The Ice Queen

By: Nele Neuhaus

Narrated by: Robert Fass

The body of 92-two-year-old Jossi Goldberg, Holocaust survivor and American citizen, is found shot to death, execution style, in his house near Frankfurt. A five-digit number is scrawled in blood at the murder scene. The autopsy reveals an old and unsuccessfully covered tattoo on the corpse's arm - a blood type marker once used by Hitler's SS. Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein are faced with a riddle. Was the old man not Jewish after all? Who was he, really?

Two more, similar murders happen - one a wheelchair-bound old lady in a nursing home, the other a man with a cellar filled with Nazi paraphernalia - and slowly the connection between the victims becomes evident: all of them were lifelong friends with Vera Kaltensee, baroness, well-respected philanthropist, and head of an old, rich family that she rules with an iron fist. Pia and Oliver follow the trail, which leads them all the way back to the end of World War II and the area of Poland that then belonged to East Prussia. No one is who they claim to be, and things only begin to make sense when the two investigators realize what the bloody number stands for - and uncover an old diary and an eyewitness who is finally willing to come forward.

The Ice Queen, prequel to the best seller Snow White Must Die, is a character- and plot-driven mystery about revenge, power, and secrets long forgotten, secrets from a time in German history that still affects the present.

©2015 Nele Neuhaus (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Good but not my favorite by this author

I really like the police characters. One complaint is that there are way too many names and relationships to keep straight unless you make a list as you're listening. Doesn't help that the names are in German and locales are in Poland and Germany. And much of the story refers to events 60 years in the past which adds to the complexity.

Narrator was fine. This book didn't require the use of different voices.

Good Story, Bad Narration

I hated the English performance of Nele Neuhaus' "The Ice Queen" (German, 2014; English, 2015) so much that I would have happily reached through the little holes in my earbuds and yanked narrator away from the book if I could have. All of the women characters except one sounded the same; and all of the older adults, male or female, were audio clones of each other. The combination kills any possibility of an enjoyable listen. It's no fun hearing a high pitched voice for a minute or two and then realize, "Oh, that's NOT his wife talking, it's his uncle."

Why did I listen to an entire book with a narration that set me on edge? Neuhaus' plot hooked me from the start, well before the performance became an issue. Unlike some books I've read/listened to and then reviewed, this would look like a Cliff Notes guide for "The Ice Queen" if I gave away any spoilers. They are too intricate and would take too long to explain if I tried. That made the book, as a whole, a thinker. I'd find myself thinking, sometimes chapters later, "Aha! That's why that was important."

There are two lead detectives, Pia Kirchhoff and her partner, Oliver Bodenstein. Both have active, complicated families that intrude on their investigations - sometimes helping, sometimes hurting. Kirchhoff and Bodenstein's back stories are complex, and I'd like to know more - but I will be reading other stories in the series, not listening. I liked that the author developed her continuing characters, rather than leaving them as half formed stock characters.

The settings in Germany, Poland and the former Prussia were intriguing to me, listening on my daily commute in Southern California.

Other listeners might not have the same strong reaction I did. My recommendation is to listen to an Audible sample, and if it doesn't work for you - buy the text version instead.

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What a great listen

I loved this book. The author really kept it moving . Twist turns and throw back to WWII really added spice to the mix. The narrator was spot on with enunciation I could visually see the German country side ,polizei and buildings.
I love a good suspense and find I quite like German and Dutch authors they bring a different mix on who done it theme.
I didn't see the ending coming with either the murder or who was having an affair with whom.
I LOVED IT. 😜

Still enjoying

This book had some bad reviews, so I was apprehensive to buy it. I'm happy to say I'm still enjoying this series.

Pronoun problem?

The story was great and I enjoyed listening to it. I did have trouble with the incorrect use of pronouns. The word 'he' was used a great deal when 'she' should have been used. Sometimes it made a particular situation difficult to understand. Definitely made me laugh a couple times! Regardless, I would highly recommend this book!

Fascinating historical novel

But a little hard to keep up with a huge cast of characters. I thought I knew the main protagonist at first, but by the last quarter or more there were two. A pretty convoluted history of the characters, but the author manages to tie everything together and make good sense of it by the end. Definitely recommend this one.

Wow

It is fabulous! I kept guessing the wrong people until the very end- and even after it ended, I thought the author must be wrong.

One of the bed Mysteries I've read

The story was suspenseful and well written. I liked the characters a lot. There were lots of twists and turns in the story. I can't wait to listen to the next one. If you like Camilia Lackberg you will live this author

Police Procedures

The story follows police procedures and I like that development in a story. I also enjoy the perspective of different characters. It is sometimes gruesome, but crime is gruesome. It isn't a super suspenseful or horror tell but gets a plus from me for the intricate plotting.

A mystery that will keep you guessing!

When 92-year old Holocaust survivor Jossi Goldberg is found executed in his home, Detectives Kirchhoff and Bodenstein are given the case. When they are being pressured into letting the case go - but not before they have a chance to order an autopsy - the detectives become intrigued. During the autopsy a strange tattoo is found on Goldberg, the type that was given to SS soldiers, it doesn't seem possible this Holocaust survivor was an SS soldier. Within days, two similar murders are committed. The one common thread between all the murders is all of them were lifelong friends with Vera von Kaltensee, baroness, well-respected philanthropist, and head of an old, rich family. The detectives find themselves being drawn into a murder mystery where no one is who they claim to be.

This was a great story and great narration. I highly recommend!