I’m drawn to this series because of the rather unusual nature of the characters. The Monkeewrench group, which designs gaming software and uses its computer skills to solve murders for law-enforcement agencies, is made up of some of the most intriguing and unusual people you’ll read about anywhere.

As book four opens, the twin cities are under a deluge of snow that is nasty and prolonged, even for the twin cities. Poor Detective Gino Rolseth has once again been tasked to be a judge for an upcoming snowman competition. There’s more tan plenty of snow for the competition, and on the day it occurs kids from throughout the region have gathered to build the best snowman. As it can on wintery days, the sun pops through and slightly warms things up—just enough for some of the snow creatures to melt a bit. One curious builder glances at a slightly sun-dilapidated snowman and realizes something is horribly wrong with it. Seems an innovative criminal has encased a dead human inside all that snow and fashioned a snowman with the dead guy inside. Before long, it becomes apparent that the dead snow dude was a cop. Worse still, youthful snowman builders are further traumatized by the fact that another body is found encased in yet another snowman. This time, it’s the partner of the dead cop. Now two cops are dead, and young snow lovers in the twin cities will never be the same again.

Before the mystery is solved, another cop in another city will die, and the Monkeewrench gang will have to step in and help solve the murders.

This is certainly an innovative way to kill people. This could diminish slightly my annual holiday tradition of watching “Frosty, the Snowman.” Even Jimmy Durante’s cheerful gravelly voice may not be able to dissipate the images of dead cops encased in snow.