Have you ever been cold? I mean REAL cold! I was stationed at Grand Forks, North Dakota for a couple of years while in the Air force, and I remember driving to work and the weatherman on the radio is giving out exposure alerts because the temperature was 68 below zero! I used to think that was cold! The title of this Chuck Logan novel - Absolute Zero - says it all. Absolute Zero is MINUS 459.67 degrees - now that's COLD! The plotline of this book is: Ex-cop Phil Broker takes a break from managing his small Minnesota resort to fill in for his uncle as a wilderness guide leading three City-Boys who won a state lottery, giving them a license to hunt Moose in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. This is a "real" place - I used to take Boy Scouts on canoe trips into that area, in the summer - never in the winter! Where was I? Oh Yeah, before they can get to the hunting ground, a freak October blizzard overtakes them while they are on the water (not a good place to be!)and destroys most of their gear and injures one of the men. As the guide it is up to Broker to get the man to safety and a hospital. Something goes wrong, and the man ends up virtually "brain dead". The mystery unfolds from there! If you haven't guessed it yet - Chuck Logan lives in Minnesota (so he knows of what he speaks - or writes). He seems to have a keen way with words, a master storyteller, he keeps you on the edge of excitement of an adreniline rush with his colorful and realistic descriptions of events and the locations. While never really slowing down, he gives you time to get to know the characters intimately. I think, that given a chance, Chuck Logan could become as synonymous with "suspence thrillers" as John Grisham is with "legal thrillers". If your searching for an audio with first-rate characterization and a compelling plot - give this one a try ---------
aBRIDGED - 4 CASSETTES = 6 HOURS - READ EXCELLENTLY BY J.K. SIMMONS.
I had never read this author before. His writing style can sometimes be hard to follow, but he certainly keeps the suspense mounting, and you are hard pressed to guess the endings to some very complicated relationships. I would certainly read his other books.
Good plot. Medical mystery plus lots of action. Likable characters.
I listened to this audio version of the book. Superbly read by actor J. K. Simmons, on 6 cassettes.
I listened to this audio version of the book. Superbly read by actor J. K. Simmons, on 6 cassettes.
What a snooze-fest. I have the audio version with 11 CDs. I got through the first one and gave up. For perspective, this is the first audio book, out of well over 100 I've consumed, that I could not finish. I assume that Mr. Gibson gets paid by the word. I give it one star.
