Frozen Solid

A Novel

By: James Tabor

Narrated by: Paul Michael

The most dangerous place on Earth

A devious and deadly plan to save humanity from itself

A lone scientist battling the clock and ruthless enemies to avert global catastrophe

The Deep Zone was hailed as “an absolutely phenomenal read by the new Michael Crichton” (Brad Thor), a book that “should come shrink-wrapped with a seat belt” (Steve Berry). Now, bestselling author James M. Tabor ups the ante and the action in his second extreme thriller, as brilliant and battle-tested heroine Hallie Leland confronts intrigue and murder in the most unforgiving place on Earth. The South Pole’s Amundsen Scott Research Station is like an outpost on Mars. Winter temperatures average 100 degrees below zero; week-long hurricane-force storms rage; for eight months at a time the station is shrouded in darkness. Under the stress, bodies suffer and minds twist. Panic, paranoia, and hostility prevail.

When a South Pole scientist dies mysteriously, CDC microbiologist Hallie Leland arrives to complete crucial research. Before she can begin, three more women inexplicably die. As failing communications and plunging temperatures cut the station off from the outside world, terror rises and tensions soar. Amidst it all, Hallie must crack the mystery of her predecessor’s death.

In Washington, D.C., government agency director Don Barnard and enigmatic operative Wil Bowman detect troubling signs of shadowy behavior at the South Pole and realize that Hallie is at the heart of it. Unless Barnard and Bowman can track down the mastermind, a horrifying act of global terror, launched from the station, will change the planet forever—and Hallie herself will be the unwitting instrument of destruction.

As the Antarctic winter sweeps in, severing contact with the outside world, Hallie must trust no one, fear everyone, and fight to keep the frigid prison from becoming her frozen grave.

Praise for Frozen Solid

“The Andromeda Strain meets The Thing. Effectively blending horror with the science thriller, Tabor keeps readers on edge from beginning to end.”—Booklist

“We can’t get enough of mad scientist cabals who want to take over the world with the power of genetic engineering.”—io9

“A taut page-turner . . . Tabor’s not the first genre writer to take advantage of the forbidding conditions at the South Pole, but few have done so to better effect.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A fine thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews

“As you read this chilling novel it won’t be the frigid setting that sends tremors up your spine but rather the dark premise of this horrifying and engrossing story.”—BookIdeas.com

“A fast-paced, visceral thriller with a likeable heroine and some stellar high-stakes action sequences.”—ScienceThrillers.com

“The suspense was never-ending. . . . [There’s a] heart-stopping build-up towards the ending.”—Books4Tomorrow

©2013 James Tabor (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The Andromeda Strain meets The Thing. Effectively blending horror with the science thriller, Tabor keeps readers on edge from beginning to end.” (Booklist)

“Brings a new meaning to ‘frightening.’” (The Star-Ledger)

“Thriller fans should pay attention.” (Library Journal)

Great technical detail and well researched.

First off: this is the second book in the series, just keep that in mind. I was a bit torn over this book, but I enjoyed it overall and I feel like it was a nice improvement upon the first one. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the plot devices used to move the story, but on the other hand I very much enjoyed the arc of the protagonist and another major character.

The setting for this story is very well researched and inspired me to revisit my interest in the south pole, which always ups my opinion of a book. For greatest enjoyment I'd suggest reading it from the perspective of immersion in the location, and appreciate the author's attention to technical detail.

If another book in the series ever comes out, I'd read it. I'd like to see what Hallie gets up to next. :)

Just Couldn't Get Into The Story

I had high hopes for this what seemed to be an interesting story. I quit about 2/3'rds through when I realized I had no idea which character was which. Also realized that I could care less whether I returned to the book or not. It just couldn't hold my interest. All of the characters (except Hallie) seem to run together. Even the names of some are similar. The story seemed to drag and I was lost in the technical/scientific descriptions. Also, when I bought the book, I didn't realize that this was the second book for the main character, Hallie. That might explain why I felt that there was a lot missing regarding her character. I personally wouldn't recommend the book.