Today I start my 13th book for Dorte's excellent 2010 Global Reading Challenge. I'm aiming for the 'Expert' level - to read two novels from each of the six continents, trying to read and review novels from 12 different countries if possible (and new-to-you authors), as well as two novels set in Antarctica - so a total of 14 books from 14 different authors (from 12+ countries).
So I'm closing in on completion - one South American book to go for me, once I finish THE ICE LIMIT, the Antarctica-set novel I'm about to begin. THE ICE LIMIT is written by the the action/thriller writing duo of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. It's unfortunate that there don't appear to be any/many out and out murder mysteries or crime thrillers set in the frozen south - most books I've come across there seem to be more action thriller novels. But hey, it's good to have a change now and then - just a shame I couldn't keep things purely 'crime and mystery' the whole way through the competition.
The blurb for THE ICE LIMIT says, "On a desolate island off the southern coast of Chile, an incredible discovery is made: a gigantic meteorite, the largest ever found, entombed in the earth for millions of years.
Half a world away, billionaire entrepreneur Palmer Lloyd decides he must have it as the centerpiece of his grandiose new museum. He is willing to pay any price--in dollars and in lives. Getting it back to New York poses a particular challenge: It will be the heaviest object ever moved by humankind.
Fueled by Lloyd’s money, an audacious expedition takes shape. Disguising a state-of-the-art ship as a rusted freighter, the expedition secretly heads southward with a fail-safe plan to steal the meteorite from Chile. Leading the group is an inscrutable engineer hired by Lloyd, and a world-famous meteorite hunter whose career was shattered by a controversial theory.
Fueled by Lloyd’s money, an audacious expedition takes shape. Disguising a state-of-the-art ship as a rusted freighter, the expedition secretly heads southward with a fail-safe plan to steal the meteorite from Chile. Leading the group is an inscrutable engineer hired by Lloyd, and a world-famous meteorite hunter whose career was shattered by a controversial theory.
Soon, along the icy rim of Antarctica, in the grip of a frozen hell, the adventurers are confronted with a terrifying enigma about the origin--and nature--of the meteorite. It is a mystery they must solve--if they are to escape with their lives."
I don't mind a bit of action/adventure reading, so it should be an interesting read. You can read the first chapter of THE ICE LIMIT for yourself here. Has anyone else read any of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston's co-written work? What do you think?
I just finished Sarah Andrews' IN COLD PURSUIT which was an actual murder mystery set in Antarctica - I was quite pleased to find a non-thriller style book in the setting and it was a pretty good book too.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Child/Preston books I really liked the ones I have read, which amounts to three of their series featuring FBI Agent Pendergast - they're solid stories with a hint of horror/supernatural element which I don't mind on occasion.