The Ice Queen

Published in English as The Ice Queen

Several months after the events from Mordsfreunde Pia Kirchoff is happily settled into her relationship with Christoph. I mean... neither of them is particularly thrilled with the Zoo director's upcoming business trip to South Africa, even if it's only for a week. But then, such is "young" love.

Oliver von Bodenstein is busy preparing for his newborn daughter's christening, ready to jump back into parenting mode, as his older children have all but left the nest.

Alas, such an idyllic atmosphere could hardly last, if for no other reason than the series' raison d'être. Enter the late David Goldberg, brutally murdered in his apartment's hallway. Who could possibly want to kill the all-around beloved show more 92-year-old Holocaust survivor after all these years? Not to mention that the guy wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore?

I was rather curious about this 3rd installment of the series, the first to be translated into English. Would it be controversial? Intriguing? Edge-of-my-seat thrilling? Well... in a manner of speaking. Present-day investigations of Nazi crimes are certainly popular enough in Hollywood movies.

Plus the entire investigation process that leads our two heroes into the deep dark secrets of some incredibly affluent members of the German high society, definitely piqued my interest. Unfortunately at one point the sheer amount of side-characters introduced was so overwhelming, that I started to lose interest in the story. Sure, everything gets explained in the end, but at times I was seriously doubting whether or not I'd manage to keep up with things for long enough to actually get there.

My biggest surprise however, was the romance of two side-characters, with some rather controversial aspects. On the one hand, as an avid fanfiction consumer , there was nothing particularly pearl-clutching in its nature. Yes, I have (and still do) read some very questionable stuff. Heck, I was even grinning like crazy at how daring the author was to mention it.

On the other hand, I suppose that anyone who enjoyed the first two books in the series, would at least raise a shocked eyebrow in reaction... Or maybe not, given the nature of the criminal events uncovered here.

Score: 3.2/5 stars

I quite enjoyed the mystery, and was looking forward to the whole process of finding the culprit as well as their motivation. Kudos for the subject matter: I actually have zero criticism about the author's handling of Nazi crimes. If only her diversion tactics hadn't made things so boring!

Even though the novel didn't impress me too much, I'll probably continue with the series for nostalgia's sake. Bodenstein & Kirchhoff is the first adult German book series I've tried my language skills in, so I kinda want to see how far it gets me.

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Review of book 1: Eine Unbeliebte Frau
Review of book 2: Mordsfreunde
Review of book 4: Schneewittchen muss sterben
Review of book 5: Wer Wind sät
Review of book 6: Böser Wolf show less

The Ice Queen is the third mystery novel by Nele Neuhaus featuring detectives Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver Bodenstein. As the book opens, an old Jewish man and holocaust survivor, has been found murdered execution style with the number “11645” written in the victim’s blood. During his autopsy they discover that his body has a tattoo marking him as a member of the Nazis SS. Shortly after the first murder, two more elderly people are killed in a similar way. As Pia Kirchoff and Oliver von Bodenstein of the Kripo hunt for the perpetrator of this crime, as well as the true identity of the victim, clues that suggest that each of these victims is not actually a survivor but a perpetrator of Nazi war crimes. The only other connection is show more their lifelong friendship with Vera Kaltensee, the head of a rich and well-respected local family.

The Ice Queen has some great twists that will keep readers guessing who the murderer is until the very end. Oliver and Pia make a great team and their camaraderie and friendship give them emotional depth that will intrigue the reader. The author does a great job describing the German setting. I felt like there were too many characters and as a result I found myself confused in some places and had to go back and reread a section. The plot was difficult to follow in some cases but I was interested enough in what was happening to keep reading. I definitely plan on continuing the series. show less

The Ice Queen is the third mystery novel by Nele Neuhaus featuring detectives Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver Bodenstein. As the book opens, an old Jewish man and holocaust survivor, has been found murdered execution style with the number “11645” written in the victim’s blood. During his autopsy they discover that his body has a tattoo marking him as a member of the Nazis SS. Shortly after the first murder, two more elderly people are killed in a similar way. As Pia and Oliver hunt for the perpetrator of this crime, as well as the true identity of the victim, clues that suggest that each of these victims is not actually a survivor but a perpetrator of Nazi war crimes. The only other connection is their lifelong friendship with Vera show more Kaltensee, the head of a rich and well-respected local family.

The Ice Queen has some great twists that will keep readers guessing who the murderer is until the very end. People are not who they seem to be. Oliver and Pia make a great team and their camaraderie and friendship give them emotional depth that will intrigue the reader. The author does a great job describing the German setting. I felt like there were too many characters and as a result I found myself confused in some places and had to go back and reread a section. The plot was difficult to follow in some cases but I was interested enough in what was happening to keep reading. I understand the next book in the series, Snow White Must Die, is much better and I will definitely read that one. show less

An old man is found dead, shot execution-style. He is a well-known and rich Jewish ex-pat visiting Germany regularly. However during his autopsy something odd is found, a tattoo indicating that he was a member of the SS. Then another old man is found murdered in the same way, then an old woman. How is this linked to Vera Kaltensee, a rich and irascible member of local society? Bodenstein and Kirchoff are tasked with untangling this series of cases and the clues lead to events that happened in 1945 in East Prussia, now Poland.

As with the previous Neuhaus book I read, this book took some getting into. The plot is convoluted but suddenly it all starts to make sense. There is a nice blind alley or two and the final solution is devastatingly show more simple. The workings of K-11 are still a little indecipherable but the development of the character of Pia Kirchoff is good. An enjoyable read. show less

Der 92-jährige Holocaust-Überlebende David Josua Goldberg wird durch einen Genickschuss getötet. Der Tote trägt am Arm Reste einer Blutgruppentätowierung, wie sie bei Angehörigen der SS üblich war. Zwei weitere Morde folgen, auch sie gleichen Hinrichtungen. Welches dunkle Geheimnis verband die Opfer miteinander?
Die Ermittlungen führen Hauptkommissar von Bodenstein und Pia Kirchhoff tief zurück in Deutschlands Vergangenheit.

Germany may be a thoroughly modern 21st century nation but shadows of old atrocities still hang over her: when Daniel Goldberg, a renowned Frankfurt Jew and concentration camp survivor, is found murdered, the criminal police take it very seriously indeed.
Ice Queen is the third book by Nele Nauhaus to be translated into English: difficult to believe this best-selling writer started by publishing her books herself, selling them from her garage and from her husband’s meat factory.
Crime stories were apparently looked down on in Germany – until Scandinavian thrillers and Stieg Larsson in particular took the world by storm: soon Neuhaus was able to boast she was outselling JK Rowling, In Germany.
Detective Inspector Pia Kirchoff and show more Detective Chief Inspector Oliver von Bodenstein of the Hofheim Regional Criminal Police in Hesse have become favourites in translation as well, and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two is an apposite time for the publication of The Ice Queen.
When two Holocaust survivors are killed in quick succession, Kirchoff and von Bodenstein are concerned, especially when further investigation proves the dead men were actually SS officers, not the victims they claimed to be.
The solution to the mystery obviously lies in the past, in the closing days of the war, but the rich and powerful von Kaltenese family, headed by the matriarch Vera who knew both victims, seems determined to obstruct them.
More seemingly senseless murders and violent attacks occur, but always at the centre is the revered but dysfunctional von Kaltenese family.
Kirchoff and von Bodenstein negotiate their way through a cast of eccentrics, hugely powerful vested interests, and official obduracy while managing personal crises with a professionalism that is refreshing.
Lies, Nazi paraphernalia, an old diary, secrets and heinous war crimes – The Ice Queen is a feast for both history buffs and conspiracy theorists and the two detectives find present atrocities are rooted in ancient evil. Highly intriguing. show less

When Jossi Goldberg is found murdered, execution style in his Frankfurt home, everyone is surprised. Goldberg was an American citizen, a Holocaust survivor, well known philanthropist, and at age 92, was unlikely to have any enemies. But the autopsy uncovers something even more surprising. On Goldberg's arm is a tattoo that had been unsuccessfully covered. This is no concentration camp number though -- it is a blood type marker that was used by Hitler's SS. Was Goldberg even Jewish? But before Police Detectives Pia Kirchoff and Oliver von Bodenstein can make much progress on this murder, another body is found murdered in the same execution style. Before long, Kirchoff and Bodenstein are swamped with unsolved murders and the pressure is show more on to find the killers. The pace is fast and it's important to listen closely, because the plot twists keep coming. By midway through this book, you'll be hooked and find it hard to put this book down.

But not only is The Ice Queen a fast paced thriller, it provides an unusual insight into the minds of Germans today regarding the Holocaust and the anti-Semitism during World War II. I found it fascinating to see how some of the characters felt disgusted by the actions of the Nazis and some of the older generation missed the glory days of the Third Reich.

Nele Neuhaus is one of Germany's most popular mystery authors, and it's only recently, that her books have been translated and made available to the English market. After listening to this book, it's clear that it's not just the Swedes who have a monopoly on well-crafted, dark thrillers. A wonderful combination of character and plot-driven mystery!

The audiobook was well narrated by Robert Fass. This is a challenging book to perform. There are a large number of characters and many foreign words, names and places. These were executed flawlessly. The only negative comment I had about this narration was that the characters voices were not that distinctive. There were times when I wasn't sure which person was speaking. However, there was a very large cast of characters and once the plot started really rolling, I was able to figure out who was speaking through context.

Very entertaining!

Note: I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audiobook Jukebox, in exchange for an honest review. show less