Book Reviews

Book Blurb

NYPD officers Rocco Maroni and Ridley Cumberland’s Christmas plans are put on hold when they’re sent undercover with a production of Nutcracker on Ice after death threats against the show’s stars. Ridley, a skating fan, is thrilled, while Rocco, all set for a singles’ cruise to avoid the entire holiday season and his growing feelings for Ridley, is a grouch.

Under the direction of federal agent Vic Monty, the pair interrogates the usual suspects: the understudies, jilted lovers, former competitors, and a fading legend. Rocco, known around the precinct as Low Fat because of his height and weight, must also deal with jealousy when the hot, athletic male lead makes a play for Ridley.

Solving the case and saving the day won’t be easy, nor will getting in and out of their tights, but the Christmas season is all about miracles and love. Will Rocco and Ridley find both under the tree at Rockefeller Center this year?

Book Review

What to do when the stars of Nutcracker on Ice receive death threats? This story answers the question by having an NYPD captain send two of his officers right into the middle of things. ‘Cops on Ice’ would be a good alternative title for this book, except that much of the action, chaos, and confusing accusations back and forth take place off the ice. The longer the case goes unsolved, the more suspects appear, and the comedy of errors and mistaken assumptions proves to be very entertaining as the plot thickens.
 
Rocco is a conflicted man. He is a cop, but he is shot and carries a few extra pounds with the result that his self-esteem could be better. He is also deeply in the closet, which doesn’t stop him from secretly admiring his openly gay colleague and work partner, Ridley. And secretly is the key word here – for the longest time, Rocco doesn’t even admit to himself that he has feelings for the fiery younger cop.

Rocco and Ridley both operate under the assumption that everyone is a suspect, which is a good starting point for any investigation. The fact that they are undercover, and only the federal agent leading the case knows who they are, makes their job very difficult. So does the male lead skater, who sets his sights on Ridley to the point that Rocco has to admit he feels jealous. Rocco himself is in charge of guarding the female lead, much to his chagrin. Solving the case under these circumstances is not easy, and as is usual for me, I missed all the clues and would have never guessed who was behind it all. But the story is still entertaining, so I had a good time reading it.

If you like Christmastime mysteries written with a sense of humor, if two cops who clearly like each other but are afraid to admit it for various reasons sound interesting, and if you’re looking for an entertaining mystery involving figure skaters and other celebrities, then you might like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 21220 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	16-December-2015
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://bit.ly/1lTiHF2