The Ice Cradle is the second in the Ghost Files series by authors Mary Ann Winkowski and Maureen Foley; the first being The Book of Illumination. Anza O'Malley and her son Henry return in this novel, when Anza accepts a bookbinding commission on a small island community, Block Island.

One of the elements I really like about this series is the main character's occupation of bookbinder. Weaved throughout the story are references to bookbinding techniques and materials that are irresistible to book-lovers and bibliophiles.

Anza has been hired to preserve, bind and exhibit the letters, reports, photographs and artefacts surrounding the sinking in 1907 of the passenger steamship Larchmont just off the coast of Block Island. Of the 200 passengers, only 19 survived and those with an interest in preserving history will enjoy these elements of the story.

When Anza arrives, she walks into an island divided over wind turbines. She learns that half of the island's residents are in favour of the construction, the other half against, and an ghost informs her that they plan to build the turbines right where the wreckage of the Larchmont lies on the seabed!

All this is happening at the same time her young son sees his first ghost, and Anza is trying to find reasons local fisherman doesn't stack up to Henry's Dad.

This is a fabulous read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although you will need to be open to paranormal themes to enjoy this one. The Ice Cradle is terrific as a second installation in the series but also works as a stand alone novel. Light and easy, with a feel good ending, most readers will enjoy this one. I look forward to the next in the series! ( )

I'm the type of person who really wishes he could believe in ghosts, but doesn't. I have loved a good ghost story, having heard my first half a century ago while sitting in my dad's lap. I am forever reading books or watching shows about haunting. Some are good. Others are .....well, not.

After the first couple chapters, I was inclined to think that The Ice Cradle would be one of the latter. Author Mary Ann Winkowski, a paranormal investigator and consultant on Ghost Whisperer, portrays ghosts as beings very similar to living humans, only not as dense. Someone with enough 'talent', such as protagonist Anza O'Malley, can see ghosts, chat with ghosts, take walks with ghosts, play with ghosts or even have tea with ghosts (okay, maybe not drink tea). While this may go well with the image of ghosts seen on Ghost Whisperer, it doesn't exactly fit my idea of what haunting are all about.

That said, it was a fairly short book so I plowed on to the finish and found that I did enjoy it. As it turns out, the ghosts, most of whom were victims of an actual maritime disaster that occurred in 1907 off Block Island, weren't key players the story. The main plot centers on an ongoing debate amongst islanders about whether or not to put up several wind turbines offshore and an apparent case of arson aimed at the measure's leading supporter.

It is definitely not the most challenging mystery I have read this year, nor is it a story that taxes the old gray cells. Thinkl of it as the literary equivalent of most network programming in TV these days. It is also not very scary so there is no reason that young readers can't enjoy it.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for mindless entertainment, you may well enjoy The Ice Cradle.

*Quotations and scene descriptions are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review copy of this book was obtained from the publisher via the Amazon Vine Program. ( )

Fans of the hit TV series Ghost Whisperer will love The Ice Cradle. Mary Ann Winkowski is a consultant for the show and also the co-author of this incredible story. Ice Cradle has it all and without doubt covers several genres including: historical, paranormal, romance, political, environmental and mystery. It is also a clean read that is suitable for a broad range of ages. This is more than a paranormal investigation story. Thematically, it appeals to a reader on several levels. The historical elements provide a background to the haunting, but also raise the debate about disrupting burial sites for the sake of progress – or in this case, developing wind energy. Should the past trump the future? How should the living honor the dead? Anza O’Malley’s gift reminds us that what is important varies person to person, and although we have good intentions, sometimes a compromise is the best we can hope to accomplish. There are no good and bad guys, but a string of events, interests and perceptions all interacting and colliding on many planes, at the same time. Ice Cradle is a complex story that reads easy and is entirely entertaining while at the same time being thought provoking. This is a difficult task to achieve, but Winkowski and Foley have done it! ( )

You will notice I rated this book with four stars. I save my five stars
for books that are life changing, stunning works that have touched and enriched
my life. I can't say that about this book.

What I can say is, this is a lot of fun to read. it has a little bit of everything..
Mystery, romance, thrills.. and lots of ghosts. A seriously large population of ghosts
of all ages. I enjoyed every page.

There was no dragging through the middle of dull descriptions.. it was all fast paced
and fun. Anza O'Malley and her son head to Block Island one spring day. She is a freelance
book binder, and a single mom. She has been retained to put together information on a
tragedy that occurred in 1907, a shipwreck that killed many people. A great number of whom
remained in the area.

She and her son Henry will spend a week staying in a restored B&B that has been in the owners
family for many years. Timing is everything, don't you know! Henry was able to attend a week
long drama camp that was provided during the schools spring break, thus enabling him to be
supervised and to make friends.

Anza made friends too, corporeal and non. Most of the book takes place during a faced paced
week during a normally quiet time on the Island. You won't want to miss a page of it. This is
a book that you want to read straight through to the end, to see how things are wrapped up.
And, let me tell you, they are wrapped up beautifully.

Read this on, you won't be sorry ! ( )