Customer Reviews

The Ice House

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a great book! The award-winning THE ICE HOUSE is a thoroughly entertaining novel filled with some of the wittiest prose and sharpest dialogue I've ever read. Minette Walters is a gifted writer; her narrative is lucid as well as literate, and her characters are flawlessly constructed. There's also a fine plot in this book, with quite a few crafty twists and turns; my only complaint is that a few of the plot strands could not be deduced by the reader. In the sense of the Golden Age detective story, then, I suppose Walters "cheated" a bit. Nonetheless, THE ICE HOUSE is such a gloriously savory dish it's quite overlookable. Lovers of P.D. James and Ruth Rendell will undoubtedly enjoy the work of this hot new British author. One down, five to go. Next stop: THE SCULPTRESS...

This is a gem of a novel, a well-crafted story of mystery filled with wonderful characters. Three women: Phoebe, Anne and Diane - a coven of lesbians, according to gossip- live in a manor house, secluded. Three murders: Phoebe's parents who died in a car crash many years ago; Phoebe's husband who disappeared 10 years ago, and whose body was never found; and a newly discovered body in the ice house on Phoebe's property. But were all of these, or any of these actually murders? And who is the man in the Ice House and how did he get there? This is a page-turner that has as much to do with discovering the complexities of the three women as who if anyone has been murdered and by whom. Add to that a couple of overzealous detectives - one chief inspector who is convinced of Phoebe's guilt and one detective sergeant who is driven by both the charms and the mysteries of the women, especially Anne. One of the best I've read this year.

Having seen the Sculptress on TV last year and being an avid reader of whodunnits and mystery novels I ordered a copy of the Ice House. I was really impressed by the characterisation and the story. I became involved with the characters right from the very beginning feeling sympathy for Phoebe and her friends and downright dislike for the policemen. I really enjoyed this book and truly couldn't put it down. I have been looking for a new author for some time as I have been fed up with the formulaic writing of some of the popular mystery authors such as Patricia Cornwall. Finally being an expat englishwomen from Hampshire where the novel is set I found the descriptions of England etc making me very homesick. I thoroughly recommend this novel.

Winner of Britain's John Creasey Award for Best First Crime Novel, this splendid debut novel by the author is a tough act to follow. She weaves a marvelous mystery surrounding three women who live together in an English Country manor house, one of whom, Phoebe Maybury, is suspected of having murdered her bounder of a husband ten years ago. More recently, a corpse in found in an old icehouse on their property and rumors begin flying fast and furious about these three women.

Ostracized by the community in which they live, these three women become larger than life in the minds of the local townfolk. The charming and artistic Diana Goode and the earthy, no nonsense Anne Catrell hunker about their housemate, Phoebe, as the events of the past threaten to crop up again and overwhelm her.

The police, led by Chief Inspector Walsh, a man with his own underlying agenda, seems intent upon putting the screws to these three women, fixating upon Phoebe Maybury. Only Sergeant Detective McLoughlin seems to be genuinely interested in discovering the truth. In order to do so, however, he must confront his own personal demons, as he finds himself drawn into a snare of deceit, good intentions gone awry, loyalty, and a secret that threatens to ruin the lives of three women.

The author cleverly uses the discovery of the corpse as a catalyst for a voyage of self discovery for some of her characters. Brimming with a cornucopeia of subplots and one or two red herrings, the author grips the reader with a literate and compelling narrative. She is a welcome addition to the ever growing list of British mystery novelists. This author's work should appeal to those who enjoy mysteries written by Ruth Rendell.

This book introduced me to Minette Walters, and since then I've bought every one of her books as soon as it has been released. The Ice House is a fine mystery, and the writing draws the reader into the time a place, making you feel involved all along the way. Descriptions of the ice house itself are thoroughly fascinating. The solution to the murder mystery was both surprising and a perfect fit! I found myself hoping that Ms. Walters would continue with stories about the main detective. I have not, however, been disappointed by the fact that every one of her novels since the Ice House has been entirely different and -- from that first one as well as from each other, and none have involved the same characters. She's a master of suspense, and she has developed some of the most interesting characters I have ever met.

THE ICE HOUSE is a sharp and compelling crime novel, and, in my opinion, Minette Walters best. I first read this several years ago but have since re-read it many times and always enjoy the sharp writing and twisted plot.

The characters are a joy to read about. They are all developed well and interesting, but by far the two that stand out the most are Anne Cattrell and Andy McLoughlin. She is a darkly humorous and sarcastic journalist and he is a morose and troubled police detective. The dialogue they share is electric, and tempered with wit and anger, but sometimes they can be surprising understanding towards each other. They are more alike than they realise!

The plot is remarkable and surprising. There are plenty of twists and you are kept guessing as to 'who done it' all the way through - we are not even sure if the 'good guys', in this case the three women accused of murder, are really as innocent as we'd like to believe. The final scenes are tense and exciting and deliver all the first three quarters of the book promise.

Overall The Ice House is a spectacularly thrilling story with exciting characters and a wonderful ending. I believe that The Ice House is essential reading for everyone who loves crime novels.

JoAnne

This book has a Elizabeth George flavor but better. The twists and turns of the mystery were wonderful. I understand why this book won so many awards. I can't wait to read more from this Author.

Minette Walters is a great mystery writer. The Ice House has everything you could want in a mystery. I could not put it down until I finished reading. I have read her next two books and have ordered more. You will not be disappointed.

I read this book in one day because I just had to know the truth! The characters are unique, believable and there's always more to them than it seems. The good guys are fun to love and the bad guys are even more fun to hate.

Great mystery and an interesting study in human nature.

Being an avid mystery reader I felt this book was top notch with just enough twists and turns to keep a reader at the edge of their seats. It was difficult to put down. My only problem was how Detective Mcloughlin was potrayed by the writer. He speaks in an unarticulate manner and sounding very uneducated at the beggining of the novel and suddenly he becomes this witty well spoken philosophical character. I thought this to be a little odd and unrealistic. With that observation the book is still a great read.