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Daria Gibron #1
Ice Cold Kill
"Grabs you on page one and doesn't let you go until the final page!" ―Nelson DeMille on Crashers
Daria Gibron is a woman with a deadly past and an uncertain future. A former Shin-Bet agent now in exile in the U.S. and under the protection of the F.B.I., she works primarily as an interpreter. But Daria is a thrill junkie who can't resist the occasional freelance job as an operative―a habit that has left her with a trail of corpses behind her, and a few still living, very dangerous, high-powered enemies who would stop at nothing to get revenge. En route to an impromptu meeting with an old contact from her days in the Israeli Secret Service, Daria gets an unexpected and anonymous tipoff that she's about to walk into an ambush. Unsure who is after her, or why, she slips away from her followers and soon learns that she's been set up―and set up good. Someone has linked her to a much sought-after terrorist, and now all the resources of the U.S. intelligence community are being marshaled against her. As she tries to escape the ever-tightening snare laid out for her, someone else is using the operation against her as a distraction to hijack a very dangerous, highly guarded shipment. Now the only person who can keep this shipment from falling into terrorist hands is the one person they chose to set up as a diversion. Daria Gibron is many things―trigger-happy, resourceful, focused, and extremely dangerous ―but the one thing she isn't is anybody's fool. Ice Cold Kill is an espionage spy thriller from Dana Haynes.
Daria Gibron is a woman with a deadly past and an uncertain future. A former Shin-Bet agent now in exile in the U.S. and under the protection of the F.B.I., she works primarily as an interpreter. But Daria is a thrill junkie who can't resist the occasional freelance job as an operative―a habit that has left her with a trail of corpses behind her, and a few still living, very dangerous, high-powered enemies who would stop at nothing to get revenge. En route to an impromptu meeting with an old contact from her days in the Israeli Secret Service, Daria gets an unexpected and anonymous tipoff that she's about to walk into an ambush. Unsure who is after her, or why, she slips away from her followers and soon learns that she's been set up―and set up good. Someone has linked her to a much sought-after terrorist, and now all the resources of the U.S. intelligence community are being marshaled against her. As she tries to escape the ever-tightening snare laid out for her, someone else is using the operation against her as a distraction to hijack a very dangerous, highly guarded shipment. Now the only person who can keep this shipment from falling into terrorist hands is the one person they chose to set up as a diversion. Daria Gibron is many things―trigger-happy, resourceful, focused, and extremely dangerous ―but the one thing she isn't is anybody's fool. Ice Cold Kill is an espionage spy thriller from Dana Haynes.
343 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2013
11 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Dana Haynes
10 books99 followersDana Haynes is the author of nine published mysteries and thrillers from Bantam Books, St. Martin’s Press and Blackstone Publishing. His first short story appeared in the 2019 anthology for the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, and the second will hit the stands in 2021 in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. He is an award-winning newspaper journalist and former political speechwriter. His latest series kicked off in 2019 with “St. Nicholas Salvage and Wrecking.” It was followed in January 2021 with the sequel, “Sirocco.” Dana lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Katy King, and their cat, Violet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 11, 2014
I am in love with this series. Clearly political thrillers are my secret love that I never acknowledged until now! I do find it amusing I'm reading the series backwards - I started with the most recent, discovered this was the first to the "Daria Gibron" series, and found out that "Crashers" also mentions Daria. Onwards to the origin!
September 11, 2014
Dana Haynes is the author of two previous mystery/thrillers about an NTSB team investigating suspicious plane crashes. I very enjoyed both well written, fast paced adventures so I was intrigued when Haynes changed gears by writing a thriller about Daria Gibron, a female former Israeli Shin Bet operative in exile in the US; think the Jeremy Renner version of Jason Bourne meets Daniel Craig's James Bond. She's decidedly deadly and foxy with personality, wit, charm. What a combination!
The book is a high energy thrill ride with sub plots within sub plots of a terrorist attack. Haynes NTSB teams were excellent reads but I like the Daria Gibron very unique character better and plan to read the sequel shortly!
The book is a high energy thrill ride with sub plots within sub plots of a terrorist attack. Haynes NTSB teams were excellent reads but I like the Daria Gibron very unique character better and plan to read the sequel shortly!
November 6, 2014
In "Ice Cold Kill", Daria Gibron, who first surfaced in Dana Haynes NTSB thriller "Breaking Point" has a full length book of her own. Daria Gibron is a one woman wrecking crew. A spitfire in a pretty dress. A group of terrorists, with the high goals of causing a bio weapon disaster in order to foster an environment beneficial to their cause, is in the process of stealing a deadly influenza virus, and delivers a tip to the CIA that Daria Gibron is meeting with a known Syrian terrorist in New York City to supply him with a gun to be used to kill the President of the United States. The terrorists then send Daria a message to meet a friend in New York City. Its a big trap. The CIA scrambles a hit squad to take out Daria and the Syrian in New York City, but both the CIA and the terrorists have made a big mistake. Daria is just too good an operative to fall for this trap and immediately throws a monkey wrench in the plan.
When the bodies stop hitting the floor, Daria and the Syrian are in Paris hunting down the terrorists, while John Broom, a retiring CIA agent, is in Washington D.C. figuring out the plot.
The action is nonstop. Daria and the Syrian soon discover the real villains and try to thwart their plans, while John Broom pieces together the real bio weapon plot.
This is a great introduction to Daria Gibron.
When the bodies stop hitting the floor, Daria and the Syrian are in Paris hunting down the terrorists, while John Broom, a retiring CIA agent, is in Washington D.C. figuring out the plot.
The action is nonstop. Daria and the Syrian soon discover the real villains and try to thwart their plans, while John Broom pieces together the real bio weapon plot.
This is a great introduction to Daria Gibron.
October 20, 2024
Holy hell, this story was so much fun!!! A while back I was perusing through my local library’s used bookstore and purposely taking my time going through each shelf, looking to accumulate a good stack of future reads. I stumbled upon this one, Ice Cold Kill, and its sequel, Gun Metal Heart. I loved the title and the cover art. The description drew me in, and the fact that I was able to snag both was a massive win. It turns out they’d been withdrawn from the library, and I’m counting myself SO freaking lucky to have found them!!! If you want a story with a fantastic and strong female lead with great action scenes, seriously some of the best I’ve read so far this year, and a story that moves along at a good pace, check out this book!!! I can’t believe it’s not more well known and talked about considering it came out in 2013 because in my opinion it truly deserves loads more praise and love.
The prologue sets the tone perfectly as for what to expect going forward. An action scene that is incredibly easy to picture taking place in your imagination. We’re introduced to Daria Gibron, a former Shin-Bet agent, who lives in the US and has helped a handful of organizations over the years, from the FBI to the DEA to the ATF. It opens with Daria meeting her FBI handler, Ray Calabrese, at a wine bar to discuss her future as a freelance operator. He was expecting her at a later time, and the reason for why she was early brings about the first action scene of the story!
Daria was hired by a Portuguese import firm in need of a translator. Thanks to some connections that she trusts she gathers some information about the man she’s going to be meeting for the job. It turns out that it’s a trap, a retaliation for killing a major name in a drug cartel. The goons massively underestimate what Daria is capable of and she shows us, the reader, what she’s capable of!!
Two things here. First, I have to already give Dana Haynes a major kudos for being able to write such compelling material!!! I was intrigued the entire time and this prologue was the perfect meat hook. Second, it’s clearly been a while since I’ve read a book like this where some people are killed willy nilly because, I guess you could call me an empath, I felt bad for the first guy Daria killed! Probably sounds silly, but at the same time I have to admit it was badass. She locked herself in a room that’s accessible only by card reader with one of the three men that were going to ambush her. In order to buy some time and prevent the two men out in the hallway from entering she splays open the mans arm and lets the blood drip onto the card reader, rendering it useless. My first thought was, my god he’s gonna die. Then I reminded myself, this is that kind of story!! Like I said it was such an out of left field thought to have considering the type of book I knew this was likely to be, but I just thought I’d mention it!
Moving along! The first chapter introduces us to the story’s antagonist. Asher Sahar. He and his closest accomplice, Eli Schullman, are released from prison by a woman named Hannah. She explains that he is needed for a mission that would have massive worldwide ramifications. As the story progresses and the characters relive past memories it was fascinating finding out more about this sinister group that is out to do the things their own governments are unable to do.
I will say that this book could probably be categorized as an action adventure political drama. The political part is where I felt like I was glazing over sometimes. As the story pressed on various characters were introduced and luckily Dana Haynes does a great job at reminding the reader who is who, title wise. I feel that if I’d have read this about a decade or more ago, like in high school when I was far younger, I’d have been most looking forward to the action scenes. Much like movies, you sometimes just want to see the action. But now that I’m older I’m able to appreciate the slower beats of stories. The moments where it’s a lot of dialogue versus shoot ‘em up action left and right. That chance to breathe and get to know the characters more and their motivations and back stories, be it whether they’re horrifying or sad or maybe even a bit happy. Seeing how these various POVs and location jumps slowly but surely bring a handful of elements together in the later acts.. it’s always a sign of brilliant writing and this is showcased here tenfold!
Four months later, with Daria on vacation now that’s she free from having to do jobs for the FBI and officially an American citizen as a thank you for all the hard work she’s done, and with Asher having had plenty of time to prepare and plan for what’s to happen in the next few days, we start getting location jumps. Daria is making the most of her current job in Costa Rica helping as a translator for an oil magnate onboard a fancy yacht. She receives a message from an old friend who states that they need to meet in New York City and that it’s a matter of life and death. Little does she know that that message is from Asher, his way of bringing her into the fold of his operation. Meanwhile, Asher gets a notification from a turned Secret Service agent, Will Halliday, stating that the first phase of his operation has been put into play.
Following some damn good surveilling in NYC and yanking the CIA left and right, Daria runs into the other man who was going to be taking the fall as part of Asher’s operation, Khalid Belhadj, who luckily also got out of the blast radius of chaos that was all brought about by Daria. In time they cross the pond to Paris. All the while we’re introduced to a handful of characters in the “shark tank” beneath Langley monitoring the CIA operation at play, great characters who in time shape up to have notable personalities which is, again, great writing! John Broom, an analyst who wrote the file on Daria Gibron, Nanette Sylvester, the person in charge and show runner, Special Agent Owen Cain Thorson, who in time ends up with his own vendetta which is another fantastic layer added to the story, and Stanley Cohen, the assistant director for antiterrorism.
Act two features one of the best written action scenes I’ve read in recent memory. I kid you not. Daria and Belhadj, begrudgingly working together, track Ashar down to a run down building in Paris. Everything, as one would expect, goes to hell considering the severity in which Daria and Belhadj are on thin ice with targets on their backs. This action scene legitimately had me taking pictures of the pages to read them back whenever I think of random bits of the scene itself. Having it all play out in my imagination was a freaking treat and it made me cheer and smile for this main character named Daria Gibron. An outright badass!!! And the setup for the entire thing was just fantastic. All the while this moment had a ton of underlying tension and unease because of the reason as to why Will Halliday was involved. The object he took with him from the Secret Service vehicle that he was supposed to be transporting is something so deadly that the mercenaries had to setup an airtight room within a room at this refashioned building that’s serving as a safehouse.
Act three is just fantastic. The way everything connected with what was brought up in the past time jumps was awesome. This is one of those books that will be great to read again and I'm already looking forward to it. I’m most definitely keeping this forever. No way I’m getting rid of it, even to lend it to someone, not that I do such a thing anyway because I love my books so much! Call me crazy but if the book I’m holding in my hands, full of words printed onto hundreds of pages, gives me a eight to ten or more hours long story that is highly entertaining and brings my imagination alive with action scenes that gets me smiling ear to ear, I’m keeping such a winner.
Dana Haynes, never stop writing. Thank you for this story, and I can’t wait to break open Gun Metal Heart!!!!!
The prologue sets the tone perfectly as for what to expect going forward. An action scene that is incredibly easy to picture taking place in your imagination. We’re introduced to Daria Gibron, a former Shin-Bet agent, who lives in the US and has helped a handful of organizations over the years, from the FBI to the DEA to the ATF. It opens with Daria meeting her FBI handler, Ray Calabrese, at a wine bar to discuss her future as a freelance operator. He was expecting her at a later time, and the reason for why she was early brings about the first action scene of the story!
Daria was hired by a Portuguese import firm in need of a translator. Thanks to some connections that she trusts she gathers some information about the man she’s going to be meeting for the job. It turns out that it’s a trap, a retaliation for killing a major name in a drug cartel. The goons massively underestimate what Daria is capable of and she shows us, the reader, what she’s capable of!!
Two things here. First, I have to already give Dana Haynes a major kudos for being able to write such compelling material!!! I was intrigued the entire time and this prologue was the perfect meat hook. Second, it’s clearly been a while since I’ve read a book like this where some people are killed willy nilly because, I guess you could call me an empath, I felt bad for the first guy Daria killed! Probably sounds silly, but at the same time I have to admit it was badass. She locked herself in a room that’s accessible only by card reader with one of the three men that were going to ambush her. In order to buy some time and prevent the two men out in the hallway from entering she splays open the mans arm and lets the blood drip onto the card reader, rendering it useless. My first thought was, my god he’s gonna die. Then I reminded myself, this is that kind of story!! Like I said it was such an out of left field thought to have considering the type of book I knew this was likely to be, but I just thought I’d mention it!
Moving along! The first chapter introduces us to the story’s antagonist. Asher Sahar. He and his closest accomplice, Eli Schullman, are released from prison by a woman named Hannah. She explains that he is needed for a mission that would have massive worldwide ramifications. As the story progresses and the characters relive past memories it was fascinating finding out more about this sinister group that is out to do the things their own governments are unable to do.
I will say that this book could probably be categorized as an action adventure political drama. The political part is where I felt like I was glazing over sometimes. As the story pressed on various characters were introduced and luckily Dana Haynes does a great job at reminding the reader who is who, title wise. I feel that if I’d have read this about a decade or more ago, like in high school when I was far younger, I’d have been most looking forward to the action scenes. Much like movies, you sometimes just want to see the action. But now that I’m older I’m able to appreciate the slower beats of stories. The moments where it’s a lot of dialogue versus shoot ‘em up action left and right. That chance to breathe and get to know the characters more and their motivations and back stories, be it whether they’re horrifying or sad or maybe even a bit happy. Seeing how these various POVs and location jumps slowly but surely bring a handful of elements together in the later acts.. it’s always a sign of brilliant writing and this is showcased here tenfold!
Four months later, with Daria on vacation now that’s she free from having to do jobs for the FBI and officially an American citizen as a thank you for all the hard work she’s done, and with Asher having had plenty of time to prepare and plan for what’s to happen in the next few days, we start getting location jumps. Daria is making the most of her current job in Costa Rica helping as a translator for an oil magnate onboard a fancy yacht. She receives a message from an old friend who states that they need to meet in New York City and that it’s a matter of life and death. Little does she know that that message is from Asher, his way of bringing her into the fold of his operation. Meanwhile, Asher gets a notification from a turned Secret Service agent, Will Halliday, stating that the first phase of his operation has been put into play.
Following some damn good surveilling in NYC and yanking the CIA left and right, Daria runs into the other man who was going to be taking the fall as part of Asher’s operation, Khalid Belhadj, who luckily also got out of the blast radius of chaos that was all brought about by Daria. In time they cross the pond to Paris. All the while we’re introduced to a handful of characters in the “shark tank” beneath Langley monitoring the CIA operation at play, great characters who in time shape up to have notable personalities which is, again, great writing! John Broom, an analyst who wrote the file on Daria Gibron, Nanette Sylvester, the person in charge and show runner, Special Agent Owen Cain Thorson, who in time ends up with his own vendetta which is another fantastic layer added to the story, and Stanley Cohen, the assistant director for antiterrorism.
Act two features one of the best written action scenes I’ve read in recent memory. I kid you not. Daria and Belhadj, begrudgingly working together, track Ashar down to a run down building in Paris. Everything, as one would expect, goes to hell considering the severity in which Daria and Belhadj are on thin ice with targets on their backs. This action scene legitimately had me taking pictures of the pages to read them back whenever I think of random bits of the scene itself. Having it all play out in my imagination was a freaking treat and it made me cheer and smile for this main character named Daria Gibron. An outright badass!!! And the setup for the entire thing was just fantastic. All the while this moment had a ton of underlying tension and unease because of the reason as to why Will Halliday was involved. The object he took with him from the Secret Service vehicle that he was supposed to be transporting is something so deadly that the mercenaries had to setup an airtight room within a room at this refashioned building that’s serving as a safehouse.
Act three is just fantastic. The way everything connected with what was brought up in the past time jumps was awesome. This is one of those books that will be great to read again and I'm already looking forward to it. I’m most definitely keeping this forever. No way I’m getting rid of it, even to lend it to someone, not that I do such a thing anyway because I love my books so much! Call me crazy but if the book I’m holding in my hands, full of words printed onto hundreds of pages, gives me a eight to ten or more hours long story that is highly entertaining and brings my imagination alive with action scenes that gets me smiling ear to ear, I’m keeping such a winner.
Dana Haynes, never stop writing. Thank you for this story, and I can’t wait to break open Gun Metal Heart!!!!!
September 12, 2013
I loved the fast-paced and intriguing plot, the moral and ethical questions that were explored, the characters and they way they were developed over the course of the novel, the sharp dialog as well as the occasional unexpected humor. A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.
February 9, 2018
I liked the storyline and characters in the book in inverse proportion to its cover. The cover was cheesy, and I actually placed a sticky note over the picture of the woman, so I wouldn't be embarrassed when reading it in public. The content of the book was great. I didn't want to put it down, and I can't wait to read the next in the series.
January 7, 2020
Wow what a book! My first book read by Dana Haynes and the character Daria. From the first few pages you get hooked trying to piece together who has set Daria up and how she is going to figure it out. I really enjoyed the story line and characters in this book. I'll be looking forward to reading more books from Dana Haynes.
December 6, 2020
Not a dull moment in this book; Haynes keeps your attention and won't let you go until you are finished.
An observation: Relations between Israel and US were very cool during the Obama administration 2009-2017; likewise Israel and EU. The 'care' the US and EU might have had in 2013 for Israel appears to be a bit exaggerated in the book.
An observation: Relations between Israel and US were very cool during the Obama administration 2009-2017; likewise Israel and EU. The 'care' the US and EU might have had in 2013 for Israel appears to be a bit exaggerated in the book.
August 29, 2022
Another very enjoyable read from Dana Haynes, this one centered around on of the characters from Crashers.
Actually the coolest character, in my opinion, in maybe all of the thrillers I have read.
Spies, crossing and double crossing each other, from a variety of countries. Secret societies, super soldiers, weapons of mass destruction, traitors, this book has it all, and is a hoot to read.
Actually the coolest character, in my opinion, in maybe all of the thrillers I have read.
Spies, crossing and double crossing each other, from a variety of countries. Secret societies, super soldiers, weapons of mass destruction, traitors, this book has it all, and is a hoot to read.
August 24, 2020
I enjoyed it. I've never read any thrillers until I read Dana's Crashers.. but here I am. It's a lot of fun. Sorta like watching a James Bond film. I work at the Ledding Library in Milwaukie, and we had Dana come talk to us a few years ago... so there is a local connection as well.
May 20, 2017
what a great yarn i hopr there are more in the series
June 5, 2018
Action packed and fast paced. Reminded me of the Modesty Blaise series, which I also enjoyed. I have the second installment ready to read.
November 3, 2014
A book with a lot to say and if you pay close enough attention, you might just find something pretty darn enjoyable.
In Ice Cold Kill we are meet Daria Gibron, a woman with many talents and a deadly past. Daria is an adrenaline junkie, a former Shin-Bet agent who now live in the U.S. and is under the protection of the F.B.I., working as an interpreter. She has left in her wake a very long list of high-powered, dangerous enemies who will stop at nothing to get revenge.
On her way to a meeting with an old contact and friend, she gets a tip that she is about to walk into an ambush which sets off a series of events that carry the book to the end. She has no idea who to trust or even who is after her. She is being set up as a distraction so a group of terrorists can hijack a very dangerous, highly guarded shipment. Now, she is the only one that can stop them, as long as she doesn’t get herself killed in the process.
If you are a fan of the Jack Reacher series, or even the Jason Bourne series, you will probably really enjoy Ice Cold Kill. There are several points that will leave your head spinning with the amount of information being thrown at you. This was a little excessive at times and had a tendency to pull me out of the story, which is never a good thing. Daria, the main character was all over the place. First she trust no one, and on the next page, she is in bed with them. Not sure I liked this aspect of Haynes writing
I love a good thriller, but this one fell short for me. The action seemed forced and that wasn’t good, considering most of the book tried to be one action scene after another. There was a lot more telling the scene than showing the scene. I would have preferred to see a little more character development to make the story and the characters believable.
Overall a good read but not one I will be dying to read again.
In Ice Cold Kill we are meet Daria Gibron, a woman with many talents and a deadly past. Daria is an adrenaline junkie, a former Shin-Bet agent who now live in the U.S. and is under the protection of the F.B.I., working as an interpreter. She has left in her wake a very long list of high-powered, dangerous enemies who will stop at nothing to get revenge.
On her way to a meeting with an old contact and friend, she gets a tip that she is about to walk into an ambush which sets off a series of events that carry the book to the end. She has no idea who to trust or even who is after her. She is being set up as a distraction so a group of terrorists can hijack a very dangerous, highly guarded shipment. Now, she is the only one that can stop them, as long as she doesn’t get herself killed in the process.
If you are a fan of the Jack Reacher series, or even the Jason Bourne series, you will probably really enjoy Ice Cold Kill. There are several points that will leave your head spinning with the amount of information being thrown at you. This was a little excessive at times and had a tendency to pull me out of the story, which is never a good thing. Daria, the main character was all over the place. First she trust no one, and on the next page, she is in bed with them. Not sure I liked this aspect of Haynes writing
I love a good thriller, but this one fell short for me. The action seemed forced and that wasn’t good, considering most of the book tried to be one action scene after another. There was a lot more telling the scene than showing the scene. I would have preferred to see a little more character development to make the story and the characters believable.
Overall a good read but not one I will be dying to read again.
September 22, 2013
There are two things that you need to remember when you are reading this book. First, this is not the latest installment of the Crasher series; second, put all other books away and focus one hundred percent on this book or you are going to miss something important.
When Dana Haynes introduced Daria Gibron in his previous books, you knew that she was a character to be reckoned with. She has a past and very little of whom she is was revealed. That is until this book. The layers of Daria are slowly unfolded and the reader is taken on a roller coast ride.
Daria has been working under the protection of the FBI, but when a person contacts her from her Israeli Secret Service days, she has no idea what she is walking into. Her whole world is about to explode and she is trying to keep the collateral damage to a minimum. Unfortunately, she has no idea who she can trust.
Not a person with long term well thought out plans, Daria is literally in a fight for her life when she is being set up as a fall guy and apparently the only person that can prevent a holocaust when a highly specialized virus is stolen and is now in the hands of a sociopath. Unfortunately, this is not just any sociopath, this is a person that protected Daria’s young life and now she must choose the past or the present.
As the FBI and the CIA, plus a couple of other international acronyms and agencies, find the players and figure out the endgame, the world is on the brink of the annihilation of an ethnic group in a way that I did not even know was possible.
This is a phenomenal book. The pace is steady, the subject matter timely and even though you should not be laughing, the dry humor kicks in at just the right moments.
Dana Haynes is an author to keep an eye out for and add to you must read list.
When Dana Haynes introduced Daria Gibron in his previous books, you knew that she was a character to be reckoned with. She has a past and very little of whom she is was revealed. That is until this book. The layers of Daria are slowly unfolded and the reader is taken on a roller coast ride.
Daria has been working under the protection of the FBI, but when a person contacts her from her Israeli Secret Service days, she has no idea what she is walking into. Her whole world is about to explode and she is trying to keep the collateral damage to a minimum. Unfortunately, she has no idea who she can trust.
Not a person with long term well thought out plans, Daria is literally in a fight for her life when she is being set up as a fall guy and apparently the only person that can prevent a holocaust when a highly specialized virus is stolen and is now in the hands of a sociopath. Unfortunately, this is not just any sociopath, this is a person that protected Daria’s young life and now she must choose the past or the present.
As the FBI and the CIA, plus a couple of other international acronyms and agencies, find the players and figure out the endgame, the world is on the brink of the annihilation of an ethnic group in a way that I did not even know was possible.
This is a phenomenal book. The pace is steady, the subject matter timely and even though you should not be laughing, the dry humor kicks in at just the right moments.
Dana Haynes is an author to keep an eye out for and add to you must read list.
May 20, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Daria Gibron, FBI interpreter
SETTING: US; France
RATING: 3.5
Daria Gibron is a former Shin-Bet agent who is now in exile in the United States. Currently, she is working with the FBI as an interpreter with Ray Calabrese serving as her handler. Gibron is way too much of an adrenaline junkie to be tied to a desk and is prone to taking freelance jobs as an operative. She’s about to meet with a former contact in France when she is alerted by an anonymous source that she’s been set up. All hell breaks loose when she becomes associated with a Syrian agent, Khalid Belhadj. It appears that she is joining forces with a known terrorist and that they are planning to murder the President of the United States. Most of the intelligence community readily believes this scenario, although Calabrese insists that she is not a threat.
Gibron and Belhadj are involved in a high-stakes game of hide and seek. Initially distrustful of one another, they work together to overcome the threats against them. Most of the chaos is attributable to a Massad agent named Eli Schullman who has come up with an ingenious plan to hijack a lethal shipment. Only CIA agent John Broom has concluded that the real danger has to do with this shipment and not an assassination attempt.
Haynes does a good job of developing the relationship between Gibron and Belhadj, as well as revealing the motivations of their prey. The conclusion of the book is a bit over the top when you think about it, but one expects a certain level of implausibility in a thriller of this type. ICE COLD KILL is very fast paced, as befits a protagonist who is action personified and just about unstoppable.
SETTING: US; France
RATING: 3.5
Daria Gibron is a former Shin-Bet agent who is now in exile in the United States. Currently, she is working with the FBI as an interpreter with Ray Calabrese serving as her handler. Gibron is way too much of an adrenaline junkie to be tied to a desk and is prone to taking freelance jobs as an operative. She’s about to meet with a former contact in France when she is alerted by an anonymous source that she’s been set up. All hell breaks loose when she becomes associated with a Syrian agent, Khalid Belhadj. It appears that she is joining forces with a known terrorist and that they are planning to murder the President of the United States. Most of the intelligence community readily believes this scenario, although Calabrese insists that she is not a threat.
Gibron and Belhadj are involved in a high-stakes game of hide and seek. Initially distrustful of one another, they work together to overcome the threats against them. Most of the chaos is attributable to a Massad agent named Eli Schullman who has come up with an ingenious plan to hijack a lethal shipment. Only CIA agent John Broom has concluded that the real danger has to do with this shipment and not an assassination attempt.
Haynes does a good job of developing the relationship between Gibron and Belhadj, as well as revealing the motivations of their prey. The conclusion of the book is a bit over the top when you think about it, but one expects a certain level of implausibility in a thriller of this type. ICE COLD KILL is very fast paced, as befits a protagonist who is action personified and just about unstoppable.
June 15, 2013
Is this book is so very well written it was a fantasic read. Dana Haynes writes with non-stop action and wrote it from not just first person point of view but also writes as an ominpotent being he gives the reader all the details from not just from what Daria but from both sides of her surrondings of all the action taking place, plus its loaded with multipal characters and locations taking place in the story.
This is story an opertive who has helped with government agencies to go after terroris but this ends being the most wanted person on the planet. Daria is simiallar to Lisbon from the "The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo".and like "Ziva" from "NCIS" It was such great story because Haynes keeps story going strong from beginning to end.
This book lays out a story that may or may not be real possiablity yet a new type of flu virus crated that will only affect only one type of race or religion that Daria and her her old advisary from her past who she needs to team up to go after the biggest terroist in the middle east with the help of only one CIA analyst and a doctor that she doesn't even know.
This is story an opertive who has helped with government agencies to go after terroris but this ends being the most wanted person on the planet. Daria is simiallar to Lisbon from the "The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo".and like "Ziva" from "NCIS" It was such great story because Haynes keeps story going strong from beginning to end.
This book lays out a story that may or may not be real possiablity yet a new type of flu virus crated that will only affect only one type of race or religion that Daria and her her old advisary from her past who she needs to team up to go after the biggest terroist in the middle east with the help of only one CIA analyst and a doctor that she doesn't even know.
August 13, 2016
This prose Manga novel for adults is pure brain dessert. A multi-tiered conspiracy with international implications for world health and political stability, Ice Cold Kill is an original blend of espionage, martial arts, and every other thriller genre with rich layers of interpersonal entanglements and moments of humor.
There's one brief passage that clearly implies the aftermath of sexual activities between one of the main adult male characters and a "strawberry blonde girl." The term "girl" is used more than once when "young woman" would make the scene less creepy since the grown man is a good guy and not a pedaphile.
A few copyediting oversights of using stroke instead of strode; solder/soldier; contacting/contracting and change/chance as if the wrong words were inadvertently chosen from spelling/grammar check options. Otherwise, D.H. has crafted a flawless brain escape with a high body count and refreshingly little profanity.
There's one brief passage that clearly implies the aftermath of sexual activities between one of the main adult male characters and a "strawberry blonde girl." The term "girl" is used more than once when "young woman" would make the scene less creepy since the grown man is a good guy and not a pedaphile.
A few copyediting oversights of using stroke instead of strode; solder/soldier; contacting/contracting and change/chance as if the wrong words were inadvertently chosen from spelling/grammar check options. Otherwise, D.H. has crafted a flawless brain escape with a high body count and refreshingly little profanity.
October 16, 2014
Shades of Modesty Blaise (by Peter O'Donnell), this is one tough girl. An orphan, raised in the Middle East and recruited by a shadowy organization, Daria Gibron is famous in the espionage community as a killer and a survivor. She's heading to a meeting when things start to go wrong: an ambush, a long-lost figure from her past, terrorists, viruses and more infuse this story with an intensity that could be ripped from today's headlines. I could not put it down. She's tough but not unbelievably so, reminding me of a female John Rain (by Barry Eisler), beautiful but not annoyingly so and only immoral to the point it keeps her alive. The secondary characters are fun and quirky and yet add so much to the story in the organic way they add to the backstory that is not an infodump. Iloved it and will read his others as fast as I can get my hands on them.
January 19, 2016
Daria Gabron loves adrenaline. The former Israeli assassin finds herself framed for a plot against the president. This might disturb anyone else’s day, but Daria takes it all in stride as she cleverly escapes from capture by the CIA and French police. After discovering the presidential attack is a red herring, Daria uses her brains, brawn, and beauty to prevent another Jewish genocide.
A large cast of characters chase each other across contemporary continents and countries. The protagonist and her rivals are slightly rounded out throughout the book, but character development takes a back seat to the suspense. The continual travel keeps the plot moving towards new discoveries and an ever increasing sense of danger and risk. Recommended for anyone interested in a female driven James Bond tale.
A large cast of characters chase each other across contemporary continents and countries. The protagonist and her rivals are slightly rounded out throughout the book, but character development takes a back seat to the suspense. The continual travel keeps the plot moving towards new discoveries and an ever increasing sense of danger and risk. Recommended for anyone interested in a female driven James Bond tale.
March 13, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. I usually do not pick political thrillers as part of my normal reading genres, but I was extremely glad that I read this book. This book follows Daria Gibron, a deadly interpreter with a sketchy past, as she attempts to catch the man framing her for planning the latest terrorist attack. This book leads the reader on a fast paced game of cat and mouse that spans continents and leaves them questioning the definition of "the good guys". Hopefully we'll be hearing more from Daira and her friends in the future!
May 21, 2013
This is a fast paced, action packed political thriller with some complex moral issues to examine and yet I find myself waffling on the star rating between 3 and 4. I ought to like it well enough to go with 4 stars but I really didn't. I am not sure why but there you have it. I kept thinking I would probably like it better as a movie, it reads like a movie to me. Which can be a good thing but it appears I was just not in the mood for that style of writing at present and kept internally rolling my eyes at the incredible skill sets of the main characters. If I stumble across another Dana Haynes I would give it a go but this one just didn't fully reach me.
June 26, 2013
I got quite a kick out of this one. The characters were multidimensional and bad-ass. The action, fast-paced. The more I read, the more I liked it.
Belhadj and Daria were an extremely dynamic duo. They really played well off each other. Asher, was also an intriguing character. His role as villain was complex; his emotions regarding Daria, real.
The plot definitely made me think, while holding onto that crucial entertainment factor. Considering the author left some avenues open, I'm assuming there will be at least one sequel to this. I really hope there is. I want more of Belhadj and Daria, Asher and the Group, and John Broom.
Belhadj and Daria were an extremely dynamic duo. They really played well off each other. Asher, was also an intriguing character. His role as villain was complex; his emotions regarding Daria, real.
The plot definitely made me think, while holding onto that crucial entertainment factor. Considering the author left some avenues open, I'm assuming there will be at least one sequel to this. I really hope there is. I want more of Belhadj and Daria, Asher and the Group, and John Broom.
August 22, 2016
Actually more like 3.5 stars.
There were definitely some moments I thoroughly enjoyed, but they were counterbalanced by not frequent but still too many moments that made me cringe (where the author really tried too hard). I thought the book sounded interesting because I thought Daria Gibron sounded interesting, but she ended up less developed than I hoped and not in the story enough (maybe those issues go hand in hand...). In fairness, I was really hoping she would be like Samar Navabi from The Blacklist, so my expectations were probably misplaced.
A decent genre page-turner - I would read the next book if I could find it used.
There were definitely some moments I thoroughly enjoyed, but they were counterbalanced by not frequent but still too many moments that made me cringe (where the author really tried too hard). I thought the book sounded interesting because I thought Daria Gibron sounded interesting, but she ended up less developed than I hoped and not in the story enough (maybe those issues go hand in hand...). In fairness, I was really hoping she would be like Samar Navabi from The Blacklist, so my expectations were probably misplaced.
A decent genre page-turner - I would read the next book if I could find it used.
August 4, 2013
Daria Gibron is a former Shin Bet agent, now living in the US and working for the FBI. However, she occasionally takes on freelance jobs. When she receives a request to meet an old friend in New York she arrives at the airport but a page overhead warns her of a trap. Someone has set her up and now even the FBI believe she has gone rogue. I loved her ingenuity and ability to get out of tight jams. I found the book action packed and hard to put down. I love a resourceful intelligent heroine. Now I will have to look for earlier books written with this main character.
February 27, 2014
There is an intriguing character premise buried in the "24"-by-number suspense plot. Unfortunately, Mr. Haynes skims over anything resembling deep characterization and crams as many actions scenes as 341 pages will allow. A question did arise for me, however-- when an action film puts its heroine in a skimpy wardrobe (a thong and bra) doing ludicrous stunts, I assume it's for the visual spectacle-- but Mr. Haynes does this in his novel as well. He is anticating a movie adaptation (which, judging from the quality of this book isn't going to come)?
August 27, 2016
I did like this book. It was fast-paced and well written. Daria Gibron ends up being the main character here and she plays her role to the hilt. After being such a help to the crash teams in Haynes's previous books, she takes center stage in a book that alternates flashback to her childhood with her current mission. Using all her wiles and charms. she goes from ace to place taking care of business as only she can.
August 4, 2014
A good read. A convenient way to catch up with current weapons technology. Although the characterization was thought provoking, I thought the author relied on Matrix style costume iconography a bit too much. The book consists of four or five "battle" scenes fleshed out with some transitions and background material. It is rather simple and moves quickly with minimal depth. I did not find any life changing epiphanies in it.
December 29, 2013
Really loved this book. grabs you from the first page until the last. didn't want to put it down. Love the main character Daria. Well worth your money to buy this one you will not be disappointed with this book. I will be adding Mr Haynes to the list of good reads. Plan on purchasing her other books. can't wait for the next one. highly recommended.
March 31, 2013
I was delighted to receive this book from Goodreads Giveaway!
This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, with the many twists and turns throught-out the book. I had a hard time put this book down.
This international plot of the Israeli Secret Service and FBI, and the daring adventures remind me of Dan Brown books. I would highly recommend this book, it was a fanastic read.
This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, with the many twists and turns throught-out the book. I had a hard time put this book down.
This international plot of the Israeli Secret Service and FBI, and the daring adventures remind me of Dan Brown books. I would highly recommend this book, it was a fanastic read.
September 28, 2014
Rated 4.5 stars.
This was so fun to read. I'm glad Daria's back and she now is a real main character. This book is not about a plane crash (unlike the first two). We see some of Daria's background get insight into the events in her childhood that contributed to her choices as an adult. As always, there is plenty of action! I've started the next book already.
This was so fun to read. I'm glad Daria's back and she now is a real main character. This book is not about a plane crash (unlike the first two). We see some of Daria's background get insight into the events in her childhood that contributed to her choices as an adult. As always, there is plenty of action! I've started the next book already.
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