The Cold One [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Pike (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1995

Existing only to destroy humankind, a demonic force, disguised as a beautiful woman, ravages the lives of several people, including former street gang member Jerry Washington and journalist Peter James. Reprint. AB. K. PW.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Because Christopher Pike is more commonly known for his young adult fiction, horror readers may not be familiar with this superb adult novel about an inhuman being that is menacing like a cobra to the souls as well as bodies of humans, and yet is also intensely curious. A quirky and resourceful handful of characters, including a 5000-year-old Hindu holy man, stumble over the various victims of the Cold One, and then gradually get to know each other, leading them all toward an unpredictable (if somewhat overcrowded) confrontation at a house on the beach in California. I agree with the Washington Post's assessment: "A polished, mature work with a grounding in Eastern philosophy. The characters are genuine, the action unexpected, violent, and wrenching. The Cold One is that rarest of horror novels, one that is visceral and intellectually stimulating at the same time."

From Publishers Weekly

Known for his bestselling young-adult horror fiction, Pike crossed over to adult fiction with The Season of Passage (1992). Here, he brings his considerable-albeit unevenly applied-skills to bear on a murky, labyrinthine tale of betrayal, unearthly romance and demonic slaughter. After a prologue introduces the Cold One, an emotionless, destructive entity born into alluring female human form, a flurry of subplots converge to set the main story in motion. Peter Jacobs, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, receives a phone call from a man who identifies himself as the perpetrator of a recent series of murders. Julie Moore, a Ph.D. candidate studying near-death experiences, is drawn into the case when she meets Dr. Lawrence Morray, a celebrated cardiologist who, 30 years earlier, abruptly abandoned his own study of NDEs. Then Govinda Sharma, a backsliding Hindu, is directed by his guru to pursue the 5000-year-old Rak, a legendary blind humanoid who has escaped from the Himalayan cave to which he was exiled by Krishna. Much gory violence and graphic sex ensue, broken by spasms of mawkish prose and intricate explanations of the origin of the Cold One, leading to a dramatic ending to this fitfully hypnotic but disjointed novel that posits the advent of a titanically destructive force into the world-and a promised sequel, The Cold One II: Seedling. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (December 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812512456
• ISBN-13: 978-0812512458
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher Pike is the author of over forty teen thrillers, including series REMEMBER ME, FINAL FRIENDS and CHAIN LETTER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book-Where is the Sequel?, October 9, 2005

By 

Melanie (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cold One (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a tremendous fan of Christopher Pike. However, I must say that it is unfair to begin a story, get the reader very interested and then not finish the story. It has been 10 years since this was published. Where is the sequel that was promised at the end of this book? I love a good story and I would love to know how this story ends...it would be dissapointing if it never does. I must admit that this book is still well worth reading even without the resolution that the sequel would provide.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pike Does it Again!, January 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cold One (Mass Market Paperback)

Christopher Pike is one of the few authors that I buy automatically when I see his books in the stores. And this one did not disappoint me at all. "The Cold One" is a wonderfully-written book that captivates the reader by the middle of page 1. The way that Mr. Pike weaves a story around his many characters and storylines is nothing short of superb. "The Cold One" ventures into the land of horror, mixed with science-fiction and suspense. I am extremely pleased that Mr. Pike decided to commence writing for adults as well as for young adults, for his young adult books are treasured in my bookcase as "favourites". If you have not yet purchased "The Cold One", then please do so immediately, for this is a life-changing novel, a novel of intense emotion and suspense. This is right up there among the best of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So super... in search of sequel, December 15, 2003

By 

cassy (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cold One (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is amazing. I have read it and reread it many times. All the twists and turns, the plot line is spectacular. I have never read such a great book before. Absolutely my favorite, even compared to all the Harry Potter books. I have been searching and searching for the longest time for the sequel, The Cold One II: The Seedling. Does any one know about this? Where can i find it... i am so desperate! I really really want to know what else happens.. i hate being left out, when you know there is more. If anyone can help... please email me!