The Ice House Cafe — Chinle Miller

When ex-sheriff Bud Shumway and his wife, Wilma Jean, decide to vacation in a scenic Colorado town near Aspen, they never guess they'll soon be immersed in solving the murder of a famous country-western singer. And even though Bud's bumbling replacement, Sheriff Howie, is far away over in the small town of Green River, Utah, he still manages to play havoc with everyone's peace of mind when his sheriff's vehicle is stolen and he finds out he's on the wanted list of Utah's FBI. Set in the historic Ice House Cafe in the village of Redstone, also known as the Ruby of the Rockies, this mystery will have you mystified and on edge as you follow Bud through the mysterious shadows of the Redstone Castle, dodging ghosts, half-wild hound dogs, bears, an eccentric waitress, and a suspicious silver miner, all while rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, as he tries to figure out why everyone thinks Wilma Jean's a zombie. Add an ice-cream truck that plays the theme from the Godfather, a cryptic diary, man-eating quicksand, enigmatic infrasound, and a giant marble icicle, as well as Bud's skill at lock picking, and you'll soon see why Bud wishes he'd never seen the town of Redstone, much less the Ice House Cafe. In any case, you'll find out who really killed the famous singer, Calico Callie, and it may not be who you think. This is book #6 in the Bud Shumway Mystery Series. You'll also enjoy book #1, “The Ghost Rock Cafe,” book #2, “The Slickrock Cafe,” book #3, “The Paradox Cafe,” book #4, “The No Delay Cafe,” and book #5, “The Silver Spur Cafe.”