I've been a Marcia Muller fan since her first novel, and I really enjoyed the latest McCone mystery, plumbing the depths of greed and exposing the underreported and unresolved crimes against indigenous women.

Private Investigator Sharon McCone must solve the murder of two indigenous women in the mountains.

The racism in the town makes it hard to solve this one as few people even think it is a problem.

Sharon McCone takes her private investigation service on the road to the wilderness in Northern California to look into the mysterious disappearance of Indigenous women. Sharon has recently (several books ago) discovered her native heritage so this case means a lot to her. I have always enjoyed the series; however, I did miss the other members of her firm. They interact in previous books and I missed their bouncing ideas off each other and hearing about their lives. The book did start a little slow but I’m not at all sorry I kept with it.

Sharon McCone flies to Meruk County in northern California to investigate the murders of two indigenous women. The Meruk tribe has a reservation there. There are also a lot of really big ranches in the area, the biggest one being owned by the Harcourt family, the father and two sons. Sharon is staying in a rickety cabin owned by an organization of indigenous women who are working to protect their members. The cabin is burned as soon it is revealed that Sharon is investigating the murders. She moves into town and stays with another tribal member. It becomes apparent something of value is on the land allotments that were owned by the two dead women. The Harcourts and other ranchers are after it. How will Sharon uncover the murderer and save the land for the tribe? An interesting look at some of the issues surrounding land ownership for Native Americans.

Ice and Stone
by Marcia Muller
Pub Date 10 Aug 2021
Grand Central Publishing
Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of Ice and Stone through Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley:



Sharon McCone is a private investigator who goes undercover to investigate the murders of two Indigenous women in remote Northern California in this gripping, atmospheric mystery in the New York Times bestselling series.




After the bodies of two Indigenous women are found in the wilderness of northern California, it is the latest development in a string of similar crimes in the area. Despite all the evidence that shows otherwise officials rule the deaths isolated incidents, which soon join the ranks of countless other unsolved cases quickly dismissed by law enforcement.




In a town where far to many injustices are tolerated, or completely brushed under the rug only a few people remain who refuse to let a killer walk free. But Private Investigator Sharon McCone is one of those few. Sharon McCone is hired y an organization called Crimes against Indigenous Sisters to go undercover in Meruk County, a community that Is full secrets, lies, and corruption. She is hired to expose the truth.






Sharon must find the killer from an isolated cabin in the woods, in order to unravel a mystery that is rooted in profound evil, before she becomes the next target.



I give Ice and Stone five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This was a very authentic and atmospheric mystery book I would highly recommend. I loved that this book can be read as a standalone and won't get the reader confused. I am a fan of having a lot of characters, but for some, this may come as a bad thing. With a spotlight on what matters, I think this book was a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this audiobook.

I am a big fan of Marcia Muller and have read the majority of her 30 or so books about Sharon McCone and her growing investigative business. I used to live in the Bay Area and Ms. Muller and her San Francisco mysteries were fun for me to read. I have followed Ms. McCone from a fledgling investigator to being married to another investigator, the two of them top-notch pilots who have a large business with numerous employees.

Along this way, Ms. McCone learned that her birth mother was a native American from northern California. The books started taking her up there more and more. Ice and Snow is the story of McCone being hired to find out why two indigenous women have turned up dead in the same place. They are of similar age. She arrives to learn a third woman is missing.

Muller is a no-nonsense writer, doesn't get into psychology, and the fact that her female detective can do pretty much anything a man can do is not even referred to. It just is the way it is. This book is shorter than her other books and the mystery starts from page one and whips along at a fast pace. The reader sort of knows who the bad guys are early on but not why or what exactly the motive is for the murders. Muller unpacks this information nicely considering how fast things are moving along.

This isn't one of Muller's best books but it is very good and I recommend it especially to Muller fans.

I loved it! I picked up this book with a sigh of contentment. It's wonderful to have a new McCone mystery to fall into. I've been reading these since I was a teen and my mom would bring it home and we would swap it back and forth. Great memories.

Marcia Muller has written 34 book in the Sharon McCone series. I have only read maybe one other but Ice and Stone has be wanting to fix that. The story is pure mystery that shows what it is like for people in the outside of the Native American government and American government try to solve a murder together.

The story moves quickly keeping readers guessing who and what will happen next. The author pulls readers into her world showing another side to a world most never know about.

Thank you to Netgalley for a review of Ice and Stone.

This was not the book for me. I had a difficult time getting into it. I think most off-putting were the parts where one was put into the mind of the criminal. The rest of the book may be absolutely fabulous, but I really had trouble with that and couldn't get through it.

Sharon is hired to go to Northern California to look into the deaths/murders of 2 native women. The town she goes to is full of animosity between the natives and the white people. She is staying in the mountains in a shack made available by the women who hired her. While she is there, she has a close run in with 2 men who wander by and consider breaking into the shack. While investigating she meets a lot of interesting characters.
While up north, there is a shooting at her office back in San Francisco. I feel like this was just sort of thrown in to add a little spice to the plot as it does not advance the story.

This book is not my favorite of Ms. Mullers but I will remain a loyal reader as long as the series is being writte

After 33 previous books, you either accept Sharon has access to people and information that others don't. That is a foundation of how these books are successful. This story is no different. Sharon goes in to do the in person work herself but at home she has investigators to do research, access to helicopters and night vision binoculars, labs, etc. While this may feel far fetched in other books, it feels at home here where Sharon and her husband Hy have shown readers that these connections help them solve the mysteries. In this case. Sharon is looking in to the disappearance of indigenous women in Northern California. Going on for decades, this has only seemed to get main stream media attention most recently, and still minimal at that. If only the resolution to Sharon's case was the resolution to the hundreds of women who had disappeared without much being done to find them. As always, I enjoy the local references and how Sharon brings her whole family (blood and chosen) in to her work. With three years since the least book, this was like meeting up with old friends. I just wish the story hadn't wrapped up so quickly at the end.

Ice and Stone is the latest in the long-running Sharon McCone series. Muller used to be an auto-buy author for me but the last few books have lost their spark for me. I still prefer the earlier books in the series, but Ice and Stone is my favorite of the more recent installments. It’s fast-paced, interesting, and puts a spotlight on some real life problems.

Sharon goes undercover in a remote area of Northern California with rugged terrain and severe weather conditions to find out why native women are disappearing and being murdered in the area. Sharon has to battle a hostile environment, both the harsh natural conditions and the attitudes of many of the local residents, to solve the case. I was tense during much of the book, fearing for Sharon’s safety in this creepy town.

Although Sharon is on her own for most of the book, there are appearances by several of series recurring characters that returning readers will appreciate. I especially enjoyed the important part Sharon’s friend and former employee Rae Kelleher plays in the case. I also enjoyed the short appearance by Habiba, the daughter of Sharon’s good friend and former boss Hank. The final chapter of the book has brief updates of many other characters from prior books. Although Sharon says she has no intention of retiring, Sharon’s trip down memory lane had me wondering if this is going to be the last book in the series. I’ve not seen anything confirming that, so it may simply be a bonus to ongoing readers of the series. Overall, I was pleased with this solid installment of a beloved series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This is one of the most enduring series I have ever read and I look forward to a new one. I have watched this character develop through the years into an independent, strong, resilient woman who knows her mind and uses it accordingly.

This book brings to light the murders and disappearances of indigenous women in an isolated region of northern California. Sharon, being Native herself, decides to investigate and uncovers an endless trail of corruption, racism, rape and murder. What could be the incentive for all this mayhem? Sharon is dead set on finding out and bringing justice to the lawless and overlooked Natives of our country.

Highly recommended!

It’s been many years since I’ve read a Sharon McCone book. I’m so glad I decided to read this one. I must go back and catch up on the 5 I’ve missed. I love Sharon’s methodical way of investigating her cases. It makes it easy to follow but the details keeps you engrossed in the journey.I stayed up late reading because I was just so absorbed in the plot. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I have read every Sharon McCone novel since the start of the series. It’s obvious that I’m a member of Team McCone too! Once again, I have enjoyed every page of this book and catching up with the troop.

Sharon has discovered her Indigenous roots and become more involved in trying to right the wrongs against the community. Sharon is called to Northern California to investigate the apparent murder of Indigenous women. Of course it means putting her own life in danger.

This book explores not only this case but the cruelties and racism perpetrated against our Native American communities. This awakening was really fascinating for me. This was a fine case for Sharon since it involved so much more than a simple detective story.

I want to express my sincere thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this new book by a longtime favorite of mine.