As I said yesterday this will be the second of my posts on a finished book in as many days. I know I can read quickly but the pace at which I went through this one surprised even me. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday afternoon. Even more scarily I am almost halfway through the next one again already! I did notice that there a kind of link between the one I am reading now and the one I am about to review. You will have to wait for that link until I finish the present one.
### SPOILER ALERT ###
Icebound - Dean Koontz
(This is a revised version published in 1995 of the previously released Prison of Ice, written under the pseudonym of David Axton)
It is one of a handful of stories that he has republished in a revised edition and boy am I glad he did! It is a belter! It was a real page turner. I tend to find DK easy to read anyway but this one was almost over before I knew it.
It is a different kind of book from what he usually writes. The themes are different, it feels different.... lighter. According to the man himself with this one he has tried to write an "adventure suspense" novel. From the start you kind of get that you are not going to have to worry too much about deep characterisation and deeply moral themes of faith, hope and sacrifice or the everlasting struggle between the good and evil in man. This one just wants to keep you in suspense of what is going to happen next and who will make it to the end of the book. In a way I found it kind of refreshing not to have some of the well known DK themes and style in the story. DK can be a bit of a moralising writer at times. In most of his novels he attempts to make a point of addressing issues he thinks relevant. At time he even tries to beat you about the head a bit too much with them. This one was refreshingly different.
So how do yo go about creating a nice "adventure suspense" themed environment. Well.... let's face it, you cannot get much more tense and contained situation then a team of scientists stuck on an iceberg in the arctic that is about to be blown to bits with them on it unless a miracle happens. There is the isolation of the Arctic due to the cold, then there is the isolation of the various team members as they are off in various places doing their jobs. Even when they get back together as a group they all have their own issues they are trying to deal with. Brian thinks he is not worthy, George has seen the brutality of war close up, Rita is afraid of ice and snow, Pete is a scientist who looks like a footballer, Claude is close to being over the hill and being put out to pasture, Franz is still obsessed by the woman he lost (Rita), Roger is a weightlifter trying to please mummy and Brian is a late bloomer who hopes he will have the chance to hold on to the life he has.
At the start of the story we learn that there is an idea to blast a piece off the mainland ice to see if they can drift it south to serve as drinking water for those areas that need it. Nice idea on paper, not so easy to execute. Especially not if you find that there is a killer in your midst as well. This is what the main players, the Carpenters (no relation to the singing group), face. The way it is set up is kind of good as in you do not find out that someone is out to get one of the expedition members until you get about halfway through the book. All this time you have been worrying with them about how they are going to get off the iceberg but now you also have to try and figure out who is out to get one of the team. The whole issue of getting the iceberg to drift South becomes a secondary problem and survival becomes the first and foremost priority for the team members.
Do not worry that there is no justice in this arctic world of ice. As per usual it is not the most obvious red herring that turns out to be the killer and yes he does get his comeuppance. The Carpenters who are easily the most likable characters in the book stay together and survive the murder plot. Each member of the team kind of overcomes his or her issues that was holding them back. They are, naturally, saved from their predicament and the way it happens is kind of brilliant. It involves a cunning plan, a Russian submarine and a very determined captain and that is all I am saying about that.
It was a great read and I hope that DK will do some more of these although he himself says that he feels he does not have another one in him... go on.... I'll cook you dinner!?
Title: Icebound
Author: Dean Koontz
373 pages
Headline Feature
ISBN nr 0-7472-4740-4
Books to be read: 81
Books bought: 0
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