Reid Bennett #02 - Murder on Ice (aka The Killing Cold)

Ted Wood's second novel, starring small-town Police Chief Reid Bennett, Murder on Ice, was first published in hardcover by Scribner in 1984. It appeared in paperback a year later by Bantam. The book was also published in Europe in 1989 as The Killing Cold. The series, which ran for ten total novels between 1983 and 1995, began with Dead in the Water, a book I enjoyed immensely and reviewed HERE. I was looking forward to climbing back into Bennett's tiny resort town again. 

Bennett is a former Toronto lawman who moved to the wilderness of Ontario after a shakeup with his former force. In Ontario, Bennett is the Police Chief and sole police officer of a small fishing village called Murphy's Harbour. He has a German Shepherd named Sam that assists him with collaring the occasional robber or vagrant. In the series debut, Bennett tracked down three missing men tied to a mysterious woman named Angela. That sort of theme is used again for this effective sophomore release.

In Murder on Ice, a snowstorm has descended on the town, adding some complications to the village's annual winter carnival. While honoring this year's Carnival Queen, a woman named Nancy is seemingly captured at gunpoint by a group of men. As they race away on snowmobiles, Bennett is left behind to put together clues on her whereabouts. His investigation leads to a radical women's group who claims the whole thing was a political stunt to create awareness around women's rights. But when Bennett discovers a girl named Katie strangled to death in a motel, the whole fiasco turns into a more serious event. Additionally, whoever took Nancy was just using the stunt to disguise their actual human trafficking plot. 

The events of Murder on Ice take place over one night. Bennett, armed with a revolver and shotgun, is forced to journey into the town's abandoned lodges, a network of small houses and lakeside fishing cabins. Normally, this area is ripe with vacationers and sportsmen, but in the heart of winter, it makes for an unsettling environment to track a killer. The author uses this isolated atmosphere – the boarded-up buildings, the frosty atmosphere, and the use of lights in the distance – to amp up the tension and pressure. Bennett is forced into some harrowing predicaments as he plays cat-and-mouse to rescue the missing woman. But, like any good mystery, there are a few side quests that keep Bennett and readers continually pivoting to the next action scene.

Murder on Ice is the best book I've read in 2026. The atmosphere, Bennett's determination and skill set, the plot development, and the small-town characterization are highlights, showcasing Wood's ability to weave a remarkable crime-fiction tale away from the bright lights of Los Angeles or New York. The woodsy feel, rugged terrain, and Sam's charming inclusion make this one an absolute read. Get the vintage copy HERE or a digital version HERE.