Saturday, November 15, 2025

Broken Ice// Matt Goldman

 


Hello November! ðŸ¦ƒ

What beautiful weather we had, and a fantastic turnout, despite needing to switch our dates around to accommodate the holiday~ thank you to everyone who came!

Looking ahead to December, we have a few extra copies coming in of The Indifferent Stars Abovebut just in case you don't need a copy and you haven't already let me know, would you please leave me a quick note in the comments below so we can keep the call list updated? Thank you for your help! 

 

Onward!

 

Nils Shapiro has been hired to find missing Linnea Engstrom, a teenager from the small northern hockey town of Warroad, MN. Most of Warroad is in Minneapolis for the state high school hockey tournament, and Linnea never returned from last night's game. Linnea's friend Haley Housch is also missing--and soon found dead. Shot through the arm with an arrow at the Haley Housch crime scene, only the quick work of medical examiner Char Northagen saves Nil's life. Nils should be in the hospital recovering from his near fatal injury, but he knows that the clock is ticking. Linnea could be anywhere, and someone doesn't want her found. Is Linnea a victim, or is she playing a dangerous game? As bodies start piling up, the clues lead Nils and Ellegaard north to Warroad, a small, quiet town with many secrets to hide.

My, this was a quick meeting! We all basically collectively agreed that this book was just OK. It was a quick, easy read that didn't really move us any which way. 

Most of us felt like there were a few too many people to keep track of, and we didn't really like the main character, Nils. In places his injury made sense, but it was largely understated throughout. We didn't understand the dynamic he had with his ex-wife, or the abandoned building he lived in, and we thought he tried too hard, in too many places, to be funny. It got old by the end.

For positives, we enjoyed the nurse the most, and some of us were very familiar with the places Goldman described in the book, which is always fun.

 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! 👇 

 

Did you enjoy Broken Ice? Fans of the book also enjoyed, Apostle's Cove, by William Kent Krueger, Pretty Girl Gone, by David Housewright, and Saving Emma, by Allen Eskens. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    


 The votes are in!

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Yes

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
  No

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  3 stars