The Ice Maiden

Britt Montero #8

by Edna Buchanan

Fourteen years ago, two teenagers on a Christmas Eve first date were abducted, and only one lived through the ordeal. The lone surviving victim, Sunny Hartley, became a wealthy sculptor, but the reclusive “ice maiden” will not talk about what happened that terrible night. Now a chance encounter in the Miami morgue between reporter Britt Montero and a petty thief, bizarrely electrocuted during the commission of a crime, has placed the still unsolved kidnapping/murder on the front burner of Sgt. Craig Burch's Cold Case Squad. But Britt and Burch are about to discover that the price of justice can be too dear to pay; that when you start turning over rocks, sometimes something truly ugly slithers out.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Edna Buchanan knew she wanted to be a writer since she was 4 years old. She moved to Florida where she got a job at a small newspaper. Ms. Buchanan became a reporter for the Miami Beach Daily Sun in the late 1960s.

In 1970, she was hired as a general assignment and police-beat reporter at the Miami Herald. In 1973, Ms. Buchanan became a police beat reporter, which coincided with the rise of Miami as a center of the international drug trade.

Winning a Pulitzer Prize, Ms. Buchanan became one of the best-known crime reporters in the U.S. She discussed some of her assignments in the books, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1991) and Never Let Them See You Cry (1993). She has retired from journalism and writes mystery novels. The main character in her crime mystery series is Britt Montero.

Reviews

[Susan Gottfried]

This was a fun read with interesting twists and turns, and a heck of a reveal at the end. I wasn't a huge fan of the Onnie subplot, mostly because Onnie wasn't a huge presence in the book until suddenly she was and it was a thing--it should have been better integrated into the story as a whole.

But I certainly see why I had been such a fan of Buchanan's books all those eons ago. I have a couple more here in the TBR Mountains (which are, thankfully, shrinking) and I'll be looking forward to them.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I thought this book was a fantasy but I soon discovered it's a mystery. Mysteries usually don't hold my attention so I'll see how it goes.

Later on: I did finish this up because the writing grabbed me. It is apparently smack in the middle of a long ongoing series but the references to the earlier books didn't throw me too much although I think I would've found a deeper connection to many of the characters if I had read the earlier books first. Still, this was an attention grabbing murder mystery about a journalist following a cold case. The characterization was done very well and I genuinely cared for many of these people but when the big bad guy of the novel is finally revealed in the end it was a huge disappointment and simply unbelievable to me that the police hadn't figured it out long before. This is a dark book with a lot of pain suffered by most of the characters and adding to that is the fact that it takes place right after the 911 attacks. Don't read this if you need some cheering up!

[Shelley]

Foodfic musing - not a traditional review:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2017/04...

[Peg Lotvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see this is #8 in the series. It is the first for me and probably the last. I listened to it in the car and it filled the driving time, but I probably would never have picked to up to actually......read.

[Megan Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT THE FUCK EDNA, THATS HOW IT ENDS??????

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ice Maiden - G
Edna Buchanan - 8th in series
Buchanan's alter ego, Miami crime reporter Britt Montero, returns as the protagonist of an eighth fast-paced detective thriller (after You Only Die Twice). The Miami police's cold case squad (which investigates long-unsolved crimes) catches a break when an electrocuted burglar proves to be a vital link in solving a 14-year-old murder. Two affluent teenagers on their first date were abducted, assaulted, shot and left for dead. Despite a massive reward and a multi-state manhunt, the police were never able to find the attackers. The girl, Sunny, survived and has become a reclusive sculptress unwilling to revisit the past. But the reopening of the case attracts the attention of some who are willing to kill again, and Sunny finds herself pulled back in. As always, Buchanan packs her tale with fascinating secondary story lines, including a baby trapped in a well, a friend involved in domestic violence and Britt's on-again/off-again romance with detective Kendall McDonald. The somber shadow of September 11 hangs in the air throughout (Britt is plagued by nightmares; McDonald volunteers at Ground Zero).

Very good until it loses punch at the end.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one day read. Loved the characters and the ending was quite a surprise. She's a good writer and I'd read more by her.

[Kim Toynton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Edna Buchanan book. I picked it at random at the library. I loved it! Very suspenseful! Surprise ending. Super charectors...Enjoy!

[Brian Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up because I'm looking for mysteries based on cold case squads and... eh. It's the 8th book in this series but Buchanan does a good job grounding you in everyone from the prior books who matters. Parts of the mystery work fine, others not so much, and the tendency to try to make your crime stories not mysteries but thrillers in the last act tips things against it in my opinion. Ultimately there were too many clichés, telegraphed "plot twists", and unnecessary extra swerves or withheld information to bring about that final "thriller" ending.

Like all crime stories it's as much a snapshot of when and where it was written as it is about the mystery, and in this case just post 9/11 Miami. I've commented before on how Ed McBain loved NYC as a New Deal/Camelot liberal - full of positive thoughts about human potential which are a great counterpoint to the sordid details of the current crime, flavored with melting pot ideology that hasn't aged well but has good intentions - and you can see a very different love of Miami from Edna Buchannan. She's less optimistic, more 'conservative', Miami is more chaotic, more random. No one is innocent in this book, even the people who aren't directly connected with the mystery, and I wasn't expecting as much Neo-Noir as this had.

YMMV

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britt Montero is a Cuban American crime reporter in Miami Beach. She gets the assignment to do a story on a new murder case that is unique indeed. The dead guy exhibits old burn scars, and someone murdered him by electrocution while he burgled a store. But the dead guy trips some switches, as it were, in the cold case squad, and suddenly a 14-year-old inactive case that involved the murder of a teenager and the rape of his date on a horrific Christmas Eve is again front and center.

Britt digs for facts working closely with the cops and sometimes defending herself against their rage to determine who the real killers and rapists were. Her arguably most formidable job is to melt the ice-cold defenses of the rape victim, a young woman who makes a living creating ice sculptures for various events. It’s crucial that Britt create a relationship with the woman, because she may again be in danger now that the cops have revived the old case.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and no way did I see the end coming. This is a short quick read that will be long on satisfaction.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE ICE MAIDEN: A BRITT MONTERO MYSTERY (Book 8) is written by Edna Buchanan.
Edna Buchanan is an American journalist and writer best known for her crime mystery novels. She won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for general news reporting “for her versatile and consistently excellent police beat reporting.”
Ms. Buchanan worked the police beat for 18 years at The Miami Herald and covered more crimes than most cops.
In THE ICE MAIDEN, a chance encounter with an unusually scarred corpse at Miami’s Morgue, may be the key to unlocking long-ago secrets of a sensational cold case murder mystery.

I read many of Ms. Buchanan’s mystery novels years ago, but recently stumbled upon THE ICE MAIDEN from 2002. I knew I had to read it and head down to the craziness that is Miami.
Her mysteries, police procedurals and crime novels are 1st rate - hot as the Miami sun in July. Ms. Buchanan is a wonderful author with stories very fast-paced, suspenseful, realistic and gritty. Her books and short stories are always a treat. ****

[Adam Rosenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buchanon knows her stuff. Years of being on the crime beat for the Miami Herald allows her to really grasp the ins and outs of police work, the cops, the politics, and of course the actual crimes. Our intrepid reporter Britt Montero digs her teeth into an unsolved 14 year old abduction & murder. She gets more involved with the survivor that she knows she should, and with the help of a new cold case police squad, the hunt is on for the truth of what really happened that fateful night. And justice? Well, in Buchanon's and Morena's view, there is often a very high price to pay. Full of surprises, and the blistering Miami heat, this one sizzles off the page. The writing is gritty but full of heart.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was ready to give this one 4 stars. I was a bit surprised at how much I liked the intrepid story built around a Cuban American reporter who works with the police to find the killers of a young man on a date years before. There was even a twist about who the murderer really was.

Then, the author has to ruin it by killing an important character almost like an after thought….maybe as she was rereading her work she decided that it wasn’t an exciting enough conclusion so she tacks on another chapter or two with dire consequences. Dramatic injury would have been enough…it didn’t require death.

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author - well written, connects you with the characters - a detective thriller, she is a crime reporter that helps work unsolved crimes - this one gets very involved - an interesting read with a Surprise ending. I was not aware, it was #8 in a series but I enjoyed as a stand alone story.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh. Just okay. the first I've read from this author as a part of a "blind date with a book" hosted by my local library. I was intrigued enough with the story to finish it. Some twists at the end that were surprising and some predictable.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a change, Britt doesn't do anything stupid or foolish, but when she finally succeeds in getting the love of her life, he gets killed off. And that is the only negative in this really good book with a surprise ending you never saw coming.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten how much I love Edna Buchanan's writing. Great plots, smart and engaging characters, and a setting that is really part of the story. The 20th century had some totally awesome women writers of detective fiction — and Ms. Buchanan was one of them!

[Susie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found an oldie by Edna Buchanan at the Winona, Miss., library last week: "The Ice Maiden", described as number 8 in the Britt Montero series. Pretty nostalgic newspaper reporting cop stuff, I guess.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced but a bit predictable. Especially the "twist" at the end.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eighth in the Britt Montero series. Great plotting. Nice character development.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very emotional ending preceded by an engaging storyline with more twists than I’m used to and “draw you in slowly” characters. Clean, mostly. The narrator was very good.

[Bryan Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery AND the ending. Wow. Great book!

[Laura A. Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

One the best in this series.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly love all of her books. I stay up reading all night because I can't wait to see wha happens next.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Written in 2002 it brings us to crime ridden Miami in the year after 911 and in the early days of cell phone and DNA testing. Interesting characters and a good mystery.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buchanan's alter ego, Miami crime reporter Britt Montero, returns as the protagonist of an eighth fast-paced detective thriller (after You Only Die Twice).

The Miami police's cold case squad (which investigates long-unsolved crimes) catches a break when an electrocuted burglar proves to be a vital link in solving a 14-year-old murder. Two affluent teenagers on their first date were abducted, assaulted, shot and left for dead. Despite a massive reward and a multi-state manhunt, the police were never able to find the attackers. The girl, Sunny, survived and has become a reclusive sculptress unwilling to revisit the past. But the reopening of the case attracts the attention of some who are willing to kill again, and Sunny finds herself pulled back in. As always, Buchanan packs her tale with fascinating secondary story lines, including a baby trapped in a well, a friend involved in domestic violence and Britt's on-again/off-again romance with detective Kendall McDonald.

The somber shadow of September 11 hangs in the air throughout (Britt is plagued by nightmares; McDonald volunteers at Ground Zero). In addition to clever plotting, Buchanan's strong suit is once again her empathy: she always focuses on the devastated family and friends who survive each murder victim.

Few will guess the final triple-twist ending of this exceptionally dark and moving entry in a series that never fails to please.achievement in journalism-in addition to an earlier Pulitzer Prize for crime reporting.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ***
Buchanan is a wonderful storyteller and she really can build the tension in a thriller. When a burglar is electrocuted by a booby trap Brit Montero, Miami crime-beat reporter, is stunned that the proprietor of the shop is being charged. As she investigates she find a connection between the burglar and a very old, still unsolved, rape and murder. She gets the attention of the lead detective on the Cold Case Squad (Craig Burch), but the lieutenant (K C Riley) isn’t buying it, and the surviving victim isn’t interested in talking to the detectives. But none of this deters our intrepid reporter from following the leads. As a sideline Brit spends some time getting her love life in order. It’s a page turner, finely crafted by a master. And there are a couple of surprises in store for the reader.

[Bonnie]

Britt Montero sees a body in the morgue and the chance occurrence changes her life forever. The dead body has scar tissue and Britt remembers a cold case where the same description was mentioned. The man was a thief who broke into the same business so often that the owner boogie trapped his ceiling where the man entered. The man was electrocuted and now lies in the morgue. Britt revisits the cold case file of two teenagers on their first date who were kidnapped and taken to a farm where the girl was raped and shot in the head and the boy murdered. The girl survived and has become a famous artist estranged from her wealthy family. A subplot involves a divorced reporter who works with Britt and her estranged husband who is released from jail and threatens his wife and child. It all comes together for a shocking ending.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery. It might have been rated 4 stars if the writer had just stuck to the mystery.

The two subplots were totally unnecessary and out of place. Since I was listening to the audio book version, I just skipped ahead. Seriously. Totally unnecessary. The unnecessary romance subplot was particularly difficult to bear because the reader (Anna Fields) didn't sound like (or make the character sound like) she went in for male company... in that way. How can you not have chemistry between two characters when you're voicing them BOTH?

I loved the supporting character of Lottie, especially her 'take' on the Queen Mum and Lassie.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the ‘Britt Montero’ mysteries. Britt is the heroine, who is an extremely dedicated reporter covering the police beat for her Miami newspaper. This book mainly focuses on Sunny Hartley, who was the sole survivor of a brutal attack 14 years before. The cold case was brought to the surface by Britt’s observation of a dead guy in the morgue. I found a deeper connection to the characters because I have read the entire series. Edna knows how to build tension and surprise the reader with twists before the story comes to a conclusion. This wasn’t one of my favorites in the series. But I still liked it.