THE ICE ANGELS by Caroline Mitchell

 4* Elea is a maverick by British policing standards, but boy, does she get the job done efficiently.

For me, what helped this book's storyline are the Norwegian names, which I didn't google and which gave me a whodathunk moment when the ending came. That aspect of concealment/obfuscation was done pretty well, and the final reveal right at the very end, once the baddie/s were gone, felt believable. 

The tale goes back and forth into Elea's life and job, and between Lincoln and Porvoo, without losing me or my interest. The darker aspects were more unpleasant than horrifying - a lot of stuff happened off-page - and sadly, Porvoo kind of permitted them to happen, with its location, population and climate. 

Elea was literally a woman and a cop on a mission. It wasn't clear where one ended and the other started in the 2025 part of the story, but it was very obvious which took precedence in the past. I liked this aspect of her 'policing', putting the pressure on when the circumstances demanded (not just allowed), without worrying about lying and getting found out. Even her underhandedness was kind of admirable, though it showed up Swann, the lead detective and her soon-to-be-ex husband. I'm not sure that the collaboration between the UK and Finland could actually have happened because of Elea's clear conflict of interest, but the tale was engrossing enough for me to suspend disbelief. Swann was a very weak detective and male kead, however - almost an afterthought.

But, did the author stereotype her, a la Ulrika, making a modern European woman out to be a bit of a man eater, just because she could have her cake/man and eat it? Compartmentalise sex/ biological needs / pleasing herself with total unemotional efficiency? I think so. It didn't show her as a warm character, unfortunately, just made her come across even more as if she were as frozen as Finland.

Still, the tale had enough skilled writing and twists and concealment to keep me glued to it. I kind of was hoping-thinking that maybe Alice might turn out to be a bunny boiler, or that Swann might find his gonads and realised that a potential marriage based on deception and coercion - hers - isn't a recipe for success. As the book ended, it felt like he'd once again be railroaded by a woman more determined and forceful than he could ever be. I pitied his twin 6yo sons. 

It's a decent if stone-cold-emotionally, tale.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for my reading pleasure. 


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