Ike Schwartz Books In Order

Publication Order of Ike Schwartz Mystery Books

Ike Schwartz is a sheriff in a small town called Picketsville, Virginia. The novels, written by Frederick Ramsay, are mysteries and thrillers. The series started in the year 2004 when the first novel “Artscape” was released. The novel was also Ramsay’s debut novel.

Ike grew up in Picketsville, but left to join the CIA. He would return after a mission he went on failed. Ike came back, after leaving the CIA, and would become the sheriff of the town.

“Artscape” is the first novel in the “Ike Schwartz Mysteries ” series and was released in the year 2004. Ike has gone back to his hometown and is able to get a job as sheriff. This happens after a CIA operation that failed. Here in Picketsville, Virginia, his biggest problems involve a problem here and there with a student from Callend College, domestic fights, and speeding tickets. An art collection that Callend has, which is protected by a great security system and is valued at half of a billion dollars upsets these simple worries that Ike has. Some mobsters (along with a federal agent, and bankrolled by some terrorists) are going to try to steal the art and hold it for ransom. The scheme goes off but has several hitches, even the killing and taking of some hostages. Ruth Harris (who is the president of Callend) wants higher authorities than Ike to take charge of things here. She thinks that Ike is just an average small town sheriff. Ike takes charge, in a laid back but decisive manner. He is able to show that he is just as smart as the criminals, matching wits with them.

Fans found that this here is a series with great character development and these are people readers like hanging out with. Once a book from the series, you will not be able to put it down, until it has been finished. The story provides some information on stealing art and how to be a CIA mastermind. This is a rare book, as it combines romance, stealing art, international espionage, and an academic mystery; it also combines these elements into an interesting read.

“Secrets” is the second novel in the “Ike Schwartz Mysteries ” series and was released in the year 2005. A man named Waldo Templeton was just a mediocre organist. And that was on a good day. Waldo was also a careless man, making it easy for the person that killed him to follow him into Stonewall Jackson Memorial Church. This is where he was killed in Picketsville, Virginia. The Vicar’s secretary follows him into the afterlife. Reverend Blake Fisher (who is the previously mentioned Vicar) got a little too ambitious in Philadelphia. That is why he got sent to Picketsville, not to mention that he had experienced enough trouble while in the City of Brotherly Love.Blake did not need a corpse at his altar, a gun that belonged to him to be stolen. Nor did he need to be suspected of double murder by the local police. Ike’s new deputy, Samantha Ryder (who goes by Sam), provides him with some computer wizardry. Billy Sutherlin gives Ike some of his country wisdom. He must sort through all kinds of things that are getting in his way to solve this case.

Fans of the novel found that while Ike is supposed to be the star, it was nice to see Blake and the way he changes into something else throughout. His soul searching, for some, was the best part of the entire novel. It was an interesting technique that Ramsay tried, writing a novel from a series that stars another narrator. Here, it was well done. The mystery here is a strong one and will confuse some and others will just be kept in suspense until the very end of the book. The novel is chock full of great characters that help push the story along. Some feel that these books get better and better as Ramsay is honing his ability to write fiction.

“Buffalo Mountain” is the third novel in the “Ike Schwartz Mysteries” series and was released in the year 2007. Ike finds himself perplexed. This is due to a dead body that has shown up, just inside the town limits. The body appears to be Alexei Kamarov, who was a Russian spy that was supposed to have died years back. Identification that is found on the body identifies him as belonging to the Harris clan (a notorious clan). They are known to fight with another clan, the Sutphins; sort of like the Hatfields and McCoys. Ike has his deputy (Whaite Billingsly) and IT tech (Sam Ryder) to look in to the Harris lead; he would like to investigate both things simultaneously. Ike goes to his old CIA colleagues for any information that they have on the connection to Kamarov.

Fans of the novel found that Ramsay does a good job blending the small town mystery with spy genres. He delivers a shocking big surprise in the middle of the book. All this to show that he is a superb storyteller and that he is writing an excellent series that continues to get better. Fans felt that each entry in the series gets better and better as Ramsay’s understanding of spinning a yarn gets better. Some like the setting, feeling that it is well described and wonderfully rendered; as are the people who live in this small town.

“Stranger Room” is the fourth novel in the “Ike Schwartz Mysteries” series and was released in the year 2007. Two locked room murders take place around 150 years apart confuse Ike. The two murders even took place in the antebellum-era Lydell mansion. The owner of the property is Jonathan Lydell IV, and he is upset when the stranger room (which is a guest room that has an outside entrance) that he renovated is crawling with cops and soiled by death. Ike and Karl Hedrick (temporary deputy that is on loan from the FBI) deal with Lydell’s racist remarks and condescension. All the while, they deal with the growing meth problem, another murder that takes place in Picketsville, and some vandalism.