Shelf Ice

Ray Elkins Mystery #4

by Aaron Stander

It’s February along the shores of Northern Lake Michigan. A heavy blanket of snow has been building up in the woods since early November and the inland lakes have had a solid covering of ice since December. Shelf ice, stacked ten or fifteen feet in places, has been building on Lake Michigan for weeks.

Sheriff Ray Elkins, responding to a late-night home invasion call, discovers the brutal murder of a local artist at her home deep in the woods. Elkins works to understand complex lives and relationships as he pursues a brilliant and brutal adversary.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Amazon, Ebooks, Suspense

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2010

About the author

Aaron Stander spent most of his adult years in the Detroit area, where he taught English and trained writing teachers. In 2000 he and his wife left college teaching positions and moved permanently to their cottage near Traverse City. Aaron is the author ten mysteries set in northwest lower Michigan. He is also the author of numerous articles, stories, poems, and reviews, and the host of Michigan Writers on the Air on Interlochen Public Radio. When not writing or thinking about writing, Aaron spends a lot of time kayaking along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!

This book is filled with picturesque descriptions of the ice and atmosphere, as Sherrif Elkins solves another brutal crime.

It seems someone has decided to invade the home of a local artist and kill her. But what enemies does she have?

It’s up to Elkins and his deputy to solve this deadly thriller.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this one to the best of my recollection, but when I finished I dinged three stars so I will have to leave it at that. I was on a strange vacation off the grid and think I had better circle back and try another to see why I wasn't awarding more stars.
Heck, how can one complain with this kind of dialogue: "What was he doing here in the middle of the night? Perhaps he was killed somewhere else and brought here for cremation." "That would have been considerate," said Sue. "Bring him to one of the loveliest beaches in the region and send him to the afterlife on a Chevrolet pyre."

[Lauren Good · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got through this by gritting my teeth. First, the good stuff... The author does a really good job with description, not too verbose so that the story drags, but enough that I could really see what was happening. Also, an interesting mystery. Unfortunately, the mystery just kind of fizzles. When Elise dies accidentally in a brief firefight (loved the description of the fire following the flare gun), the mystery is magically solved? What about Gunne's involvement -- he had the strongest motive to kill the first victim. It just seemed too sudden and tidy. The book just stops, and I got whiplash. Aside from that, the dialogue desperately needs a reality-check. Whereas the environmental description was excellent, the dialogue was stilted, formal and completely unnatural. It's far too exposition-like. And two completely unrelated characters use the phrase "geek out," which hasn't exactly permeated the American lexicon, and until it does, I can't buy it appearing within 40 pages of a previous reference. It was very jarring.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murders and mysteries in Northern Michigan

This is the fourth in the Ray Elkins series set in a non-specific Northwestern Michigan locale (somewhere in the Traverse City region) which adds to the interest I have in the series! In this book, there is a lot of detail regarding winter kayaking on the big lake-enough to let me know I'll never be brave enough to try! Interesting character development, a lovable dog and a new love interest for Sheriff Ray.

[Elli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this as a daily special on Kindle because it looked interesting and I know Michigan well. And I enjoyed it. The unnamed tiny town setting is somewhere reasonably close, but north of Traverse City. It's winter when these occurrences start and turns into much more than anticipated. The atmosphere and the feelings and relationships of the main characters are revealed in giving the reader an insight into the people...where they are going and where they are coming from. It starts with a murder and arson of a woman whom few would suspect, had any enemies. And it escalates and continues to escalate from there until the big final conclusion!

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashing!

I truly love the Ray Elkins Thrillers. They are smashing! Whenever I start reading one, I am lost in a different world.

[Robert O Neuwirth]

Well written

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a good mystery with interesting characters. I wish the author had written just a little more to tie up some lose ends but over all the ending left me satisfied.

[Arlene Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed his book until the end. It didn't wrap things up and left them open ended. I am thinking I may have missed something. There were references to people in other books and a little hard to keep track of where they fit in. Basically it was an easy read.

[Lillian Diane Woodcock]

Shelf ice

I chose this rating because I didn't like the way it ended. you are left dangling because there is no solid ending.

[Michelle Adamo #EmptyNestReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Elkins is the Sheriff of Cedar County located in the northwestern portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. Detective Ben Reilly is his second-in-command. Molly, a new 911 Operator is texting with her girlfriend during a slow night at work when things turn serious. Brenda texts “someone here, kicking in door” Molly notifies the sheriff’s office, promising that help is on the way. Upon arrival, Elkins and Reilly face more than they anticipated, resulting in not only an injured Brenda, but injuries to themselves as well. Later they attempt to interview Molly about her friend and find her to be less than forthcoming. An arson and another death, a stolen truck and a reclusive person of interest leave the sheriff and his deputies frazzled as they realize that all that they have is a hodgepodge of possible clues with no glue to connect them to one another.

Aaron Stander weaves these and other incidents into a tale of mystery and intrigue. Elkins is a great protagonist. He and deputy Lawrence are well developed characters with just the right amount of loyalty to the job, humor and interpersonal interactions. These books are fun, quick reads. I read this one in a day. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ice Shelf is Book 4 in the Ray Elkins Mystery Series. I began reading this series with book 11. I had no trouble picking up the storyline so I have continued to read them out of order, based on my mood and their availability.

#EmptyNestReader #instagram #facebook #Goodreads #IceShelf #AaronStander #RayElkinsMystery4 #mysteryfiction #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #MayReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #kindleunlimited #5starbooks

[Carlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really getting into this series. The sense of place is amazing located in the fictional Cedar County in the northwest of Lower Michigan encompassing much of the Lake coastline. I have never traveled to that part of the state and not sure I ever want to between the horrible winters and mosquitoes the rest of the year. But my husband spent much of his childhood near Hicks Lake and has many fond memories of the area.

This mystery is set in the late winter when shelf ice is prevalent up and down the coast, thick masses of ice that are permanently attached to the land but project into the lake sometimes resulting in the formation of caves underneath the ice. With the frequent heavy snows and main characters kayaking on the lake I felt cold the whole book!

But I loved the mystery never guessing the perpetrator. The ending was a bit abrupt given the complexity of the situation but all in all a good read. This was #4 in the series (I have read 6 of the 9 so far though not all in order).

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed others in this series, and expect to read more in the future. Location and time are important parts of the story, and I enjoy Sheriff Elkins as the main character. This was enjoyable to me as a police procedural. The investigation led me, as the reader, carefully to the conclusion. The supporting characters were well developed, so the police work did seem to be a solid team effort. For an area with minimal seasonal population, the list of potential suspects kept the story interesting.
I think what eventually kept my rating at three stars was the tone of the story. Not that a murder investigation is necessarily going to be a breezy comedy, but the overall mood was very somber. While I felt satisfied with how the story ended, I felt a heaviness that I actually hadn’t shaken as I write the review two days after finishing. I suppose that is a credit to the author for developing as much interest in the characters in me that I felt that way about them.

[Pamela Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Book but major cliffhanger.

Just found this author. The plot and characters seem to come together fairly well, although it seems the writer got distracted while writing and left one thought for another. There seemed to be more than one plot going one but only one was being discovered. I am usually generous with giving stars where they are deserved but this book ended with no resolution. End of page going on a road trip and that's it. Never got full meaning of story and ending.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally, I prefer books set in areas I'm familiar with. Even though I lived in Chicago until I was 9, I've spent most of the rest of my 72 years in Puerto Rico and Florida...soooo the idea of kayaking around on a frozen lake is foreign to me...but the descriptions in this book put me right in the middle of the actions. The characters are likable despite their flaws and the plot is ok...it's the weakest element of the book. I've read 4 of the books in this series and plan to work my way through to the end.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the monthly freebies from Amazon - otherwise, I didn't know the author but thought a thriller might be fun for a change of pace. The writing was not outstanding, but I was not able to guess the outcome until the last few pages. Even then, as the main character stated, there were still a lot of loose ends, leaving me feeling surprised when I turned the last page and realized the book had ended. Oh well... like I said, it was free!

[Charol A. Karnick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Finished

I very much enjoyed this book until I got to the end. It was not finished. I was absolutely left hanging. It wasn't like a book where it was finished but you would like to know a little more. This was like a mystery where people were killed but no actual ending as to who did it and what happened to some of the people. I can't believe it. Am I missing something here. I would never recommend this to anyone. Well written but no ending. Hard to believe!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a solid 3.5 star book. I was bummed that one of the lines quoted the wrong character for saying it towards the end.. "said Sue" when it should've been "said Hannah"... Sue wasn't even in the same state at that time and Ray was in the middle of a conversation with Hannah... Haha, I know that isnt a big deal but it irked me.

The story spends so much time building up then fizzles, felt like the book needed to end so it rushed.

[Lynda Sweezey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelf Ice

Shelf Ice is set in Michigan. I knew exactly where the author was talking about. The Towns and Lake Michigan. It makes it even more interesting.
It's a good mystery that keeps you engaged from page to page.
I would suggest you read the first novel in this series before Ice Shelf.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!

Kept me engrossed, and focused from beginning to end. So many twists & turns!! I loved not seeing ahead of the characters, and having the same puzzle pieces to put together they did. Looking forward to the next book. Was an excellent trip to Michigan in the winter, home sweet home.

[Joe Vitucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think winter cold up north in a rural area. Think of cops, murders, new wave ministries more concerned with presentation than content. Think sex and drugs and rock and roll, but not a major part of the story. Think depressed economy, scarce jobs, long winters, kayaking despite the weather, and missing people. Pretty interesting story. Enjoy.

[Brenda Dickenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way the story developed and gripped you so you had to finish.

An artist texts her friend who works dispatch on nights. Someone is breaking in and help is needed then the line goes dead. The police have to go in heavy snowladen roads to a cottage. But no one expects a large snow plow to run them down as they are in dd

[Liz Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read but sketchy ending.

Always enjoy Stander's books. This was better than most as there was less time spent learning about kayaking and cooking. Overall a good, pacy whodunit. If i have any criticism it is that the end didn't seem properly finished, almost as if the author wasn't sure it would stand up to scrutiny.

[Keith Withers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A who dunnit to intrigue everybody

Who killed the artist then nearly killed a sheriff and his Deputy. Who is the mysterious man and where is he hiding. Things get out of kilter as body after body is discovered and what has the 'new religion guy' got to do with it all? A mystery from start to finish. Hard to put down once started.

[Tami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I’ve read nearly every book in this series and usually enjoy them a lot. But this one was a bit of a let down with a less than strong plot, undeveloped characters and a lame ending! In fact there was no closure or actual ending. It was more like the author just ran out of steam!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery

These stories are good for people who don't read books for sex scenes but still may want some romance included. The endings you don't necessarily see coming and can be a surprise. Well written with well developed characters and it's fun having them flow from one story to the next.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter in Northern Michigan has it's challenges, but add trying to solve a murder or two? This started off with a bang (or maybe crash is a better word) and just kept going. I learned a lot about kayaking in the winter, and skiing vs snowshoeing. There were a lot of elements that seemed not to fit together at first but worked their way out by the end.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book right up to the ending…what a let down. Too many loose ends/no explanation of why the murders were committed. This is the first book I’ve read in the Ray Elkins series and perhaps if I read the others i would not have been surprised by the lack of closure to the story. However, I highly doubt I’ll now read any of the other books in the series.

[Renda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoying the Ray Elkins Thriller Series...but

This is the 4th book and enjoyed it but they're starting to feel a bit like cookie cutter stories.
Also, the ending wrap up is pretty light. This book really leaves a lot to your imagination.
Pretty disappointing. It's like the author had to meet a deadline in a hurry or got tired of the story.

[Freda Witt · Rating 2 out of 5]

a sheriff in a small norther country, where there is a LOT of ice and snow, has a murder in his town. His girl friend(?) leaves to go to the city, but there seems to be a couple of other ladies ready to step into her shoes. A televangelist builds a church in his town.

[Norma Jean Draves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery

This is the first book by this author and it was a very good mystery. I will look forward to the next book.
If you
like mystery that keep you wondering who did it then you will like this book.

Yes I would recommend this book.