Frozen Stiff

June 28, 2010
At the start of Logues tepid eighth mystery featuring Pepin County, Wis., deputy sheriff Claire Watkins (after 2008s "Point No Point"), Dan Walker, whos been celebrating New Years Eve alone in his cabins new sauna, finds himself locked out of his cabin after a brief naked roll in the snow. Subzero temperatures ensure that hes frozen stiff by the next morning. Miraculously, Dan revives, but is unable to recall what happened to him, though it appears someone deliberately locked him out. Suspicion falls on Dans soon-to-be-ex-wife, Sherri, as well as his spoiled daughter, Danielle, but other suspects soon emerge. Meanwhile, a possible change in Claires long-term relationship with Rich Haggard, among other personal issues, complicate Claires hunt for who wanted Dan dead. Series fans may enjoy the rough Wisconsin winter and revisiting old friends, but Logue fails to generate much suspense or excitement. "(June)" .

June 1, 2010
Rushed to the hospital after being locked out of his sauna on a frigid New Year's Eve and almost freezing to death, car mogul Daniel Walker clings to life. If this was an accident, why were his cabin doors locked? In her eighth series outing (after "Point No Point"), deputy sheriff Claire Watkins investigates. VERDICT Logue captures the biting cold of a Wisconsin winter as Claire follows a trail of clues to a very dangerous denouement. Sure to appeal to Logue's fans and readers who enjoy regional Midwestern mysteries.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
It is New Years Eve in Pepin County, Wisconsin, 20 below zero with lots of snow. Daniel Walker is relaxing in his sauna, enjoying a bottle of vodka and a cigar and contemplating a new land deal and a divorce. At midnight, he leaves the sauna for a nude roll in the snow, but when he tries to get back inside, the door wont open. When his soon-to-be-ex discovers him frozen in a pile of snow the next morning, she calls for help and the paramedics take him to the hospital to see if he can be saved. Sheriffs investigator Claire Watkins has to figure out whether the incident was an accident or a crime. Daniel Walker made many people unhappy: his wife, his daughter, those on the wrong sides of his land deals. As she investigates, Claire ponders her own relationship with boyfriend Rich. After the death of her husband many years ago, she has been hesitant to remarry. The freezing weather echoes the relationships in this story. Some are frozen, while others, previously icy, show signs of thawing. A satisfying entry in a consistently entertaining series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)