Ice Blonde

 

Ice Blonde by Elaine Viets (2018) 156 pages

This novella by St. Louis native Elaine Viets features Angela Richman, a death investigator based in the fictional Chouteau County, Missouri, "ten square miles of white privilege about 30 miles west of St. Louis." Juliet, a sixteen year old with "future debutante" written all over her, didn't arrive home after a party (complete with alcohol) at her cousin's home. The housekeeper was in a panic and notified Juliet's parents, who flew home from a ski trip in their private jet, to prod the local authorities into action.

The parents arrive at Angela's home at 6:30 am, hoping that she has some pull and can get the more experienced police detectives out looking for Juliet. Angela is quite concerned when she learns that Juliet was likely out in the snowy, below-zero weather without a coat. She had been wearing just a strapless dress, velveteen jacket, and heels. As the physical search gets underway, Angela reaches out to some of Juliet's friends to learn where she could possibly be and whether she had a boyfriend (which Juliet's parents had too fiercely denied). These rich young people don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation, and it's all Angela can do to pull information out of them. Meanwhile, it seems that the rich, older people are more concerned about their families' reputations and whether their donations and their connections will net their daughters a coveted spot on the court at the annual Daughters of Versailles Ball.

This was a quick read, with more than a pinch of St. Louis flavor.