David Axton

Icebound is a departure from Dean Koontz’s usual horror genre…but not by very much. It can easily be called a techno-thriller. The story follows the experiences of a group of Arctic explorers who are on a mission to blast off an iceberg from the ice cap but unfortunately get trapped on ice when a tsunami occurs. Two further problems are that the detonation charges are sealed in the ice and that there is a murderer amongst them. Who that is becomes evident and the yarn just keeps getting show more more complicated with the addition of a Russian submarine rescue mission. The scientists remain trapped on the iceberg with the charges set to go off at midnight. Dean has given us a group of characters that we don’t want to see blown to smithereens but it’s not looking good. All we can do is keep reading in the slim chance that hope will win over despair. It a tense and unforgettable read. show less

4.25 stars

Scientists have gone to the Greenland Arctic to do some testing on the ice. While they are there, an earthquake hits directly below, breaking off a large iceberg from the edge, exactly where the majority of the scientists are working. They are left with no shelter (their main shelter was further “inland”, and their temporary shelters are destroyed). A huge storm has blown in, making rescue difficult as the scientists float away on their prison of ice. In the meantime, as part show more of their testing, they have planted bombs that will detonate in 12 hours…

This was really good. I was on edge throughout almost the entire book. It was very quick to get through, and very exciting and nerve-racking. It was originally written in the 70s, but Koontz has rewritten it slightly to update it to the 90s when the edition I read was published. This is probably my favourite Koontz book that I’ve read so far. show less

ICEBOUND
Icebound, by Dean Koontz, is a story about a group of international scientists stationed in the Arctic who are conducting a feasibility experiment. Their assignment is to plant a dozen high explosives in such a manner as to break off a portion of the ice cap and then have it towed, with the aide of prevailing ocean currents, to a location where it can be melted and the fresh water used to irrigate arid regions of the earth. However, a subterranean earthquake and resulting tsunami show more breaks off a larger chunk than expected, which includes the entire team of researchers, the already implanted bombs set to explode at midnight, and sets then adrift. A severe storm also hits the crew. How can they survive when they don’t have enough fuel to keep them warm until midnight or enough time to disarm all the bombs? It is a race against time for their lives.
The group includes a young adventurer whose uncle was a former American President who had been assassinated and whose family had experienced other terrible tragedies, a woman with a phobic fear of ice, an East Asian with an extreme hatred of all things Communist, and, to complicate things, a psychotic murderer within their ranks and a Russian spy submarine coming to their rescue. Not everyone survives.
A well written, suspense filled novel which makes me glad I live in Florida. show less

Not what I expected from Koontz, but not too bad over all. Too many characters with too many “issues” to create an artificial feeling of suspense where it wasn’t needed. Let the story speak for itself. Anyway, wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read, but wasn’t the worst either.