Scan barcode
literaryfeline's review against another edition
4.0
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2006/09/review-of-snow-blind-by-pj-tracy.html
tvisser's review against another edition
3.0
Mystery on Monday book club. I liked all the MN references in the book. The story was just kind of average in my opinion.
laurla's review against another edition
5.0
"Nice parka, Gino. How many ducks died for that thing?"
"It's about time you showed up. And to answer your question, not enough. I can't feel my extremities. I think I have frostbite. And hypothermia. Goddammit, I hate winter, I hate snow, I hate cold. Remind me why I live here again?"
"Because you love mosquitoes?"
"Wrong answer."
"Must be the change of seasons then."
"No, it's because every goddammed winter, the brain cells that know how miserable it is here freeze and die. it takes 'em all summer to grow back, and then it's winter again and the whole ugly process starts all over."
"It's about time you showed up. And to answer your question, not enough. I can't feel my extremities. I think I have frostbite. And hypothermia. Goddammit, I hate winter, I hate snow, I hate cold. Remind me why I live here again?"
"Because you love mosquitoes?"
"Wrong answer."
"Must be the change of seasons then."
"No, it's because every goddammed winter, the brain cells that know how miserable it is here freeze and die. it takes 'em all summer to grow back, and then it's winter again and the whole ugly process starts all over."
toofondofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I have loved the Monkeewrench series so far, it seemed like it was going to be a fresh take on murder investigations but actually I think it's run it's course now. I enjoyed Snow Blind as a murder mystery/thriller and found it 'unputdownable' but the Monkeewrench team aspect of it was not really a huge part and seemed pretty much unnecessary. It's a shame at how this has gone because it showed such promise at the start of the series; I really do hope that this writing team can either get it back to how it was or else put it to bed and continue to write without the Monkeewrench team.
si0bhan's review against another edition
3.0
A relative let me borrow a handful of her books, included were Dead Run and Snow Blind. I was tentative about reading them as they were part of a series – and not the first books – yet I went ahead and read Dead Run in the hope the story would make sense to me without the first two books.
Yes, the story made sense. No, I did not enjoy the book.
Due to this, I opted not to read Snow Blind. Then, along came festival season. I needed something to take with me to read on the journey. At that moment in time, I was part way through Stephen King’s Insomnia. I would have gladly taken it with me… except it was my mother’s original hardback version. Such is not a thing to take to a festival with you, not unless you want a book that size to be damage. Thus, I ended up picking up Snow Blind with extremely low expectations.
In all honesty, this one was so much better than Dead Run. Dead Run earned two stars, with there being countless one star moments. Snow Blind earned a full three stars, almost making it to four stars. For me, this was a much better story than the first one.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t enough to leave me wanting to read more by the author – unfortunately I will not be picking up more of the series as I’m not really all that bothered, if I’m honest – yet it was enough to convince me Dead Run was not the best reflection of what to expect from them.
Overall, a much better read than I had expected (almost enough to leave me knocking Dead Run down to one star to show just how much of a difference there is between the two).
Yes, the story made sense. No, I did not enjoy the book.
Due to this, I opted not to read Snow Blind. Then, along came festival season. I needed something to take with me to read on the journey. At that moment in time, I was part way through Stephen King’s Insomnia. I would have gladly taken it with me… except it was my mother’s original hardback version. Such is not a thing to take to a festival with you, not unless you want a book that size to be damage. Thus, I ended up picking up Snow Blind with extremely low expectations.
In all honesty, this one was so much better than Dead Run. Dead Run earned two stars, with there being countless one star moments. Snow Blind earned a full three stars, almost making it to four stars. For me, this was a much better story than the first one.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t enough to leave me wanting to read more by the author – unfortunately I will not be picking up more of the series as I’m not really all that bothered, if I’m honest – yet it was enough to convince me Dead Run was not the best reflection of what to expect from them.
Overall, a much better read than I had expected (almost enough to leave me knocking Dead Run down to one star to show just how much of a difference there is between the two).
ericwelch's review against another edition
4.0
Someone is killing cops and hiding the bodies in snowmen created for a children’s snow festival in Minneapolis. The Monkeewrench software gang are enlisted to help (although they play a relatively minor role in this novel.)
As a recovering northern Minnesota resident. I loved the descriptions of winter, the intense desire for a garage while trying to pry the car door open and chipping off several inches of ice from the windshield; the felon who puts his car in a ditch without a blizzard kit (only those dumb enough to go out in a blizzard are too dumb to have a blizzard kit) and then trudges through the snow (never, ever, leave your car is another constantly repeated mantra) to find a lake (you can always find a lake) where there will inevitably be some kind of building (another given is that every lake has some kind of lodge around it at 10 foot intervals) and realize that he may freeze to death at the relatively warm temperature of 15 degrees which would be absolutely way too embarrassing.
Shift scenes to newly-elected-sheriff, ex-English-teacher, Iris Ricker, her first day on the job, and resented by just about every deputy in the county, in a blinding blizzard, who has to deal with two hardened Mpls. homicide detectives, Gino and Magozzi, and an sympathetic lieutenant Sampson, when they discover another snowman containing a body. (The felon who happened to be hiding in her barn was a bit too much of a coincidence.) Ricker and the relationship between the two homicide cops is what elevates this book above the usual. I loved the back-seat-driving of Gino who’s terrified at driving in the snow on the way up to the crime scene from Minneapolis. They take Kettering Hill to get to the sheriff’s office. (“No one ever takes Kettering Hill in the winter,” notes the helpful dispatcher after they arrive, white-knuckled.)
Some interesting characters and I loved the setting. Very well read by Mel Foster.
As a recovering northern Minnesota resident. I loved the descriptions of winter, the intense desire for a garage while trying to pry the car door open and chipping off several inches of ice from the windshield; the felon who puts his car in a ditch without a blizzard kit (only those dumb enough to go out in a blizzard are too dumb to have a blizzard kit) and then trudges through the snow (never, ever, leave your car is another constantly repeated mantra) to find a lake (you can always find a lake) where there will inevitably be some kind of building (another given is that every lake has some kind of lodge around it at 10 foot intervals) and realize that he may freeze to death at the relatively warm temperature of 15 degrees which would be absolutely way too embarrassing.
Shift scenes to newly-elected-sheriff, ex-English-teacher, Iris Ricker, her first day on the job, and resented by just about every deputy in the county, in a blinding blizzard, who has to deal with two hardened Mpls. homicide detectives, Gino and Magozzi, and an sympathetic lieutenant Sampson, when they discover another snowman containing a body. (The felon who happened to be hiding in her barn was a bit too much of a coincidence.) Ricker and the relationship between the two homicide cops is what elevates this book above the usual. I loved the back-seat-driving of Gino who’s terrified at driving in the snow on the way up to the crime scene from Minneapolis. They take Kettering Hill to get to the sheriff’s office. (“No one ever takes Kettering Hill in the winter,” notes the helpful dispatcher after they arrive, white-knuckled.)
Some interesting characters and I loved the setting. Very well read by Mel Foster.
missstarlamae's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this one, even though it doesn't have much of the Monkeewrench people in it. Living in Minneapolis it's fun to recognize cities and places in the book. Now I keep seeing snowmen everywhere, startling me.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
P.J. Tracy continues to pull me in with this fourth novel in the series, set during a cold snap that makes me remember my childhood. In the middle of the coldest part of winter, Homicide Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are preparing for the Minneapolis PD’s snowman festival. However, as they examine some of the other entries, it becomes apparent that there are two bodies within other snowmen. These bodies are soon identified as fellow MPD officers, making it apparent that there is a killer on the loose and children will likely never want to see another Frosty-type image. As they begin their investigation, they cannot guess how many other bodies there might be hiding in plain sight or who might be the next victim. In a rural Minnesota county, Iris Rikker is ready to begin her first day as sheriff, having won a contentious election to unseat her longtime predecessor. As she is trying to get acclimated, a snowman body is found and she’s forced to start her new job on the wrong foot. The victim is a parole officer and it would appear that parolee Kurt Weinbeck took offence to something, having left him frozen solid and surrounded by snow. Magozzi and Rolseth see the similarities and make their way out to see Rikker, who soon learns that there is more to the story. Weinbeck is on the hunt for his ex-wife, Julie Albright, who is in hiding after being an abuse victim for too long. The MPD Detectives agree to tag along during a visit to Albright, to check on her welfare with Weinbeck on the lam and a potential killer. Locating Albright in Bitterroot, Rolseth is anything but pleased about the community, which offers a unique style of protection. Magozzi seems more accepting, but no matter how protection is offered, Weinbeck is on the loose and must be stopped. Back in Minneapolis, members of Monkeewrench discover someone’s been bragging about the snowman killings in a chat room, hours before the bodies were discovered. Might the killer be found through technological means and could this narrow the future victim pool? Tracy offers up another wonderful thriller that is sure to pique the interest of the series fan and those who love quick police procedurals with a difference.
I simply cannot say enough about P.J. Tracy’s work as I binge my way through this series! The stories reel me in each and every time and these characters continue to evolve, with new ones introduced in each book. Magozzi and Rolseth are back in the driver’s seat, using their banter and sleuthing skills to keep the reader keen on what they will find. Introducing the Sheriff Iris Rikker storyline is not only useful, but plays right into the larger theme of the novel, which can only do good things, should she reappear in future novels. As always, the Monkeewrench crew is present, though they seem to sit in the background for much of the story, popping up only when their usefulness adds depth to the plot. Secondary characters do, as always, offer some interesting flavours, and Tracy is able to effectively utilise them to push home a key point needed to better tell the story. The narrative flows well and the reader is treated to some superior writing that is not always found within the genre, while also staying grounded. Moving away from the traditional police procedural, P.J. Tracy entertains the reader with strong storylines, perfect for a vacation or summer binge. I am eager to keep racing through these books to see what other mysteries come up in the numerous cases that follow.
Kudos, P.J. Tracy, for another wonderful piece. I am so happy to have found this series and hope to feel more chills throughout this summer reading binge!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
I simply cannot say enough about P.J. Tracy’s work as I binge my way through this series! The stories reel me in each and every time and these characters continue to evolve, with new ones introduced in each book. Magozzi and Rolseth are back in the driver’s seat, using their banter and sleuthing skills to keep the reader keen on what they will find. Introducing the Sheriff Iris Rikker storyline is not only useful, but plays right into the larger theme of the novel, which can only do good things, should she reappear in future novels. As always, the Monkeewrench crew is present, though they seem to sit in the background for much of the story, popping up only when their usefulness adds depth to the plot. Secondary characters do, as always, offer some interesting flavours, and Tracy is able to effectively utilise them to push home a key point needed to better tell the story. The narrative flows well and the reader is treated to some superior writing that is not always found within the genre, while also staying grounded. Moving away from the traditional police procedural, P.J. Tracy entertains the reader with strong storylines, perfect for a vacation or summer binge. I am eager to keep racing through these books to see what other mysteries come up in the numerous cases that follow.
Kudos, P.J. Tracy, for another wonderful piece. I am so happy to have found this series and hope to feel more chills throughout this summer reading binge!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons