Till Hell Freezes Over

Rating:
Summary: Getting Cold: Till Hell Freezes Over by Anne Barton
Review: Forced out of his home after a heavy snowfall in North Central Idaho by his sick dog, Herb Schultz notices his neighbor's cow is bawling in the barn. His neighbor, Eugene Pettijohn, is well set in his ways and based on the snow around the barn and the absence of any tracks, hasn't milked the cow or tended to her upset calf. After taking care of both animals briefly, he wades through the deep snow to the front door of the house. He peers in as the door is open and sees Eugene, sitting near his table and staring sightlessly through the open doorway, dead of a bullet hole in the chest.

After further helping the animals in the barn, Herb makes his way back home to help his dog and her litter of pups. After that he calls the vet, Dr. Erica Merrill, to get medical help for the animals on both properties and then finally calls the Sheriff before going back to Eugene's place to wait for him.

Dr. Erica Merrill lives and runs her clinic out of her Mother's home, which is surrounded by ranchland owned and operated by other members of her family. Herb has a well-earned reputation for not being able to pay his bills and the last thing Erica wants to do is to add another bill to his account. But, he tells her about the Eugene's death and the dog does need help so she packs her gear and heads out to Herb's place.

After treating the dog she eventually discovers that Herb has been arrested for First Degree Murder, even though he insists strongly that he didn't do it. Because Herb put living animals ahead of the deceased, has a weapon similar to what must have been used to fire the fatal shot, a history of not liking or getting along with the deceased and a well known penchant for getting drunk, District Attorney Kline has had him arrested. If that wasn't enough evidence for Erica who questions the wisdom of arresting Herbert as well as the intellect of the DA, there is a set of tracks leading back and forth from Schultz's place making it clear to the DA that Herb killed. He does not accept any other explanation than his own and before long the absurdity of the situation begins to bug Erica and she publicizes her feelings about the case. Her reputation begins to suffer in the local community as does her struggling practice and with a DA convinced he has his man, Erica sees no choice but to start asking questions and investigate the case herself.

This interesting cozy style murder mystery features an incredibly large cast of characters, which at times threatens to bog down the reader. With so many relations by blood or marriage as well as numerous other characters involved, it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of what is going on without a multi page flow chart.

At the same time, the case is interesting and the author does keep the reader involved as the book slowly moves forward. Vivid descriptions of setting and background information build upon the complexity of the work and make this novel overall, worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: A Tidy Mystery
Review: I enjoyed reading Till Hell Freezes over and recommend it to persons who like mysteries and who also enjoy books about the west, plus enjoy reading about veterinary work. The main female character is a veterinarian and we get a nice peek inside her daily practice, all the joys and frustrations, then the tidy mystery is added to that.

Good descriptions of the landscape and weather in Idaho takes you there with no problem.