The Girl in the Ice - Robert Bryndza

*** Interesting plot, but unconvincing execution

This book never takes off.

It starts with the typical scene of certain crime thrillers, narrated from the point of view of the victim; a scene we already know how it will end. The protagonist, Erika Foster, is a detective of Slovak origin (like the author), who is considered to be very good at her job, but has just lost her husband during a police action. He is recalled to work to investigate this case because of her skills, but is constantly hindered by her boss, who seems to want anything but solve it (I wished it were so ... and instead he simply acts in a senseless way). Erika, like the usual rude and impulsive policewoman cliché at all costs (characteristics that would automatically make anyone unfit to have a police command role), disobeys her boss, becomes aggressive, behaves a bit crazily and ends up also embarrassing him in public, because it seems she has no other reason for life but solving the case.

Honestly, I found the behaviour of all the characters often artificial, over the top or illogical.

Can a good detective who found a message from the serial killer in their pocket do not worry about finding things out of place in their own flat? Very sly, I would say. Like Sherlock Holmes!

The novel from time to time moves away from the protagonist, showing scenes from unimportant points of view. In particular, the climax scene is not from the point of view of Foster, who among other things has not quite understood who the killer is until he threatens her.

In short, apart from the slightest curiosity of understanding the identity of the killer, the novel has failed to engage me.

Moreover, this edition leaves a bit to be desired as well, amongst unwittingly comical typos (the dessert becomes a desert!), others that are incomprehensible (the same name written two times in the same line but in two different ways), annoying repetitions and even formatting errors.

It gave me the impression of the first naive attempt to write a thriller, perhaps inspired by cinema, rather than an imagined and structured story for the written word. Probably the style of the author has improved in the next books in the series, but I guess I will never find out.

The Girl in the Ice on Amazon.