When two fellow truckers are accused of murder , a frozen corpse at a brake check just south of the Grapevine Pass in L.A. is discovered in their truck, and both refuse to talk, Hunter Rayne tried to find the truth.
( )

Hunter Rayne Highway Mystery book #2

“Ice on the Grapeline” is a tense murder mystery featuring a tough-minded ex-homicide detective turned eighteen-wheel truck driver. Hunter Rayne will do his best to try to find the truth and see that justice is done.

Rayne is persuaded by his irascible dispatcher, Elspeth Watson, to help clear two fellow truck drivers who are arrested for murder. The frozen body of a man was discovered in their trailer while they were crossing borders between Canada and the USA .Dispatched to the scene and put in charge of the investigation is a rookie detective from L.A. that is very eager to score a win….Rayne butts head with more than one officer of the law…… on both side of the borders. Of course, from then on is a good and suspenseful mystery to keep us flipping pages to see what will come next.

This is a traditional “whodunits” story with a complex plots, multiple suspects and a surprise ending. In realistic subplots that mesh beautifully both the crime and the victim we have recurring characters we came to love in the past. The writing style reflects the deep knowledge of the trucking world the author was once part of and Ms. Donald has penned a solid and captivating storyline with many plot twists for our pleasure. Some may notice the lack of logical break between some threads, I agree this can be annoying to some but simply take a pause and move on. (Editing errors happen). All through till we turn the final page, the tempo keeps a steady pace and never wavers.

I enjoyed passing time with “Ice on the Grapeline” and I am looking forward to book #3 “Sea to Sky” ( )

I got impatient with this mystery towards the end. I like the author's attention to the background, in this case, trucking, LA jail and bar life in small town British Columbia, but I did wish she would hurry up. Only at the end did I realize that one reason for the detail was to distract me from the solution, which was obvious if one thought about the solution instead of the characters and setting. ( )

I enjoyed the return of the hero sleuth in a different mystery to solve but with the same integrity and once again I was kept guessing. The author has chosen characters that really seem true to life old and new. I would have liked to see his romantic side explored just a little more but otherwise equally as good as the last book. ( )

the third of R.E.Donald's Hunter Rayne mysteries I've read and I've not been disappointed yet. Well constructed plot, strong characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing right to the end. ( )