A very good spin on a classic whodunit.

Think Christie but funnier, with more heart. The characters are crazy but relatable, and in the middle of Arctic!

I love a cosy murder mystery and this was one of the best.

Delicious…
A murder on ice in the Arctic, sharks on the seabed, the brilliant Blanchards. The Blanchard twins may well be superior scientists but can they put their brilliant minds together to solve a murder? Everyone on the luxury cruise ship is a suspect, the twins were at sea and, so, it’s up to them to investigate. A wholly engaging and beautifully written mystery with a well imagined setting, a delightfully eclectic cast of characters populating a classic plot and a wonderfully eccentric pair of protagonists. This reader hopes for more to come from this delectable duo. Delicious.

A nice crime romp for fans of cosy crime that kept me guessing right to the end. Plenty of twists and just enough detail for it not to be too much, but which linked nicely into the plot. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of the characters - it was done in a way which didn’t feel tokenistic like some books can do.

Death on Ice has such a good premise, and indeed, the book is very enjoyable, but it does take a little while to get going. For those unsure about it, I would recommend ploughing on through the first 25% until we get to the crux of the matter.

This isn't really a story about a crime-fighting duo, or if it is, it's not the twins who are our crime fighters, but rather the two police characters, flown to the ship and asked to disentangle the complex murder, while also trying to solve the crime that has them in the Arctic Circle in the first place.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author, but it did take a little bit of getting used to. This is 'a busy book' as in, every word counts. That might sound strange, but often, especially with cosy mysteries, there are some elements that are story-filler and not story-related. This to me, felt a little bit like The West Wing of old, and other TV shows that are conversation and plot heavy i.e. you actually have to pay attention throughout the whole episode, and you need to do this with Death on Ice. It's not a bad thing, once you realise it.

And it is a cleverly spun tale, and by the end of it, I was entirely enthralled with our four main characters and some of the others besides (our lovely sleepy shark). I certainly did not guess the resolution.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

A captivating mystery at sea.

Meet The Dauphin - a state of the art scientific research vessel, with 6 luxurious state rooms built to be home to the wealthiest looking for a trip with a difference. At £24,000 a head, taking paying visitors helps fund the science taking place in the laboratories below deck. There's also a deep sea submersible for exploring the depths of the ocean, which is handy for Dr Finn Blanchard, on board to research the elusive and long-lived Greenland Shark.

The Dauphin is headed up to the Arctic Circle. Alongside Finn is his protective twin sister, Rose - herself a scientist focussing on more tropical climes.

One by one we meet the crew and guests on board. The passenger list is limited by the size of the ship and cost to travel, giving us a group pf characters to focus on, each with their own quirks. The most obnoxious being Dr Ben Sixgill, who manages to get the backs up of nearly everyone on board.

Called back to the surface during a trip in the submersible, Rose and Finn emerge from the vessel to find that Dr Sixgill is dead. Harpooned on the ice sheet near the ship. Stranded up in the Arctic, Rose and Finn are the only people with a firm alibi, and suspicion falls on every one else on board.

Help is at hand, with British police officers Tom Heissen and Titus Williams, at this point stationed up in Svalbard, on the trail of a smuggling ring. As the nearest officers, they board the ship, and make use of the twins' scientific minds to help solve a seemingly impossible murder.

The novel reads like a classic murder mystery in a modern setting, and is great fun to read. The characters are well written, and I felt compelled to keep reading into the early hours to find out whodunnit. Layers of secrets are peeled back until we find out everyone's deep hidden secrets, and uncover who hated Dr Sixgill enough to kill him. The author has crafted wonderful characters that we really root for, and I'm excited to hear the Blanchard twins will be back for another adventure.

Death on Ice is out on February 13th.

Many thanks to the author, the published Faber & Faber Ltd and Netgalley for the advance digital copy for review.

I loved this book it was just what I needed recovering from the Flu. The setting is superb, like a locked room scenario . The characters made me laugh, smile and grimace, reminding me of folks I actually know; that shows how well they are written. A great tale, I will have to watch out for more of this authors work.