Ice

A Novel

By: Linda Howard

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

’Tis the season for mistletoe and holly, Santa . . . and suspense. And the gift that keeps on giving is Ice: premier thriller author Linda Howard’s breathless tale of a man, a woman, and a battle for survival against an unforgiving winter–and an unrelenting killer. Oh what fun it is to listen.

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.

©2009 Linda Howard (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“If you want to whet your appetite for Christmas romance, this is perfect. . . . Guaranteed to keep your pulse racing.”—Tacoma News Tribune

“All the classic elements of a Howard romantic adventure.”—RT Book Reviews

“Linda Howard is a superbly original writer.”—Iris Johansen

Another Great Book from Linda Howard.

Once again, Linds Howard doesn't let me down. Action and romance with nature at it's worst. The best and worst of humanity. A love story and a nightmare all at the same time. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it.

Seemed A Bit Rushed - Otherwise A Good Read

What made the experience of listening to Ice the most enjoyable?

It was a suspenseful read. I enjoyed Lolly's spirit, the fact that when things seemed stacked against her she thought about the situation and devised a solution.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ice?

Lolly's attempted escape from the couple who have taken her hostage in her home. It's very suspenseful. I can't really say more without giving away plot points.

Which scene was your favorite?

Same as above

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked Lolly's interaction with the hero's son.

Any additional comments?

The ending seemed a bit rushed...it seemed novella length when perhaps the story would have been better served with a bit more length...a bit of time to develop the relationship between hero and heroine AFTER the ice storm - in normal surroundings.

Not Howard's best effort

Narratation by Fred Sanders was great, but the story is weak. For a novella of this length, too many pages are devoted to surviving the ice storm and outrunning two crazed meth-heads. I couldn't find the romantic relationship credible. The sex seemed absurdly sudden. The couple didn't talk enough. The whole book takes place in about 36 hours. Needed to be more fully developed.

ICE

Easy to read with lots of thrilling action and romance. The Audible narration was also excellent.
😊

Great story

This story start off with a simple premise and morph into a enjoyable crime drama. Great story.

great

It started a little slow, but after about half a chapter, it was really great, it kept my interest, was scary and romantic. Loved it.....

Not Howard's Best

This book was far from her best work. The characters were shallow and the narration/performance was uninspired to say the least. Spend your credits elsewhere.

It was ok - my first audio book

I think the only problem I had was it was about the New England area and the reader was not, so he was trying to use a weird accent (which I don't think we really have). Maybe next time have someone from New England do the reading. LOL
But the story was good. It kept you listening.

Good romantic suspense!

Since I had never read this Linda Howard book (which surprised me as I thought I’d read them all), I decided to give it a listen. It was a well written story, with memorable characters and fast paced action. The villains of the story are two meth addicts who decide to follow and rob the heroine. Unfortunately, there’s a huge ice storm incoming. The hero is a military MP whose father is the sheriff down in the town. Before the storm arrives his father asks him to go up the mountain and check on the heroine who is packing up the old family home in order to sell it. When he arrives at her house the storm is already sleeting away and he sees the meth heads through the windows and of course he has to help the heroine. A lot of running through the woods, freezing and being chased by two crazy drug addicts creates an active tale. Narration was well done.

Edge Of My Seat Nailbiter

As you can see, it has taken me quite a while to get to this book, mostly due to my reservations about the storyline. I had to talk myself into starting this one because I thought a story about two people trying to outrun killers in a deadly blizzard would hold no appeal for me. Fortunately, this story held so much more that wasn’t evident to me before I started reading.

There is major history between Gabriel and Lolly, and not the good kind. They have known each other since high school and though they have not kept in touch over the years, the memories they hold are far from fond. When Gabriel is asked by his father to go check on Lolly, Gabriel is less than thrilled. Gabriel’s a good guy, so he does and finds himself in the role of rescuer when he spots armed intruders in Lolly’s house. The story kicks up several notches when after the rescue is made, they have to figure out a way to get back down the mountain without being killed by the intruders or Mother Nature.

The story moves at an enjoyable pace. Without getting mired in the details and too much of a character’s inner monologue, which drives me up the wall, the author keeps the story moving with believable and relatable characters. Even the intruders are believable and realistic. I have to say several scenes had me tense with apprehension.

This story isn’t very long and though the author does a fabulous job of wrapping up loose ends, I did feel there were parts that were rushed. I had a hard time accepting that Gabriel and Lolly fell in love that fast, especially with their adversarial past. I’m not completely discounting it, however. Anything is possible in a situation where it’s kill or be killed. I’m just not convinced they are ready to make a life-long commitment. At least not yet. Perhaps if the story had run a little longer, I would have felt differently. For me, the story ended quite abruptly. I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship development and more interaction between Lolly and Sam. Readers of romantic suspense fiction will still enjoy this story and the edge of the seat action.