The Ice Queen--A Novel

November 24, 2014
In German author Neuhaus’s intriguing third series thriller to be published in the U.S. (after 2014’s Bad Wolf), Det. Insp. Pia Kirchhoff and Supt. Oliver von Bodenstein of the Hofheim Regional Criminal Police in Hesse investigate the shooting murder of David Goldberg, a former White House adviser and revered member of the Frankfurt Jewish community. When an autopsy uncovers an SS tattoo on Goldberg’s left shoulder, it becomes clear that the old man is not the Holocaust survivor he claimed to be. Enter Goldberg’s friend, the wealthy matriarch Vera von Kaltenese, and her dysfunctional family members, who resist helping the detectives. Kirchhoff and Bodenstein discover a hidden trove of Nazi memorabilia and question a host of dubious characters, including down-on-his-luck pornographer and biographer Thomas Ritter. More corpses turn up amid hefty doses of sexual intrigue. Readers need to pay close attention to this solidly plotted and densely populated drama full of red herrings, lest they miss key clues.

January 1, 2015

Neuhaus's newest entry in the German police procedural series (Snow White Must Die; Bad Wolf) featuring Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver Bodenstein is loaded with deception and tangled familial webs that span decades. The story begins with the murder of a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor who was shot in the head and with the number "11645" written in the victim's blood. As Kirchhoff and Bodenstein investigate, their work comes abruptly to a halt when the victim's family takes the case out of their hands. Two more murders of World War II survivors that involve the same killing method and number occur shortly thereafter. Digging deeper, the duo find shocking 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 the head of a rich and well-respected local family. VERDICT Lies and revenge are the driving forces of this intelligent mystery. Neuhaus manages a large cast of characters while skillfully executing plot twists. Newcomers to this series will have no problem jumping in with this book and will likely be interested in reading more. [See Prepub Alert, 7/28/14.]--Madeline Dahlman, Deerfield P.L., IL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.