Ice Cold

Rizzoli & Isles, Book 8

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Something terrible has happened in the snowbound village of Kingdom Come, Wyoming, where 12 eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned. Meals remain untouched on dining room tables, cars are still in garages, and the town's residents have vanished into thin air. This is the disturbing setting where vacationing medical examiner Maura Isles and her traveling companions find themselves trapped during a ferocious snowstorm. Thinking they've found a safe haven, they soon realize that they are not alone in the valley....someone is watching.

After one of their party is injured, Maura sets out to find help. But just as she leaves the village, she is attacked and dragged into the woods. A blow falls and the world goes black. Searching for her friend and colleague, police detective Jane Rizzoli's investigation leads her to the abandoned valley and a gruesome discovery. But it turns out Maura's not dead--she's on the run, forced to place her life in the hands of the unlikely savior who has kept her alive until now: a 16-year-old boy.

©2010 Tess Gerritsen (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Intelligent people behaving stupidly

I've always enjoyed Gerritsen's books and the characters of Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli. But this story is so full of holes and completely bizarre behavior that I kept listening just to discover what inane twists Gerritsen would add next. Maura is just plain whiney for the first part of the book -- is she surprised that having an affair with a Catholic priest is a recipe for heartache? -- and then we have to listen to endlessly banal conversations as she goes on an ill-fated road trip with an irresponsible medical colleague and his dysfunctional friends. Worst part is that Maura -- who comes across as prisisy and priggish -- is always a step ahead of these people in terms of foreseeing problems, and yet she lets Dr. Doug, aka Peter Pan, lead the group into one disaster after another. There's a ridiculous case of a corpse being misidentified that would have lasted about 30 seconds if someone had actually bothered to check dental records BEFORE the funeral -- what kind of investigators are these people? After an impressive body count and a few false "solutions" to the crimes, the story ends with a reference to some unspoken clue that will affect one of the character's futures. Is it something we're supposed to remember from a previous book? Or is it a starting-off point for the next novel? Either way, it's the final frustration in a frustrating novel.

Excellent

I think this was Tess's best, or at least the most entertaining book yet. There were some major problems with the story by todays technology. Maura would have done a dental exam and DNA test before declaring who a badly burned body belonged to. Putting that aside, I really enjoyed it. It ended with a real ending and yet left the story wide open for what is to come in the next book. Too many mystery/thriller writers lately have left stories just hanging. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to her next book in the series.

A first for me

Any enjoyment that I may have derived from the weak storyline was completely overshadowed by the stunningly poor performance of Tanya Eby. If you have not listened to any of Gerritsen's other novels, then you may not know the difference, but Anna Fields, Susan Denaker, and Kathe Mazur were sorely missed.

Hot Story

Let it be known that I was reading or listening to TG before she became famous for her TV show. This being the tenth book of TG that I have listened to I rank it in the upper middle.
I have always been interested in the stories that TG tells. I am not normally a mystery reader, but Tess always throws in enough weird stuff to keep my interest.

This story has plenty of the unusual. I like the village that is hidden in the middle of nowhere and then the entire population just disappears. The story about the lost boys. The reference to off Mormon sects. As some one who grew up in the seventies, I remember the Moonies and James Jones and Waco. Some people may think this stuff is way out there and the rape of young girls does not happen today. I suggest you listen to Jon Krakauer's Banner Under Heaven. I thought the story got very intense when the group was stuck in the middle of nowhere and they had to decide if they should amputate the leg of one of the badly injured party. Can you imagine trying to make that decision?

I wish I would have read this book, before I did a speech in high school on if you should look before you leap. I think Tess does a good job of showing what happens when you live with a devil may care attitude.

There where parts of the story that where very weak. but it was not enough to keep me from enjoying the book.

The narrator was not so good. She had most of her characters speaking in a cadence, At the end of each sentence there would be a pause like a comedian giving one liners. I expected to hear laughter or a drum roll.

My favorite Gerrtisen books are, Life Support, Gravity, The Surgeon and The Apprentice.

Could Have Been Better

Just OK. I was not all that entertained by this one. I finished it, but I was also able to put it down several times. There was just something missing and it was kind of bland. I actually skipped a chapter here and there not missing anything important. narration was pretty good.

Ice Cold

This book is very good and will hold your attention to the end. Gerritsen is good and this is no exception- It is worth your money and time and I highly recommend it .

enjoyed this

I almost didn't listen to this after reading the reviews but I took a chance because I liked Tess Gerritsen's other books in this series. I was glad I did. I enjoyed listening to it and the narrator was good as well.
I am not going to put much stock in bad reviews on audible from now on.

Good story, not a fan of the narrator.

I enjoyed the story after following the Rizzoli and Isles series closely (book and television series) but could not get into the narrator. She was ok at distinguishing characters but somewhat monotone or robotic.

A great listen

Excellent narration, great story with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommended for a summer afternoon or evening.

I enjoy the Rizzoli and Isles series!

After completing the blockbuster Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles I need some lighter listening. Ice Cold fills the bill nicely. This novel is set in the Wyoming winter rather than Boston. Maura Isles goes missing and Jane Rizzoli searches for her. The novel is excellent as is the narration.

Riveting thriller

This is one of those books that captured my attention and carried me along unable to stop returning to the recording until I reached the end; and then I felt sorry that the story was over as I'd felt so involved with the plight of forensic pathologist Maura Isles and the quest to find her by her police-woman friend, Jane Rizzoli. It's a great listen with surprising twists and turns necessary to any good thriller. The reader is excellent.

Books are so much better than the TV series

What did you like most about Ice Cold?

I couldn't put it down, listened to it in one session.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the location

Which character – as performed by Tanya Eby – was your favourite?

Maura of course

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

Yes, I enjoyed listening to the different and complicated relationships unfolding...

Any additional comments?

I was put off this author initially as I hated the TV series with its impossibly glamorous and thoroughly unrealistic duo. The characters in the books are far more complex and dark and the bond between them is so well developed. Promptly bought more in the series as soon as I had finished this one

One of my favourite Rizzoli and Isles books.

Any of the Rizzoli and Isles books get top marks in my view, and this is another good job by the author. I also think Lorelei King is one of the best narrators out there. Top marks for her as well.

brilliant listen

this was a great listen and it was the type of thriller i love.It has everything suspense and a gripping storyline.Highly recommended

Ice Cold

Tanya Eby is a great story teller and the book had me gripped from the moment I started to listen to it. I have read some of Tess Gerritsen books previously, but I will be definitely be looking out for more by this author to listen to.

Ice Cold - good thriller

This one was a slow start for me and it took me a couple of hours listening to really get into, but once there, the plot quickened and I enjoyed the twists and turns. Not the best tess gerritsen I have come across, but a good thriller and worth investing some time on.

So frustrating and slow!

This book started off so well but it was so frustrating towards the end that I couldn’t possibly recommend it to anyone! It was so so slow and infuriating!! I wish I had never started it. I love this series but this book is absolute drivel and I hated it!!

Brilliant

I thoroughly enjoy all of the Books in this series. This one in particular had me on the edge of my seat from the start.
I was worried about the change in narrator, but it was a great performance.

Gripping

Fantastic book. Loved every minute , have recommended to all my friends and family. Highly recommended

good story

I didn't like the robotic voice of the narrator. otherwise, brilliant, as usual. Thank you.