. The plot failed to grab me and I thought the characters personalities could of been fleshed out a bit more. I thought Maarten`s character was promising I would of liked to know what made him move to the UK. However I thought he was a bit of a cold fish but maybe the author might develop his personality in the next book
August 13, 2019
Good plot but needs tighter editing
This is a good story with a female protagonist, Jenny, with whom I initially found it easy to identify. As the novel became rather gothic, I, like Jenny's fellow characters, began to lose patience with her and simultaneously with the novel, which I feared was going to stretch the bounds of reality. If you experience the same feelings, my advice is to persevere; it is simply a feature of the novel's construction, though a slightly frustrating one - to my mind. I don't want to explain any more fully for fear of spoiling the plot. The tension built slowly at first, but it did eventually become a page turner which I did not want to put down!
So far, so good and you may be mystified as to why I am withholding a star. There are some inconsistencies, such as the DCI (whom I found an interesting and credible character) who was impatient with his driver's speed one moment, but didn't mind taking longer to arrive the next and the pointed mention of small chairs - not in a primary school, but in a comprehensive. There were also some annoying inaccuracies: the implication that tube extends to St Albans, the concept of a mug (rather than its contents) spilling and wouldn't "waggling" a rattle which a baby was sucking risk hurting the infant's mouth? Some tighter editing and this could have been an even better book.
This is a good story with a female protagonist, Jenny, with whom I initially found it easy to identify. As the novel became rather gothic, I, like Jenny's fellow characters, began to lose patience with her and simultaneously with the novel, which I feared was going to stretch the bounds of reality. If you experience the same feelings, my advice is to persevere; it is simply a feature of the novel's construction, though a slightly frustrating one - to my mind. I don't want to explain any more fully for fear of spoiling the plot. The tension built slowly at first, but it did eventually become a page turner which I did not want to put down!
So far, so good and you may be mystified as to why I am withholding a star. There are some inconsistencies, such as the DCI (whom I found an interesting and credible character) who was impatient with his driver's speed one moment, but didn't mind taking longer to arrive the next and the pointed mention of small chairs - not in a primary school, but in a comprehensive. There were also some annoying inaccuracies: the implication that tube extends to St Albans, the concept of a mug (rather than its contents) spilling and wouldn't "waggling" a rattle which a baby was sucking risk hurting the infant's mouth? Some tighter editing and this could have been an even better book.
March 9, 2022
Eu estou com um monte de livros parados na metade, que eu simplesmente não estou tendo coragem de terminar. E isso estava me deixando chateada, então peguei esse livro pra ler.
Descobri a autora totalmente por acaso, por uma postagem da livraria da minha cidade. E olha só! É um livro de crime que se passa aqui onde eu moro! É uma cidadezinha muito pequena, e eu não achei que haveriam livros que se passassem aqui!
Eu dificilmente leio livros de crime, então minha nota não está relacionada ao gênero e nem em comparação com outros livros. Dei nota 4 porque foi um livro que me prendeu do começo ao fim (que era justamente o que eu estava precisando, pra me animar e voltar a ler), porque ele se passa na minha cidade, e porque ele foi relativamente surpreendente no fim!
Algumas coisas sobre a vida pessoal do detetive ficaram meio jogadas, sem conclusão. Mas depois eu descobri que esse é o primeiro livro de uma série, entao imagino que terei respostas ao longo dos outros livros.
Descobri a autora totalmente por acaso, por uma postagem da livraria da minha cidade. E olha só! É um livro de crime que se passa aqui onde eu moro! É uma cidadezinha muito pequena, e eu não achei que haveriam livros que se passassem aqui!
Eu dificilmente leio livros de crime, então minha nota não está relacionada ao gênero e nem em comparação com outros livros. Dei nota 4 porque foi um livro que me prendeu do começo ao fim (que era justamente o que eu estava precisando, pra me animar e voltar a ler), porque ele se passa na minha cidade, e porque ele foi relativamente surpreendente no fim!
Algumas coisas sobre a vida pessoal do detetive ficaram meio jogadas, sem conclusão. Mas depois eu descobri que esse é o primeiro livro de uma série, entao imagino que terei respostas ao longo dos outros livros.
August 5, 2023
I do love a good mystery and ‘Under The Ice’ by Rachael Blok was my chosen one this month. The beginning eased its way forward, establishing the characters and their relationships with lot’s of questions and a strong sense of a secondary mystery running alongside. Blok’s writing is atmospheric at times, so much so, that I could almost feel I was there.
Under The Ice by Rachael Blok is a great mystery book unveiling elements with each turn of the page, which keeps you wanting to read on. A true page turner with each hint of a clue keeping you alert, and making you think you know whodunnit, but do you really. Blok’s ability to keep you enthralled right to the end, with the short chapters towards the end makes the intensity more griping and makes the book really exciting right to the last page. A book in my view well worth reading if you are a fan of mysteries.
Under The Ice by Rachael Blok is a great mystery book unveiling elements with each turn of the page, which keeps you wanting to read on. A true page turner with each hint of a clue keeping you alert, and making you think you know whodunnit, but do you really. Blok’s ability to keep you enthralled right to the end, with the short chapters towards the end makes the intensity more griping and makes the book really exciting right to the last page. A book in my view well worth reading if you are a fan of mysteries.
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