The Eye of the Virgin (Ike Schwartz Series, 6) - Hardcover

Ramsay, Frederick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 159058760X ISBN 13: 9781590587607

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2010

Synopsis

"Sure-footed plotting and easy banter make Ramsay's sixth Sheriff Ike mystery a brisk, entertaining read." ―Kirkus Reviews

On the same evening a body is left in Picketsville's urgent care clinic, a mysterious break-in occurs at the house of one of Callend University's faculty. Sheriff Ike Schwartz thinks both events might be connected to The Virgin of Tenderness, an icon in the faculty member's possession.

Then, what appears to be a microdot is found on the icon. In an era of sophisticated cyber-encrypted information transfer, the presence of this bit of CIA nostalgia brings in Ike's friend Charlie Garland and the forces from Langley.

Ike has no wish to engage with them or their problems. He has killers to apprehend―in spite of the meddling by government agencies. But there is more to these murders than meets the eye. A dead CIA agent and a rogue handler could trigger an international incident....

About this title

About the Author

Frederick Ramsay was raised on the east coast and attended graduate school in Chicago. He was a writer of mysteries set in Virginia, (the Ike Schwartz Mysteries) Botswana Mystery series, Jerusalem Mystery series and stand-alones (Impulse, Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal). He was a retired Episcopal Priest, Academic, and author.

Reviews

Picketsville, Va., sheriff Ike Schwartz investigates a botched robbery at the home of Louis Dakis, a professor at Callend University, where Ike's lady friend, Ruth Harris, happens to be president, in Ramsay's absorbing sixth mystery to feature the dogged lawman (after 2008's Choker). Though it appears nothing was taken during the break-in, a dead body turns up around the same time, propped in the local hospital's emergency room. Convinced the two cases are related, Ike digs into Louis's life and finds a bitterly estranged wife, a missing lover, and several religious icons, one recently brought into the country. Ike soon has dozens of questions, no answers, and an itch to learn more about a particular icon called The Virgin of Tenderness. With folksy charm and dollops of humor, Ramsay crafts a tale of international intrigue in which the past and present make poor bedfellows. Fans of Ruth and Ike's blossoming romance will find plenty to cheer about. (July)
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Espionage hits Picketsville, Virginia, where crime generally involves domestic squabbles, speeding, or college students feeling their oats. A corpse left in a hospital waiting room and a break-in at the home of a visiting professor of iconography seem unrelated cases. But when Sheriff Ike Schwartz finds a microdot on the eye of the Virgin of Tenderness icon at the professor’s home, he contacts former CIA colleague Charlie Garland. Ike keeps tight control of the cases, which, of course, are related, even after he learns that the chip contains data on a decades-old international incident. As the situation draws the attention of the CIA, FBI, and Mossad, Ike and his deputy, Samantha Ryder, a skilled hacker, push the envelope and face serious charges. Meanwhile, Ike’s personal life takes a turn as he and Callend University President Ruth Harris cement their spiky but lusty relationship. The sixth in this series has Ramsay’s trademark folksy touch, a well-rounded cast of characters, and brisk and believable dialogue, this time with an international scope. Ike Schwartz’s outings just keep getting better. --Michele Leber

Edition details

• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 159058760X
• ISBN 13: 9781590587607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248