M. P. Cooley

Mystery readers must be some of the most discriminating and savvy readers in the fiction world! I love a good mystery, but it is not a genre I read often. When I do, I totally throw myself into the game. I want my mysteries to be complex and authentic. I want to like the main character and get to know this person from the inside out. Then of course, I want there to be tons of realistic clues to throw me off track and stretch my mind to solve the crime.

“Ice Shear,” by M. P. Cooley, did show more all that and more. It’s an intricately plotted and fast-paced mystery by a skillful debut author. There are lots of possible culprits to put readers off balance while working through the evidence. In the end, this book outsmarted me; I didn’t solve it. But I wasn’t disappointed when I found out who the murderer was and the motivation behind the crime. It made sense and made me go back to see how I might have missed some clues…and naturally, I did. I like my mysteries difficult and psychologically convoluted. This one fit the bill.

What I loved best about this book was the main character, June Lyons. She’s smart, compassionate, and insightful. Her husband’s death more than two years earlier caused June to leave a promising FBI career and return to her small hometown of Hopewell Falls, New York. There, she settled into a less-demanding job as a local cop. The move gave her the opportunity to live in her childhood home with her retired father. He’s an ex-cop and the perfect caretaker for her young daughter, Lucy.

Police work in Hopewell Falls has not been very exciting—mainly handling local drunks and domestic disputes. But as the book begins, two gruesome homicides happen within days of each other and June is swept up in a whirlwind of official business. Because both murders involve the family of a prominent U.S. Congresswoman, the FBI takes over the case. They recognize and appreciate June’s former agency training and deputize her on the spot. As a result, she’s pulled in to work the case directly alongside the agency’s chief investigator. Naturally, sparks fly with the local police chief.

The case quickly develops into a major federal crime investigation involving one of the nation’s most notorious motorcycle gangs. Is it possible this West Coast gang is trying to bring its meth production and distribution activities east to Hopewell Falls? How is the Congresswoman involved? Why does her FBI partner keep saying that the local cops don’t have the security clearance to hear certain significant evidence in the case?

This is a story that focuses on the intense emotions and hidden motivations found within families. It’s about fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and especially about siblings. Revenge, retribution, greed, corruption, jealousy, power…what is the motivation behind these murders? Who did it and why?

I had a few minor problems with this mystery which kept me from rating it a full-throttle five-star gem, but if I tell you about them, it would definitely give away too much of the plot…and the plot is all the fun, right? Trust me; the book is terrific and certainly worth a try. I predict a good future for this new author. show less

Smart and funny, and believably observant about all around her, June Lyons is the type of person you want on your side, and even to share a beer with! M.P. Cooley has written a complicated mystery that leaves you thinking about the characters and the choices they made well after finishing the book. Easy reading, satisfying ending!

I have not read the first book, but after reading this, I really want to go read it. You don't need to read the first one before this, it doesn't take away from following the story.

I really loved the characters, especially the main one June. She is a great cop. The main story line flowed well and it was an easy read. I had a few guesses on the bad guys and how they played a part in the crime. Some I got right and others I didn't.

I consider it a good story if I didn't get bored, the show more characters are well created, the mystery is natural and not crazy, and if I don't figure out what happened and who did it, early on in the book. Overall I'm pleased with what I wrote.

I'm looking forward for the third book.

I was given this book in a giveaway. show less

This is a good police procedural story which has always been an interest of mine. Former FBI agent, June Lyons, works for the local PD and is assigned to a case that blows your mind... a meth lab, biker gangs, and of course murder which just so happens to draw in the FBI because of the the deceased's family.
Kept me tied to the book for sure.

I wanted to know who the informants were and what the FBI agents were hiding. The only thing that bothered me some of the characters weren't fully show more developed but not enough to keep me from enjoying the book.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less