I think this is a great premise for a book, with the atmosphere of the ice and luxury cruise ship really leaning into the idea of a locked room murder. I thought the scene was set nicely and the division between scientist, holidayer and staff quickly indicated there was potential for misunderstandings! Occasionally there was a surfeit of adjectives when describing a scene, albeit nicely descriptive, and I think some more editorial support would have helped with this.

Unfortunately I didn't feel that the characters or relationships that developed were particularly believable - they all played their set role for the plot but the elaborate dialogue kept my investment at that surface level. I also lost interest slightly with the multiple subplots that spun out, particularly when revelations occurred which only had the vaguest advance signposting so couldn't be worked out by the reader as part of the mystery (eg. Dr Palgrave or Alicia Grey). These quibbles may just be my personal preference though in terms of how I approach detective books.

This might have been the formatting from the kindle version I read but I sometimes found the switch between the boat and the police duo a bit sudden as, beside a new paragraph, there wasn't anything to indicate a change in location.

Siblings Rose and Finn Blanchard are cruising the Arctic circle but in a working capacity as scientists on a research trip. They are on board with a cluster of fellow scientists and mostly set apart from the wealthy passengers travelling in luxury. That is, until a scientist who has brushed every single person up the wrong way is murdered on the ice. The only two people who could not have killed him are Rose and Finn as they were inside a submersible looking for sharks on the seabed. Everybody else, crew included, are suspects. Detectives are in the region investigating another crime and join the ship to investigate with the help of the Blanchards. They must discover whodunnit before another murder occurs.

Debut novel of Australian-born author (now living in Ireland) Death on Ice is a cosy murder mystery with characters who think and talk in an unusually wordy style which takes some getting used to. The Blanchards and police detectives are enjoyable characters, and the Arctic setting adds a nice touch. 3.5 stars

I’ll start by saying I enjoyed this book. It was an intriguing mystery, with genuine surprises. It was possibly over-complicated, but that doesn’t detract from an interesting story.

The things I didn’t really like were the odd style of writing where everyone has special qualities eg the captain is diplomatic and loved by all; Finn charms everyone etc. It would have been ok to have this said once, but they were constantly repeated to the point where it just became annoying. I think tighter editing would have helped with this.

Something else which could have been edited was the strange sentence structures used. Often I had to re-read a sentence (and sometimes say it out loud) to parse it properly.


Finally there is a strange gender identity sub-plot which seems out of place. It may be that the author intends for the twins to appear again in stories, and that this plot will become more relevant.


Having said all that, I do need to reiterate that it’s a good story, and I enjoyed it. A very easy read.

4.25 stars

I loved this book. It reminded me of the old murder mystery novels of the Agatha Christie era mixed with a bit of modern crime. The book cover suits the book.

There are two main characters. The book starts with Dr Rose and her twin. After the murder, the main lead is Tom who is in charge of the investigation, with Rose helping.

There is a range of characters and personalities. All these keep the book entertaining. This would make a great murder mystery movie with all these characters.

If you liked the standalone Agatha Christie novels you'll probably love this!

A nice crime romp for fans of cosy crime that kept me guessing right to the end. Plenty of twists and just enough detail for it not to be too much, but which linked nicely into the plot. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of the characters - it was done in a way which didn’t feel tokenistic like some books can do.

Delicious…
A murder on ice in the Arctic, sharks on the seabed, the brilliant Blanchards. The Blanchard twins may well be superior scientists but can they put their brilliant minds together to solve a murder? Everyone on the luxury cruise ship is a suspect, the twins were at sea and, so, it’s up to them to investigate. A wholly engaging and beautifully written mystery with a well imagined setting, a delightfully eclectic cast of characters populating a classic plot and a wonderfully eccentric pair of protagonists. This reader hopes for more to come from this delectable duo. Delicious.

A very good spin on a classic whodunit.

Think Christie but funnier, with more heart. The characters are crazy but relatable, and in the middle of Arctic!

I love a cosy murder mystery and this was one of the best.