"Nice Skates," an ice arena on the very edge of the Pacific Ocean, was holding the Pacific Coast Championships in December, 1994. It was the qualifying competition for the 1995 Nationals. Many great skaters were in attendance, as well as some very important judges. One was from the Nice Skates' home town of Portugal, California, Judge Melissa Elizabeth Nottingham. Then, just minutes before the start of the final round of judging for the Senior Ladies competition, Judge Nottingham is found dead in the pros' room sitting by the fireplace in a Queen Anne chair. It's the last night of competition with a rink jam-packed with 5,000 spectators, parents, coaches and competitors (many of whom did not like Melissa Elizabeth). The final event is ready to start, and Berrien has a murdered "Judge" on her hands. Berrien is a skating coach as well as the co-owner of the ice arena. She found the body—the second at the rink in less than two years—and becomes involved, once again, with the county sheriff deputies including tall, handsome and short-tempered Sean Mather. Skating episodes and an intriguing murder investigation crown this new addition to the Nice Skates Ice Skating Mystery Series.
