FROZEN IN ICE is the first book in Cynthia Eden’s Ice Breaker Cold Case series. When I first saw the cover for FROZEN IN ICE I thought – wow! The story definitely lived up to the cover. I’m a huge Cynthia Eden fan, but this is a new favorite for sure. Cynthia Eden sets the tone right from the beginning. The story opens with Delilah “Lila” Darrow and billionaire Archer Radcliffe all dressed up and playing a sexually charged game of cat-and-mouse with each other. Lila is looking at Archer as a predator that she wants to make her prey, and Archer is captivated by Lila. The reader, and Archer, quickly learns who Lila really is and what her true purpose in pursuing Archer is. Lila is a reporter part of an online group that investigates cold cases with hopes of recovering missing people. They’ve set their sights on Archer because he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Lila’s group the “Ice Breakers” is reminiscent of the professional group in Cynthia Eden’s (also fabulous) romantic suspense L.O.S.T. series. The Ice Breakers solve cold cases – specifically ones in which somebody has disappeared. I would love to see a potential crossover in a future book. There’s oodles of sexual tension as these two people alternately try to fight their obvious attraction, and deliciously give in to it. There’s also a push-and-pull as Lila goes back and forth evaluating how much she believes Archer.  I actually think Lila is quicker to trust Archer than Archer is to believe that Lila trusts him. Because FROZEN IN ICE is told from alternating perspectives, the reader gets a little more insight into the two main characters and their motives, but there is still that glimmer of doubt. It’s fascinating to see how both Delilah and Archer have lost someone, but how differently they dealt with being left behind and solving their respective mysteries. Cynthia Eden is such a phenomenal storyteller. There were moments that I kept drawing comparisons in my mind to Daphne du Maurier’s classic gothic novel REBECCA. I kept wondering what the true relationship between Archer and his former fiance was like before he revealed all to Delilah. Cynthia Eden always keeps you guessing.  I love how Delilah is caring, yet smart and savvy at the same time. She knocks Archer off balance, and her resourcefulness and drive act like a beacon for him.

FROZEN IN ICE starts out dazzling the reader with elegance and sex appeal and evolves into a taut thriller and compelling love story. Whether you normally enjoy romantic suspense or not, I wholeheartedly recommend reading FROZEN IN ICE. I look forward to Cynthia Eden’s next book.