Nordic Nights: An Alix Thorssen Mystery: Volume 3 (Alix Thorssen Mystery Series) - Softcover

Deep in the cold heart of a Wyoming winter lies a dark tale of theft, murder, art, and archeology in this third entry in the Alix Thorssen mystery series. A visiting Norwegian artist comes to Alix’s gallery and is soon found dead. Bad enough for Jackson Hole’s winter carnival but for Alix it’s worse. Her stepfather, builder of a magnificent model Viking ship, is accused of murder and refuses to defend himself. With ancient myths seeming to come to life around her, Alix’s investigation could end with a Viking funeral. It all hinges on what the runes say.After The Bluejay Shaman and Painted Truth, Lise McClendon proves there is nothing cold about Norwegians in Nordic Nights. A sexy skier, a naughty ice carving, and a mysterious fortune teller make a visit to Jackson Hole a chilling puzzle."In Nordic Nights, Lise McClendon gives us a good idea, a wonderful setting, and skillful writing. You'll like it." -- Tony Hillerman, bestselling authorSavvy readers will enjoy the glimpses of Nordic ritual, the vivid descriptions of the Wyoming winter, and the pattern of fire and ice as Alix's emotions fight logic and the heated passions around her fight icy greed. -- Kirkus ReviewsSet in wintry Jackson Hole, Wyo., this crisp, straightforward mystery plunges gallery owner Alix Thorssen into the local Nordic Nights festival, which features ice carving, a parade, ski races-- And a startling murder. Famous Norwegian painter Glasius Dokken, who had come to town for his show at Alix's gallery, is found stabbed with an ice pick in the hotel room of an itinerant and provocative fortune-teller. Alix, persistent and unflappable, begins to investigate. McClendon works a good deal of Nordic folklore into her story. The fortune-teller is a specialist in runes, and her silver-and-wood tools quickly become a central point in the case: Are the runes museum quality? Have they been stolen? The third entry in the McClendon's series conjures up the icy beauty of Jackson Hole. Her agreeably feisty heroine and a hair-raising finale will keep readers entertained throughout the night, Nordic or otherwise. --Publisher's Weekly

Lise McClendon is a fiction writer in Montana, although she has lived in Jackson Hole like Alix Thorssen. She also writes under the name Rory Tate. She is the author of the stand-alone suspense novel, Blackbird Fly, and has served on national boards of Mystery Writers of America and International Association of Crime Writers. Lise says: "After thirty years writing fiction has become as necessary as breathing. Finding the essential story in the novel, chipping away the rock until the solid core is revealed, is an adventure and a joy."