Ice: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2010

On holiday leave from the service, Gabriel McQueen is sent into a brewing ice storm to make sure that his father’s distant neighbor, Lolly Helton, who has fallen out of contact, is safe and sound. It’s a trip that Gabriel would rather not make, given the bitter winter weather—and the icy conditions that have always existed between him and Lolly. Arriving at Lolly’s home, Gabriel spots strangers through the windows—one of them packing a weapon—and kicks into combat mode. But once Lolly is rescued, the heat—and the hunt—are on. Snowbound, unarmed, and literally under the gun, Gabriel and Lolly must depend on each other to endure the merciless forces of nature and evade the ruthless enemy out in the blackness of the silent night—and out for their blood.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

About the Author

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Burn, Death Angel, Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, Dying to Please, Open Season, Mr. Perfect, All the Queen’s Men, Now You See Her, Kill and Tell, and Son of the Morning, and co-author (with Linda Jones) of Blood Born. She lives in Alabama with her husband and a golden retriever.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345517202
• ISBN-13: 978-0345517203
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Howard, Linda

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Story for a Snowy Afternoon!, January 14, 2011

By 

Louise Jolly "Bookaholic" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ice: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Gabriel McQueen was home for a weekend on leave from the military and his father is the Sheriff of a small town in Maine but the minute Gabriele arrives there is trouble. Gabriel is anxious to get to this mother's home to see his young son, Sam, but the Sheriff needs him for an important job first. Young Sam lives with Gabriel's mother after becoming a widower the year before when his wife Marianne died. It's been tough on both of them.

Sheriff McQueen wants Gabriel to drive up the mountain to the old Helton place to check on Lolly Helton who is here for the weekend herself to get her deceased father's home ready for sale. However, they believe she is unaware that a huge ice storm is coming and coming fast and there would be no way down off the mountain if someone didn't get to her right away.

With trepidation, Gabriele agrees to go but first stops at his Mother's house to see his son, collect some warm clothing and boots and a thermos of hot coffee and soup. Quickly saying good-bye to his son, and promising him he'll back in a couple of hours, Gabriele sets off on the rescue.

However, the weather isn't playing nice and the ice storm is advancing much quicker than everyone had thought and Gabriel's big Ford F250 truck is having great difficulty manoeuvring the steep, icy mountain road. He drives as far as he possibly can then decided he'll have to walk the rest of the way.

Through much slipping and sliding, enduring sharp, stinging ice pellets in the face, Gabriele reaches Lolly's house but sees two people with guns through her living room window and quickly realizes that Lolly is in terrible danger. With his military training, Gabriele kicks into high gear and helps Lolly escape but her captors discover she's gone and go after them.

It doesn't take the bad guys long to catch up when suddenly bullets are whizzing by Gabriel's and Lolly's heads. Can they make it out and back down the mountain alive? And do Gabriel and Lolly get more than they bargained for in the end?

Excellent read for a snowy afternoon!!

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, August 18, 2011

By 

Amanda Router (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

I used to be a huge Linda Howard fan, but her last three books make me wonder if she's been taken over by a pod person. This story was mindless and didn't take a lot of imagination to write. It didn't show Linda Howard's wit and humor, even in times of danger. If you're looking for a great story from an author who wrote 'Cry No More', 'Dream Man', 'Kill and Tell', and 'Mr. Perfect' I don't think she exists anymore.

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much for too short..., August 8, 2011

By 

Book Addict "Ann" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors, and several of her books will sit on my shelf forever rather than be carted off to the used book store.

But this one was a give-away. Not because of Howards writing...she always does a superb job...but because I could never get past the feeling I did not get value for my money. Way too short for the price.

The book is advertised as a "Novel", but contains only 224 pages. As one who wears tri-focals, I can appreciate the comfortable type and leading used, but I am also aware that those can be calculated to maximize page numbers.

And while I understand that the number of pages is not necessarily a criteria for classifying a book as a Novel or Novella, I am still asked to pay 7.99 for a 224 page story. Compare that to the 7.99 I pay for a 500-600 page book by Ward (where the type and leading are much smaller) and ... I rest my case!