The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

If you like Prohibition era capers full of outrageous antics, hilarious dialogue and plenty of fun, look no further than Maia Chance’s Naughty on Ice.


The Discreet Retrieval Agency doesn’t normally take anonymous commissions, but when a strange greeting card summons them to Vermont, they jump at the chance of a picturesque holiday vacation.  Still - it doesn’t look good for Lola and Berta to be in the process of removing an antique ring from Great Aunt Cressida’s sausagelike finger when Mrs Goddard passes from a poisoned Negroni cocktail.   But being under suspicion doesn’t stop the intrepid duo from working to clear their names. Needless to say hilarious hijinks follow, as the ladies of the Discreet Retrieval Agency, work to uncover the secrets of suspects - and in Lola’s case be fashionable doing so.  


Lola and her pup are adorable, if naive about the country environs.  Berta as always is a font of knowledge, drawing senior suitors like moths to a flame.  Watching them work together is pure joy.


If you are fond of 1920s comedy-mysteries with a touch of romance (and lashings of hooch) you will laugh your way through Maia Chance’s newest novel, Naughty on Ice.


5 / 5


I received a copy of Naughty on Ice from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


-- Crittermom

This was a fun mystery set in the Jazz Age. It also features a feisty heroine and an interesting mystery. I did not know that this was part of the series, so it was hard getting to know the characters. Still, it was easy enough to be a standalone. I recommend this for fans of historical mysteries.

This holiday installment of the cozy mystery series featuring society gal Lola and her companion Berta was a fun read at this time of year! I love period pieces, and this one takes place during Prohibition. Lola and Berta must discover a murderer while they are in Vermont backwaters.

A fun and easy cozy mystery! Thank you for my review e-copy via Net Galley!

(full review at drbethnolan.com)

Maia Chance involves the Discreet Retrieval Agen.cy in an effort to recover a ring for an anonymous source. To do so Lola and Berta, two flapper detectives travel to a small town and fall over a murder in Naughty on Ice. The red herrings abound as do the scoundrels. A Christmas season extravaganza with danger on the ice and in the countryside.

Ridiculous dialog, “trembly, bunny-rabbit fear” and that was the least childish. I couldn’t help but imagining Lola Goodby as a Kewpie doll character. The plot may have worked but I just couldn’t get past the over-worded descriptions. If you like crazy, period piece madcap adventures, certainly Lola and Berta will lead you on a merry chase. However, I think there are much better in this genre specifically Deanna Raybourne and Alyssa Maxwell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

This is the 4th Discreet Retrieval Agency mystery and definitely one of the best.

The Discreet Retrieval Agency, made up of Lola Woodby and Berta Lundgren, receives an anonymous commission with an invitation to a holiday party in Vermont. They are to retrieve a ring that was stolen by one of the attendees years ago.

But, while busy with their errand, the hostess keels over. Lola and Berta thought it was a heart attack, but police reveal it was a poisoned cocktail and they are at the top of the suspect list. With no one else to turn to, Lola and Berta must find the real murderer before they find themselves behind bars.

And they work hard to do it. Lola and Berta go from one end of the town to the other following leads in the coldest of weather with Cedric the pomeranian in tow. There are many suspects on their list from family members to household staff (both temporary and permanent). And a cryptid bear that walks on two legs has been spotted in the woods nearby.

It's still prohibition era. That plays a small part in the mystery. After all, where do these people get their fixings for their cocktails from? And where do they get the whiskey to soak the fruitcake in? And Lola and Berta have a wonderful 1920s vocabulary. The culture is 1920s as well.

The biggest mystery. though. is who is the killer or are there multiple killers since there end up being multiple victims. I love watching Lola and Berta figure out what is going on.

The novel mostly moves along at a decent pace as the women go from one set of clues and suspects to the next and sometimes back again. There is a little slow part in the middle, but it's not for long.

I have to admit I thought I knew who was responsible, but I was wrong. It was nice to have a logical surprise at the end.

I gave this mystery 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the mystery as well as the historical aspects of the book. It's well paced and had a surprise ending for me. If you enjoy stories from the prohibition era and slightly humorous cozies, then this would be a good choice for you. It's also a good holiday read since it takes place just prior to Christmas.

Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance was released November 13th, 2018 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Lola and Berta are somewhat inept at detecting, but they are always entertaining! I enjoyed the festive, wintry setting - it had the feel of a classic movie.

Chance's latest 20's mystery takes on a murder in a small Vermont town that is up to its ears in criminal behavior. I greatly enjoyed our heroines' antics as they take on a family and a town with lots of secrets.

3.5/5 stars

Lola Wooby and her gifted Swedish cook, Berta Lundgren, are at it again in the newest installment of the "Discreet Retrieval Agency" mystery series. The time is the Age of Prohibition and the scene is bucolic upstate Vermont. By way of a holiday invitation for drinks and dinner, our fearless ladies have been called to the Goddard Farm estate in the quaint village of Maple Hill; that is, quaint at first blush. Their mission, should they accept it, is to retrieve a stolen ring from "Aunt Daphne" and place it in the breadbox for safekeeping and subsequent retrieval. Sounds like an easy enough task and it gets them out of the frenzy of New York City during the days leading up to Christmas.

Why do things appear so simple on the surface, then turn into such a quagmire? While they're retrieving the ring, a murder occurs at Goddard Farm. With Lola and Berta being strangers to these parts, naturally, the police think they're the perpetrators. Heck, in such a small town, everyone else is a known entity. Our lady detectives can't leave town until the police complete their investigation. What investigation? The police think they already have the murderers. Their only chance to clear their names is to investigate and figure out who the murderer is. The story takes off from there and wanders about in several different directions until all things come to a dramatic conclusion.

This is a charming, period, cozy mystery with sheer farce strewn throughout. It bears little resemblance to reality. Would you accept a dinner invitation anonymously sent from a distant town you've never visited? I think not. Regardless, being curled up on the couch with an amusing mystery is the perfect antidote for a cold wintry day. This could make a lovely Christmas gift for your favorite mystery fan.

I am grateful to publisher St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for having provided a free uncorrected digital galley of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Synopsis from publisher's website (https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250109071):

The Discreet Retrieval Agency is doing a brisk holiday business of retrieving lost parcels, grandmas, and stolen wreaths. But with their main squeezes Ralph and Jimmy once more on the back burner, both Lola and Berta pine for a holiday out of New York City. So when they receive a mysterious Christmas card requesting that they retrieve an antique ring at a family gathering in Maple Hill, Vermont, they jump at the chance. Sure, the card is signed Anonymous and it’s vaguely threatening, but it’s Vermont. In Maple Hill, several estranged members of the wealthy Goddard family gather. And no sooner do Lola and Berta recover the ring—from Great-Aunt Cressida Goddard’s arthritic finger—than Mrs. Goddard goes toes-up, poisoned by her Negroni cocktail on ice. When the police arrive, Lola and Berta are caught-red-handed with the ring, and it becomes clear that they were in fact hired not for their cracker-jack retrieving abilities, but to be scapegoats for murder. With no choice but to unmask the killer or be thrown in the slammer, Lola and Berta’s investigations lead them deep into the secrets of Maple Hill. In a breathless pursuit along a snowy ridge, with a lovelorn Norwegian ski instructor and country bumpkin hooch smugglers hot on their heels, Lola and Berta must find out once and for all who’s nice...and who’s naughty.

This was the first book in this series that I have read. I hope to read many more of Maia Chances books. This was such a fun cozy mystery. There were many funny parts and some suspenseful parts. The characters were great. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

What a fun duo. Lola and Berta are unconventional Lady Detectives. Formerly Mistress and Maid, Lola is living the free life as a widow doing as she pleases, and Berta is her elderly maid-turned-sidekick, and now partner in crime-solving. The two well-balanced and funny, Berta providing sage wisdom and wit to Lola's fashion-over-function and sometimes scattered personality.
This adventure was pretty well-paced, the plot kept me guessing at the whodunit, and I thought it wrapped up nicely.
I would definitely read more of these two.

Another madcap case for Lola and Berta aka the Discreet Retrieval Agency. It's 1923 and Christmas is just around the corner but Lola and Berta have taken a case that lands them in Maple Hill, Vermont. It's a very small town with a lot of snow and an interesting bunch of residents. One of them is a murderer. The case seems simple enough, retrieve a ruby ring that was stolen back in 1919. They should have known there was something fishy when they have an anonymous client. Off they go to Vermont, with Cedric the pup along for the ride. (Imagine carrying around a five pound dog while slogging through the snow trying to find a killer)
Just as they find the ring, still firmly attached to a very living finger, the first victim keels over, dead by poison. The ring then takes a back seat to the rest of their stay. And stay, they must, having been told, in very stern fashion, not to leave town. Wanting to be back in New York City for Christmas, Lola and Berta are very well motivated to catch the killer and the next train out of town.
These ladies are a wonderful pair of amateur detectives. They may have business cards to hand out but they are still sort of winging it. It's that situation that leads to laughs and gets them into hot water. Given that the setting is freezing cold deep snow, hot water sounds pretty good to Lola as she deals with icy cold wet feet having made the trip in not very practical high heeled boots. The descriptions of clothing, cars, food and ski jumping all make this a very vividly told story. I was sorry when it came to an end but, oh, what a nice ending it turned out to be. I can't wait for the next case for Lola and Berta.

A cute Prohibition era whodunit. Recommended to fans of this type of madcap mystery. Okay for me in small doses. I'm participating in a blog tour with an excerpt and giveaway so I won't include a review with that post.

"Naughty on Ice is the latest in Maia Chance’s dazzlingly fun Prohibition-era caper series featuring society matron Lola Woodby and her stalwart Swedish cook, Berta.

The Discreet Retrieval Agency is doing a brisk holiday business of retrieving lost parcels, grandmas, and stolen wreaths. But with their main squeezes Ralph and Jimmy once more on the back burner, both Lola and Berta pine for a holiday out of New York City. So when they receive a mysterious Christmas card requesting that they retrieve an antique ring at a family gathering in Maple Hill, Vermont, they jump at the chance. Sure, the card is signed Anonymous and it’s vaguely threatening, but it’s Vermont.

In Maple Hill, several estranged members of the wealthy Goddard family gather. And no sooner do Lola and Berta recover the ring―from Great-Aunt Cressida Goddard’s arthritic finger―than Mrs. Goddard goes toes-up, poisoned by her Negroni cocktail on ice. When the police arrive, Lola and Berta are caught-red-handed with the ring, and it becomes clear that they were in fact hired not for their cracker-jack retrieving abilities, but to be scapegoats for murder.

With no choice but to unmask the killer or be thrown in the slammer, Lola and Berta’s investigations lead them deep into the secrets of Maple Hill. In a breathless pursuit along a snowy ridge, with a lovelorn Norwegian ski instructor and country bumpkin hooch smugglers hot on their heels, Lola and Berta must find out once and for all who’s nice...and who’s naughty."

The popularity of this series proves I'm not the only one obsessed with 1920s sleuths!

This title was included in a feature post of new crime fiction. I'll provide the publisher with the details and the link in the next section of this process.

When they receive an anonymous card asking them to retrieve a stolen family ring, Lola and Berta take their Discreet Retrieval Agency to Vermont. Before they can begin the job, someone dies from a poisoned drink and Lola and Berta are suspects. Another fun Prohibition-era mystery with loads of quirky characters and a mythical hairy beast.

A review will be posted on MapYourMystery blog on Tuesday, November 6
https://mapyourmystery.blogspot.com/2018/11/naughty-on-ice.html

How have I missed this series? You gotta love a cozy where a great aunt is murdered with a poisoned Negroni! The Goddard family hired Lola and Berta to come to Maple Hill, Vermont and find a ring. Seems straightforward if extravagant in its way but of course it's. not. The Goddards have secrets, there is murder afoot, and everyone gets snowed in for a bit. Lola and Berta have a wonderful relationship which has clearly evolved since Lola lost her money. Their beaus Ralph and Jimmy figure in as well, especially when Ralph helps sort out the good guys from the bad. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is light, funny, and a very good read.

Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance was an interesting addition to the Discreet Retrieval Agency series.

Lola Woodby and Berta Lundgren receive a mysterious Christmas card inviting them to Maple Hill, VT to attend a party and retrieve a ring that has been stolen. Upon arrival at the home, they witness the hostess being poisoned and the police arrive with grave suspicions about Lola and Berta involvement in the murder. The plot moved smoothly but Lola and Berta were often lost amid the numerous clues, the odd and quirky family members, a few twists and the suspicious police department. The story seemed to slow down in the middle but eventually picked back up as Lola and Berta finally started putting the clues together. All in all a good read that kept me guessing until the reveal.

This funny, charming Prohibition-era mystery will keep the reader chuckling as they follow the adventures of Mrs. Lola Woodby.