Murder
At Icicle Lodge by J. D. Griffo brings back the Ferrara
women detective team. They are investigating a murder where
the people of interest mount up.
The four women are related and range in age from 65 to GenX.
They are Alberta, her granddaughter Jinx, sister Helen and
her sister-in-law Joyce with a supporting cast of police chief,
Vinny; Jinx’s boyfriend, Freddy; Alberta’s boyfriend,
Sloan; and Helen’s frenemy Father Sal. What makes these
characters so likeable is their humorous banter.
This installment has reporter Jinx invited to cover the new
lodge that is opening and featuring a famous Olympic gold
medal ice skater, Pamela Gregory, making her return to the
rink. She is given two rooms, which allows her to invite her
grandmother, her aunts, and their significant others. Also
going is the police chief who is a big fan of Gregory. As
everyone is looking forward to see Gregory’s special
performance, Alberta comes with the news that it will not
be happening. She relays how Pamela was found dead on the
ice. To make matters worse a blizzard keeps the authorities
from reaching the lodge and keeps those there entrapped. Now
Alberta and company must find the killer before other murders
mount up.
“I wanted the Lodge to be a character. The name actually
came before the description. Everything happens there like
the Clue game. I decided to make it big and foreboding. There
are traps everywhere that can conceal secrets. Inside it is
homely, but outside it becomes dangerous.”
Griffo noted, “Ever since I was young I’ve been
fascinated with figure skating. Some might rightfully say
obsessed. I have no idea what the appeal was since I grew
up in Hoboken, New Jersey, which is not a winter sports mecca.
The artistry, the athleticism, the music, and the costumes
all swirled together to create this unique world of magic
and pageantry that had me transfixed. The skaters I watched
were elegant, graceful, and possessed a controlled strength
and power that allowed them to glide over the ice at breakneck
speed and jump into the air with wild abandon. All the while,
looking downright fabulous.”
This
cozy mystery has engaging and quirky characters that must
battle the red herrings to find the killer. There are tidbits
added about the Italian culture to make for a more interesting
read.
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