Review: Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (audio)

Title: Ice Cold   

Author: Tess Gerritsen   

Series: Rizzoli & Isles, #8  

Narrator: Tanya Eby   

Published: June 2010, Brilliance Audio  

Length: 10  hours  

Source: Library 

A spur-of-the-moment ski
trip becomes a bone-chilling nightmare when a wrong turn leaves Boston
medical examiner Maura Isles marooned—far from home and help—in the
snowbound Wyoming mountains. Seeking shelter from the cold, she and her
traveling companions stumble upon Kingdom Come—a remote village of
identical houses that seems to have become a ghost town overnight. But
the abandoned hamlet has dark secrets to tell, and Maura’s party may not
be as alone as they think. Days later, word reaches Boston homicide cop
Jane Rizzoli that Maura’s charred remains have been found at the scene
of a car crash. But the shocking news leaves Jane with too many
questions, and only one way to get answers. Determined to dig up the
truth, she heads for the frozen desolation of Kingdom Come, where
gruesome discoveries lie buried, and a ruthless enemy watches and waits.

My thoughts: As I make my way through this series, I have to say that I think this has been my favorite book so far. Right from the very beginning, I was hooked and found myself totally immersed in the storyline. I was also excited to get to this book because it answered a few remaining questions I had when I read the latest book in the series, Last to Die, last year. 

This book had me literally chilled to the bone at times – there were so many twists and turns and at times the story took on a real sense of horror. The whole cult thing was utterly fascinating and once again, Tess really does her research on this backstory. All of this, coupled with the ending, really has this book sticking with me long after I finished it.

What I really loved about this book is that it really shows the friendship that has developed between Jane and Maura. Jane has a really hard time when she is first told that Maura is dead. She heads out to Wyoming to look into things and even after she gets back to Boston, isn’t willing to leave things alone. At the same time, Maura, still alive and fighting for her life, makes a call to the one person she knows can help her – Jane. 

From the non-stop action to the character development, this book has been the best in the series, in my opinion. I look forward to reading the rest of the books, but am not sure anything can top this book. Do you have a favorite in this series?

Audio Thoughts: This is the second audio book I’ve listened to with Tanya Eby narrating and I really like listening to her. She is able to create unique voices for the characters and infuse just the right amount of tension and emotion when needed – which is good for a thriller.

Books in this series:

1. The Surgeon                                7.  The Keepsake            
2. The Apprentice                          8.  Ice Cold
3. The Sinner                                    9.  The Silent Girl
4. Body Double                                9.5  Freaks
5. Vanish                                            9.7  John Doe
6. The Mephisto Club                    10.  Last to Die