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June Lyons #1
Ice Shear
A small town cop’s murder investigation turns deadly when she uncovers a web of politics and drugs linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang in this gripping debut suspense novel for fans of Winter’s Bone, Frozen River, Breaking Bad, and Sons of Anarchy.
As a cop on the night shift in Hopewell Falls, New York, June Lyons drives drunks home and picks up the donuts. A former FBI agent, she ditched the Bureau when her husband died, and now she and her young daughter are back in upstate New York, living with her father, the town’s retired chief of police.
When June discovers a young woman’s body impaled on an ice shear in the frozen Mohawk River, news of the murder spreads fast; the dead girl was the daughter of a powerful local Congresswoman, and her troubled youth kept the gossips busy.
Though June was born and raised in Hopewell Falls, the local police see her as an interloper—resentment that explodes in anger when the FBI arrive and deputize her to work on the murder investigation. But June may not find allies among the Feds. The agent heading the case is someone from her past—someone she isn’t sure she can trust.
As June digs deeper, an already fraught case turns red-hot when it leads to a notorious biker gang and a meth lab hidden in plain sight—and an unmistakable sign that the river murder won’t be the last.
As a cop on the night shift in Hopewell Falls, New York, June Lyons drives drunks home and picks up the donuts. A former FBI agent, she ditched the Bureau when her husband died, and now she and her young daughter are back in upstate New York, living with her father, the town’s retired chief of police.
When June discovers a young woman’s body impaled on an ice shear in the frozen Mohawk River, news of the murder spreads fast; the dead girl was the daughter of a powerful local Congresswoman, and her troubled youth kept the gossips busy.
Though June was born and raised in Hopewell Falls, the local police see her as an interloper—resentment that explodes in anger when the FBI arrive and deputize her to work on the murder investigation. But June may not find allies among the Feds. The agent heading the case is someone from her past—someone she isn’t sure she can trust.
As June digs deeper, an already fraught case turns red-hot when it leads to a notorious biker gang and a meth lab hidden in plain sight—and an unmistakable sign that the river murder won’t be the last.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2014
About the author
M.P. Cooley
5 books63 followersM.P Cooley grew up in upstate New York, living in both Auburn and Albany. She attended Barnard College and worked in publishing for over a decade, specializing in business books. She currently lives in Campbell, California. Ice Shear is her first novel, and will be released by William Morrow in July 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
December 14, 2018
Fast-paced, small town murder mystery. Stand-alone that is easy to follow. No drag-you-down drama or graphic brutality. Not all questions are answered.
Realistic storyline. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Interesting and humorous dialogue.
No desire to re-read this story. I am interested in other works by this author.
Realistic storyline. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Interesting and humorous dialogue.
No desire to re-read this story. I am interested in other works by this author.
February 23, 2015
Now that I have made my break from Bismarck, ND, I can once again write reviews of my own volition. It’s much easier to let the creative juices flow when you are no longer chained to a radiator. Anyway…M.P. Cooley knows her small towns and she knows her cops, but pages and plots filled with motorcycles and biker gangs turned me off a tad. Needless to say, my redneck status has been revoked by the great state of Mississippi.
But the picture she did in fact paint of Small Town USA made me wish I had enjoyed it more than I did. But I cannot stop the demented demon, as he often has a mind of his own. And maybe I might have enjoyed the meth lab a tad, if I didn’t have such a clear image of Breaking Bad in my rearview mirror. Or maybe I should be shunned by the great state of New York, have toothpicks jammed in my eyes, shoved in front of a television, and have Sons of Anarchy reruns shoved down my gullet.
The pages did not move at a breakneck speed, and I did not experience even the slightest hint of a wow factor. But that could just be me. I can never really tell these days, and once the nightmares cease (No, not the knife!), I may be able to offer a more coherent interpretation.
I received this book for free at Left Coast Crime.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
But the picture she did in fact paint of Small Town USA made me wish I had enjoyed it more than I did. But I cannot stop the demented demon, as he often has a mind of his own. And maybe I might have enjoyed the meth lab a tad, if I didn’t have such a clear image of Breaking Bad in my rearview mirror. Or maybe I should be shunned by the great state of New York, have toothpicks jammed in my eyes, shoved in front of a television, and have Sons of Anarchy reruns shoved down my gullet.
The pages did not move at a breakneck speed, and I did not experience even the slightest hint of a wow factor. But that could just be me. I can never really tell these days, and once the nightmares cease (No, not the knife!), I may be able to offer a more coherent interpretation.
I received this book for free at Left Coast Crime.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
March 24, 2014
An impressive debut by M.P. Cooley. A good, solid Mystery-Crime novel.
June Lyons was an FBI agent until a family illness brought her back home to Hopewell Falls, New York. Now she's a small town cop working the night shift where her duties consist mainly of writing tickets, looking after drunks, and fetching doughnuts. All that changes when she discovers the body of a young woman... the young woman was murdered... she was also the daughter of a well connected local congresswoman. And that's just the beginning, before it's all over there will be outlaw bikers, a hidden meth lab, and the FBI - including many of Lyons former colleagues.
Told in the first person, from the perspective of small town cop June Lyons, the story takes off quickly and moves at a fairly steady pace - not really frenzied or urgent but constant - until towards the end where it all seems a bit rushed. It seemed to me as though the author got a little caught up in trying to tie up all the loose ends quickly and as a result (I felt) the ending was a little forced.
I enjoyed the book. It's not the greatest, most intriguing mystery but it was a very enjoyable read. Author M.P. Cooley has a way of describing things - a sort of conversational yet vivid style - that works really well. As a result the winter - brutal cold, snow, sleet, and the occasional appearance of the sun - becomes a very vital part of the story; Almost a character unto itself. I could see this becoming the first in a series of June Lyons books.
*** This review is of on an Advance Readers Edition I won as part of a Goodreads First Read Giveaway.
June Lyons was an FBI agent until a family illness brought her back home to Hopewell Falls, New York. Now she's a small town cop working the night shift where her duties consist mainly of writing tickets, looking after drunks, and fetching doughnuts. All that changes when she discovers the body of a young woman... the young woman was murdered... she was also the daughter of a well connected local congresswoman. And that's just the beginning, before it's all over there will be outlaw bikers, a hidden meth lab, and the FBI - including many of Lyons former colleagues.
Told in the first person, from the perspective of small town cop June Lyons, the story takes off quickly and moves at a fairly steady pace - not really frenzied or urgent but constant - until towards the end where it all seems a bit rushed. It seemed to me as though the author got a little caught up in trying to tie up all the loose ends quickly and as a result (I felt) the ending was a little forced.
I enjoyed the book. It's not the greatest, most intriguing mystery but it was a very enjoyable read. Author M.P. Cooley has a way of describing things - a sort of conversational yet vivid style - that works really well. As a result the winter - brutal cold, snow, sleet, and the occasional appearance of the sun - becomes a very vital part of the story; Almost a character unto itself. I could see this becoming the first in a series of June Lyons books.
*** This review is of on an Advance Readers Edition I won as part of a Goodreads First Read Giveaway.
June 21, 2014
4.5 Stars
I have to say that this book totally surprised me. I never thought I would like it as much as I did.
I love mysteries and although this was a rather complex plot, eventually hard-core mystery lovers will most likely figure out who-dun-it before the end. This is not a bad thing since you still need to know why they done it!
June (Juniper) Lyons is an ex-FBI agent who quit the Feds and came back home with her husband and daughter to Hopewell Falls New York while her husband succumbs to cancer. She is now working as a regular cop in this rather impoverished corner of New York. Nothing much ever happens, until one early morning a body is found.
This was never going to be a simple case considering that the dead girl is a Congresswoman's daughter who is married to the towns' very bad boy. Eventually we start getting a very clear picture of just how bad so many of the people involved with this young woman are. And we soon find out what lengths people will go to cover up just how bad things are going to get.
As far as this being a debut, you would never know it from this book. This is a gripping story that was well thought out and plotted. The characters are very `real' and while you may not like very many of them (I did not).
Some areas of this book could have used a little more explanation, some of the characters didn't ring quite true and some things just did not add up for me but never enough to pull me out of the fascination I had with the whole story.
I am hoping that this is the start to a series and that some of the issues that I had, will be explained and the characters I had problems with will be more fleshed out.
This is a great debut and the perfect read when the thermometer climbs over 90% this summer!
I have to say that this book totally surprised me. I never thought I would like it as much as I did.
I love mysteries and although this was a rather complex plot, eventually hard-core mystery lovers will most likely figure out who-dun-it before the end. This is not a bad thing since you still need to know why they done it!
June (Juniper) Lyons is an ex-FBI agent who quit the Feds and came back home with her husband and daughter to Hopewell Falls New York while her husband succumbs to cancer. She is now working as a regular cop in this rather impoverished corner of New York. Nothing much ever happens, until one early morning a body is found.
This was never going to be a simple case considering that the dead girl is a Congresswoman's daughter who is married to the towns' very bad boy. Eventually we start getting a very clear picture of just how bad so many of the people involved with this young woman are. And we soon find out what lengths people will go to cover up just how bad things are going to get.
As far as this being a debut, you would never know it from this book. This is a gripping story that was well thought out and plotted. The characters are very `real' and while you may not like very many of them (I did not).
Some areas of this book could have used a little more explanation, some of the characters didn't ring quite true and some things just did not add up for me but never enough to pull me out of the fascination I had with the whole story.
I am hoping that this is the start to a series and that some of the issues that I had, will be explained and the characters I had problems with will be more fleshed out.
This is a great debut and the perfect read when the thermometer climbs over 90% this summer!
January 1, 2018
I did not complete this book, thus my "did-not-finish" tag. I won this FIRST READs book in Goodreads giveaway. The copy I rec'd was an "advance reader's edition" and frankly I was floored that a publisher would waste money until another edit had been done.
The plot and surrounding story was okay. I did like some light moments as the title of the took, Ice Shear: A Novel, automatically conveys not-so-good news. It starts out with the finding of a body. The rest of the book is about why this person was killed as well as the reasons and the people involved. Side stories are the lead police & other investigators.
I truly cannot get "into" a book (or a movie, TV series, etc.) if I can't find a character to like. To root for. I know I was supposed to like June Lyons. I didn't dislike her but ...
So what is the problem with the book -- SCREAMING THE EDITING. Edit problems crop up in books all the time. Sometimes the author or the edit is made -- it just doesn't get from the person into the printed page.
There were 24 "minor" errors in the first 92 pages.
There were 12 "major" errors in the first 102 pages
For example -- starting the first words after a ; should not be with a capital letter. This error was made over and over. No consistency. Sometimes a sentence would have a ; and the next word was lowercase and other times it would be uppercase.
BAD habit of using ; when it should be commas but again, not always consistent.
Oddly enough the author often used commas when a semi-colon definitely was needed to separate two complete sentences.
Run-on sentences -- UNBELIEVABLE run-on sentences; i.e., page 70, 72, 91, 93-94, 104.
Misused colons. Would stick one of those in when it should have been a semi-colon. And often what was really needed was a period.
After page 104 I simply stopped marking the errors. They just kept coming and coming.
I realized a few days ago, having started this book on 3/23 and it was now 5/28 that the reason I wasn't finishing the book was the people didn't engage me. The solution to the murder didn't either. I didn't even read the last chapter to see how it turned out. I rarely don't finish a book but happened with this one is usually the reason why.
I plan to donate the book to our Friends of the Library for their next sale.
I did leave a status early on in the read that hopefully was read by the author and/or the publisher and steps were taken before it was published.
The plot and surrounding story was okay. I did like some light moments as the title of the took, Ice Shear: A Novel, automatically conveys not-so-good news. It starts out with the finding of a body. The rest of the book is about why this person was killed as well as the reasons and the people involved. Side stories are the lead police & other investigators.
I truly cannot get "into" a book (or a movie, TV series, etc.) if I can't find a character to like. To root for. I know I was supposed to like June Lyons. I didn't dislike her but ...
So what is the problem with the book -- SCREAMING THE EDITING. Edit problems crop up in books all the time. Sometimes the author or the edit is made -- it just doesn't get from the person into the printed page.
There were 24 "minor" errors in the first 92 pages.
There were 12 "major" errors in the first 102 pages
For example -- starting the first words after a ; should not be with a capital letter. This error was made over and over. No consistency. Sometimes a sentence would have a ; and the next word was lowercase and other times it would be uppercase.
BAD habit of using ; when it should be commas but again, not always consistent.
Oddly enough the author often used commas when a semi-colon definitely was needed to separate two complete sentences.
Run-on sentences -- UNBELIEVABLE run-on sentences; i.e., page 70, 72, 91, 93-94, 104.
Misused colons. Would stick one of those in when it should have been a semi-colon. And often what was really needed was a period.
After page 104 I simply stopped marking the errors. They just kept coming and coming.
I realized a few days ago, having started this book on 3/23 and it was now 5/28 that the reason I wasn't finishing the book was the people didn't engage me. The solution to the murder didn't either. I didn't even read the last chapter to see how it turned out. I rarely don't finish a book but happened with this one is usually the reason why.
I plan to donate the book to our Friends of the Library for their next sale.
I did leave a status early on in the read that hopefully was read by the author and/or the publisher and steps were taken before it was published.
July 6, 2014
June Lyons has moved back to her hometown of Hopewell, NY to be a cop on the beat. Once an FBI agent in California, she moved home with her husband and daughter when her husband, also an FBI agent, was dying of cancer. While driving a drunk home, June come across a woman's body impaled on an ice shear. The woman, Danielle Brouilette, is the young daughter of a congresswoman and a very wealthy father. Who would want to kill her and why?
Danielle is married to Marty, once a member of The Abominations, a huge motorcycle gang, and who is now in recovery and attends AA. Interestingly, however, June finds a meth lab in the Brouilette's garage. Is Marty as straight as he appears. There is also Marty's kid brother, Ray, a seventeen year old punk. He, however, is brutally murdered shortly after Dani is killed.
The FBI are called in to the case and June finds herself working with her former colleagues who she doesn't trust all that much. She is determined to break this case and move her career up a rung or two.
While the premise of this book is interesting, I just could not get all that involved in it. The characters are not fleshed out and there are too many characters to keep track of.
Danielle is married to Marty, once a member of The Abominations, a huge motorcycle gang, and who is now in recovery and attends AA. Interestingly, however, June finds a meth lab in the Brouilette's garage. Is Marty as straight as he appears. There is also Marty's kid brother, Ray, a seventeen year old punk. He, however, is brutally murdered shortly after Dani is killed.
The FBI are called in to the case and June finds herself working with her former colleagues who she doesn't trust all that much. She is determined to break this case and move her career up a rung or two.
While the premise of this book is interesting, I just could not get all that involved in it. The characters are not fleshed out and there are too many characters to keep track of.
September 21, 2015
It’s hard to believe that is the first novel for this author. I have to start out with, well done!
It held my attention all the way through from beginning to end. I didn’t figure out who-done-it until the last chapter and I wasn’t so sure I was right which for me means that this was a well written mystery.
June is likeable, smart, under used in her job and flawed. She is still silently mourning the death of her husband while trying to raise her daughter and hold down a fulltime job on the local police force of the town where she was raised. Almost everyone on the force is resentful of this former FBI agent and daughter of the now retired former chief of police. She works the nightshift willingly so she can spend time with her daughter during the day while her Dad takes care of Lucy at night.
Not much happens in Hopewell Falls, New York, well, not until June finds a body and then things get really interesting, really fast. When the FBI get involved it becomes more complicated for June when one of the agents is an old friend from a past she would rather forget.
I enjoyed this book and I look forward to the sequel.
This book was won in a First Reads giveaway.
It held my attention all the way through from beginning to end. I didn’t figure out who-done-it until the last chapter and I wasn’t so sure I was right which for me means that this was a well written mystery.
June is likeable, smart, under used in her job and flawed. She is still silently mourning the death of her husband while trying to raise her daughter and hold down a fulltime job on the local police force of the town where she was raised. Almost everyone on the force is resentful of this former FBI agent and daughter of the now retired former chief of police. She works the nightshift willingly so she can spend time with her daughter during the day while her Dad takes care of Lucy at night.
Not much happens in Hopewell Falls, New York, well, not until June finds a body and then things get really interesting, really fast. When the FBI get involved it becomes more complicated for June when one of the agents is an old friend from a past she would rather forget.
I enjoyed this book and I look forward to the sequel.
This book was won in a First Reads giveaway.
March 29, 2014
I should start this review by saying that I was lucky to receive a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program.
While wrapping up her usually uneventful night shift, former FBI agent turned small-town police officer, June Lyons, discovers the body of a congresswoman’s daughter impaled on a shard of ice. Chosen to work as a liaison between the FBI and local law enforcement, June begins investigating the murder. However the victim has ties to a vicious biker gang, a husband with a criminal record, a mother with lots of political enemies, and a very troubled past of her own; and as June struggles to sort through all the leads, another body is found.
Although at times some of the dialog seemed awkward and sometimes June’s behavior seemed oddly inconsistent, overall I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of plot twists and complicated characters and relationships. I liked that this book seemed to be intended to be the first in a series, or at least to have a sequel. I would like to see more from the main characters in this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and crime fiction.
While wrapping up her usually uneventful night shift, former FBI agent turned small-town police officer, June Lyons, discovers the body of a congresswoman’s daughter impaled on a shard of ice. Chosen to work as a liaison between the FBI and local law enforcement, June begins investigating the murder. However the victim has ties to a vicious biker gang, a husband with a criminal record, a mother with lots of political enemies, and a very troubled past of her own; and as June struggles to sort through all the leads, another body is found.
Although at times some of the dialog seemed awkward and sometimes June’s behavior seemed oddly inconsistent, overall I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of plot twists and complicated characters and relationships. I liked that this book seemed to be intended to be the first in a series, or at least to have a sequel. I would like to see more from the main characters in this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and crime fiction.
July 28, 2014
This is a good police procedural story which has always been an interest of mine. Former FBI agent, June Lyons, works for the local PD and is assigned to a case that blows your mind... a meth lab, biker gangs, and of course murder which just so happens to draw in the FBI because of the the deceased's family.
Kept me tied to the book for sure.
I wanted to know who the informants were and what the FBI agents were hiding. The only thing that bothered me some of the characters weren't fully developed but not enough to keep me from enjoying the book.
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Kept me tied to the book for sure.
I wanted to know who the informants were and what the FBI agents were hiding. The only thing that bothered me some of the characters weren't fully developed but not enough to keep me from enjoying the book.
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2014
A pre-release copy was passed on to me- Wow what a great read!
I felt like I really got to the know the inner workings of the characters minds. Plenty of tension and action to keep my mind intrigued! I am looking forward to the next one.
Just a bit about the book:
Former FBI agent, June, returns to her hometown to work at the local PD. Small town, easier life for her and her daughter- until murder creeps into town. June is up to the top of her head in possibilities as the small town atmosphere begins to reveal the darker sides of those who live there.
Enjoy!
I felt like I really got to the know the inner workings of the characters minds. Plenty of tension and action to keep my mind intrigued! I am looking forward to the next one.
Just a bit about the book:
Former FBI agent, June, returns to her hometown to work at the local PD. Small town, easier life for her and her daughter- until murder creeps into town. June is up to the top of her head in possibilities as the small town atmosphere begins to reveal the darker sides of those who live there.
Enjoy!
April 4, 2014
I was given an ARC of this book at a library conference. I thought that I would be really interested in it but it had way too many characters and a thin plot line. I figured out the culprit way early and usually I don't.
October 21, 2019
Ice Shear starts with an unusual death, a body impaled on a jagged piece of ice. That was not the cause of death though and a small town will be drawn into a major investigation. The plot was fine, the characters were fairly one-dimensional. It was only an okay read for me as nothing really hooked me past the opening few chapters.
May 10, 2014
I received an advanced reading copy of this from the publisher via Goodreads' First-reads giveaway program.
This is a very impressive debut genre novel that I didn't expect to enjoy quite so much. My initial expectations were somewhat low because so many of the elements of "Ice Shear" I would describe with the word 'average'. The plot is suitably complex. The writing is straight-forward, though very descriptive, with realistically rendered dialogue. The protagonist seems like a regular woman. The pace is constant and the small town setting is well-rendered.
Together this makes an enjoyable police procedural read, a novel that is really good, but where nothing really screams out as being exceptionally unique, innovative, controversial, or profoundly insightful. So what sets it apart from any other mystery novel out there is it is so 'average'? Why in my heart do I feel like this is a really successful novel that was well-worth reading?
I think the answer to those questions lie in just how effectively Cooley manages to take the ordinary and produce a tight, well-crafted mystery out of it where everything does feel satisfying without becoming dull and mundane. Most impressive to me is Cooley's protagonist June, a former FBI-agent returned to her hometown to serve on the police force. June is deceptively simple, one of the most realistically rendered female characters I've come across. Here strengths and weakness are given subtly, and her personality is one of straight-forward perseverance, simply being a good investigator and human being. Relatable and likable, she is flawed and challenged, but she overcomes and the reader enjoys the experience of seeing how she does so.
Cooley also manages to put in just the right amount of 'outside' information and personal conflict outside of the main crime plot thread. You learn a bit about June's past and her family and professional relationships, but readers aren't pulled too far down any side-tracks that don't have bearings on the novel itself. This leaves Cooley room to further develop the character in future novels, hopefully just as effectively.
This is a very impressive debut genre novel that I didn't expect to enjoy quite so much. My initial expectations were somewhat low because so many of the elements of "Ice Shear" I would describe with the word 'average'. The plot is suitably complex. The writing is straight-forward, though very descriptive, with realistically rendered dialogue. The protagonist seems like a regular woman. The pace is constant and the small town setting is well-rendered.
Together this makes an enjoyable police procedural read, a novel that is really good, but where nothing really screams out as being exceptionally unique, innovative, controversial, or profoundly insightful. So what sets it apart from any other mystery novel out there is it is so 'average'? Why in my heart do I feel like this is a really successful novel that was well-worth reading?
I think the answer to those questions lie in just how effectively Cooley manages to take the ordinary and produce a tight, well-crafted mystery out of it where everything does feel satisfying without becoming dull and mundane. Most impressive to me is Cooley's protagonist June, a former FBI-agent returned to her hometown to serve on the police force. June is deceptively simple, one of the most realistically rendered female characters I've come across. Here strengths and weakness are given subtly, and her personality is one of straight-forward perseverance, simply being a good investigator and human being. Relatable and likable, she is flawed and challenged, but she overcomes and the reader enjoys the experience of seeing how she does so.
Cooley also manages to put in just the right amount of 'outside' information and personal conflict outside of the main crime plot thread. You learn a bit about June's past and her family and professional relationships, but readers aren't pulled too far down any side-tracks that don't have bearings on the novel itself. This leaves Cooley room to further develop the character in future novels, hopefully just as effectively.
April 7, 2014
Murders, small town politics, and biker gangs - oh my!
What a great debut novel this was! It had everything I want to see in a mystery/police procedural tale.
The protagonist, Juniper (aka June) Lyons works for the local police department in Hopewell Falls, New York. She used to be an FBI agent until her husband's death. Now she lives with her dear old Dad, who was the chief of police until he retired and now he stays at home and helps watch over June's daughter Lucy.
Author Cooley does a fine job fleshing out all the characters in the book but we especially are able to get close to June.
Two gory murders, two biker gangs, all kinds of suspects, a meth super lab, bad guys that don't seem so bad, good guys that don't seem so good - all tied together in a fast moving, page turning lollapalooza of a grand read.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
What a great debut novel this was! It had everything I want to see in a mystery/police procedural tale.
The protagonist, Juniper (aka June) Lyons works for the local police department in Hopewell Falls, New York. She used to be an FBI agent until her husband's death. Now she lives with her dear old Dad, who was the chief of police until he retired and now he stays at home and helps watch over June's daughter Lucy.
Author Cooley does a fine job fleshing out all the characters in the book but we especially are able to get close to June.
Two gory murders, two biker gangs, all kinds of suspects, a meth super lab, bad guys that don't seem so bad, good guys that don't seem so good - all tied together in a fast moving, page turning lollapalooza of a grand read.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 13, 2014
Wow! This isn't my typical genre but it sure sucked me in. Cooley's voice is authentic crime/thriller, totally believable and made me feel fully present in the scene. What I love best about the writing was Cooley's dry wit and cop humor, and quirky but astute attention to detail. The characters were endearing - even the bad guys - and a more minor character Annie was a particular fave. The protagonist June is incredibly sympathetic, strong yet vulnerable so I think any woman would enjoy this book whether it is her usual genre or not. The tension moved me along - I can't wait for book 2!
November 21, 2014
Got almost halfway and realized that I really didn't care what happened.
August 22, 2019
This started so well! Ice, snow, realistic slush and late-night donut runs, and a very tired, widowed cop who is content with her life and her job and her family. I WAS ALL IN.
Even the job drama and the reappearing dude from her past did not ruin my enjoyment of spending time with June. I did not mind the hints of romance, y'all, because they were so subtle that I'm still half-convinced I imagined them. Best romance ever!
But then the plot collapsed like a flan in a cupboard and got entirely too nighttime-police-drama-show for my liking. Running around doing nighttime-police-drama things on roofs and such obscured the tired and interesting person June introduced herself as at the beginning of the book. I showed up for ice and snow and realistic slush and late-night donut runs and not car chases, double-crosses and heroic rooftop action. Or at least I needed both these genres tied together much more neatly than happened here.
Even the job drama and the reappearing dude from her past did not ruin my enjoyment of spending time with June. I did not mind the hints of romance, y'all, because they were so subtle that I'm still half-convinced I imagined them. Best romance ever!
But then the plot collapsed like a flan in a cupboard and got entirely too nighttime-police-drama-show for my liking. Running around doing nighttime-police-drama things on roofs and such obscured the tired and interesting person June introduced herself as at the beginning of the book. I showed up for ice and snow and realistic slush and late-night donut runs and not car chases, double-crosses and heroic rooftop action. Or at least I needed both these genres tied together much more neatly than happened here.
July 10, 2019
For this author's first book, it was actually really good.
January 23, 2019
This book was just OK for me, kind of slow and a lot of different characters to keep track of.
January 8, 2019
This book could have been outstanding. The plot was good and the characters were good. That being said, it felt like it was edited by someone more concerned with publication date than content. Character development could have been better especially for peripheral characters. And there were gapping gaps in the continuity of the storyline.
March 25, 2014
June Lyons left her small New York town to follow her dream of being a F.B.I. agent. The daughter of the chief of police, she had police work in her genes. Working undercover in southern California she meets and falls in love with a fellow agent. With the birth of their daughter June believes that her life is complete. Then her husband Kevin is diagnosed with a aggressive and incurable cancer and they return to Hopewell Falls, to her childhood home. With the help of her father, June goes to work at the Hopewell P.D. and cares for her dying husband and small daughter.
After Kevin's death she stays and life becomes, predictable and safe. Nothing much ever happens as she works the overnight shift and one day moves into the next. Then near the end of a freezing cold shift she spots a local teen girl caught in the chain link fence that keeps people from the dangerous banks of the Mohawk river under Hopewell Falls.
As she frees the hysterical teen she finds the cause of her distress, skewered on a frozen shear at the base of the frozen falls is the body of another young woman. And everything changes as the young woman is identified, the daughter of the very rich and powerful congresswoman Amanda Brouillette.
As June and Hopewell Falls one detective, Dave Batko start to investigate the town is quickly full of State Police and F.B.I. agents. Some agents that she use to call friends. It's quickly established that Danielle was married to the estranged son of the enforcer for the Abominations, a vicious biker gang.
"Ice Shear" by M.P.Cooley is a especially good read for a first novel. I received my copy through Goodreads.
After Kevin's death she stays and life becomes, predictable and safe. Nothing much ever happens as she works the overnight shift and one day moves into the next. Then near the end of a freezing cold shift she spots a local teen girl caught in the chain link fence that keeps people from the dangerous banks of the Mohawk river under Hopewell Falls.
As she frees the hysterical teen she finds the cause of her distress, skewered on a frozen shear at the base of the frozen falls is the body of another young woman. And everything changes as the young woman is identified, the daughter of the very rich and powerful congresswoman Amanda Brouillette.
As June and Hopewell Falls one detective, Dave Batko start to investigate the town is quickly full of State Police and F.B.I. agents. Some agents that she use to call friends. It's quickly established that Danielle was married to the estranged son of the enforcer for the Abominations, a vicious biker gang.
"Ice Shear" by M.P.Cooley is a especially good read for a first novel. I received my copy through Goodreads.
July 4, 2014
June Lyons, is a cop in a small town that really doesn't have much going on. When one body is found, she has to pull together her small group of officers and her resources to try to figure out who did it. When June begins investigating, she finds this is a lot bigger than she could have imagined. Soon another body is found and a drug ring is discovered. Their staff is stretched thin and everyone is tired. When the Feds come in, the person taking over is someone from June's past. Can June look beyond their past and work professionally with him? Can they figure out who the murderer is before anything else happens?
This book was an action-packed thriller. It leaves you wondering who is responsible for everything until the very end. The author does a great job at engaging the reader and keeping them glued to the pages. The end was shocking and not who I had expected to be responsible for everything. I like how June is a strong and independent woman who isn't afraid to step in and take charge, when she has to. I really enjoyed this book!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was an action-packed thriller. It leaves you wondering who is responsible for everything until the very end. The author does a great job at engaging the reader and keeping them glued to the pages. The end was shocking and not who I had expected to be responsible for everything. I like how June is a strong and independent woman who isn't afraid to step in and take charge, when she has to. I really enjoyed this book!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
August 10, 2016
Haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I had won. 2/28/14
Received my copy and hope to start soon, have 6 others plus my current read in front. 3/15/14
Started 4/22/14
Finished 4/26/14
June is a cop for the small town of Hopewell Falls, NY. Quite a different life than when she was in the FBI. Now she is used to nothing more taxing that driving drunks home, but that changes when she finds the body of a young woman impaled on some ice frozen by the river. The woman was the daughter of the senator that is in line for the vice president nomination. The FBI arrive and deputize June to work the murder investigation. Between biker gangs, meth distributing and the local politics, will they be able to solve the murder?
Wow, this was a quick read. Not because of the book size, its just the story moved so fast. I was reasonably surprised when the murderer was revealed. I usually have it figured out before half way through. I had suspicions but mostly due to elimination rather than clues. The characters were realistic, and it almost read like a movie script.
Received my copy and hope to start soon, have 6 others plus my current read in front. 3/15/14
Started 4/22/14
Finished 4/26/14
June is a cop for the small town of Hopewell Falls, NY. Quite a different life than when she was in the FBI. Now she is used to nothing more taxing that driving drunks home, but that changes when she finds the body of a young woman impaled on some ice frozen by the river. The woman was the daughter of the senator that is in line for the vice president nomination. The FBI arrive and deputize June to work the murder investigation. Between biker gangs, meth distributing and the local politics, will they be able to solve the murder?
Wow, this was a quick read. Not because of the book size, its just the story moved so fast. I was reasonably surprised when the murderer was revealed. I usually have it figured out before half way through. I had suspicions but mostly due to elimination rather than clues. The characters were realistic, and it almost read like a movie script.
December 18, 2013
A solid mystery for fans of C.J. Box. June Lyons used to be a bigshot at the FBI, but she left when her husband was dying of cancer so she could spend more time with him and their young daughter. Now a widow, she's local PD in Hopewell Falls, a small town that doesn't keep her too busy.
That changes with the death of Danielle Brouillette, the rebellious daughter of an ambitious politician who ran off from her family and married the black sheep son of a powerful motorcycle gang family. Running the case and serving as liaison with the FBI, June finds herself running into old friends, welcome and not-so-much.
June is a strong and likeable character. Her grief for her husband and her love for her daughter is grounding but not overpowering the way it can sometimes happen in these books. The plot gets tangled and complicated in a satisfying way.
It won't blow the top off the genre, but it's a solid read. I'm a little surprised this is up for a July release as it made me feel chilly just to read.
That changes with the death of Danielle Brouillette, the rebellious daughter of an ambitious politician who ran off from her family and married the black sheep son of a powerful motorcycle gang family. Running the case and serving as liaison with the FBI, June finds herself running into old friends, welcome and not-so-much.
June is a strong and likeable character. Her grief for her husband and her love for her daughter is grounding but not overpowering the way it can sometimes happen in these books. The plot gets tangled and complicated in a satisfying way.
It won't blow the top off the genre, but it's a solid read. I'm a little surprised this is up for a July release as it made me feel chilly just to read.
October 9, 2014
A former FBI agent-turned small town cop (due to the cancer and death of her husband), helps unravel a double murder and a major drug production center and potential pipeline. The upstate New York setting (a once successful industrial town growing poorer and smaller) is well described, as are all of the primary and secondary characters. The ending (the apprehension of a somewhat obvious perpetrator) is marred by one of those killer-tells-all scenes to wrap up loose ends, and preceded by the obligatory scene in which the lone woman cop goes into an empty factory building in search of the suspect, but the central character deserves another outing.
April 8, 2014
The first and foremost thing I noticed with Ice Shear is the author's voice, jumping through the pages and captivating me with the story. Cooley has a distinct style, a specific phrase array, that made it seem like more of an overheard story, or a neighbor entrancing you with a peculiar tale. This is how every good book should be.
Ice Shear has an engaging plot and a galloping, thrilling conclusion. M.P. Cooley has created vivid, believable characters that suck you into her world and wrap you in layers of cold and thrills. If you enjoy a good thrilling novel, pick up this book.
Ice Shear has an engaging plot and a galloping, thrilling conclusion. M.P. Cooley has created vivid, believable characters that suck you into her world and wrap you in layers of cold and thrills. If you enjoy a good thrilling novel, pick up this book.
April 8, 2017
I won this book in a first reads giveaway.
I am a fan of this genre and I liked the story, but overall I had a hard time getting into this book because it was a bit slow-paced and lacked character development.
For me the positive with this book was that I didn't figure out who the killer was before it was revealed. That makes or breaks a book like this for me, and I was guessing right up until the end. I only wish it had been easier to keep the characters straight and know them a little better along the way.
I am a fan of this genre and I liked the story, but overall I had a hard time getting into this book because it was a bit slow-paced and lacked character development.
For me the positive with this book was that I didn't figure out who the killer was before it was revealed. That makes or breaks a book like this for me, and I was guessing right up until the end. I only wish it had been easier to keep the characters straight and know them a little better along the way.
February 17, 2015
I gave this book four stars since this is the author's first mystery novel. I was really impressed, with this new series, a June Lyons novel. The characters were easy to connect with for anyone who lives in a small town. Hoping she expands upon some of these characters in her future novels. I felt genuine compassion for some of the characters. The ending was surprising in many ways! Looking forward to her next installment, "Flame Out", coming May 19th!!
August 9, 2014
This is actually an well done police procedural (not usually a favorite). I liked the characters, the setting and basically the story. I didn't like that she had too many characters and they were hard to keep track of. I did figure out the why and the who early but that didn't detract from me liking the book. I hope this is the 1st in a series and I get to visit Hopewell Falls soon.
August 5, 2015
M.C. Cooley makes a strong debut with this tense story of a pair of small town murders. The cast of characters is interesting, believable, and complex. Cooley's descriptions of an old, shabby town in upstate New York in the grip of a typically unpleasant winter is so evocative that I felt the wet snow dripping down the back of my neck and shivered! Highly recommended!
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