Ice Cold Heart is the tenth book in the Monkeewrench series, named after the collective of hackers and computer whizzes and some Minnesota cops. It takes part during a cold snap in the Twin Cities and cold is an important part in this installment even nearly killing one of the characters.

The story opens with a horrific scene and we know immediately we are getting into a story with a serial killer who enjoys torture and pain. A young woman who is feeling neglected by the husband she loves experiments with BDSM and ends up murdered. It soon becomes evident there is a Balkan connection as well. One character is hunting a war criminal from the war.

This is a good mystery and moves quickly. I have read a few books from the series in the past – before my blog, so it was nice to see some growth in their lives. My biggest frustration is that there were separate groups working on gathering information and one simple gathering of everyone involved would have led to a solution right away. Because they were not collaborating completely, they missed some of the story.

Nonetheless, Ice Cold Heart was a good mystery. People were not stupid, they just didn’t share enough information – a nice big murder board with all the info and pictures would have been helpful.

Ice Cold Heart will be published on September 10th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley

Ice Cold Heart from Crooked Lane Books | Penguin Random House
P. J. Tracy author site

An intricate and entrancing tale of evil. The author builds an intricate web that details the horror and insanity of evil. The characters are unique and intricately defined. The conversations are direct. As the detectives search for a murderer their case becomes intertwined with one that Monkeewrench is working on. Together they piece the puzzles together and come to an unexpected conclusion. Throughout all the grisly mess there is still a strong bond that allows love to temper the good guys.

Last year about this time, I discovered this very entertaining "Monkeewrench" series - and felt bad that I'd missed earlier issues. Missing out, I vowed, wouldn't happen again. Happily, I learned about this one and was delighted to once again be approved by the publisher (via NetGalley) for an advance review copy.

And I've got to say I enjoyed this one even more. In large part, that's because it's a really good story; it's also true that I'm more familiar with the very likable characters - some of them with quirky names like Harley Davidson and Roadrunner - and therefore never encountered any "Whoa, where did that come from?" feelings. Monkeewrench, you see, is a Minneapolis-based software development company that specializes in security. One of the partners, Grace, is married to Minneapolis Detective Leo Magozzi (a rather unlikely couple); together, they have an infant daughter.

At the police department, a psychic named Blanca Szabo insists on speaking with Magozzi. An unknown woman, she insists, is about to be murdered. Shift focus to a beautiful woman, Kelly Ramage, an arm-candy wife to a rich but unfeeling old codger; she's off to meet a friend for the evening, or so she claims - dressed to kill.

Or more accurately, be be killed. Magozzi and his trusty team begin are called in to begin the investigation, not quite believing that Kelly was the about-to-die woman Blanca had envisioned. The trail leads to a local art gallery and the sadistic but wildly popular works of a reclusive artist named Rado. Meanwhile, enter another character as readers get a look at Petra Juric, a historian and researcher who's come to Minneapolis, surreptitiously looking for a man with a lurid past.

Are these characters somehow connected? Can the computer experts at Monkeewrench find clues that will help the detectives find the killer before he or she kills again? I'll give you a couple of hints: The answer to the first question is yes; and to the second, yes and no. More than that, you'll just have to read for yourself. Loved this one - great fun!

Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy is the 10th book in the Monkeewrench series, and my first book by this author. Wow this book is full of action, and I could not put it down. One night a women leaves her home, and never comes back. She is latter found dead. Minneapolis police detectives Gino and Magozzi are on the case with Monkeewrench. I plan on going back and reading the first 9 books of the series for a better understanding. I highly recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.

Kelly Rampage loves her husband, but he’s older and Kelly graves fun and romance, and mostly a walk on the wild side. Using her friend’s home while she’s away on a business trip, Kelly arranges to meet someone she met online. The assignation unfortunately turns deadly resulting in her brutal murder.

Meanwhile, Minnesota is in the grip of a bitter cold winter with daily subzero temperatures. The only good thing about the season is that there’ve been no homicides for almost a month. The Minneapolis homicide division, like everyone in Minneapolis, is anxious for the extreme weather to break.

The day before Kelly Rampage’s death, Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are visited by physic, Blanca Szabo, who forecasts an upcoming murder. Even if they believed her, she has very few clues and their job is to solve murders that have already occurred. The Minneapolis no-homicide streak is about to end.

Meanwhile the Monkeywrench gang is working on a case for Bit Monster, a company who recently lost millions in a cyberattack. Their cases begin to dovetail when the owner of an art gallery is a client of Bit Monster. Kelly spent the evening before her macabre death at the gallery. The art shown there is disturbing and exploitive and oddly reminiscent of the crime scene.

Written by a mother and daughter writing team, Ice Cold Heart follows the activities of homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth and Monkey Wrench, a cybersecurity software company that often works with law enforcement. The series is one you’ll want to follow. The plots are well written and their characterizations of everyone from the returning characters to the victims and even the “walk-ons” are well drawn and realistic, allowing readers to care and sympathize.

Ice Cold Heart is a well-written thriller and is full of twists and turns to keep any reader turning the pages. Would recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

They haven't had a murder for months because the weather is so cold. But that changes when someone's wife goes missing and she's found in her friends house dead.

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you. It will be published September 10th.

This killer is sadistic and enjoys watching his victims die. They look for clues but find none. Then the physic that warned them of the murder ends up dead and some of the same tape was used on her. They know they are looking for a monster, they just don't realize how long he's been active...

They find an art show that depicts women in sadistic positions so they ask to speak to the artist. They are told he's sickly and doesn't take calls or visitors. They also check out a club that that lets people meet who have deviant sexual interests. The first dead woman was into bondage and they think she met her killer there.

Then one of the Monkeewrench Gang saves a lady from dying on a park bench in the cold and finds she's part of a group looking into war criminals. She thinks the killer may be a man from her past who ran a prison in the war in Yugoslavia. He did things like that there.

It's hard to find a man who knows how to hide. With the help of the Monkeewrench Gang, Petra who was his victim long ago and two cop teams they manage. But will they be in time to save his new victims?

The action and tension in the story never let up. Don't start it late in the day, you'll be up all night...

Monkeewrench #10
I would suggest starting at the beginning, just because this is a great series and you don't want to miss any!

Life continues in Minneapolis. Freezing cold temperatures and shocking crimes are everywhere. We have so many friends in the city (by this time) that it is hard to touch in with them all. This one twists in so many ways to keep everyone involved. A new character tied to Roadrunner seems to be an interesting addition. This remains an amazing series and I look forward to each new read.

Even though I have never read any of the previous Monkeewrench books, Ice Cold Heart was as easy to get drawn into as if it was the first in the series. The seemingly straightforward murder of a bored housewife arranging a secret rendezvous and getting more than she expected quickly develops multiple twists and turns involving a war criminal, a daring cyber heist, a psychic, and a disturbingly controversial artist. Trying to figure out how they all tie together will have readers unable to put the book down right up through the dramatic ending. I am happy to have found a new series to sink my teeth into.

It's January in Minneapolis and the city is enduring a cold spell that has homicide detectives Gino and Magozzi hoping for a professional slow spell as well. Unfortunately, murderers aren't scared away by the weather, and they soon find themselves involved in a case that involves sex clubs, art galleries and war criminals. Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench crew has been hired to help secure a cryptocurrency organization that has been hacked, costing many of its members a lot of money. When players from both investigations seem to overlap, things in Minneapolis start to heat up.

This is book #10 of the Monkeewrench series, which has been one of my favorite series since I read the first book many years ago. The characters seem like old friends by now, and I've enjoyed watching them and their relationships grow and develop as the series progresses. A new character was introduced that I hope to see more of in the next book. The description of the weather made me shiver despite the August heat, and the cold conditions were almost like another character. The mystery itself was captivating, and tidbits were doled out in small bites that didn't seem like clues at the time. I thought I had figured out part of the solution, and while I was sort of on the right track, I was surprised by the ultimate resolution. This will probably rank among my favorite reads for 2019, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this story.

I have loved PJ Tracy since I first read Monkeewrench many years ago. I fell in love with the characters and have come to know them over the years and through many books. As far as I'm concerned the stories just keep getting better. I have really enjoyed getting to know the Monkeewrench crew a little more with each book and it was nice to know a little more about Roadrunner.
Gino and Magozzi continue to make me laugh with their banter.

If you enjoy this book I urge you to go back and read the books from the beginning, getting to know the characters just make these books so enjoyable.

If you haven't read any of this series yet, why not?!?!

I started this series many years ago when it was first recommended on the Richard and Judy booklist. Fell in love with all of the main characters and bought and read the books up until around book six then I didn’t seem to see anymore until I spotted them again recently.

I haven’t read the last two books but was keen to read this one. The earlier books having been written by mother and daughter combination but sadly the mother passed away in 2016. But it’s good to see that the daughter has continued with the series and has kept it faithful to previous books.. this is the tenth book in the Monkeewrench series although it doesn’t really matter if you haven’t read previous novels in the series if does help to understand the characters more and how they got together if you have read them.

But you can read this as a stand-alone novel as well. All the usual characters in the series are great each bringing their own speciality to the table. The IT geniuses Grace, Harley, Annie and Roadrunner have been taken on by a cryptocurrency company called Bit Monster to improve its security after being hacked which led to them losing a lot of money..

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth MPD detectives get a visit from a psychic wanting to report a murder that hasn’t yet happened, but there are no details that could help a potential future victim if the psychic is right in what she says..

There are several things going on within the storyline, a serial killer, a female searching for a war criminal, along with an art gallery showing sculptures of torture/murder.

This is another successful book in the series and the characters are just getting stronger and stronger. Look forward to see where they go next. There’s plenty within this book to keep your mind engrossed. Another great book

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, P.J. Tracy, and Crooked Lane for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

In the latest instalment of the Monkeewrench series, P.J. Tracy shows an ability to lure readers in from the start and hold their attention throughout. During a severe cold snap in Minneapolis. Homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth find themselves seeking anything to spice up their work lives. When a woman, reported missing by her husband, turns up dead, things take an interesting turn. The body was obviously tortured, its head wrapped in tape and some investigating proves she was killed meeting someone off a BDSM site. Magozzi and Rolseth are sure they have a twisted individual on their hands, though there is little to offer a concrete list of suspects. Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench crew have been contracted to work on a cryptocurrency scam that has siphoned millions of dollars (both actual and digital) from individuals. Baffled as to how to track down this specific criminal, the group look to unique approaches and find a few leads that end up blurring lines with the MPD murder investigation. How these two cases, as well as an ICE hunt for a former Baltic war criminal, meld together is only the beginning. While the mercury dips lower outside, the case has the ability to heat things up quite effectively. There is little hope for calm while the killer lurks somewhere and waits to strike again. A well-plotted tenth novel in the series that will have those who have followed along throughout wanting more, as well as the reader who enjoys a fast-paced police procedurals set outside the typical American locale.

My attention was turned to this series last summer when I binged the entire collection. I was hooked from the outset and devoured many of the books along the way, learning much about the characters while being highly entertained. Tracy shows a strong ability to writer effectively, yet does not lose her reader with too many facts. One could make the argument that Leo Magozzi is a protagonist in this piece, but I felt strongly that there was a general equality to the characters and therefore, no one stole the limelight. Working a variety of cases in unique fashions, the Homicide team of the MPD and the Monkeewrench crew balanced the story out effectively. There was surely some character development, which will help series fans get more out of the story, but it was peppered throughout the narrative, rather than embedded in a single section. With short chapters, Tracy pulls the reader into the middle of the case and forces them to read ‘just a little more’ before agreeing to stop, albeit reluctantly. The plot was decent and varied nicely, bringing different cases together nicely in unexpected ways. I was pleased to see that things are going well for Tracy, whose mom-daughter team faced a tragic loss a few years ago. The quality is strong and I am happy to see things are still coming together. This is a series worth the attention of the reader who wants something light and easy to digest.

Kudos, Madam Tracy, for another great piece. You know how to tap into the best parts of mystery/criminal writing and I am always pleased to see when you have something new to offer your fans.

For those wondering if this series would continue after the sad loss of one of the cowriters there is no cause for concern. This book continues the series with a strong entry that moves along the characters we have come to know and love.

Ice Cold Heart is excellent. Monkeywrench, Leo, and Magozzi solve multiple related crimes that the reader won't be able to figure out.

This book was the 10th in the Monkeewrench series that I've enjoyed from the very first book.

I found the 9th book a little lacking in storyline so was delighted that the 10th was back to what I love the most with Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth up against a killer criminal and the Monkeewrench gang providing an added dimension to the story with their tech wizardry and sharp thinking.

The story was based around a deliberate death following some warped S&M (it doesn't go into lurid detail) so there wasn't as much gentle humour that I've come to expect but that seemed right given the content and I was pleased there was "only" 1 death rather than a whole raft of bodies piling up as can sometimes be the norm. Due to the sole victim it felt like there was more emphasis on the Detective part of the story which is also a positive from me.

I hope there is more to come from this series!

My many thanks to Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed Ice Cold heart by P.J. Tracy. Great mystery, good character development. Kept me interested til the end! Would read another by this author! I received an ARC for my honest review.

This author knows how to write a story. Pulling threads together gradually,entwining them til a really explosive ending.
Characters are very well developed and I did not guess the identity of the bad guys til I read they were the bad guys,so well hidden in the story were they.
Perhaps not as gruesome as some of the cases monkeewrench have helped on but still really good story lines.

I’ve read or listened to several books in the Monkeewrench series and just love the unique characters. The Monkeewrench IT geniuses of Harley, Roadrunner, Annie, and Grace, along with detectives Magozzi and Gino, have a great working relationship, friendship and more. Grace and Magozzi now have a sweet baby girl together and I loved seeing how Magozzi couldn’t wait to see his baby girl each time he returned home. There wasn’t as much about his and Grace’s relationship but the book focused a bit more on Roadrunner later in the story. I was so excited that he met a woman as he’s always so focused on work and the crew tend to just spend time with each other.

If you’ve read any of the Monkeewrench books, you know that the four had very difficult lives and they are now surrounded by high tech security, all while using their computers and expertise to help others.

The story was full of mystery and intrigue, with a serial killer on the loose, missing war criminals, cryptocurrency, and horrifying ‘art’, and you wonder where all of this is going. Ms. Tracy is talented at slowly building the details of the various mysteries and finding a link between them.

Gino and Magozzi talk about the Minnesota weather and I can’t even imagine living in that kind of cold and snow. I love their conversations and laughed at so many of their comments.

The story picks up speed as more people are linked to the various crimes and I was flipping the pages on my Kindle to see what happened next. The details of the victims of the serial killers was disturbing and the descriptions of the ‘art’ were beyond belief. The ending was fast paced with one of the criminals a surprise to me.

This is an interesting story that continues in the tradition of the mother-daughter co-writers and Tracy has made her mark as an author after her mother passed away and yet keeps to the core of the characters. I highly recommend this series to all that enjoy mystery/suspense and compelling main characters.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this new work.

What the best mystery series all seem to have in common is a group of characters that you come to care about. Even though this is only the second Monkeewrench book I’ve read, this series definitely fills that bill.

In this, the tenth book in the series, Mogozzi and Rolseth are investigating the murder of a beautiful young married woman seemingly caught up in a sex game gone wrong. But was the murder really inspired by an art exhibit that would fall under the “I know pornography when I see it” genre?

Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench gang is working to solve the hack of a cryptocurrency company that resulted in the theft of $40 million. After awhile, the coincidences and connections start piling up. If believability is important to you, this may not be the story for you.

Tracy uses the winter in Minnesota as an additional character. It was enough to chill you, just reading the descriptions. I was glad to have read this during the hot and humid weather of August.

My thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.