Nikki Stern’s third book in the Sam Tate Mysteries Series, FREEZE BEFORE BURNING, revolves around the heinous deaths of a priest, a bartender, and a reference librarian. The victims have two things in common that the authorities can ascertain—their deaths involved the use of dry ice shoved down their throats, and they were all active in a true crime podcast called the Deep Freeze Detectives.

Sam Tate is on hiatus from her regular detective position in Maryland when she visits her Aunt Rosa in New York. Her intention for being there is to explore the fatal shooting that had taken place at her brother’s wedding when she was nine years old—something she had not pursued on her own up until now. But before she is able to delve into this family tragedy, she is gently coerced into joining up with a group of NYPD detectives to help solve the hideous dry ice deaths. The cases soon monopolize Sam’s life, and when her cousin comes to town for a visit and alerts Sam to shocking things about her past, it raises even more unanswered questions.

FREEZE BEFORE BURNING has all the elements of a good mystery. The heroine, Sam Tate, is a likeable, engaging character with many layers to her personality, a compelling back story, and an understandable desire to solve mysteries. The crimes themselves are intriguing—three gruesome deaths of seemingly nice, innocent people. The opening scene of the priest’s death initiates the mystery and provides an immediate hook into the story. Settings throw an interesting wrench into things—a church confessional, a neighborhood bar, and a library—and help to build anticipation in solving the puzzle. A trail of clues sprinkled throughout adds to the drama and creates tension, anxiety, and an eagerness to see the crimes solved for those who choose to read this book. There is no shortage of suspects and enough red herrings to keep readers guessing.

Each chapter of FREEZE BEFORE BURNING is in constant motion with a quick pace that moves effortlessly toward the climax. The organized manner in which the story is told—the series of events, cryptic clues, and impressive detective work—make this mystery appealing and entertaining, with a satisfying ending that will entice readers to come back for more. That said, while the narrative is generally well-written and edited, a thorough proofreading would take care of a few missing punctuation marks and paragraph breaks.

FREEZE BEFORE BURNING is a suspenseful, intriguing murder mystery with a gripping plot and all the relevant literary elements to make it a compelling read.

~Florence Osmund for IndieReader