The Eye of the Virgin

by Frederick Ramsay

"Sure-footed plotting and easy banter make Ramsay's sixth Sheriff Ike mystery a brisk, entertaining read." ― Kirkus Reviews On the same evening a body is left in Picketsville's urgent care clinic, a mysterious break-in occurs at the house of one of Callend University's faculty. Sheriff Ike Schwartz thinks both events might be connected to The Virgin of Tenderness, an icon in the faculty member's possession. Then, what appears to be a microdot is found on the icon. In an era of sophisticated cyber-encrypted information transfer, the presence of this bit of CIA nostalgia brings in Ike's friend Charlie Garland and the forces from Langley. Ike has no wish to engage with them or their problems. He has killers to apprehend―in spite of the meddling by government agencies. But there is more to these murders than meets the eye. A dead CIA agent and a rogue handler could trigger an international incident....

Genres: Mystery

368 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2010

About the author

Dr. Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore, the son of a respected teacher researcher and scientist. He graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and received his doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the Army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, where he taught Anatomy, Embryology and Histology; engaged in research and served as an Associate Dean. During this time he also pursued studies in theology and in 1971 was ordained an Episcopal priest.

Leaving academia, he tried his hand at a variety of vocations. At one time or another, he served as a Vice President for Public Affairs, worked as an insurance salesman, a tow man and line supervisor at Baltimore’s BWI airport, a community college instructor, and substitute. Finally, he accepted a full time position as a clergyman.

He is now retired from full-time ministry and writes fiction.

Dr. Ramsay is the author of several scientific and general articles, tracts, theses, and co-author of The Baltimore Declaration. He is an iconographer, an accomplished public speaker and once hosted a television spot, Prognosis, on the evening news for WMAR-TV, Baltimore. He currently lives in Surprise, Arizona with his wife and partner, Susan.

Reviews

[Jim Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Plenty of intrigue, likable characters, and snappy dialogue. I’ll definitely more in this series.

[Alifa Saadya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oy gevalt! as Sheriff Ike Schwartz's great grandmother might have said. I was unfamiliar with the series and picked this as an audiobook because of its intriguing premise --I am rather fond of icons and inconography. I did not find Sheriff Ike a very compelling character, and his fiancee Ruth struck me as a stuck-up narcissist. Her dialogue was supposed to be snappy and a bit seductive, and at first I thought the problem might be with the audiobook's reader. Nope, she was really a (not-nice word omitted). That said, the plot was suitably convoluted and included everybody's bad guys -- the CIA, FBI, Mossad (of course), turned agents, and at the end, the suggestion of Islamic terrorists and American conspiracy theorists and "right-wing" nutjobs. What's not to like???? Sorry I wasted a credit on this one. Others might enjoy it.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Ike Schwartz mystery leavened with humor and information about icons, what they are, and how one in particular was used to bring close to current political problems this addition to the series.

Specifically, a break-in on the campus of the Callend University forces Ike to look into what's going on. He quickly discovers that a particular icon (but is it the right one?) has been stolen. Then a body shows up and another one. Who are they? When one is identified as a CIA agent, all bets are off as Ike reaches back and touches base with not only a former spook who's part of previous stories, but also an Israeli contact, too. Then there's the hint that perhaps this has to do with current international issues.

What began as something simple winds tighter and tighter with complications before the crimes are solved and Ike can go back to just being a country sheriff.

[Robert Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

+Finished 03/29/2014. Sheriff Ike Schwarz once again has a case that involves his old CIA compadres and the FBI. The University has hired a temp professor of art to teach iconology. He has brought part of the inventory of his DC shop with him because his wife is suing for divorce. One of the icons has a microchip attached to the eye of the Virgin Mary and is the target of CIA, Mossad, and jihadists. One of the jihadist is killed & he was the fiance of the artist's wife. Then one of the feds was also murdered in DC. Of course Ike with Sam's assistance is at the heart of the sting that captures a whole bunch of bad guys from all the factions.+

The copy I read in 2014 was the Large Print Edition.
The 2019 copy was the Hardcover from PPP.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has been really good. This book is a tad different from the others. More bickering. A mother-in-law to be who is too stupid to be believed, And a huge party of who'who at the end, which actually I kind of liked. A lot in fact though confusing. The book itself is interesting kind of cloak and dagger humor with a religious complexity in a painting known as an Icon. People die. It's in mysterious circumstances. CIA, FBI, Computer Hacking Nerd, Government powers abroad, and a local sheriff represent everyone who wants a finger in the pie. Although not my favorite of his books, I look forward to seeing where the characters go from here.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little town of Picketsville is experiencing a real crime wave: on the same day, there's a seemingly meaningless break-in at the house of an iconographer at the college, and an unexpected death. When the corpse is identified as someone of interest to Homeland Security, sheriff Ike Schwartz starts to wonder if the cases are connected. Soon the FBI and Ike's old employers at the CIA are on the scene. Ike is startled when his widowed father calls and asks him to meet a new "friend," and Ike's significant other, college president Ruth, has family problems of her own.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What does a dead man in an urgent care center have to do with a home break in where nothing is taken? That's the question Sheriff Ike Schwartz has to ask himself. He's very surprised by the answer.

He soon discovers the connection might be related to international spying and a terrorist plot.

I have to say I didn't think this one was as good as some of the other books mainly because it's a bit disjointed and a lot outlandish. I don't like the stories dealing with the CIA as much as the ones dealing with plain old small town murders.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interesting story caught the eye of several people while I was reading it, as the icon on the front is very alluring. The story itself was also, but at times the wording was a little stiff, as if the people were reluctant to converse.

However, the story settled itself out in a Keystone Kops kind of tale, that was enjoyable in spite of, and in some ways because of, the farce of the search.

[Margo Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters and plot until the end, which was long-wider exposition on the crime and different agencies' part. Ok, but I won't race to read another. Also, given the subject matter of the plot (an icon) there was very little art history involved, which is too bad.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

CIA and small town sheriff are anxious to get rid of the information on a microdot on an Icon brought in from Egypt. Sheriff Ike and the president of the university are a couple. Ending was a little convuluted. Humorous story in parts

[Brad Larsen]

Dialog stilted and awkward and almost preachy. Story was a decent mystery/CIA/FBI conspiracy yarn.

[scherzo♫ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awkward explanatory lumps in dialogue.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a farce.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Ike and Ruth's banter gets on my nerves a bit but there isn't much of it. The rest of the cast of characters is very good. Good plot on this one. Sorry about Sam. Liked her.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: An Ike Schwartz Mystery