A Cold Christmas

This is the first book I've read by this author (although I read a lot of mysteries), and I liked it so well I intend to read all the books in the series. I started in the middle of the series, so I'll have to go back to the first book and start reading them in order. I don't think you have to, however -- nothing seemed to refer back to something you'd need to know. I'd classify this book as a cozy police procedural -- cozy because it takes place in a small college town in Kansas (we never learn quite how small, but the college has 10,000 students). The story begins with a divorced mother struggling to keep going to work (she's a church organist) despite a case of the flu. She arrives home feeling wretched to discover that the furnace in her old house has broken -- during a particularly bad cold spell. She calls a repairman, who turns out to be a pretty scary looking guy. Is he dangerous? Not long after this, her young daughter discovers a corpse in the basement -- is it the furnace guy? His face is unrecognizable. Why would he end up dead in her basement? And then there's her ex-husband -- we don't really trust him. Is he up to something? Something criminal? Is he connected to the murdered man? The chief of police, Susan Wren, struggles to discover who killed the man. She's very short-handed because of a flu epidemic in town. The man she wishes were there is home sick in bed with the flu, as are many of her police force. In order to find the killer, she has to discover who the murdered man is, why he was killed, and why in this woman's house. This mystery has a very vivid sense of place -- you can practically feel the cold as you read it, and you can imagine yourself there and imagine all the characters, although little description is given of their appearance. It was the kind of book you could hardly wait to get back to reading. The ending was a complete surprise, but if I had to fault the book, it would be that I had a hard time believing that this person committed the murder and for the reasons stated. Others might not have that problem, however. And it is fairly typical of mysteries that unlike murders in real life, where the killer is either a total stranger (serial killer) or someone fairly obvious (like someone close to the victim or a drug dealer), in mysteries the author has to make it not so obvious or else it wouldn't be any fun at all. Another minor problem involves an odd happening early in the book that never really gets explained. I guess it was simply a red herring.

Caley James has a few problems as the holiday push down on her. When things are bad, the can get worse. Her furnace goes bonkers, then her youngest child discovers the repairman dead. Police Chief Susan Wren answers the call for help in the frigid weather, the coldest on record for Hampstead, KA. This novel is packed with great characters you'll meet on the street in any small town. At times, the story wanders from the murder and its investigation, but in the end they come together for a great conclusion. Wrap up in a down comforter when you read A COLD CHRISTMAS. Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Susan Wren is Chief of Police in Hampstead, Kansas. Caley James, organist in the Lutheran church, slumps over while playing for choir practice. She has a high fever. Dr. Baylis Cunningham determines she has the flu. Chief Susan helps her home. Caley has three children - Zach, Adam and Bonnie. Zach is old enough to watch the Littles as Susan calls the younger two. Caley's furnace quits in the dead of winter. Tim Holiday comes to repair it. Caley almost doesn't let him in as he's creepy. But, he gets the furnace working. Later he has to come back because the blower won't turn off and now the house is too hot. Caley has sent the three children with her mother-in-law Ettie Trowbridge. Her ex-Mat shows up. What else could go wrong. Well, Tim Holiday is later found dead with his head and arms in her furnace. He actually died of a gun shot wound.Her neighbor across the street, Pauline Frankens, told Chief Susan that she saw Tim Holiday coming and going from Caley's house probably five or six times. Caley had told Susan he was only there twice.This book is small-town life in all it's glory. Ida Ruth from the Lutheran church was trying to get Caley fired as she didn't think a divorced worman should be playing the organ. Chief Susan starts investigating Tim's murder. More deaths begin to happen. Some appear to possibly be accidents, but Susan begins to wonder what is going on.I like this series and really like Chief Susan. She is unsure of whether she should stay in Hampstead or go back to San Francisco. Her husband of four weeks died some time ago and Susan is still trying to put her life together. The dispatcher Hazel and officer Luke Demarco play big roles in the police department in this book because most everyone else is out with the flu.The author has done a fabulous job setting up the story as well as the setting and characters. I am looking forward to reading many more books in this series.I highly recommend this book.

Hamstead, Kansas had rarely seen a never-ending cold snap like this one. With Christmas a few days away, wind chills put the temperature at about 30 below, townfolk were dropping like flies from the flu, and there just wasn't much holiday spirit in the air. That was certainly true at Caley James' house. She had caught the bug, big time, the house was falling apart, her ex was no help at all, her three kids were living in front of the television eating cold cereal, and that's when the furnace decided to die. Life had definitely hit rock bottom, and just when she figures things couldn't get worse, her four year old daughter finds the furnace repairman, Tim Holiday, dead and badly burned in the basement. Police Chief, Susan Wren, missing more than half her force to the flu, takes on this case herself, but immediately hits a brick wall. Nothing about this murder makes sense. Who was Tim Holiday, and why did he seem to be trying to keep his identity a secret? Though she claims she'd never seen him before, what is his connection to Caley? And why would anyone want him dead? Add to that, two more possibly related murders, and Chief Wren has her hands full with a whole town full of suspects and too many unanswered questions..... Charlene Weir is back with another installment of her Susan Wren mysteries and A Cold Christmas is definitely her best book so far. This is a short, fast-paced, very readable novel full of atmosphere, smart, crisp writing, strong and engaging characters, riveting scenes, and enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing to the end. Ms Weir does not skimp on the secondary story lines, and at times the plot veers off in too many directions and becomes somewhat confusing, but she pulls it all together and ties up the loose ends neatly with a cliff-hanger ending that will leave fans waiting and wondering. So put up your feet and get comfortable, A Cold Christmas is an entertaining mystery you'll have to finish in one sitting.

In Hampstead, Kansas, this winter's weather is so brutally arctic that old timers believe it is the coldest ever. Police chief Susan Wren prays that the adverse weather keeps major crime down to zero because half of her staff suffers from the blue (non-blue variety). However, her hopes are quickly dashed when furnace repairer Tim Holiday is found burned beyond recognition in Calley James' basement. The police find identification in the victim's pocket, but no one seems to know anything about the man. Calley's ex-husband Matt was seen arguing with the casualty and it is soon learned he had an affair with the man's wife twelve years ago. Tim's real name is Bran. He was just released from prison on a technicality though convicted of killing his wife. Susan wants to know why he moved to the same city as the person who betrayed him. Charlene Weir provides a cast of characters that seem so genuine that readers will feel familiarity with the ensemble. The mystery is well executed with plenty of suspects, everyone having a reason for wanting the victim dead. The independent heroine displays humor and strength, but has the innate ability to know when someone lies to her. A COLD CHRISTMAS is a warm police procedural.Harriet Klausner