Customer Reviews

Ice Cold (Center Point Platinum Fiction (Large Print))

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I'm a huge fan of Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series, so I stayed up all night reading this book the moment it was delivered to me on my Kindle. For those who are unfamiliar with the series, I believe that a warning is in order: Gerritsen has a gritty, tough style of writing, which is pretty much unlike anybody else's I have read in the suspense/mystery genre. There are graphic descriptions of violence and surgical procedures in her books. If you are likely to be bothered by that, this might not be the series for you. If you don't have anything against this kind of writing, however, you are in for a real treat. Gerritsen is a unique author who manages to create great suspense with every new scene. She is extremely skilled at creating nuanced, complex characters whose lives the readers follow assiduously and passionately.

The fans of the Rizzoli/Isles series will not be disappointed by this book. I liked all the books in the series but in my opinion this one is the most suspenseful. The tension starts building almost from the very beginning until a sense of dread becomes nearly overwhelming. Gerritsen is great at creating an eerie environment and keeping her readers deeply invested in the story. I can honestly say that there wasn't a single boring page in the entire book.

"Ice Cold" offers us yet another fascinating journey into the lives of its unique main characters. We see Maura Isles in the grip of a personal crisis. It leads her to participate in an adventure that at first seems simply out of character but eventually turns out to be extremely dangerous. We follow Jane Rizzoli as she searches desperately for her missing friend.

There is bonus material that comes with the book, such as Rizzoli and Isles TV pilot script and "Rizzoli and Isles in their own words", a bonus chapter giving a short first-person description of the main characters.

Overall, the book was extremely enjoyable and I recommend it highly. The fans of the series will be happy to discover that they haven't waited in vain for this new book from Tess Gerritsen.

In Tess Gerritsen's "Ice Cold," forty-two year old medical examiner Maura Isles is heartbroken. She is in a relationship with Daniel Brophy, a Catholic priest. However, their year-long affair has not brought either of them much happiness. Daniel is reluctant to give up his calling, and Maura is frustrated with his inability to make up his mind. After spending the night together, they part. Maura flies from Boston to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to attend a medical conference. There, she meets a former classmate, pathologist Doug Comley, who is divorced and has a thirteen year-old-daughter, Grace. He asks Maura to accompany him and his friends on a trip to a cross-country ski lodge. She agrees, but soon regrets her decision. Doug loses his way in the snowy landscape, and they end up stranded. When Daniel and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli do not hear from Maura and are unable to contact her, they fear that something is terrible has happened.

"Ice Cold" is an action-packed thrill ride with intriguing characters we care about. Maura is courageous but realistic; she knows that if she is not rescued soon, she will probably die in this frozen wilderness. Jane and her husband, Gabriel Dean, an ex-Marine and an FBI agent, are determined to find their friend, but they will face obstacles more formidable than the horrendous weather. Meanwhile, Daniel is wracked with guilt over the way he has treated the woman he loves, especially when he realizes that he may never see her again.

This is a story about survival under extreme conditions, the limits of romantic love, and the dangers of bending one's will to a charismatic cult leader. Jeremiah Goode has created a sect with hundreds of followers who slavishly adhere to his decrees, some of which are rather repellant. Maura's struggle to survive will become interconnected with the fate of Goode and his supporters. Gerritsen maintains suspense by shifting back and forth from Maura's travails to Jane and Gabriel Dean's efforts to save her. Unexpectedly, Maura discovers that she is being shadowed, but who is following her and what does he want? The conclusion, which is a humdinger, includes one or two surprising twists and turns. Gerritsen has written an absorbing, chilling, and fast-paced novel that will keep readers turning pages well into the night.

I have read all of this author's Rizzoli and Isles novels and felt that while this one provided a bit of suspense and a few edge of your seat thrills, it was easily the weakest of the series. Gerritsen's writing style at the beginning of this book was a bit of a puzzle. It seemed choppy at best, and I had a hard time getting into the story. Maura didn't seem herself at all, and I was certainly not pleased with Jane's secondary role in this one. Despite all this, I soon found myself wrapped up in things, and even though I felt it was formulaic, the author was doing a nice job of setting up some real heart felt drama and tension among the characters.

So, moving along and kind of waiting for the big shoe to drop, when about 2/3 of the way in, we get a twist that changed everything, and I felt like I was starting all over again. Then we are almost to the end, and we get another completely different story that was actually pretty interesting. By this time though, I didn't want to get involved in another story that I could tell the author wasn't going to fully develop. I wound up feeling pretty frustrated. The book is so unevenly plotted it's hard to feel that intensity that is usually present in Ms. Gerritsen's novels. There were parts I think she could have really ran with, but were just treated as mere afterthoughts, and then there were some characters and plot lines that were given so much attention, to then just be dropped in a manner that was incredibly unsatisfying.

I love these characters. I didn't recognize much in Maura that was familiar from previous novels, but it was nice to see Jane and Gabriel again. We only get a brief glimpse of their life with toddler, but it was a funny one. I will be eager to see the next one in this series in the hopes that the author gets back to the level of intensity that is her norm. This one was just ho hum.

Medical examiner Maura Isles and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli are back.

Maura has left to attend a medical convention. While there, she meets up with an old college classmate. His name is Doug. He is here with his thirteen year old daughter, Grace, and his friend Arlo and Arlo's girlfriend, Elaine. Doug invites Maura to join them. After the convention, they are heading up to a ski resort. Maura takes Doug up on his offer.

The group heads out but they get lost and the vehicle gets stuck in snow. The group gets lucky and finds shelter in a small town called Kingdom Come. There is something wrong with Kingdom Come. How come all the houses are identical and where are all the people?

Jane receives a phone call that will change her life forever. The Wyoming police have identified the charred body of Maura. Jane can't believe Mura is gone. Jane investigates to discover the truth about what happened to Maura and uncovers a sinister plot.

The queen of medical thrillers...Tess Gerritsen is back and in better form then ever with her latest novel, Ice Cold. I was spellbound but this book. You would have had to rip it from my cold, dead hands as I literally had a hard time putting it down. I finished it in one day. My only issue was that I found the story line involving Maura to be much more interesting then Jane trying to figure out what had happened to Maura. The intensity would fizzle a bit when the story line would switch back to Jane. Though, it was great to see Jane in action again. She is as tough as before. Ice Cold left me scorching, hot for more!

Maura Isles, a Boston medical examiner, attends a conference in Wyoming. She meets an old friend from medical school and decides to join his companions for a brief ski trip.

In the heavy snow, they make a wrong turn and become stranded on a deserted road. Seeking help, they trudge through the snow to a group of homes but find that the homes are empty and appear as if they had been recently deserted.

One of Maura's companions becomes seriously injured and another tries to ski back to civilization for help. When this person doesn't return, Maura decides that she will go for help.

In Boston, Maura's friend, Daniel Brophy, a Catholic priest that Maura had been seeing, becomes concerned when she isn't on her return flight. She doesn't answer her phone and Brophy asks her friend, Boston homicide detective, Jane Rizzoli, for help. Jane and her FBI husband, Gabriel, make some calls and become so concerned that they travel to Wyoming to search for Maura.

The suspense mounts as the local police don't seem very forthcoming. Then there is a report of finding two bodies that were burned beyond recognition. Could one of the bodies be Maura's?

One reason why readers may enjoy this novel is that the author provides excellent pacing in the novel. As law enforcement personnel approach the suspected mastermind of a number of deaths, it seemed as if Tess Gerritsen was a composer and the reader was hearing the sounds of music such as the "1812 Overture," as the action reached a climax.

At this point, there was an unexpected plot twist that succeeded in taking me by surprise. This was well done but in this section the author had one major character having actions attributed to that person that were out of character with prior descriptions and difficult to accept.

The author dealt with a number of sensitive issues such as religious cults and the manner in which women can be regulated to a lower status in cults. Gerritsen also provided information about the children of families in cults and how sometimes they can be neglected.

Overall a fun read and interesting progression of the Rizzoli and Isles tradition.

I pre-ordered Tess Gerritsen's "Ice Cold" for my Kindle, and once I began to read it, it assumed total control of my life until I finished it. The only fault I can find with the book is that it ended.
The Rizzoli-Isles series allows the reader to see the flaws, as well as the strengths, of the two women who are its main characters. This honesty makes Jane and Maura's friendship and working relationship realistic in a way that seldom exists in fiction. They do not always like each other, but they often learn from each other, and the reader sees them grow, as professionals, as friends,and as women. They are loyal to each other, but not blindly so. The friendship is sturdy and based on respect that has been earned over and over again.
Gerritsen has developed a style of terrifying the reader that surpasses nearly all of her peers.(The only writer currently as disquieting is Cody McFadyen with his Smoky Barrett series.) Although the earlier books in the Rizzoli-Isles series were rewardingly suspenseful, "Mephisto Club" was the one that introduced Gerritsen's still-evolving method of scaring us to death. "Ice Cold" carried on this new tradition. The descriptions of the bad guys and their crimes are more than adequate to disturb our sleep, but that's not what sets Gerritsen apart; it is her subtle and crafty manipulation of scene and character and dialogue that creates an evil hum, barely audible, but always there. Additionally, the scenes in which she depicts a character's decent into infection and sepsis is so graphically perfect that I could actually smell his rotten bandages and hear his pathetic moans. Gerritsen does not hold back when it comes to showing humanity at its best, or, as in parts of this book, at its worst. What a great book. It is both brilliant and lightless.

I have read and enjoyed several of Ms. Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles books, so when I saw the audiobook of this one I was eager to listen. And although I thought Ms. Eby did a fine job with the narration, I was rather disappointed in the book itself. It started off great and I quickly became caught up in the story. I liked that the novel took Maura out of her familiar territory and that her impulsive decision plunges her into a terrifying situation. But when the plot twisted away from that story and picked up another one, it was disorienting. By the time the author had thrown in her third or fourth plot twist, I was losing interest. It's almost as if the author couldn't figure out a storyline to carry the entire plot, so she started adding in more and more elements. The book jumps from plot point to plot point, leaving characters littered along the way, and the author never quite manages to bring all the storylines together. Ultimately, the story was just too uneven for me. I like the recurring characters that the author has created in this series, but I think she has written better stories than this--and I look forward to better stories in the future.

Although this 8th book in the series featuring Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and homicide detective Jane Rizzoli is a very quick read, it lacks the depth and complexity of other novels featuring this duo. The setting in icy Wyoming and the plot involving a polygamous cult separate the two colleagues and make this book less about their team approach to solving murders but more about Maura's harrowing experiences while there.

While there is a mystery to solve and the story is suspenseful, I much prefer the Rizzoli and Isles novels that involve a murder investigation and the forensic details that I've come to know and love in the series.

I definitely hope that Gerritsen returns to the medical thriller formula that has made her previous books a hit with me.

Tess Gerritsen does it again! I had a feeling I would like this book because I am a fan of Ms. Gerritsen and I was not disappointed. I really enjoy the characters Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli so I was thrilled to see them in action again.

This time Maura is at a conference in Wyoming and she meets up with a former classmate who invites her on a ski trip with his daughter and some friends. The group of five set out for a weekend of fun but encounter a snow storm which strands them in a tiny village called Kingdom Come comprised of 12 identical and abandoned houses. What made these people leave so suddenly? The local police find what they believe to be the bodies of Maura and her traveling companions. Jane decides to travel Wyoming to conduct her own investigation.

What follows is pages of twits, turns and edge of your seat suspense done Gerritesen style. It is an action packed thrill ride that I finished in two sitting. If you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this book. If you like suspense or thrillers you will enjoy this book. I am so glad that I didn't wait in vain for this installment and I am already looking forward to the next Isles and Rizzoli adventure!

It's hard to believe Tess Gerritsen wrote this book. The lack of attention to detail gets annoying; as example, Maura and the four other stranded people pile into one vehicle for the getaway attempt even though every garage contained a vehicle; Maura is Arlo's only hope for survival and she takes off on skis to find help (why not use one of the other vehicles?). Maura deeply cuts her hand but it's never mentioned again but she seems to use both hands with no problem afterwards; Maura, out in the wilderness for weeks, doesn't require any medical attention after rescue; the seasoned wilderness boy calls her "Mommy" when he gets hurt, she feels he's the son she never had and bonded with him for keeping her safe; did she forget he clunked her on the head and bound her hands and feet with duct tape? My advice is to purchase a different book. This one is pretty lame.