Bear Island [Hardcover]

Alistair MacLean (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1971

The classic tale of adventure and death on a mysterious Arctic island, from the acclaimed master of action and suspense.A converted fishing trawler, Morning Rose carries a movie-making crew across the Barents Sea to isolated Bear Island, well above the Arctic Circle, for some on-location filming, but the script is a secret known only to the producer and screenwriter.En route, members of the movie crew and ship's company begin to die under mysterious circumstances. The crew's doctor, Marlowe, finds himself enmeshed in a violent, multi-layered plot in which very few of the persons aboard are whom they claim to be.Marlowe's efforts to unravel the plot become even more complicated once the movie crew is deposited ashore on Bear Island, beyond the reach of the law or outside help. The murders continue ashore, and Marlowe, who is not what he seems to be either, discovers they may be related to some forgotten events of the Second World War.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Edge-of-the-seat stuff!MacLean is back in the location he writes about best' The Times 'Alistair MacLean is brilliant at building up the tension' Sunday Mirror 'A magnificent storyteller' Sunday Mirror 'The most successful British novelist of his time' Jack Higgins --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Alistair MacLean, the son of a Scots minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy. After the war he read English at Glasgow University and became a schoolmaster. The two and a half years he spent aboard a wartime cruiser were to give him the background for HMS Ulysses, his remarkably successful first novel, published in 1955. He is now recognized as one of the outstanding popular writers of the 20th century, the author of 29 worldwide bestsellers, many of which have been filmed. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 243 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (October 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385071922
• ISBN-13: 978-0385071925
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #809,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good, not great, mystery, April 4, 2001

By 

Kevin Cole - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bear Island (Hardcover)

I think the previous reviewer from California has this novel confused with some other book. I certainly wouldn't give Alistair Maclean's Bear Island to a small child and I'm not aware of any illustrated editions.

The book in question does, however, feature multiple murders committed during a trip to the arctic circle. A group of filmakers are going to Bear Island (a snow covered wasteland) to make a new movie, but only the producer and screenwriter know what the script is. Poisonings and drownings give way to blunt instrument trauma as the cast and crew diminishes quickly. Only the film crew's doctor can investigate the mysterious occurences. Except he's not all he seems, either.

I usually enjoy Maclean's writing and that's true here as well. The only problem I had with Bear Island was that it bogged down in the middle when the shipboard deaths had already occured and they still had not reached the island.

All in all, though, a good solid read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Death in the High Arctic, June 9, 2006

By 

D. S. Thurlow (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bear Island (Hardcover)

"Bear Island" is a solid thriller by master story-teller Alistair Maclean. A converted fishing trawler carries a movie-making crew across the Barents Sea to isolated Bear Island, well above the Arctic Circle, for some on-location filming. En route, members of the movie crew and ship's company begin to die under mysterious circumstances. The ship's medical officer, one Doctor Marlowe, finds himself enmeshed in a violent, multi-layered plot in which very few of the persons aboard are precisely whom they claim to be. Dr. Marlowe's efforts to unravel the plot become even more complicated once the movie crew is deposited ashore on Bear Island, seemingly beyond the reach of the law or any other help.

This novel is a closed house murder mystery with the added twist that the scene of the crimes is the high Arctic. The murders continue ashore, and Dr. Marlowe discovers they may be related to blackmail and to some forgotten events of the Second World War.

"Bear Island" was not Maclean's best effort; the plot seems overly contrived and many of the characters are no more developed than cardboard cutouts. Nevertheless, Maclean was a polished writer and a past master of the twisting storyline; even his lesser efforts are fascinating reading. Readers will be kept guessing as Maclean slowly unspools the clues and frames the story for an exciting ending.

This book is highly recommended to fans of Alistair Maclean and to readers looking for an entertaining story.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Northern Comfort, March 14, 2005

By 

Christopher "chrysaetos" (Wengen-en-esprit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bear Island (Hardcover)

Hm, I'm a little disappointed in the reviews, here. I suppose everyone expects a classic thriller par MacLean.

Bear Island is less a thriller than it is a mystery, which explains the somewhat slower-than-usual pacing. MacLean brings back Captain Imrie (from When Eight Bells Toll) who is a good guy this time. Rather, he's a sub-character, piloting the Morning Rose to Bear Island. Aboard is a film crew and the producers/directors of the most anticipated film of the year.

And then people start dropping like flies. I love it! It's very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None or William Dietrich's more recent Dark Winter. The classic premise: a bunch of people somehow completely isolated, and it's just not the best week for any of them.

Bear Island is written in first-person (an immediate MacLean favorite), written with that ubiquitous dry wit found in his other novels. Despite the obvious -- more whiskey and scotch downed than there is water in the ocean, and that Bear Island only appears halfway into the book -- I found myself enjoying every page. And it turns out Bear Island is actually a very beautiful island. I recommend Googling for images (see "customer images" for book cover). Don't expect MacLean to describe it too well, since it's dark, cloudy, windy and rainy during the tale.