Glare Ice

if you do not read this series by Mary Logue. Wonderful, full of suspense and mystery. Start at the beginning though, and you will enjoy the ride. I highly recommend this book.

I grew up in Durand and for many years my mother lived across the street from the county office building that houses the Pepin County sheriffs department. I am amazed at how well the author portrays the town. She has merged the old ways that I remember with the new ways that I only know a little about. The coulees really set the Durand portion of the county off from the Lake Pepin part of the county, but it is well merged together in these books.I am not normally a mystery book reader, but I thought that the author did a good job of keeping the mystery going until the end.

A drunk in a pickup truck, thin ice, and an accusation of murder in the face of an affair: these are all scenarios Claire must deal with as she sets out to defend Buck from charges of abuse and possible murder. To top it all off, a bad storm may change all lives in this riveting mystery.

She worked as a Minneapolis police officer until all the murders and other violent crimes ripped her soul apart so Claire Watkins accepted a job in Fort St. Antoine. She and her daughter Meg quickly fall in love with the small town atmosphere and Claire enjoys her work as head of felonious crimes. Currently, Claire is more concerned over hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner than making any arrests as the mother of her boyfriend is the guest and this is their first meeting. At the post office, Claire notices a badly battered woman, but the individual refuses to provide any information to Claire. Next the woman's boyfriend is murdered in a particularly grisly manner and the woman is beaten up so badly this time she enters the hospital. In between Thanksgiving chores, Claire does her best to uncover the identity of the killer. GLARE ICE is an exciting mystery that centers on who is Stephanie's attacker and why does she protect the culprit fiercer than a mother protecting her children. Overall Claire seems so genuine because she is contented with her life yet frustrated with dinner duty and the lack of cooperation on the case. The who-done-it is superb as Mary Logue showcases her storytelling abilities with this enjoyable tale.Harriet Klausner

The Claire Watkins series takes place in the small town of Fort St. Antoine, but there is nothing small about Logue's writing. Glare Ice, set in the dead of a Wisconsin winter, is her most chilling and thrilling Watkins book yet. The series just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait for the next one!