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Mar062012
BOOK REVIEW: "Ice" by Linda Howard
by Carolyn • Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Authors E-H, Book Reviews, Linda Howard, Piatkus, Reviews by Rebecca, Romantic Suspense
Title: Ice
Author: Linda Howard
Publisher: Piatkus Books (UK) | Ballantine Books (US)
Publication Date: Dec 2010 (UK) | Nov 2009 (US)
Format: Paperback, 241 pages
Genre: Romantic suspense
Source: Review copy from publisher
Reviewed by Rebecca
Gabriel McQueen has only just arrived home on holiday leave from the service when his county-sheriff father sends him back out again with new marching orders. A brewing ice storm, and a distant neighbor who’s fallen out of contact, have the local lawman concerned. So he enlists Gabriel to make the long haul to the middle of nowhere, and make sure Lolly Helton is safe and sound. It’s a trip the younger McQueen would rather not make given the bitter winter weather–and the icy conditions that have always existed between him and Lolly.
But there’s no talking back when your dad is the town’s top cop. And there’s no turning back when night falls just as Gabriel arrives–and discovers that the weather outside isn’t the only thing that’s frightful. Spotting strangers in Lolly’s home–one of them packing a weapon–is all it takes to kick Gabriel into combat mode. And his stealth training is all he needs to extract Lolly from the house without alerting her captors. But when the escape is discovered, the heat–and the hunt–are on. And the winter woods are nowhere to be once the ice storm touches down, dropping trees, blocking roads, and trapping the fleeing pair in the freezing dark. (Goodreads)
REVIEW:
‘Ice’ by Linda Howard is not your typical suspense novel insomuch as for the most part of the novel the opposition is not a human threat but the threat of nature. An ice storm creates most of the suspense in the novel, which says a lot for the calibre of antagonist created by the author.
Set in a quiet ‘nothing-ever-happens-here’ kind of town in Maine, ‘Ice’ starts off with the return of Gabriel McQueen to his hometown. McQueen is a macho alpha male, employee of the military who possesses a sensitive side of being a widower with a seven year old son. His returns to his hometown are the only chance he gets to see his child, although we are never actually told what his job in the military is or given much information about him. The author appears to have created a typical male love interest comprised of all the elements that women supposedly find attractive but, somehow, she gets it spectacularly wrong. I personally felt no interest in Gabriel at all, other than as the hero of the novel, feeling no emotional bond with him and no attraction.
Next we have Lorelei, or Lolly as she is nicknamed, your stereotypical victim, who has returned to the town to pack up the family house ready for it to be sold. The house is situated high up a mountain, far away from the rest of the townspeople, placing her in an isolated position and making her the perfect target. However, she is sufficiently likeable, proving to be strong when it is required of her and her independence means she doesn’t just give in to the will of men. She holds her own in this book, with the author succeeding in showing the reader her realistic fear.
Gabriel’s return to the town comes coupled with the announcement of a rare ice storm that is set to cause a wave of destruction, bringing down trees and power lines that will leave Lolly’s isolated house completely cut off, with the road too treacherous to navigate. Gabriel’s sheriff father asks him to make sure Lolly is safe, whilst meanwhile Lolly is in a whole host of trouble. Meth addicts, Niki and Darwin, follow her home from the grocery store, armed with a gun each, hoping to rob her to fund their addiction. They are disappointed when they find nothing in the house to steal, keeping her locked in her bedroom until they can escort her to the bank the following day. Lolly formulates an escape plan, aided by the appearance of Gabriel, but the ice storm leaves all four of them trapped on the mountain, and the ice takes no prisoners.
This plot could create a whole host of suspense, with the isolated setting providing a perfect (albeit typical) backdrop, and the ice storm adding an extra level of suspense by leaving the protagonists even more trapped. However, Darwin and Niki are not especially intimidating as villains. They carry guns but are ineffective at aiming, taking away the fear and suspense of the weapon, and Darwin may seem creepy when eying up Lolly but is firmly kept in his place by Niki. The only aspect of suspense created by these villains for me was their unpredictability, their meth addiction making them seemingly invulnerable to pain and their moods changing rapidly.
Gabriel and Lolly’s history fits neatly into the book, both having known each other at high school where there was a level of hostility between them. Quite predictably it is revealed that Lolly always had a crush upon Gabriel, setting up the romance plotline even more than necessary. Their romance is believable to a certain extent, but the implications at the end of the novel seem a little too sudden and rushed, ruining the desired effect of a happy ending. I was not especially satisfied with the plot of this book, and feel that the action scenes were too brief in places, as if the author simply wanted to get rid of Darwin and Niki as quickly as possible to focus on Gabriel and Lolly’s romance. Luckily this novel was only short, as it had more bad qualities than good.
VERDICT:
I just wasn’t at all drawn in to the plot of this book, and wasn’t a fan of Howard’s style of writing. The characters weren’t especially exciting, with not a lot of background detail revealed about them to build up an emotional connection. I felt that this plotline could have been more interesting if written differently or if the antagonists had been different. The romantic ending redeemed the novel slightly despite being predictable.
RATING: 4/10, bad, but not without some merit
Linda Howard Online
3 Comments
I have loved the Linda Howard books I've read. Sorry to hear this one didn't match up. Great review
Thanks!
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Funny I've just finished a Linda Howard book too, although a different one. I usually really enjoy her books, shame you didn't get on with this one, the premise definitely sounds interesting, shame about the characters.
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funny that's one of the many reviews that didn't like the book, I have to finish my review and put it up, i was split on this book as i read the reviews that stated it wasn't up to her usual snuff and didn't even bother to look at the book for a long time. I'm sorry you didn't get to experience her true handling of a story like Son of the Morning (one of my all time faves by her).
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