Each winter the crew at the Shackleton South Pole Research Facility faces nine months of isolation, round-the-clock darkness, and one of the most extreme climates on the planet. For thirty-something mechanical engineer Cass Jennings, Antarctica offers an opportunity to finally escape the guilt of her troubled past and to rebuild her life.
But the death of a colleague triggers a series of mysterious incidents that push Cass and the rest of the forty-four-person crew to the limits of their sanity and endurance. Confined and cut off from the outside world, will they work together or turn against one another? As the tension escalates, Cass must find the strength to survive not only a punishing landscape but also an unrelenting menace determined to destroy the station – and everyone in it.
THE WINTER OVER This was my kindle first pick for January, it was a no-brainer for me- I love the Marty Singer series by this author. This book was a big disappointment, I struggled to finish it. It started out great, I liked the main character, Cass, and her interactions with the rest of the crew. No spoilers here, as the story progressed, the main premise seemed very improbable. By the time I finished the book, I really didn’t care who had caused all the mayhem, I just wanted it to end.
It’s a frigid hellhole at the bottom of the world. And there’s a waiting list! It’s difficult to explain why I picked this Kindle First book. I’ve never been sufficiently interested in the Antarctic to read anything about it and I’m not normally much of a thriller fan. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engrossed in the details of how survival (of a sort) is made possible for the scientists and support staff who live there to perform research that cannot be accomplished anywhere else on earth.Â
Finely Written Novel Overcomes Fractures Author Matthew Iden started out well, framing a thriller with a compelling story and backdrop that kept me enthusiastically reading until about 80% into the story. At that point, the foundation began to crack and, if not for the power of the author’s prose, might have caused the story to tumble to the ground. Here’s why, without spoilers:Â