The Frozen Shroud

I have been a fan of Martin Edwards' Lake District mystery series since I picked up a copy of the first several years ago. They hit all the right spots with me -- rich in character detail, enough suspense but not a constant and improbable lurching from one excessive bit of violence and drama to the next, historical backgrounds play a role, and there's a great sense of place.

In this outing, the murders are set in a remote Cumbrian valley on the banks of Ullswater. An Edwardian murder left rumors of a ghost of the murdered girl walking the byroads; then, in the 21st century, there is a copycat killing that appears to have been solved when the presumed perpetrator is found dead. But then, five years after that, a third murder shakes show more everything up again...

The two protagonists here are historian Daniel Kind, who have moved to the Cumbrian neighborhood where his late father, a police inspector, once lived; and Hannah Scarlett, a protegee of Daniel's father who has developed a still-platonic-but-who-knows-what-might-happen kind of relationship with Daniel himself. There is work for both to do here, as Daniel's historical research knowledge may help finally put to rest the question of who killed Gertrude a century ago, while Hannah is heading up a Cold Case squad under siege by budget cuts.

If you're deeply into ultra-dark Scandicrime, or rollercoaster Steve Berry-style thrillers, this won't do much for you. On the other hand, if you're happy occupying the middle ground between "cozy" mysteries and the police procedural, this will delight you. The last book in the series somewhat underwhelmed me, but Edwards is back on track with this book -- just start back at the beginning if you're interested, as you'll be able to follow the evolution of the characters' relationships, which is a big part of the fun for me. Definitely recommended, and I did a happy dance when NetGalley enabled me to read this as an e-galley. The month or so that is left before publication will give you enough time to read up on its predecessors!

I've rated this 4.2 stars; very entertaining and not-put-downable. show less

Martin Edwards' rock solid Lake District mystery series has one of those will-he-won't-she relationships that are practically irresistible when the characters involved are as winning as historian Daniel Kind and Detective Inspector Hannah Scarlett. The two of them have been dealing with inappropriate partners, misread cues, and conflicting workloads for six books now. I'm happy-- but hesitant-- to report that there may be a light at the end of their tunnel.

It's not going to be easy. Daniel is very nervous about not wanting too much too soon from Hannah, and Hannah is still trying to drill it into her former partner's head that the party is over while simultaneously dealing with crippling staff reductions on the police force.

Both Daniel show more and Hannah are complex, interesting characters, but I have to admit that I think The Frozen Shroud's story let them down a bit. For one thing, too many personal problems were settled with happy coincidences, and for another, it was too easy for me to deduce whodunit.

Be that as it may, I still enjoyed reading the book as the next chapter in the lives of two characters I've grown to care for very much, as well as for its creepy atmospheric setting. I'm looking forward to book number seven. show less

The blurb from Fantastic Fiction is very similar to the one on the dustjacket of the book. Both show evidence that the author changed his mind about the name of one of the characters - in the book Katya Moss is actually called Sheenagh.

There are three murder victims - Gertrude the original Faceless Woman, Sheenagh the next one, and then five years later, another. All are murdered on Halloween and the author exploits other similarities in the cases. For DCI Hannah Scarlett the coincidences are just too great, and she wonders whether the same person is responsible for at least the two most recent murders. Daniel Kind though is interested in the historic cold case of the death of Gertrude.

Martin Edwards is an accomplished storyteller and show more keeps the readers on their toes with coincidences and red herrings. It is a book that makes you think as you weigh up the evidence for yourself.

Running through the background is the on-again off-again relationship between the detective Hannah and the historian Daniel. And almost a character is a sensitive portrayal of the Lake District. Many thanks too to Martin for his acknowledgment at the end of the book of the small amount of information I was able to contribute about Sheenagh's possible Australian background. show less

From Amazon:

Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in England's Lake District, each time on Halloween. Just before the First World War, a young woman's corpse was found, with a makeshift shroud frozen to her battered face. Her ghost - the Faceless Woman - is said to walk through Ravenbank on Halloween. Five years ago, another woman, Katya Moss, was murdered, and again her face was covered to hide her injuries. Daniel Kind, a specialist in the history of murder, becomes fascinated by the old cases, and wonders whether the obvious suspects really did commit the crimes. He spends Halloween at a party in Ravenbank - only to find death returning to this beautiful but isolated spot. Once more, the victim is a woman, once more show more her damaged face is shrouded from view.

My Thoughts:

I just couldn't get serious about the main protagonists since they are all a bit dim-witted when it comes to their own emotions. The story line was too simple, and the ending overly obvious. The book is the type of book that I would usually find very appealing...several murders, the promise of a ghost story...but The plot is too far-fetched for even me, and my suspension of dis-belief was sadly sagging. Didn't really hate it but can't bring myself to say I liked it either...so 2.5 stars. show less

The Frozen Shroud is Martin Edward's latest offering from the Lake District Mysteries series, a series I've been meaning to read for quite a while. The Frozen Shroud is based around two historical murders in the remote fictional Lakeland village of Ravenback, and the events when a third murder happens mirroring the first two.

The novel is well written, with little touches, such as referring to a non-Cumbrian as an incommer, making it very realistic in its setting; a fact that I'm sure will please lovers of the Lake District, as too few books are true to this setting. The pace however is too slow for my liking with the action not really getting going until 40% into the book. There are also a few too many long conversations between show more characters that add little to the plot, which is a particular bug bear of mine. The main characters are well written, but the extended cast of characters - particularly in the first half of the book, can make following what is going on difficult. The large number of characters comes in very useful in the last section of the book, providing many possible suspects and motives to the killings. The twist at the end is superb the killer being someone you would never have suspected.

Overall, a 'soap-opera' style mystery that is well written and which kept me guessing till the end.

The Frozen Shroud is released on April 2nd and will be available in dead-tree format from Amazon for £8.33. Currently there is no information on an e-book release, however as Kindle versions of several other books in the series are available I've no doubt one will be available after release.

[An ARC was provided by NetGalley] show less

Interesting mix of real and imagined Lake District locations and clever plotting. However I struggled to keep up with all the characters from the three different periods in time covered by the plot.

The Frozen Shroud is a book I could not put down. Set in the Lake District of England in a small town called Ravenbank and people whose families have lived there for many generations. The three people who were could not have been done by the same person because the first one happened 50 years ago and the other two were within the last five years. The main cast of characters are all from different walks of life and different ways that they live . The story-line is well-written and I can't wait to read more by Mr. Edwards.
Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book and I recommend it highly.