Ice [NOOK Book]

( 202 )
NOOK Book (eBook)
$6.99
BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Overview

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
... See more details below

More About This Book

Overview

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.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345517210
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 11/10/2009
  • Sold by: Random House
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 224
  • Sales rank: 19,465
  • File size: 2 MB

Meet the Author

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, and Dying to Please. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.


From the Hardcover edition.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One


The place never changed.

Gabriel McQueen actually liked that about his hometown, Wilson Creek, Maine. He liked the continuity of it, the security, the solidarity. He liked that his seven-year-old son, Sam, was seeing the town almost exactly as Gabriel himself had seen it growing up. He liked that Sam was building some of the same memories he had.

He liked the little town as it looked during the march of seasons: the budding of spring, the green of summer, the rioting colors of autumn when the twin white steeples pierced a deep blue sky, but his favorite time of the year was right now. The last few weeks leading up to Christmas were special, when excitement and anticipation seemed to grip everyone and the little kids were almost giddy from it all. He could barely wait to see Sam enjoying the same things he’d enjoyed at that age.

He drove his black four-wheel-drive Ford F-250 through the town square, smiling as he saw that every storefront was decorated with tinsel and twinkling multicolored lights, that the big fir tree in front of the courthouse was festooned with so many lights that it looked like a solid blaze that even the cold, steady, miserable mist of rain dripping from the ugly leaden sky couldn’t dim.

There was an empty parking space at the end of the metered row in front of the courthouse, and he squeezed the big pickup between the white lines. Jamming his weatherproof cap on his head, he got out and fed enough change into the old-fashioned meter to buy him two hours. He wouldn’t be there that long, but he erred on the side of caution because it would be embarrassing as hell for the sheriff’s son to get a parking ticket in front of the courthouse on his first day home—not to him, but to his father. Not embarrassing his father was well worth a couple of quarters.

The mist of rain blew in his face; the last weather report he’d checked predicted snow later on tonight when the temperature dropped. Ducking his head against the wind, he quick-timed up the courthouse steps, opened the double glass doors, then took the stairs on the right down to the basement. The sheriff’s department still occupied the basement of the courthouse even though the jail was on the top floor and the arrangement was damned inconvenient, but that was how things had always been and Gabriel figured they would still be that way when he died.

The sheriff’s department was the first door on the left. The door opened into an area filled with four desks, three women, and a lot of attitude. Behind them was another door, and stenciled on it was Harlan McQueen, Sheriff. The stencil had been done almost thirty years before, and in some places the lettering was almost gone, but Gabriel knew his dad was thinking of retiring—had been for the past five or ten years—so, as a thrifty Mainer, he didn’t see any sense in having the doors relettered.

All three women looked up when Gabriel entered, their faces immediately wreathing in smiles. All three jumped up with disconcertingly girlish squeals, considering the youngest was a good fifteen years older than he was, and rushed at him; you’d think he hadn’t seen any of them in a year, instead of just two months. Somehow he managed to almost get his arms around them all; he was a big guy, but three women were a lot for any man, especially when one of the women was pleasantly hefty.

Two of the women wore brown sheriff’s department uniforms; Judith Fournier and Evelyn Thomas were sisters, and their resemblance was strong enough that when they were in uniform and their hair was pulled back and secured per regulations, they were almost indistinguishable. Patsy Hutt, the queen of the outer office, was soft and round and crowned with snow-white hair. Today she wore thick-soled boots, jeans, and a wool sweater decorated with sequined snowflakes. She looked like the most benign woman in the world, but Gabriel had a very clear memory of her swatting his ass when he was about seven and full of self-importance because his dad was the sheriff.

Among the three women, they controlled the outer office and access to the sheriff, ran most of the department, and knew everything there was to know about everyone in the county.

“It’s about time you got here,” Patsy scolded. “I was getting worried, with you driving in and meeting this storm head-on.”

“Storm?” He went on alert, adrenaline surging. “I checked the weather forecast before I headed out; the rain was supposed to turn to snow tonight, but that was all.” That had been this morning, at a motel in Pennsylvania. Before leaving North Carolina he’d put snow tires on his truck because, hell, December in Maine meant snow. That was a no-brainer. Since leaving, though, he’d been listening to XM, so he wasn’t up to the minute on the weather forecast.

Patsy’s concern meant something, however. Mainers were accustomed to winter weather and knew how to handle it, so any looming storm severe enough to get their attention told him a lot about the potential for danger.

Before she could answer, the door behind them opened and all four looked around. “Gabe,” said his father, a wealth of affection and something close to relief in his lined face, and Gabriel tore himself from the clutches of the outer-office tyrants to stride across the floor. He exchanged a brief bear hug with his dad, they clapped each other on the back, then Harlan said, “I’m glad you made it. The weather is turning nasty in a hurry and I need help.”

Gabriel’s level of alertness ratcheted upward several more degrees. If Harlan McQueen was admit-ting he needed help, then something serious was going on.

“You got it,” he said as they moved on into Harlan’s office, which tended more toward cramped than spacious. The county hadn’t splurged on the department’s offices, that was for damn certain. “What’s up?”

His father’s sharp gaze showed appreciation for Gabriel’s unhesitating support and willingness to act. When he’d been younger, that natural inclination toward action—any action—had sometimes landed his ass in hot water, but as a sergeant in the military police, he’d been able to channel that aggression and decisiveness into the job, which was good for both him and the army.

“This damn weather system is dipping our way,” Harlan said tersely. “We were supposed to get snow, with the ice staying northeast, but now the weather service is saying we’re going to get hammered by the ice. They issued the storm warning just a little over an hour ago, and we’re scrambling to get ready, plus there’s an accident tying up three deputies when I can’t spare even one.”

Shit, an ice storm. Gabriel was on full alert now, his eyes narrowing, his stance subtly shifting as if he could take on the storm in a bare-knuckle brawl. Ice was ten times worse than a blizzard, in terms of damage. Maine had taken two hits from ice in the past ten or twelve years, but both times the storm had missed this area. That was good then, but bad now, because it meant there was a lot of weakened timber that had been spared before but would now be coming down under the weight of the ice, crushing cars and houses, taking down power lines and leaving hundreds of square miles in the cold and dark. Ice was like a crystal hurricane, destroying everything it touched.

“What can I do?”

“Drive out to the old Helton place and check on Lolly. I haven’t been able to get her on her cell phone, and she may not know this weather system has shifted our way.”

Lolly Helton? Gabriel almost groaned aloud. Of all the people—

“What’s she doing here?” he asked, trying to disguise his sudden hostility, which was the way Lolly Helton had always affected him. “I thought the whole family had moved away.”

“They did, but they kept the house for summer vacations. Now they’re thinking about selling it, and Lolly’s here to check things out and, hell, what difference does it make? She’s out there by herself, with no way of calling for help if she gets hurt.”


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 202 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(52)

4 Star

(51)

3 Star

(48)

2 Star

(30)

1 Star

(21)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 203 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 15, 2009

    Worst Linda Howard book ever

    This is without a doubt the worst thing Linda Howard has written. I prefer any of her Silhouette romances (Diamond Bay, Heartbreaker, Sarah's Child, Almost Forever, etc) to this piece of junk book. It is truly an awful, awful story. I cannot believe Linda Howard wrote it. The characters are boring, the idea of meth addicts as threats is done poorly, the hero is marginal and the ending is terrible.

    This book makes the disappointment of Burn seem nonexistent. Linda Howard has always had great heroes, dynamic women and stellar dialogue. This book has none of those elements. Do not waste your money or your precious time on this terrible book.

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted January 15, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Not in league with her other books

    I love reading anything by this author. But this book wasn't one of them. It wasn't very long, and it could of ended a little better.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2011

    Really liked it but too short!

    I liked the characters and loved the plot. Only complaint was it was more of a short story than a full novel. Its only about 100 pages. Would have loved to see the characters and story fully develop.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 12, 2010

    Not Worth Buying

    I would not recommend this book. Usually like this author but it wasn't what I expected.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 30, 2009

    EXCELLENT

    This was the first book I read by Linda Howard. It was definetely a page turner. It held your interest all the way. A must read for all mystery readers.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 23, 2009

    Linda, you have let me down!!!!

    I'm sorry to say but this book was awful. Whenever a Linda Howard book comes out I try to be first in line to purchase. After this book I will rent from the Library first to see if it worth spending the money.
    The book was mostly narrative and the characters were never really evolved. For all the struggles Lolly & Gabriel endured, Darwin & Niki were able to accomplish with no trouble at all. For the price I paid, $22.00 for 198 pages, I was totally disappointed. I hope Ms. Howard's next outing is more successful.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 12, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    A CHILLING THRILLER

    Broadway and television actor Fred Sanders delivers a chilling reading of this story of two people seemingly trapped in a killing ice storm. Of course, the setting is frigid but it's Sanders's professional delivery that takes the story to sub zero heights off suspense.

    Mystery maven Linda Howard has delivered a shorter than usual tale with ICE, but it starts off with a hook and keeps you guessing until the last sentence. Gabriel McCain was looking forward to coming home from the service to Wilson Creek, Maine. He liked his small town - it was solid, secure, and he was pleased that his 7-year-old son, Sam, was growing up in this environment. It was holiday time; he couldn't wait to see Sam and his dad, Harlan, the town's sheriff.

    However, his welcome home was brief because Harlan had a job for him - go out into the middle of nowhere during an impending major storm and make sure Lolly Helton is safe. The elder McCain hasn't heard from her in a while and he's concerned since she's out there alone, looking over the Helton house prior to selling it. Lolly was one of the last people Gabriel wanted to see but he could hardly say no to the sheriff! So, he went into a storm that even to hardy Mainers could mean danger and death.

    "Ice was ten times worse than a blizzard, in terms of damage. Maine had taken two hits from ice in the past ten or twelve years, but both times the storm had missed this area. That was good then, but bad now, because it meant there was a lot of weakened timber that had been spared before but would now be coming down under the weight of the ice, crushing cars and houses, taking down power lines and leaving hundreds of square miles in the cold and dark. Ice was like a crystal hurricane, destroying everything it touched."

    It's near dark when he arrives at the Helton home. Ever on alert he sees strangers inside the house, one of them is armed. By sheer dint of luck and courage he's able to get Lolly out of the house, but out means literally outside, trapped and hunted in an unforgiving ice storm. How could they possibly survive?

    - Gail Cooke

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 20, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Truly Uninspiring!

    Wow - hard to beleive that this was really written by Linda Howard. How could the prolific writer that brought us the likes of "All the Queens Men" have written something so boring? Very short story, more like a novella. So brief that I finished it in a matter of hours. The story was OK, but could have been fleshed out signigicantly. The entire story takes place within 1 night. Don't bother buying - wait for the library instead.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 15, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    9780399155215 9780345453853 9781420100501

    Ice

    I love all Linda Howard's books but this book although good was just a little too short. I would have like it to have gone a little further into lolly and Gabriel's courtship but it didn't. The ice storm and cold struggle and the fighting with the drugged out killers was exciting and the romantic scene in the bathroom was good but it all was just a little to soon. They didn't really have a lot of time to get re-aquainted after 15 years it should have taken a little longer before the love scene and boom the ice storm was over they walked down the mountain and Lolly met Sam, another bathroom scene and the book was over. I needed just a little more keep me on the edge of my seat writing. I still would recommend the book because Linda Howard is great.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 14, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    9780778324492 9780778324904 9780778322979 9780778324294 9780778326571

    Melting Ice

    I love Linda Howard's earlier works but it seems her contemporary work has really struggled. This book was OK- I wish it were longer and involved getting to know Lolly and Gabriel and his son after the cabin incident. I dislike disaster stories/movies and the plot could have been expanded more. Three or four more chapters of them trying to restart their lives would have been so great. Readable? Yes. Forgettable? Yes.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 29, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    This is an exciting fast-paced romantic suspense

    Gabriel McQueen drives up from North Carolina to spend the holidays with his family in Wilson Creek, Maine. The widowed soldier looks forward to time with "Gran", his dad the sheriff and his son Sam. However, his father asks him to take a quick run up to the Helton family cabin to make sure Lolly Helton, who went up there to pick ups some items, but should have returned by now and is out of phone contact, is all right as a nasty storm is coming.

    As Gabe muses back to his icy childhood rivalry with Lolly while driving to her cabin, she is in danger trapped by two irrational meth addicts. Gabe quickly assesses the situation on the ground and uses his military training and experience to extract Lolly from the house and the enemy. However, as covertness as he was, the two maniacal thugs go after them.

    This is an exciting fast-paced romantic suspense with the frozen isolated location enhancing the perilous situation. Gabe is a terrific heroic protagonist although it is convenient to have his background in extraction and survivability under harsh conditions. Lolly still rips skins form him as he discovers how to melt the Ice and prevent further epidermis loss by kissing her. Although the addicts are stereotypes fans will enjoy Linda Howard's quick by exhilarating survival of the fittest thriller.

    Harriet Klausner

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 25, 2012

    Cool Read

    I enjoyed this book. The romance sizzled and the tension ofbeing stranded with freaky meh heads in a rage just put the icing on the cake

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2012

    Does any clan own the "ice" search results?

    Well its what the title says. Does any clan the "ice" search results?

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2012

    Wolfs

    Some wolfs enter they see cats strinh at them one wolf te leaders wispers "we shall destroy these cats or elese ice pack wont survive" the leader is blues with icy blue spots and eyes. A red wolf with dark stripes and onyx eyes stars at the cas angrly then saydls to the blue wolf "we must attack frost you hurt our packs honor by running away". Frost poders for a moument. "tiger we are not ment t be here athpr result would do" he replied. Then tiger a black wolf with red eyes a red wolf with red stripes and blue eyes te sandy she wolf with a black cub a red cub d a blie cub broke out fighting soon they are alk dead except frost the leader he heads of to antoher result

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 24, 2012

    Kate

    She screams as he drags her away

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 23, 2012

    Silerfur

    Hey

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 24, 2012

    The warriors

    Kaye comrade run away

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 19, 2012

    Rainnose!

    Hi! Can I join? I am a gray she-cat with sky-blue eyes.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 13, 2012

    Don't waste your time or money

    This was the worst book I have ever read. Short without a true plot or storyline to engage your interest in the characters. All action takes place in a 24 hour period so don't expect any character development. A major disappointment from a favorite author (Dream Man, Open Season, Mr. Perfect). 1 Star only because you cannot give a 0.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 12, 2012

    Firestrike

    Hi can i join?

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 203 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit