Frozen Statues by L. E. Fraser

It is quite clear from the outset that this book is part of a series and that we are already some way in.  However, knowledge of the previous novels in the series is not necessary to enjoy this tale - in fact I may have found myself enjoying it rather more because of that.  I don't know if the Incubus murders have already been covered in the series so making large portions of this book completely irrelevant to the plot but if they aren't then this is a genuinely good stand alone tale.

We do have some of the familiar devices beloved of the genre but the reasons for Sam's damaged state is a good one and the psychological ramifications of her sisters murder are well thought out and followed through on to the page.  There is a really good sense of a devolving mental state and her descent in to obsession, if not madness, over those events that fuel the plot in this story.  The relationship between her and Reece seems so perfect and then she begins to erode at that with her paranoia and personal foibles.

The tale takes some nice twists and turns and you genuinely find yourself trying to pre-guess the outcome.  The liberal red herrings work well and throw us off the scent as enthusiastically as they do the investigators.  This is no mean feat and it was a real joy to find myself scratching my head at times trying to figure out exactly what was going on and get to the right perpetrator before they did.

The handling of the Asperger's character, Eli, was sensitively done and the description of his interactions were pretty much spot on, as where his coping mechanisms.  Bolster this with the enigmatic Danny and you can see them becoming integral parts of future plots.

I think part of what elevated this for me was the genuine creativity of the murders and the wonderful twists to get to the denouement.  However, this paled in to insignificance at Sam's heartbreak when her dog dies.  It was wonderful to see a pet acknowledged as part of the family and the grief that hits when they do die shown so baldly on the page.

A thoroughly enjoyable book that gets the old grey matter ticking over.