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    Frozen Solid: A Novel
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    Frozen Solid: A Novel
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    Frozen Solid: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    Frozen Solid: A Novel

    Written by James M. Tabor

    Narrated by Paul Michael

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The most dangerous place on Earth

    A devious and deadly plan to save humanity from itself

    A lone scientist battling the clock and ruthless enemies to avert global catastrophe

    The Deep Zone was hailed as "an absolutely phenomenal read by the new Michael Crichton" (Brad Thor), a book that "should come shrink-wrapped with a seat belt" (Steve Berry). Now, bestselling author James M. Tabor ups the ante and the action in his second extreme thriller, as brilliant and battle-tested heroine Hallie Leland confronts intrigue and murder in the most unforgiving place on Earth.

    The South Pole's Amundsen Scott Research Station is like an outpost on Mars.  Winter temperatures average 100 degrees below zero; week-long hurricane-force storms rage; for eight months at a time the station is shrouded in darkness. Under the stress, bodies suffer and minds twist. Panic, paranoia, and hostility prevail.

    When a South Pole scientist dies mysteriously, CDC microbiologist Hallie Leland arrives to complete crucial research. Before she can begin, three more women inexplicably die. As failing communications and plunging temperatures cut the station off from the outside world, terror rises and tensions soar. Amidst it all, Hallie must crack the mystery of her predecessor's death.

    In Washington, D.C., government agency director Don Barnard and enigmatic operative Wil Bowman detect troubling signs of shadowy behavior at the South Pole and realize that Hallie is at the heart of it. Unless Barnard and Bowman can track down the mastermind, a horrifying act of global terror, launched from the station, will change the planet forever-and Hallie herself will be the unwitting instrument of destruction.

    As the Antarctic winter sweeps in, severing contact with the outside world, Hallie must trust no one, fear everyone, and fight to keep the frigid prison from becoming her frozen grave.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 26, 2013
    ISBN9780307969033
    Unavailable
    Frozen Solid: A Novel

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    Reviews for Frozen Solid

    4/5

    57 ratings18 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I was intrigued by the locked house murder mystery set up of this book, but sorely disappointed in the payoff. The setting - frozen tundra of the south pole - made for some interesting situations, but some of the scenes were entirely unbelievable. I understand it's not supposed to be a true story, but am I really to believe that the main character can survive when her dive suit fails in the freezing arctic waters? And the big scary diabolical plot behind all the mayhem just didn't work for me. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      In this entertaining follow up to Deep Zone, Hallie Leland is reunited with Wil Bowman to combat a hidden biological killer in Antarctica. The mental and physical strain of isolation and severe weather takes a toll on Leland and the rest of the crew at a remote scientific outpost.
    • 4/5
      A unique location and unique characters, Frozen Solid is set at the remote ASRS, Amundsen-Scott Research Station at the South Pole. The settings and are described very well, as is the deadly cold temperatures and their impact on the human body.The main character Hallie takes at short-term job at the Station. She is replacing a friend that died suddenly while working there. She has a complicated relationship with Wil Bowman and complicated problems that will have to wait. The book is interesting and starts off at a fast pace. I had a difficult time relating to the main character and her actions. For example, at the beginning of the book when Hallie had just arrived at the pole, she stumbles to her bed tired and obviously overwhelmed by the change in environment. Before falling asleep she found a camera above pointing at the bed with some disturbing video on it. Had that been me, I would have been yelling up and down the halls about finding the camera let alone what was on it. Hallie, however, decided to keep quiet about it. She didn’t trust anyone, but had not been there long enough to develop distrust. Also, several people died in short succession, but there was an odd lack of panic. I will also mention a language alert for those who find it offensive. In spite of that, it was a good solid and very unique thriller.
    • 5/5
      Written very well, with thoughtful descriptions of the environment and its harshness. Intriguing plot; can't say I disagree with what the bad guys were trying to do!! It was a pretty good idea, in theory anyway
    • 4/5
      This is a great book (that I won from Goodreads) that continues the story of microbiologist Hallie Leland (from "The Deep Zone"). Now she's stuck helping out in Antarctica, specifically in a research station at the South Pole. Good mystery and exciting plot. I love the science aspects as well.
    • 4/5
      Hallie Leland, the main character in Frozen Solid, is a very sympathetic character and refreshing in that she is not one of those tiresome "action hero/sassy (i.e. mean-spirited) characters you so often find now in thrillers. In this story, she is a microbiologist sent to the South POle to try to figure out what is going on after the death of one of her friends.It is definitely a thriller and keeps you turning the pages--in that regard--I really enjoyed the book. Tabor drew a brilliant, atmospheric picture of the Antarctic that will keep you enthralled. I was less enthralled, however, with some of the cruelty of the bad--uh--character(s). (I'm not going to give anything away because I don't want to spoil it--so I'm not even going to say if there is one or more bad folks around.) For a while, I was more tolerant of cruelty in fiction, but more and more I find I really don't want those scenes in my head anymore. The death of Hallie's friend seemed so awful to me that I found it difficult to finish the book, hence my 4 instead of 5 stars. Don't get me wrong--it really was a thrilling read--but I wish some of the things had happened "off camera" because it was a bit too much for me. I believe other readers may not be as squeamish and may enjoy it more.The story itself though was interesting and it does take you a while to figure out the mystery, all of which is good. :)
    • 4/5
      Frozen Solid is an action novel along the lines of James Rollings or Brad Thor. The story is interesting, there is a lot of action starting in the first chapter and it holds together better than many in the genre. For me it started getting a little bit hard to deal with Hallie. I liked her but she seemed to be a burgeoning Mary Sue. She is the only one who seemed to find the answers or even care to look for them. On top of that she had 4 near death experiences, any one of which would have been difficult to survive and she managed to do it all in a matter of a couple days.Now for many books that I place in this group this isn't uncommon, but usually the danger is shared with more than just our protagonist so it isn't quite so blatant. Anyway I enjoyed reading the story and I think there is a good chance I'd read another book by this author.
    • 4/5
      A unique location and unique characters, Frozen Solid is set at the remote ASRS, Amundsen-Scott Research Station at the South Pole. The settings and are described very well, as is the deadly cold temperatures and their impact on the human body.The main character Hallie takes at short-term job at the Station. She is replacing a friend that died suddenly while working there. She has a complicated relationship with Wil Bowman and complicated problems that will have to wait. The book is interesting and starts off at a fast pace. I had a difficult time relating to the main character and her actions. For example, at the beginning of the book when Hallie had just arrived at the pole, she stumbles to her bed tired and obviously overwhelmed by the change in environment. Before falling asleep she found a camera above pointing at the bed with some disturbing video on it. Had that been me, I would have been yelling up and down the halls about finding the camera let alone what was on it. Hallie, however, decided to keep quiet about it. She didn’t trust anyone, but had not been there long enough to develop distrust. Also, several people died in short succession, but there was an odd lack of panic. I will also mention a language alert for those who find it offensive. In spite of that, it was a good solid and very unique thriller.
    • 2/5
      I am really on the fence between good and not-so-good with James Tabor’s South Pole thriller, Frozen Solid. It wasn’t until after I finished it I found that this was the second novel in a series featuring adventure-seeking scientist Hallie Leland. It might have helped a bit if I had read the first installment, but I think it was pretty much a stand-alone story.First, the good. Hallie is a very believable character and really the one thing that kept pulling me through a story that at times I felt like abandoning. She is intelligent, resourceful and cleaver, but never was she superhuman or cartoonish. The science was there, but it wasn’t overwhelming and if fit with the story. The overall plot was solid, but not anything unique.My real problem with Frozen Solid was the writing. Tabor seems to wander off with his storytelling, like that grandfather you had who would suddenly stop mid-sentence and pick up some other conversation from a week ago. At times it became difficult to follow who was speaking or who the action was centered on. It made reading – especially the first half – less than enjoyable. Tabor also gave many of the characters very similar names, which made it even more difficult to follow what was going on without a great deal of effort. Ultimately the pacing of the story lurched along rather than flowing smoothly, creating a lot of distraction. While I found Hallie Leland compelling and the premise of the novel interesting, it has so many flaws that I really can’t recommend it on account of the writing and pacing. Yes, I’m going to go with a bad pun… Frozen Solid left me cold. Sorry.
    • 4/5
      Frozen Solid is a well crafted mystery novel centered in a chilly, hostile environment. James Tabor effectively captured the genuine daily struggle to survive at this remote research station at the South Pole. Hallie is a scientist sent to the remote location to replace a friend who died the prior week. Immediately, the novel springs into the action and adventure with a couple of extraordinary deaths, a diving mishaps that threatens Hallie's life and ambitious scientific discoveries. The deaths continue to be a mystery that pulled me forward in anticipation as the clues slowly were slowly and effectively revealed.I really liked this story overall. Combined with strong character development, the intrigue of this harsh, cold South Pole environment made this a fun and memorable read.
    • 5/5
      A good scientific thriller by James Tabor. This one is probably better than his first one, "The Deep Zone". The primary characters are the same from the first book. The lead character is a leading researcher in bio-hazards. She is suddenly contacted to take over a research project at the South Pole after a former co-worker dies while working on the project there. Mysterious deaths occur shortly after she arrives where two women suddenly start bleeding and die suddenly.Hallie Leland is assigned the same living space where he friend had died. She makes a discovery of a hidden camera her friend had been using to monitor her room. The video shows her friend being murdered. She also discovers a hidden memory card with a video blog that her friend had been compiling of her assignment at the South Pole. The primary story line revolves around a plot by a group of scientists to control the world population. They are secretly using the South Pole base of the National Science Foundation to do the research as a secure containment facility in case something goes wrong. The story line revolves around the discovery of this group and their plans for controlling the world population. It is a very good and quick paced novel that is difficult to put down.I can't wait for the next novel by James Tabor with this cast of characters.
    • 4/5
      "Frozen Solid" is a very tight thriller, with a wonderful setting--the South Pole.Hallie Leland, a microbiologist, has been sent down to the South Pole in a last minute arrangement because of the sudden death of a former colleague who was doing important research down there for the NSF. It doesn't take long before Hallie discovers that her friend was murdered. But since most of the "Polies" have been down there for many months, and are all a little crazy, she's not sure who to trust. It also doesn't help that two other women die right before her eyes in a very bloody manner not long after she arrives.In the meantime, we meet three scientists/doctors in India who are planning a population control experiment called Triage...and of course this experiment is taking place at the same facility at the South Pole.To go along with all of this, a discovery has been made below the ice that could change the world--a near-pollution free fuel source. Unfortunately, this wasn't explored more (and might make for a great sequel).In many places, "Frozen Solid" felt very much like a Michael Crichton novel. The only problem is that some of the scientific jargon isn't explained much, if at all. Crichton was the master at always having a character who needed terms and concepts explained. Here, Tabor could have used a character tasked with PR or communications to ask the questions we as readers might ask. Nevertheless, the concepts aren't too difficult to understand and make for some chilling (no pun intended) reading.The best part about the book was the setting. Living in a completely isolated, wickedly frigid environment like the South Pole must be extremely difficult. Tabor's descriptions were fantastic and really helped you "see" the bleakness of the area.Overall, "Frozen Solid" was a great, quick read. I want to thank LT's Early Reviewer program for allowing me to win it.
    • 5/5
      FROZEN SOLID is an action, adventure, medical thriller in the best sense. It opens with one of the main characters landing in the Antartic for a few days to do research only to witness a death virtually the minute she enters the building. As if that isn't enough, Hallie soon finds herself witnessing a friends death while at the same time totally alone and isolated with a group of people she doesn't know or trust.From the moment I started reading, I was interested in the story. It was able to hold my interest and pique my curiosity. I had no trouble understanding any of the medical jargon as it was written in a way as to make it a plausible theory, not just something made up for the benefit of the storyline itself. The characters are modern thinkers, with past histories told to the reader without giving away what actually happened in the previous stories.The ending was a complete and total shock. I never considered Triages' motive was to protect us from ourselves. Once you start reading you won't want to stop until it's finished.
    • 4/5
      Hallie is a microbiologist, and while not in any way a kick-butt action hero, is an athletic outdoorsman who enjoys all sorts of diving, climbing and, well, ends up doing heroic things. She’s both very capable and strong-willed. Loving a good challenge in the field, she jumps at the chance to take her friend’s place to dive in Antarctica after her friend made a discovery that could change the world for the better. Unfortunately, she gets the invitation because her friend died the week before, but not from what they’re saying.Welcome to Hell. It’s always dark outside, colder than you can imagine, the food sucks, the water and everything made from it tastes like chlorine, you can only shower for 2 minutes per week, everyone is sick to some extent and mentally affected from being there. Oh, and people are dying quickly in front of her. But there is a mystery going on, approached from a few different angles and it’s going to take you some time to figure out the who, what and why; at least within the outpost at the South Pole.I hadn’t realized there had been a prior book and don’t believe that my enjoyment of this book lacked because of it. I definitely will be picking up the first book, The Deep Zone. A few references to prior experiences are brought up that I’d like to read about. But it’s easy to pick up this book without reading the other.I found the plot, dialog and world and character building to be really good and apparently a great deal of research went into writing this book for a number of different subjects. There are times when some things become too technical and I wish the story would just move along, but I’m sure many others will enjoy this aspect.Read for review for Library Thing.
    • 5/5
      I received this book from Library Thing to read and review. AS a James Rollins, Steve Berry and Brad Thor fan, I thought is would be hard to find another author with similar story telling abilities. This book kept me riveted to my seat and anxious to read the next chapter. Tabor is definitely now on my favorite author’s list. Frozen Solid is the 3rd book in the Hallie LeLand series, but having not read the first 2 books was not a hindrance. Tabor does a nice job of filling in the back story “just enough” so this book can be read as a stand-alone. However, I am definitely going to read the first 2 books of this series as well. Keep writing James M. Tabor! Your talent deserves to be shared with others.
    • 5/5
      Extreme weather and extremophilesI thought James M. Tabor’s fiction debut, The Deep Zone, was flawed, but promising. I’m happy to report that his sophomore novel, Frozen Solid, has lived up to that promise. While Mr. Tabor still has room to grow, this second novel was just as much fun as the first, and far better executed. Frozen Solid again features his protagonist, Hallie Leland. The government microbiologist has been routed up to Antarctica of all places, just days before the winter-over begins. She’s there to fill in for a deceased scientist—an old friend of Hallie’s, as it happens. Once more, Hallie’s unusual skill set (climbing, diving, laboratory research) is a match for a project’s needs. Unfortunately, her brief visit gets off to a terrible start, as more scientists succumb to an unknown ailment. Tensions are running high in a powder keg environment. Meanwhile, Hallie has suspicions about her predecessor’s death and is having problems with the research project. Is someone sabotaging her work? The entire base? And will she be able to fly out in four days, or will she be stuck in Antarctica for months?Mr. Tabor gets all of his plot elements into position beautifully. I had a few qualms early on in the novel. There was a brief snatch of clichéd and clunky writing. (“I will find you, she vowed. If it takes the rest of my life, I will find you. Wil Bowman will help me. And you will pay.”) And there were some minor plot contrivances. (Some of those clues were awfully easy to find—even when she wasn’t looking for them.) But once the story got going, those early issue fell by the wayside as the novel’s momentum took over. The pacing of the novel was excellent. It moved quickly and was full of excitement. Sometimes the action in thrillers feels like it’s just inserted to keep things moving, but here it all felt organic to the story being told. Let’s face it, Antarctica is an extreme environment, and when you’re diving beneath the ice or staging a colleague’s rescue, it’s exciting stuff. Plus, there’s Hallie’s area of scientific inquiry. She studies extremophiles—organisms that survive in extreme environments—like miles below the ice. Or, an organism that “survives in sodium concentrations that would kill anything else.” This isn’t a Crichton novel. It isn’t as chock full of science, but I wish that it was, because what was there was fascinating. Hallie’s a girl after my own heart… “In the end, she found herself asking this question: Who do you trust when you can’t trust anybody? The answer came quickly: Not who. What. And the what was science. You could always trust the science.” I trusted Mr. Tabor’s science here. Sure, it’s speculative as hell, but it has the ring of truth and some research behind it. Plus, it was super cool! That’s good enough for me.I like Hallie as a character. I really enjoy seeing a strong, confident, competent, and believable woman at the center of an action/adventure series. (“She knew this was how disasters began: with a single failure that led to two others, each of which led to more, a cascade of events feeding upon itself.”) This is a lady that doesn’t wait to be rescued. She rescues herself—and frequently others. There are a couple of other characters from the first novel in supporting roles, but as Hallie is out of her normal environment, most of the cast is new, and they’re a fairly intriguing bunch. I’m quite willing to believe that it’s a quirky crew attracted to work in Antarctica. Obviously, the setting is an important part of the tale, and Tabor’s Antarctica is a bit more oppressive and depressive than most depictions. It is atmospheric, that’s for sure. His settings are evocative and well-drawn—none better than the underwater scenes. (Yes, that was totally my favorite part.) When all is said and done, I’ve seen variations on the novel’s central plot before, but it was well-handled and getting there was more than half the fun. I feel that my early faith in Mr. Tabor’s growth as a novelist has been well –rewarded, and I shall be looking forward to his next offering with even more anticipation and enthusiasm.
    • 5/5
      Microbiologist and expert diver Hallie is sent to the South Pole to continue her friends research. Immediately she uncovers that her friend’s death was no accident, she was tortured and murdered. Unsure who trust, she tries to uncover more information.I thought this was a well written and engaging book. I loved reading about the South Pole, it is a setting rarely written about. The characters were interesting, their emotions well developed and overall they were unique and believable. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
    • 4/5
      The good news: an over-the-top, non-stop thriller which will keep you up late, so don't read it when you're trying to wind down for the night. The bad news: deliberate and gross inaccuracies about the South Pole unnecessarily used for dramatic effect. Microbiologist Hallie Leland arrives at the Pole in early February to replace a dead colleague who had been involved in important research requiring diving in the water below the ice. (Hallie is a master climber and diver, among other attributes). Within hours, she discovers her friend was tortured to death and she witnesses two other women die of sudden and massive hemorrhaging. Things escalate from there (oy - but lots of fun). Intermittent chapters follow Hallie's boyfriend, who does intelligence (and wet work) for a secretive government agency (think "Mission Impossible" if Cruise actually resembled Reacher physically); and three scientists who are plotting to infect the world with a virus that will halt population growth. The South Pole actually has 6 months of sunlight and six months of no sunlight each year, with a few weeks of sunrise and sunset at either end of the long night. IOW, complete darkness for about 4½ or 5 months a year. The sun rises on September 21 and doesn't set at all until March 21. When Hallie arrives in February, the sunset is 6 weeks away, but Tabor changes this so that complete dark is already in effect. This is a major plot detail. In fact, Hallie's dead friend mentions in a video diary that it was already complete dark in early January on her own arrival. The head of the polar station and Hallie's boss at the CDC both mention that the Pole experiences EIGHT months of complete darkness. To someone fond of fiction set in Antarctica, this inaccuracy, which starts on page 1, was immediately off-putting, and I wouldn't have continued reading if I hadn't agreed to read the book for Early Reviewers. Tabor apparently felt the need to use the complete darkness in order to increase drama but still get his heroine out before winterover, when the base is shut off to all travel for several months. In my opinion, any heightened tension was not worth the blow to suspension of disbelief caused by the inaccuracy, and considering the few books set in the locale, this was likewise a disservice to any readers without the background to realize they are getting bad information.Still, the book IS fun, hard to put down, and a quick read, and I'd pick up another in the series if I was in the mood for this type of thriller.