Chill Factor

A Novel

By: Sandra Brown

Narrated by: Stephen Lang

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Cleary, North Carolina, is a sleepy mountain town, the kind of place where criminal activity is usually limited to parking violations. Not so, lately. Four women have disappeared from Cleary over the past two years. And there's always a blue ribbon left near the spot where each of the women was last seen. There are no bodies, no other clues, and no suspicion as to who their abductor might be. And now, another woman has disappeared without a trace.

It is to this backdrop that Lilly Martin returns to close the sale of her mountain cabin, marking the end of her turbulent eight-year marriage to Dutch Burton, Cleary's chief of police. Dutch's reluctance to let her go isn't Lilly's only obstacle. As she's trying to outrun a snowstorm, her car skids on the icy road and strikes a man. She recognizes the injured man as Ben Tierney, whom she'd met the previous summer. They're forced to wait out the storm in the cabin, but as the hours of their confinement mount, Lilly begins to wonder if the greatest danger to her safety isn't the blizzard outside, but the mysterious man right beside her. Is Ben Tierney the feared abductor? Or is he who he claims to be...her rescuer from harm and from the tragedy that haunts her?

©2005 Sandra Brown (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Romance

"Lust, jealousy, and murder suffuse Brown's crisp thriller, set in the snowbound mountains of North Carolina....The snowy suspense will cool off Brown's fans during the dog days of summer." (Publishers Weekly)

Un- engaging

Not one of my favorite Brown books. Didn't really hold my interest and was predictable. I did finish it... but barely.

I may start reading mysteries

I am not a big fan of mysteries, perferring to read science or something productive and useful to me in some sense. This book was a terrific read. I did not figure out the plot until very late in the game. My wife cannot put it down. I have already purchased her other book on the reading list, Unspeakable, which is also very good.

Good listen

At first I was bored and considered skipping to another book. However, not too far into the story it became interesting and continue to hold my attention. Although not really action packed, getting to know the main characters is important to getting into the story. It’s the kind of mystery that keeps one turning the page, so to speak.

It is What It Is ...

I'm not sure what I was expecting ... a thriller, something suspenseful, I have a pretty low level for ludicrous romances (just can't take that fantasy flight) ... as for the thriller part ... you can get the whole book by listening to the first 2 and the last 2 hours ... the rest is filler with some backstory with one of the most ... I can't even go there the romance is so ridiculous ... seductions?? in light novel history LOL. Sigh, maybe I'm just too cynical. Hard to remember since I've been immersed a different genre lately ... this may be just typical Sandra Brown fare. It was good enough that I finished it and bad enough I wish I'd chosen something different LOL.

In my top 5 for Sandra Brown

What did you love best about Chill Factor?

Good twists and turns. Great ending. One of my strongest criticisms of some of SB's books are that the endings are to abrupt and need a little more finish or polish for my liking, but this one finishes off nicely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marilee, because she's not the wimp you first think she is. She has spunk and grace and a realness that often is lacking in characters in this type of story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The hospital with the two women, if I say more it will ruin it for perspective readers, but it's a scene with good power.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not that extreme, but I really enjoyed it and looked forward to getting time to hear more of it. I have read a lot of Sandra Brown and though I enjoy them I don't find them very challenging. Figuring out the bad guys, the good guys and such are usually fairly apparent as she often uses the same diversion tactics. though I did figure this one out early on I did hesitate to be sure a couple of times, I liked that.

Any additional comments?

This one has a good flow and as I mentioned has some nice twists and good strong ending. The sex is lighter than some of her other novels and well done. I think the reader does a good job, but maybe that's because his voice for the Chief of Police sounds just like a man who has been Sheriff of the small town I live in for many many years!.

Great story.

I had doubts that the main male character was good. But in the end everything was explained. Not as good as Mean Streak though.

The Best Mystery, Thriller & Romance!

I was so hooked on this from the beginning. It was so unpredictable. I love stories like these. This was my first Sandra Brown, but for sure, not my last!

CHILLING SUSPENSE!!!!!!

My very favorite Sandra Brown book to date!!! I have actually listed to this book at least three times over the last few years!!! The narrator did an excellent job throughout the entire book. Sadly, a narrator can either make or break a book regardless of how good it is. Lang did an awesome job!!!! The plot is unpredictable and edge of your seat suspenseful! This is definitely a must listen!!!

Snowed in with serial killer

Would you listen to Chill Factor again? Why?

I enjoyed this book. There were some twists and turns but it kept my interest. I liked it so much that I ordered Low Pressure also by Sandra Brown. There were 3 or 4 stories going at the same time so it stayed exciting and I couldn't wait to get back to the different sub-stories. This one kept you guessing all the way to the end.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Chill Factor?

It grabbed me from the very beginning at the grave site. I was on the edge of my chair when she went out to the shed to get more wood.

Which character – as performed by Stephen Lang – was your favorite?

I liked Ben Tierney although I was not sure if he was the good guy or the bad guy. It kept me wondering There were so many possibilities of who was killing those girls.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Snowed in until rescued by a man you believe may be a serial killer.

A great book always makes me cry at the end

Sandra brown starts right off on this one , making you question what is really going on. She holds you right to the end with multiple dramas and romance. I wanted to listen to the end first since I was getting knots in my stomach hoping things were not as they seemed ! My tears at the end proved another winner for Sandra brown.