The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza/Review by Joy Gorence
The Girl In the Ice
By Robert Bryndza
Grand Central Publishing
$9.99
ISBN 978-1538730171
Publication Date: (reprint) February 2019
Book of the Day
Robert Bryndza’s spine-chilling novel The Girl In the Ice begins with Andrea’s final hours before her murder. Lee Kinney, a young man trying to get to work at the Horniman Museum, discovers her body under the ice. The police are called, and Chief Inspector Marsh places DCI Erika Foster in charge of the murder investigation. However, she has to navigate the murky waters of politics and the animosity of DCI Sparks, which hinder her progress. When it is disclosed that Andrea was the daughter of Lord and Lady Douglas-Brown, Erika is commanded to “go easy” (p.33). Erika, however, “despised” (p. 33) Britain’s class system, and she refuses to compromise her investigation.
Bryndza never names or identifies the sexual orientation of the murder but refers to culprit as “the figure.” Interspersed through the narration, the reader becomes privy to the murderer’s thoughts. The figure reveals that this is not the first murder, nor will it be the last. Bryndza reveals only a few clues, which keeps the plot moving along with a series of twists and turns. As the climax builds, the pacing and length of the chapters mimic the intensity of the investigation. The setting, subtly treated as a character, continues with a “fresh onslaught of snow” (p.39) and keeps the truth hidden throughout the novel. As Erika digs deeper into the cover-up of this murder, she finds a series of events and people that seem to be connected. With tenacity, she relentlessly pursues the truth, which comes at a cost.
A spell-binding novel of intrigue and suspense, Bryndza has created a thriller that reveals a truth about the façade of humanity.
Joy Gorence is new to Killer Nashville. She is an author, world-traveler, English professor (ret.), and avid reader. Originally from Long Island, NY she now lives in South Florida with her husband, Bill and their two pampered kitties.