The Ice Box Murders is based on the gruesome unsolved 1965 Father’s Day double homicide of Fred and Edwina Rodgers in Houston, Texas. The husband and wife were killed, dissected and placed in the kitchen ice box. The main suspect, their son Charles, was never found or definitively linked to the murders, and the case has remained unsolved for over 35 years.
The first two chapters relate the elements of the crime in extremely graphic and gripping detail, along with the inner thoughts of the son Charles on his hatred for his parents. However, the rest of the book’s more narrative form, although well-written, tends to make the remainder of the story drier, sometimes even tedious, for the reader. Aside from this, the Gardeniers do a commendable job of detailing the social and family dynamics of the Rodgers dysfunctional roots and how the other supporting characters, friends, relatives, and acquaintances fit in before and after the crime.
In the main, The Ice Box Murders is interesting, informative and well-written, an in-depth look into one of the most bizarre multiple homicides in Houston’s history.
Hugh and Martha Gardenier are CPAs. This is their first book. Currently, they are researching their next book about a 1941 murder in Galveston, Texas.