When I see a book that has a female FBI agent as its chief protagonist I can’t resist. The blurb describing Frozen Stiff is intriguing. Although I never heard of author Patrick Logan, I decided to give it a try. Touted as a “female sleuth” and “police procedural” story I looked forward to a compelling read.
The prologue was good. It showed grit and the promise of an action-packed journey ahead. Then from the first chapter, this book went way off track. Waking from a bad dream Chase Adams answers her phone to a stranger’s voice. She is instructed by an unknown FBI agent to go to the airport where tickets to Alaska have been left for her. Suddenly, without any FBI training Chase is thrust into an FBI investigation led by Agent Martinez who she has ever met. He tells her she has been recruited by an agent she worked with on one of her cases with the NYPD. The notion that the FBI recruits’ agents in this fashion is ridiculous. But I decided to plod on.
Chase is immediately drawn into a bizarre case where two young women are found frozen in the Alaska snow, naked, with their feet sawed off. There are some interesting clues throughout the story and Chase proves to be adept at following them. Martinez is not happy with her despite her ability to figure things out.
The mystery doesn’t end in Alaska. The duo is then off to Boston to investigate another mysterious murder. Once again Chase shows skill at following the trail.
The police procedures described are not accurate but interesting enough to keep my attention. About halfway through the book, I’d figured out what was going on. I was surprised Chase didn’t see where things were headed.
It’s a good plot, if somewhat predictable. If the author had done more research into police and FBI procedures, I would have given this 5-stars. However, the absurdity of a former narcotics officer and a sergeant in the NYPD not questioning a late-night phone call from a stranger pulling her into an investigation was just too silly to be believed.
If you can get past the Martinez call and his behavior toward Chase, this is a decent suspense thriller.
Blurb
“The two corpses are mutilated. Naked. Frozen solid. It’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again.
With no evidence, no leads, and no clues, the local PD has no choice but to call in the FBI.
Enter FBI recruits Chase Adams. While she may be new to the Bureau, Chase is no rookie when it comes to murder. First a Narcotics Officer in Seattle, then an NYPD Detective, Chase has insight into the workings of some of the most demented minds of our society.
Between the Beats 