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John Cooper #1
The Wind Chill Factor
Decades after Hitler’s fall, Nazis are still trying to kill John Cooper
His marriage destroyed by drinking, John Cooper returns to Cambridge, Massachusetts., to trying to recapture the joy he felt as an undergraduate in Harvard University’s sacred halls. He is just beginning to piece his life together when he gets a telegram calling him home to Minnesota. The message comes from Buenos Aires, and with Cooper’s family history, that can mean only one thing: Tthe Nazis are staging a comeback.
To John and his brother, their grandfather was a kind, distinguished old man. But to the American people, he was a traitor of the worst kind of traitor. An industrialist who spent the 19‘30s in business with Fascists, he became infamous as “America’s Number One Nazi.” When Hitler’s old lieutenants decide to get together a Fourth Reich, the Coopers are the first family they call. John hasn’t even made it to Minnesota when the first attempt on his life comes—a message that if he isn’t ready to honor his family legacy, he will die for it.
His marriage destroyed by drinking, John Cooper returns to Cambridge, Massachusetts., to trying to recapture the joy he felt as an undergraduate in Harvard University’s sacred halls. He is just beginning to piece his life together when he gets a telegram calling him home to Minnesota. The message comes from Buenos Aires, and with Cooper’s family history, that can mean only one thing: Tthe Nazis are staging a comeback.
To John and his brother, their grandfather was a kind, distinguished old man. But to the American people, he was a traitor of the worst kind of traitor. An industrialist who spent the 19‘30s in business with Fascists, he became infamous as “America’s Number One Nazi.” When Hitler’s old lieutenants decide to get together a Fourth Reich, the Coopers are the first family they call. John hasn’t even made it to Minnesota when the first attempt on his life comes—a message that if he isn’t ready to honor his family legacy, he will die for it.
436 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Thomas Gifford
41 books31 followersThomas Eugene Gifford was a best-selling American author of thriller novels. He gained international fame with the suspense novel
The Wind Chill Factor
and later with the Vatican-based thriller
The Assassini
.
After graduating from Harvard he moved to the Twin Cities, MN where he and his wife, Kari Sandven, had two children (Thomas Eaton, Rachel Claire). Divorced in 1969, he went on to marry Camille D'Ambrose, a local actress. They moved to Los Angeles for a few years, then returned to Orono, MN. Novels continued to flow from his fountain pen through the years. Gifford eventually moved to New York--a city he loved whose people were of infinite importance to him.
In 1996, he turned his attention to renovating his childhood home in Dubuque, spending more time in Iowa than New York during his last years. He embraced the community of Dubuque, as they embraced their prodigal son. Featured in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Gifford recounted his every day occurrences, from learning the pleasure of getting a dog (Katie Maxwell, the Scottie) to peeves and pleasures of the town.
Diagnosed with terminal cancer in February, 2000, Gifford spent his remaining months reading, watching old movies, and chatting with friends and family. He passed away on an unseasonably warm Halloween, just as the ghosts and goblins started their tricks.
Gifford lived life large, had friends throughout the world, and lived life by his favorite credo--we're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time.
Gifford also published under the names Dana Clarins and Thomas Maxwell.
After graduating from Harvard he moved to the Twin Cities, MN where he and his wife, Kari Sandven, had two children (Thomas Eaton, Rachel Claire). Divorced in 1969, he went on to marry Camille D'Ambrose, a local actress. They moved to Los Angeles for a few years, then returned to Orono, MN. Novels continued to flow from his fountain pen through the years. Gifford eventually moved to New York--a city he loved whose people were of infinite importance to him.
In 1996, he turned his attention to renovating his childhood home in Dubuque, spending more time in Iowa than New York during his last years. He embraced the community of Dubuque, as they embraced their prodigal son. Featured in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Gifford recounted his every day occurrences, from learning the pleasure of getting a dog (Katie Maxwell, the Scottie) to peeves and pleasures of the town.
Diagnosed with terminal cancer in February, 2000, Gifford spent his remaining months reading, watching old movies, and chatting with friends and family. He passed away on an unseasonably warm Halloween, just as the ghosts and goblins started their tricks.
Gifford lived life large, had friends throughout the world, and lived life by his favorite credo--we're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time.
Gifford also published under the names Dana Clarins and Thomas Maxwell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
June 21, 2012
If you're dismissing this now-obscure thriller as weak or undistinguished; consider this: you're maybe not as dedicated to the genre as much as you might be.
There's many fine qualities in this work which casual readers typically bypass. For one thing, it was very nearly released as a major motion picture. Give it its due--consider how hard it is to bring a thriller to the screen and just how close this one came. You can see the film production specs on the book cover! This attests to the fact that someone in Hollywood saw merit in it; and merit was not easy to earn in the mid '70s.
For another: it was the first--or among the very first--modern novels of international intrigue which was truly 'international' in scope. The incredible plot traverses multiple continents and locales; from sleepy towns in the American mid-west to the exotic capitals of Europe and South America. This is done routinely these days, but Gifford was an early pioneer in bringing broad, world-wide scope to this kind of tale.
Gifford's writing itself is of a respectably high caliber. Smooth; textured; effortlessly-flowing; personal; vivid; evocative.
He succeeds where most of his peers fail, combining a very fast paced, violent mystery with vivid 'everyday'-type characters; resonant emotions; and credible motivations. His lead character is not James Bond or Superman; (in fact he is continually making mistakes and almost getting himself killed).
There's also a special bonus in the story's two romances. Most thriller fiction contains women which are faintly/thinly conceived. But both 'Paula' and 'Lisle'--and what happens to them--are hauntingly drawn. Themes of loyalty, too: Detective Olaf Peterson, (a character- name I can still recall years later, as I'm writing this review) is one of the genre's great supporting sidekicks.
And you simply have to give a nod of respect to a story which involves giant submarines and men in possession of their own private islands. The story also has some of the best 'wintry weather' any writer has ever described.
Conclusion: sure, maybe this is Gifford's only real 'standout work' --but if he only has this one; its certainly enough to mention him in the top tier with Follett and Forsyth. Ranked against all other thrillers which deal with neo-Nazism, "Wind Chill" is clearly the best of breed. Better than 'The Formula'; better than 'The Odessa File'; even better than 'The Quiller Memorandum'.
Jut gotta love this thriller written in the best manifestation of 'classic thriller style'. Dark, bitter, twisted, grim.
There's many fine qualities in this work which casual readers typically bypass. For one thing, it was very nearly released as a major motion picture. Give it its due--consider how hard it is to bring a thriller to the screen and just how close this one came. You can see the film production specs on the book cover! This attests to the fact that someone in Hollywood saw merit in it; and merit was not easy to earn in the mid '70s.
For another: it was the first--or among the very first--modern novels of international intrigue which was truly 'international' in scope. The incredible plot traverses multiple continents and locales; from sleepy towns in the American mid-west to the exotic capitals of Europe and South America. This is done routinely these days, but Gifford was an early pioneer in bringing broad, world-wide scope to this kind of tale.
Gifford's writing itself is of a respectably high caliber. Smooth; textured; effortlessly-flowing; personal; vivid; evocative.
He succeeds where most of his peers fail, combining a very fast paced, violent mystery with vivid 'everyday'-type characters; resonant emotions; and credible motivations. His lead character is not James Bond or Superman; (in fact he is continually making mistakes and almost getting himself killed).
There's also a special bonus in the story's two romances. Most thriller fiction contains women which are faintly/thinly conceived. But both 'Paula' and 'Lisle'--and what happens to them--are hauntingly drawn. Themes of loyalty, too: Detective Olaf Peterson, (a character- name I can still recall years later, as I'm writing this review) is one of the genre's great supporting sidekicks.
And you simply have to give a nod of respect to a story which involves giant submarines and men in possession of their own private islands. The story also has some of the best 'wintry weather' any writer has ever described.
Conclusion: sure, maybe this is Gifford's only real 'standout work' --but if he only has this one; its certainly enough to mention him in the top tier with Follett and Forsyth. Ranked against all other thrillers which deal with neo-Nazism, "Wind Chill" is clearly the best of breed. Better than 'The Formula'; better than 'The Odessa File'; even better than 'The Quiller Memorandum'.
Jut gotta love this thriller written in the best manifestation of 'classic thriller style'. Dark, bitter, twisted, grim.
May 9, 2012
Nothing unusual. I first read this book back in the 80's as a high school student. I thought it was very impressive at the time. But time changes things. The second time around it's a product of it's time (mid-70's) and reminded me of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie (actually the narrator refers to Hitchcock more than once in the course of the story). Meaning that while it might have scared contemporary audiences it seems hopelessly out of date in 2012. You know the story, The Fourth Reich (one of the Boogeymen of the 1970's) is not dead. It has infiltrated governments all over the world and our hero stumbles across evidence of the conspiracy. People begin to die and there is an investigation that takes him from the United States to Argentina to Europe and back to the U.S. for the not so shocking final revelations. Most people will figure out what those revelations approximately half way through the book.
This isn't a terrible book. It's just that some novels age better than others and ,despite the plot-line, there is just something special about the writing, characters etc. Which is why some novels survive to become classics and others (like The Wind Chime Legacy) eventually go out of print and become staples of used bookstores and garage sales.
If you're at the beach for a long weekend or are stuck at your parents without anything to read from your library this book isn't a bad way to go. It will at least burn a few hours. Sort of like watching an average thriller from the late sixties. Goes down okay and has a few predictable twists.
This isn't a terrible book. It's just that some novels age better than others and ,despite the plot-line, there is just something special about the writing, characters etc. Which is why some novels survive to become classics and others (like The Wind Chime Legacy) eventually go out of print and become staples of used bookstores and garage sales.
If you're at the beach for a long weekend or are stuck at your parents without anything to read from your library this book isn't a bad way to go. It will at least burn a few hours. Sort of like watching an average thriller from the late sixties. Goes down okay and has a few predictable twists.
February 12, 2021
The best of the "What if the Nazis had taken over the world?" novels. Hint: They already have! Second generation Nazis are everywhere but respectable, so no one notices. Gifford's novel bounces back and forth between the hero discovering a dark family secret and exposing a vast fascist worldwide web of power and corruption. The son of a prominent World War II American hero returns to his home town, freezing under the wind chill factor, to find his brother dead and the family papers missing. Pretty soon, the whole village is up in flames and someone is blowing up everything is sight. But who? Who wants to erase his family history, at the point of arson and murder? The mystery is too good for him to pass up.
September 19, 2015
Well, that was... increasingly surreal.
February 25, 2014
Nazis in 1970's, family in Cooper's Falls, Minnesota.
People keep getting killed, including librarian who found records of WWII. Library blown up.
John Cooper is grandson of a Nazi collaborator who finds out a lot about his family.
People keep getting killed, including librarian who found records of WWII. Library blown up.
John Cooper is grandson of a Nazi collaborator who finds out a lot about his family.
October 26, 2007
Smooth, even all-round good read. The Catholic Church takes another hit, but survives nicely as a powerful force always does. Read it with a crackling fire and a warm blanket.
June 26, 2018
Nazi/Fourth Reich conspiracy novels were kind of a thing in the 1970s, Ira Levin's "The Boys from Brazil" being a popular example. In Gifford's 1975 version, a man's realization that his long-dead sister might still be alive leads to his discovery that Nazis are not only also still around but are -- gasp -- still plotting to take over the world. There are several international locales and some plot twists, but the hero is kind of dull and the pace seems slower than it may have 40-plus years ago. Okay, but not the best of its genre.
March 15, 2026
This is a very entertaining spy/thriller. It came before many of the tropes of secret agents, shady political cabals, and double-crosses. Even after reading spy novels before this, that were written 20, 30, and 40 years after, "The Wind Chill Factor" still holds up.
I am knocking off a star because Cooper's backstory of divorce, alcoholism, and academia is really brushed over but it feels like it is a sub-conscious driving force in the 3rd act. I also knocked off that same star because the romantic obsession with Lise/Lee was bizarre.
I am knocking off a star because Cooper's backstory of divorce, alcoholism, and academia is really brushed over but it feels like it is a sub-conscious driving force in the 3rd act. I also knocked off that same star because the romantic obsession with Lise/Lee was bizarre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
I read this book in 1975 when it was first published. I am an avid reader of WWII literature and non-fiction. Mr. Gifford was living in Minnesota at the time, so I am always interested in local authors. The book stands up despite the years. Excellent and compelling tale about the Nazi threat after the war. Recommend. Kristi & Abby Tabby
February 12, 2025
Whaaaaaaaaat did I just read??
Way back around 2010 when I was the Nook seller at my local B&N, I helped teach a woman how to use hers and she scribbled some book recommendations on an envelope. I still have it, and this was one of those recommendations.
This book just kept... not going where I thought it might go. And the end is WILD.
Way back around 2010 when I was the Nook seller at my local B&N, I helped teach a woman how to use hers and she scribbled some book recommendations on an envelope. I still have it, and this was one of those recommendations.
This book just kept... not going where I thought it might go. And the end is WILD.
July 30, 2026
A couple of question marks but sensational plot twists— and real events are baked in so well. I read the last third of the book in one sitting. I wish the storyline took off sooner and I love the full circle explanation at the end (despite some loose ends). Kind of weird with the protagonist’s love interests but whatever I guess.
June 12, 2018
Are they all this good?
My first T. Gifford book. It is excellent. Lots of twists and turns. Plenty of blood and violence too. It's not overdone, just rounds out the story. Or stories?
My first T. Gifford book. It is excellent. Lots of twists and turns. Plenty of blood and violence too. It's not overdone, just rounds out the story. Or stories?
December 8, 2019
Did not disappoint
I never write reviews. Few books deserve them but this book was worth it. The story eerily reflected today's dysfunction & craziness in the political world. Hopefully the world in this book doesn't exist. But maybe it does.
I never write reviews. Few books deserve them but this book was worth it. The story eerily reflected today's dysfunction & craziness in the political world. Hopefully the world in this book doesn't exist. But maybe it does.
August 12, 2021
3.5 stars
This book surprised me for good. I didn't have any expectations when I started reading it, but it was good. I liked the story, the plot twists even though I could tell from the beginning who was behind it all.
This book surprised me for good. I didn't have any expectations when I started reading it, but it was good. I liked the story, the plot twists even though I could tell from the beginning who was behind it all.
November 17, 2021
One of my conspiracy thriller books, I re-read it every few years.
Very well written and very self aware about how ludicrous this genre could sometimes be, especially the sub-genre of Nazis still around in the 70s. (Boys From Brazil, Marathon Man, Holcroft Covenant, et all.)
Very well written and very self aware about how ludicrous this genre could sometimes be, especially the sub-genre of Nazis still around in the 70s. (Boys From Brazil, Marathon Man, Holcroft Covenant, et all.)
July 8, 2023
Still worth reading - while the mystery appears to be about a missing sister, the background of old and new Nazis, not just in Germany, brings our clueless protagonist to the realization that his family's history is rather troubled. Not sure that he learns anything from it.
July 23, 2017
Great read
Mind challenges abound ...works on many levels on par with Sinclair Lewis for alienated protagonists...worth a look...well worth it enjoy!
Mind challenges abound ...works on many levels on par with Sinclair Lewis for alienated protagonists...worth a look...well worth it enjoy!
July 30, 2017
First for pleasure book that I read during college
October 27, 2017
This is the third time I have read this book and it is very good.
December 22, 2017
A suspense novel involving a Nazi theory.
March 24, 2018
Good thriller that I read when it first came out. Added interest because some of the story takes place in my home state of Minnesota.
January 10, 2021
Could be the most long winded book I have ever read. Add some incest and a convoluted plot with way too many characters and you have a one star rating.
August 1, 2022
Good read
November 23, 2022
3 1/2 stars. Meh. Good idea for story, a little long and boring at times
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2022
Amazing story and a great mystery.
January 30, 2026
When the main character states there are too many details to track, there are too many details to track for the reader, too.
Read
July 7, 2026First Edition, 4th impression
August 2, 2026
The first third had so much potential! A great mystery oozing with atmosphere that became a bellow average political thriller with some incest sprinkled on top.
August 15, 2026
Great read
There has never been a better set of villains than the Nazis. This journey is full of twists, surprises and Nazis. Complex and scary.
There has never been a better set of villains than the Nazis. This journey is full of twists, surprises and Nazis. Complex and scary.
October 1, 2026
a subtle mystery. at first reads like a possible war inside the main character between ancestral ties and a wish to be ones own person
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews