Review: Heart of Ice

Elizabeth is a sociopath who likes to lie, steal and manipulate others. It makes her feel strong and powerful, like she felt when she had Sara's house burnt down. Sara deserved to be punished. Joey Decicco loves lighting fires, so when Elizabeth pays him to light a fire at a house, he is happy to oblige. After all, he'd do it for free. Unfortunately, Joey isn’t as clever as Elizabeth, which means that Elizabeth has to do some of the hard work herself… and the body count begins.

Heart of Ice is the third Triple Threat novel, following Face of Betrayal and Hand of Fate. The Triple Threat Club consists of Cassidy Shaw, TV crime reporter; Allison Pierce, federal prosecutor; and Nicole Hedges, FBI agent; all now working in their hometown of Portland, Oregon, often on different sides of the same case.
The action shifts between Elizabeth and the three Triple Threat women, who are all convincingly portrayed with a refreshing realism – none are too perfect. All have their own personal issues that occasionally interfere with their personal lives, and with their ability to connect the dots regarding Cassidy’s new friend, Alison’s sister and the missing TV intern.

While certain plot elements make it clear that Heart of Iceis part of an ongoing series focussing on the three women, their cases and their personal lives, this is not intrusive nor does it assume any prior knowledge – I read the book without having read the first two, and didn’t feel I was missing any vital information. The plot is underpinned by the case of the so-called Want Ad Killer, but it is immediately apparent that this is the ongoing sub-plot, not the main focus of this novel.

Heart of Ice is an excellent read. Although published by a Christian publishing house, there is no overt preachiness (although as a Christian reader I did note some Christian themes at certain points), and I am sure anyone who likes their thriller or suspense novels without strong language or any gratuitous sex scenes will enjoy Heart of Ice. Liz Wiehl and the Triple Threat Club are a welcome new addition to my reading list. I’ve already bought Face of Betrayal, and will be looking out for the release of the next book.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing a free ebook for review.