January Thaw

By Jess Lourey

The Ice Man Succumbeth

Private-eye-in-training Mira James loves Minnesota’s crisp January days, as long as she can spend them in the arms of hunky Johnny Leeson. But when Mrs. Berns’s erratic Zamboni driving uncovers an icebound dead man, Mira’s cold-weather tranquility threatens to melt away.

With a frozen body in the lake and a freak January thaw descending on town, neither Johnny nor generous portions of high-octane comfort food are enough to ease Mira’s frazzled nerves. There’s big trouble brewing in Battle Lake. And if Mira can’t figure out who’s behind it, the next time she feels sub-zero temperatures, she may be sporting a toe tag in the town morgue.

Praise:

"Those looking for an engaging, multigenerational small-town mystery that tackles contemporary issues can’t miss with this entry."—Library Journal 

"Fans of smalltown mysteries will be charmed."—Publishers Weekly 

"Who can resist a mystery that includes a daredevil octogenarian sidekick; a flashy, plant-whispering mayor; some really bad villains; and a little girl ghost?"—Booklist 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
• Release date: Jan 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9780738739588

Jess Lourey

Jess Lourey is the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things, The Catalain Book of Secrets, the Salem’s Cipher thrillers, and the Mira James mysteries, among many other works, including young adult, short stories, and nonfiction. An Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award nominee, Jess is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology and a leader of writing retreats. She is also a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a Psychology Today blogger, and a TEDx presenter. Check out her TEDx Talk for the inspiration behind her first published novel. When she’s not leading writing workshops, reading, or spending time with her friends and family, you can find her working on her next story. Discover more at www.jessicalourey.com.

Reviews for January Thaw

[rhonda1111 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

5 STARS I really like and care about Mira James. Jess Lourey did a good job of making the characters feel real. I did not want to put the book down. I did not realize that I had read a previous book featuring Mira two years ago.(My Memory I used to remember all the books I read.) The book starts strong and keeps you interested and wanting to know more about the different characters and their relationships to each other. Mira James works at the library, newspaper and working to become a detective. She cares about the people in her small town of Battle Creek, MN. She has a bad habit of finding a dead body at least once per month. She is house sitting for a friend. Mira and her friend get accosted in an alley. Before anything bad happens they are rescued by Maurice a black man that has come in the library a lot the past week. He knows the two men who have gang tattoos. The book has a lot of drama, action, crimes as Mira tries to figure out how and who are doing things in town. Plus she has a case to look into and lots of questions she wants the answer too. Mira has two good friends who are senior citizens that help her get into trouble. They bring some humor along with finding out information to help her solve the problems and questions she has. I would love to go back and read all the books in the series sometime. I want to read more of Jess Lourey books in the future. I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when finished by NetGalley and Midnight Ink. One source says this book comes out in Aug and three more show Jan. 8, 2014. Midnight Ink publisher.