Frozen Stiff (A Mattie Winston Mystery, #3)

by Annelise Ryan

An unidentified woman's body turns up in a desolate field and one of Mattie's associates knows who it is.

• ISBN13: 9780758234568
• Publish Date: 1 September 2011 (first published 1 August 2011)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 10 January 2013
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

Someone's trying to frame Hurley, from killing his ex-girlfriend to burning down David's house with Hurley's gas can to attempting to abduct Mattie. But who and why? Under suspicion, Hurley goes on the run and enlists Mattie's help in figuring out who's behind it all.

Good, but not great. I didn't devour this one like I did the other books in the series. I can't put my finger on why, some momentum was lost after the second book. But there was a lot to like in this one, from more background on Hurley (who is the series's least developed character, IMHO) to the old detective Bob (the gym scene made me laugh out loud!) to the great plot with a surprising twist at the end, there's no way I ever saw that coming. Although enjoyable, I found myself putting it aside in favor of other books more than once.

[MurderByDeath]

Really great story. A great follow up to the first two very solid stories in this series. The characters are just so likeable, and the plot in this one had me guessing until about 1 paragraph before the author revealed whodunit. I was completely on the wrong track until that point. That doesn't happen very often and it's so much fun when to have that "ah hah!" moment. I look forward to further books in this series.

[EBookObsessed]

Mattie Winston is delightful.

The story is about Mattie Winston, who is recently separated from her surgeon husband and as well as her job as an OR nurse. She is now working as an Assistant M.E. in the small town of Sorenson, Wisconsin. This is the third story in the series, and although I haven’t read the first two, I had no trouble in following along with the characters and the backstory.

In this case, Detective Steven Hurley, who Mattie is romantically interested in, is being linked to various murders in their small town. But is he a crazed killer or being set up, and by whom? Hurley wants Mattie’s help to clear his name, but is she letting her hormones rule, in trusting a man what might be dangerous.

If you looking for a deep, psychological thriller, look elsewhere. This is a deliciously witty, and lighthearted book. Mattie Winston is a delightful character, and I enjoyed her sarcastic whit. It is a nice change of pace that the heroine is a normal, slightly imperfect woman, who’s smart but a little quirky. Since she is recently separated from her cheating husband, and is getting mixed signals from handsome Steve Hurley, she does spend some time questioning her physical flaws, especially while looking over the beautiful (although dead) ex-girlfriend of Hurley.

I certainly chucked enough to make this well worth the read. I enjoyed this story enough that I am adding the first two to my list of books to read, and I am going to keep an eye out for the next book in the series.