Author Description

Review Absorbing. . . . With folksy charm and dollops of humor, Ramsay crafts a tale of international intrigue in which the past and present make poor bedfellows. Fans of Ruth and Ike's blossoming romance will find plenty to cheer about. --Publishers WeeklySure-footed plotting and easy banter make Ramsay's sixth Sheriff Ike mystery a brisk, entertaining read. --Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Frederick Ramsay's Stranger Room: Ramsay skillfully weaves historical fact into his story, all the while blending brisk action with excellent characterization. Schwartz has matured throughout the series, and readers will eagerly await his next adventure. --Publishers Weekly Product Description Ike Schwartz is the sheriff of Picketsville, a small town not far from Washington, D.C. A former CIA agent, Ike remains connected to the Agency through a friend who sometimes still involves him in cases on the side. Ike is also courting Ruth, the fiercely independent president of the town's new university. All this is usually enough to bring some interesting conflicts Ike's way. A new one arises when a body is found in Picketsville's urgent-care clinic, a body sitting in a chair but dead for hours. Perhaps not coincidentally, there is also a break-in at the house of a new university faculty member whose expertise lies in icons. Can a specific icon called the Virgin of Tenderness be the spark to these crimes? Ike figures that any spycraft contained in the picture would be decades old. Or would it? About the Author FREDERICK RAMSAY received his doctorate from the University of Illinois and taught at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The author of several scientific and general articles, tracts, theses, and co-author of The Baltimore Declaration,he is the author of several highly acclaimed mystery novels. He is also an iconographer with works displayed around the world. He lives in Surprise, Arizona, with his wife.