Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy
This book is 10th in series but I had never read any of the preceding and could keep up with what's going on in story. Excellent story, lots of characters but all fully fleshed out and interesting, that said there is alot of things going on in this book from a war criminal being sought, possible serial killer, cyber crimes taking place but this author pulls it all together for one very interesting read! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion.

Bondage murder with a convoluted plot of too many characters to keep track of. I have other books to read by better authors.

I was a little worried, being the first book in a series that I had read, however, I didn't feel lost at all. This book is a quality detective mystery that is packed with twists that you can't see coming. I'm definitely interested in reading more from this series.

Ice Cold Heart: A Monkeewrench Novel
By PJ Tracy
Crooked Lane
September 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

When a psychic walks into the Minneapolis Police Station, only new ACLU-friendly regulations prevent them from immediately kicking her out. Instead, Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are forced to listen to Blanca Szabo’s rather vague prediction of a confined woman who will soon be killed. Even a doubting Magozzi can’t feel a bit unsettled though, when they are called to a gruesome murder scene where they find Kelly Rampage tortured and suffocated to death in a BDSM scenario. The question of whether or not Blanca had inside information or was involved becomes muddled when she is the victim of what is at first seems to be an accident, but is quickly revealed to be another murder. Magozzi and Rolseth trace Kelly Rampage’s last movements to a creepy art gallery installation, where the mysterious art Rado displays his videos of women being bound and tortured. While the art gallery owner proclaims that these are artistic expressions of a genius, a protestor insists that they are what led to her sister’s death.

As Magozzi is frustrated and confused by the celebration of violence and BDSM, Grace MacBride and her Monkeewrench Software security team dive into the four-hundred million-dollar cryptocurrency theft suffered by their client Bit Monster. Monkeewrench is a team whose bonds have been cemented by tragedy and violence, leaving them hesitant to lower their guard or let outsiders get close. Cycling fanatic Roadrunner has taken this isolation to the extreme, focusing on extreme bike training when not toiling at Monkeewrench’s projects. That changes when he rescues new neighbor Petra Juric, a woman deeply depressed and on the trail of a savage war criminal. That their paths all somehow overlap and intertwine is a feat few authors would dare or could accomplish, and yet it all comes together in a thrilling and satisfying confrontation.

I fell in love with this series when it first debuted as an outstanding thriller so uniquely co-written by a mother-daughter team. It is a fitting tribute that after the passing of P.J. Lambrecht in 2016, her daughter Traci continues the series with the same clever-plotting and deft wit. The Monkeewrench team are quirky geniuses who overcame their tragic pasts, constantly revealing themselves to be even stronger survivors and never victims. The brittle, always-armed Grace has surprisingly grown into a loving new mother, one who still carries multiple weapons but is open to loving both Magozzi and their child. Roadrunner has been a character the least explored in previous novels, and it is so delightful to learn more about his past and see his venture into new territory. Cybercrime, international war crime, and the always entertaining Monkeewrench team keep this tenth of the series as compelling and fresh as the first. New readers are quickly brought up to speed and immersed in their high-tech, cyber investigation, while longtime fans will enjoy seeing their favorite cast of characters practice their skills in the field where they excel.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Tenth in a series. A solid police drama that will keep your attention till the end

3.5*
I’m fairly new to this series, having read only the previous book The Guilty Dead. This latest release is book 10 In the very popular Monkeewrench series.

More often than not, the characters themselves can carry a book. Even when the story-line may not grab you, a creative author can cleverly develop a cast you will be immediately drawn to!

I have to admit, the story-line was a bit much for me. Too many complicated moving parts with only loose threads to tie it all together. Somewhere along the way I was left in a huge knot and couldn’t find a way out! Simply put…I was hopelessly lost!🙈

In a long running series it can become a delicate balancing act between moving the characters forward while hopefully presenting a captivating story-line. For this latest release it was the characters that ruled the day!

The Monkeewrench crew are all amazing and I’m quickly growing to love them all! Roadrunner and his shy quirkiness has stolen my 💖

A buddy read with Susanne!🍁

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and P.J. Tracy for an ARC to read and review.

Ice Cold Heart
(Monkeewrench #10)
by P.J. Tracy

Kindle Edition, 144 pages
Published September 24th 2019 by Zebra


Goodreads synopsis:
Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth join Grace MacBride and Monkeewrench to uncover a dark and ugly conspiracy that reaches deep into the safety of homes in this latest electrifying thriller from New York Times bestselling author P. J. Tracy.

It's a bitter winter in Minnesota--too cold to kill. There hasn't been a murder for a month, but the lull quickly comes to an end for Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, when they're called to the gruesome homicide of Kelly Ramage. Found in a friend's vacant house, this was no random attack, and clues reveal that she was living a very dangerous secret life.

Magozzi and Gino trace her steps back to an art gallery where she was last seen alive. The gallery seems like a dead end, but the art is disturbing and exploitative. It may very well be inspiring a sadistic killer, because in this instance, art doesn't imitate life, it imitates death.

Tipped off about a year-old murder that is a mirror-image of Kelly's crime scene, Gino and Magozzi enlist the aid of Grace MacBride and her eccentric, tech genius partners in Monkeewrench Software to help them decipher the digital trail that might connect the cases.

As coincidences emerge, Magozzi, Gino, and the team have to work around the clock at breakneck pace to unravel a series of clues that form the framework of a larger, more sweeping, and insidious conspiracy than any of them could have imagined. Is Kelly the last person to die or just the most recent? And is there any way to stop it?
***

4.5 Stars

This is the tenth book in the Monkeewrench series by P.J. Tracy.

I thought this was quite an interesting story and am glad I picked this up to dive into.

In this police procedural mystery we find a trophy wife, who is leading a double life, murdered in her best friend’s house. I have not read the other books in this series so I am not sure if the villain is new every time or moves from book to book.

I wasn’t familiar with the detectives either and they didn’t stand out to me in any way. It was the plot that shined in this novel. I would have liked to have more personal details about the detectives in order to make me want to follow them from book to book.

The Monkeewrench concept wasn’t defined here and I think it was assumed that by book ten we would know what that entity was. No one expects you to dive into the series on book ten. This tale was quite a twisty-turney one, but in the end it makes total sense.

Even though the detectives weren’t memorable, the story definitely was. The plot was a masterful piece of work and I will definitely be picking up more by P.J. Tracy!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Love this series. I like that the author features one of the main characters in each book, in this case, Road Runner. Likeable characters and the suspense is kept up throughout.

3.5 Stars

Detectives Magoozi and Rolseth are called to the scene of a crime where a woman name Kelly Rampage was murdered in what appears to be a sex game gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile the Monkeewrench team is involved in the theft of over $40 Million in Cryptocurrency. When more bodies are found with crime scenes that match Kelly Rampage’s in one way or another, Magoozi and Rolseth realize that they have a serial killer on their hands.

Working with Monkeewrench, Magoozi and Rolseth determined that their crimes scenes are connected to the theft of Cryptocurrency, which is unthinkable! The question of how remains to be seen. From war criminals to the art world, it was almost hard to follow the thread of who did what to whom and how it was all related! The end result was quite the doozy although I admit to guessing it early on.

My favorite parts of this novel involved Grace and baby Elizabeth! (What can I say, I’m a sap at heart!).

This was another fabulous buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Goodreads and P.J. Tracey for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 10.27.19.

When I started this book, I was already drawn in with the thrilling writing and how to book moved in a pretty fast pace and kept your attention and the suspense from page to page. It definitely was an unputdownable book. The story begins when a gruesome murder, of a beautiful married woman named Kelly Ramage, was discovered in a friend's house. Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth join the Monkeewrench Software crew to uncover a deep mystery that involves a war-criminal, a disturbing and highly controversial artist, and some underground bit currency criminal underground conspiracy. As the detectives deep-dive into the case, they are faced with the possibility that these conspiracies could be related to the murders in some way.

I started this book without the knowledge that it was book #10 of the Monkeewrench series, but it worked for me as a stand alone. I will be going back to read the entire series because I absolutely love the characters in this book and I need more! This is my first P. J. Tracy book and definitely am a fan! I highly recommend this book and the series. Amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thank you Netgalley and Crookedlane books for the ebook copy of this amazing read.

5 stars

Great read! Full of gripping suspense. Well developed characters and intense plot had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A series I've read for years, and always enjoy returning to. (Question: is it ever NOT winter in Minnesota?)

Interesting thing to learn: ICE is responsible for apprehending war criminals who are hiding out in the USA. This is a good thing, that people of all political persuasions can appreciate. It's a shame ICE doesn't do more of this in real life, as opposed to...whatever they're doing now.

I adore the Monkeewrench crew, they are each different, different back stories but all impressive.
Fine and Margozzi are the two detectives called on to investigate the badly damaged body of a young, married woman, while Monkeewrench is involved in a case involving bit coin and a inferior security system. Love how they all act around bAby Elizabeth. A softness comes out in each and every one.

This is another series I have read from the beginning. I was a little disappointed in the last book in series, but this one was much different, back to form. Although it was a bit more cringe worthy than I usually like, I found myself riveted by the turn these investigation took. So nice to see Monkeewrench taking more of a role. Also in this outing we see a possible new relationship for one of the Monkeewrench crew. Can't wait till the next in series to see what happens with this relationship. Good mystery, good characters, s generally well rounded series.

ARC from Netgalley.

Ice Cold Heart by P J Tracy was a pleasant surprise because, with a title like this one, I was expecting a romance but instead read a police procedural that was a satisfying mystery. Minnesota detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are called to a crime scene: the victim is Kelly Ramage, a young woman who was brutally murdered and was last seen as a guest at a local art gallery. The murder resembles a similar crime investigated unsuccessfully a year ago in Los Angeles and may have been committed by the same perpetrator. The police enlist the help of Monkeewrench Software to aid in deciphering thefts of crypto currency which may be linked to the murders. And the fear is that more killings may occur. The novel includes many interesting characters who may or may not be connected to the crimes. All is revealed at the very end and the reader will be led astray many times. This is the tenth book in the Monkeewrench series but the novel reads well as a standalone. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's so cold in Minnesota that death has taken a winter holiday. It's been a homicide-free month until Kelly Ramage's husband reports her missing, and she is found dead in her best friend's house after spending the evening at an art show specializing in exploitative and disturbing images of women. Was her death a random act, or a sex game gone wrong? Then the sister of an LA murder victim who has been protesting outside the art gallery also goes missing. And the psychic that foretold Kelly's death is found dead herself. Could all these events be linked?

The intricacy of this plot is downright amazing. If these authors don't plot outline, I'll eat my Kindle. The attention to detail and threading of the stories is nothing short of amazing. And somehow, as the reader I was never confused. Excellent plotting.

The story itself was interesting despite the technical jargon added by Monkeewrench, enough for even someone with a cursory grasp of Bitcoin to understand. Quite a good tale.

This was my first P.J. Tracy book but it won't be my last. Ice Cold Heart doesn’t miss a beat and I devoured it in short order.

It was an intense crime drama featuring Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth who team up with Grace MacBride and Monkeewrench (a software company specialising in virus removal) to uncover a dark and ugly conspiracy.

The main story itself was compelling, with its dark heart. The Monkeewrench side was detailed but not to the point of confusion or boredom. There was also just enough off-the-job detail to make detectives Magozzi and Rolseth even more personable than they were whilst working together. The humour was first-class and very clever and helped to make the gruesome nature of this homicidal thriller much more palatable. There were a number of different crimes being investigated which didn't seem to be connected, at first. Utterly addictive, the various threads of the plot eventually came together into an superbly explosive finale.

Overall this was a fantastic read. It was clever and absorbing with a strong page-turning quality that was totally engaging from the get-go, keeping me within its thrall until the very end.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Crooked lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Leo Magozzi and his partner Gino Rolseth are detectives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are called out to a crime scene on an extremely frigid January day.
Attractive, married woman Kelly Ramage is found at the horrifying site of a murder, the victim of a clandestine sexual assignation brutally gone wrong.
Tracing her movements back to an art gallery opening of the extremely controversial and reclusive artist Rado, whose artistic creations mirror the crime.
As the detectives investigate, they find there might be a connection to the security case the Monkeewrench genius tech crew are working on, a bitcoin cryptocurrency scam with a digital theft of millions.
This electrifying thriller is filled with action. Intricately plotted, with interesting and complex characters.
I was immediately caught up in the excitement and captivated with the personalities of the cast.
This works great as a stand alone, but I will be going back to read this compelling series from the beginning.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This one feels like a classic Monkeewrench from early in the series. Monkeewrench team is hard at work again against a hacker. Magozzi and Rolseth are battling the winter cold of Minneapolis while investigating a couple of gruesome murder and looking for an elusive sadistic artist. I'm not a fan of winter cold but it's nice reading about deep winter while yourself are warm at home. It gives the book an extra touch a deep cozy murder mystery.

While the series keeps growing we have less character development besides Grace becoming a mother. It is great that we get back to the characters past. This time Roadrunner. Roadrunner saves a woman from freezing to death. They have an instant connection due to their past experience. We learn more about Roadrunner and see him make a new friend, possible love interest.

Another great book by PJ Tracy.

Nach dem erschreckenden Prolog, beginnt das Buch zunächst, in den seltenen ruhigen Zeiten, mit Leo Magozzis neuem liebsten Morgenritual. Man ist gleich wieder bei den Personen und im Team, gewohnt menschlich und nah. Es herrscht eiskalter Winter in Minnesota, eigentlich zu kalt zum Töten. Nach einem Monat ohne Morde werden Leo Magozzi und Gino Rolseth dann zu der grausam ermordeten Kelly Ramage gerufen, die tot im Haus einer Freundin gefunden wurde.

Es zeigt sich schnell, dass sie ein heimliches, gefährliches Liebesleben führte. Ihre letzten Schritte nachvollziehend, werden sie zu einer Galerie mit seltsamer, schockierender Kunst geführt, die einen Serienkiller inspirieren könnte. Vor dem Gebäude protestieren einige Menschen gegen diese Art der Ausstellung. Aus ihren Reihen erhalten die beiden Ermittler einem Tipp zu einem alten ähnlichen Mordfall. Es dauert nicht mehr lange, bis sie sich mit den Hinweisen und ersten Ergebnissen dann an Grace MacBride und ihre exzentrischen Freunde mit dem technischen Genius bei den Monkeewrench wenden.

Als sich die Zufälle häufen, müssen sie mit zunehmendem Tempo rund um die Uhr versuchen, Hinweise zu entschlüsseln. Ist da eine größere Konspiration am Werk?

Im Laufe des Buches entwickelt sich ein sehr komplexer Fall, weitere Figuren müssen ihr Leben lassen. Sind es alles Zufälle oder gibt es da Verbindungen? Das Mitraten ist so etwas schwierig. Das Buch ist sehr spannend und flüssig zu lesen. Es geht um grausame, erschütternde Taten vor dem interessanten und vielleicht vernachlässigten historischen Hintergrund der Balkankriege. Ganz in die heutige Zeit passend spielen auch Kryptowährungen eine große Rolle. Die Beschreibungen des heftigen Winters in Minnesota sind wieder sehr intensiv, so wird das Wetter fast zu einer eigenen Figur.

Das Wiedertreffen mit Leo, Gino, Grace und den Monkeewrench ist wieder wie ein Besuch bei lieben Freunden. Es macht Freude Leo und Grace als junge Eltern zu erleben, mit ihren ganzen Freunden vom Team als begeisterte Tanten und Onkel. Besonders schön und unerwartet ist eine romantische Entwicklung für eine der Figuren. Mehr wird nicht verraten!

Fans der Serie sollten sich diesen 10. Teil der Monkeewrench Thriller nicht entgehen lassen!

I love this author duo and their series and this book did not disappoint at all. It has the creepy and murderous killers you love to read about, but also the detectives and their 'friends' who help them try and catch the killer. A deftly woven tale of cat and mouse which gives you the creepy chills when reading it. Go read this book and this series you will not be disappointed