Ice Blue

Ice Blue is the first book in Emma Jameson's Lord & Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series. The series takes place in Britain during the present era. I loved the book as it follows the police procedural formula perfectly, making it an easy read.

The publisher's summary:

"Anthony Hetheridge, ninth Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent for New Scotland Yard, never married, no children, no pets, no hobbies and not even an interesting vice, will turn sixty in three weeks. With the exception of his chosen career, too sordid for his blue-blooded family to condone, his life has been safe and predictable. But then he mets Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield-beautiful, willful, and nearly half his age. When Hetheridge saves the outspoken, impetuous young detective from getting the sack, siding with her against Scotland Yard's powerful male hierarchy, his cold, elegant balanced world spins out of control. Summoned to London's fashionable Belgravia to investigate the brutal murder of a financier, Hetheridge must catch the killer while coping with his growing attraction to Kate, the reappearance of an old flame, and the secret that emerges from his own past."

In the past I have said that I liked many of the books that I have reviewed on this blog. For most of them, I do not read anything else by the author due to time constraints. However, I loved Ice Blue so much that I have already ordered the rest of the books in the series. This book was so well written that it was a joy to read. 

When I began the book I thought that it was a cozy mystery. It is. What confused me was the rough British slang that the Scotland Yard investigators used when referring to sex or sexual orientation. You don't usually see that in a cozy but since the book is advertised as a cozy mystery, I accept that categorization. The dialogue seemed natural, given that Kate was the only female detective in a male dominated office. In addition, the novel was so British-centric that I thought that author Emma Jameson was British. She isn't. Ms. Jameson is American but loves all things English. 

Ice Blue is a winner! I recommend it to mystery fans. 4 out of 5 stars.