Hurricane Fever

Arctic Rising #2

by Tobias S. Buckell

A storm is coming…. Introducing a pulse-pounding technothriller by the New York Times bestselling author of Arctic Rising Prudence "Roo" Jones never thought he'd have a family to look after―until suddenly he found himself taking care of his orphaned teenage nephew. Roo, a former Caribbean Intelligence operative, spends his downtime on his catamaran dodging the punishing hurricanes that are the new norm in the Caribbean. Roo enjoys the simple calm of his new life―until an unexpected package from a murdered fellow spy shows up. Suddenly Roo is thrown into the center of the biggest storm of all. Using his wits―and some of the more violent tricks of his former trade―Roo begins to unravel the mystery that got his friend killed. When a polished and cunning woman claiming to be murdered spy's sister appears, the two find themselves caught up in a global conspiracy with a weapon that could change the face of the world forever. In Hurricane Fever, New York Times bestselling author Tobias Buckell ( Arctic Rising , The Cole Protocol ) has crafted a kinetic technothriller perfect for fans of action-packed espionage within a smartly drawn geo-political landscape. Roo is an anti–James Bond for a new generation.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Ebooks, Espionage, Speculative Fiction, Crime

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2014

About the author

Born in the Caribbean, Tobias S. Buckell is a New York Times Bestselling author. His novels and over 50 short stories have been translated into 17 languages and he has been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, Prometheus and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Author. He currently lives in Ohio.

Reviews

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Tobias Buckell’s 2012 SF novel Arctic Rising, which was set on a near-future Earth dramatically affected by global warming. As much as I loved that novel’s main character Anika, I mentioned in my review that I wouldn’t mind reading a novel set in the same world but featuring one of its two excellent supporting characters, Vy or Roo.

Lo and behold, just about two years later, Buckell delivers Hurricane Fever, starring former Caribbean Intelligence Group operative Prudence “Roo” Jones, who made a brief but memorable appearance in the first novel. I’m happy to report that Hurricane Fever is another excellent near-future cli-fi/spy-fi/techno-thriller novel — whatever you want to call it, it’s more than worth checking out.

Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3769695.html

A really accomplished technothriller, set in a slightly divergent timeline where the Caribbean states have got their act together to be an effective counterpart to the larger countries who want to play in their sand. Our protagonist, allied with a mysterious but glamorous French agent, gets involved with a criminal mastermind who plans to wipe out large chunks of the human race through biological terrorism. Lots of split-second escapes and dramatic writing; it would make a good film (though probably couldn't fit in the background politics).

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurricane Fever by Tobias S. Buckell is a very highly recommended, fast paced thriller that will leave you feeling like you have been through a hurricane of action.

Dreadlocked Prudence “Roo” Jones, a retired operative from the Caribbean Intelligence Group, is trying to live a quiet, retiring life on his catamaran, Spitfire II, while caring for his teenage nephew and watching out for hurricanes. Roo is tracking an approaching hurricane and preparing to sail to a safe harbor when he gets a message from Zee, a former colleague and friend. Zee simply says if Roo gets his message, Zee is dead and Roo needs to extract revenge. Zee's message sends Roo out on a dangerous mission where the approaching storm may not be a destructive as the people now after him. And is the woman, Kit, who claims to be Zee's sister really his sister or could she have other motives for reaching out to Roo?

Set in the Caribbean in the near future, this is a fast paced thrilled that moves with lightning speed from one action packed encounter to another. I love what Publisher's Weekly said in their review rating the climax as "one white cat shy of a Bond movie" a very apt description. This is a perfect summer read since the plot moves along so swiftly it holds your attention and there are no little niggling details to remember as you race to the dramatic climax. (And, not to spoil any plot points, but it showcases two of my favorite subjects: weather and bio-warfare.)

Buckell knows how to write an engrossing thriller in an unequivocal style: clear, concise and captivating while still managing to insert a whole lot of action and interesting plot developments.
There is violence (just like in a Bond movie) but Buckell doesn't revel in showcasing the gore or making it excessive. This is a fun, entertaining read that shouldn't disappoint readers.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Tom Doherty Associates via Netgalley for review purposes.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like a fun, summer action movie in book form. It reminded me of Red. It is set at some vague time in the near future, which allows for fun tech and lot's of hurricanes.

The protagonist, Roo, is a retired operative for the Caribbean Intelligence Group, who suddenly ends up in the middle of a crazy plot. It was fun, full of action, and inventive action (there is a memorable scene involving a spear gun).

The author does a reasonable job representing women in the book, most notably with Kit, who is along for the ride. She is interesting, becomes more interesting as the book progresses, and rescues Roo later on. So even though Roo is doing most of the heavy lifting / getting beat up, she feels like she is a competent French operative with reasonable motivations.

The biggest complaint I had of the book is that one main plot twist felt unnecessary. I don't know why the author killed Roo's nephew. Roo would seem to have plenty of motivation already, given that men are trying to kill him and one of his good friends died for this information. Killing the nephew for motivation seemed lazy (a boy in the refrigerator, so to speak). Further, it would have been interesting if Roo had had to accomplish everything while dealing with a high schooler.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book, and will likely read more by the author.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurricane Fever is an enjoyable companion volume to Arctic Rising, but not a direct sequel. It's a near-future novel detailing the perils of the changing climate, with interesting speculations into the economic, sociological, and technological ramifications. I didn't find the science as rigorous as the earlier work, but the spy/thriller/action is non-stop. Buckell's characters are always interesting and intelligent, and the setting is especially fascinating. This one would be a perfect beach read!

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step 1: Transplant Carl Hiassen from Florida to the Caribbean
Step 2: Add some finely chopped soft science fiction
Step 3: Season with a gripping plot and believable characters
Step 4: Enjoy!

[Luke Burrage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on my podcast, SFBRP #251.

[Randal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Caribbean is a character of its own in this near-future thriller ... the most interesting one.
The main character is something of a James Bond with dreadlocks, chasing around in his catamaran full of gold bullion, with a handy string of contacts to help get him into and out of scrapes as he goes.
The author's knowledge of sailing, of the geography and people of the islands adds greatly to a not-otherwise-trailbreaking novel.

A quick read and ...
I happened to be reading this at the same time as The 39 Steps. Both involve a lone man with a personal mission to save the world / Blighty from destruction. Both have a strong sense of place (Scottish moors v. Caribbean ports); both begin with a message from a dead / soon to be dead man that throws the protagonist into deep waters.
The body count here is much higher than in the 1915 title and the action much brisker. Both plots involve a large suspension of disbelief at various points. The older title is much more literary, with lots of allusions to various works, and grounded in real-world events. This one is more fun.
Oxford Press calls the earlier book a world classic, but that's based more on the author's biography (written shortly before John Buchan became head of British Secret Service during WWI) and the Hitchcock film. The book itself isn't all that, even without the bag of chips.

[Joanne Rixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurricane Fever reads like a novella written by someone mainlining energy drinks and James Bond-genre action films. It's low on character development and high on apocalyptic bio-bombs, fast paced and fun with lots of blood, guts, miraculous rescues and plot-convenient knocks to the head, and I loved it!

I do wish we got to see more character development, especially for Kit: there was space for us to see her motivations in more heart-wrenching detail, and I would have liked to, especially since that could have also given the villain a bit more complexity. But I thought Roo was an interesting, if barely-plausibly-tough, lovable rogue. And while I've seen some reviews complaining about the space cannon, that tech is actually totally real! I've encountered references to it before in classic Golden Age SF (maybe Heinlein? Like, I'm thinking maybe they had a space cannon in THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS?), and I loved seeing it resurrected and re-used in this book.

I've read Buckell's short stories before and loved his sense of humor, and there were definitely moments in Hurricane Fever where that shone through (like the fact that Roo keeps acquiring transportation via being handed keys by rich people who mistake him for the valet! lmao). If you liked this, definitely check out his other work! I've been in a reading slump and this was exactly what I needed to get myself out of it.

[JW · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buckell wasted a great hero and a fascinating setting on a super generic villain with possibly the most overused evil scheme in the recorded history. Destroying the world to save it. I struggled on with it until I got to an author tract twist that made me send it back to the library.

Save your time and clock cycles, this is too much of a letdown to be endured.

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in the series turned out to be better than the first. But unlike the first this was straight up a spy thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Prentice Onayemi is outstanding! My brain keeps insisting that since it's Onayemi so this must be a Pepper story. (Xenowealth series)

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

20 minutes in the future spy thriller. I don't think I'd realized it was a sequel of sorts to Arctic Rising. Good read, once it gets going.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever given a book one star before.

The plot here could have been run by the worst supervillain in a James Bond movie. No, Austin Powers. I actually like Roo, the protagonist, although there are some aspects to his handling of events that are .... highly questionable. And I like the world building (more on that later).
SPOILERS. If you care.
1. Why give the data to Roo? Why not someone else at CIG? Other than the "we were buddies years ago" connection, it's made very plain that Roo doesn't have the skills to actually analyze anything.
2. Once Roo had the thumb drive, when he knows people are willing to kill for it (including the involvement of a very nasty virus), he just ... what, sits around with it and lets his nephew go to school without taking any action? He doesn't even have the self-awareness to realize how dumb that was and that while he didn't have a direct part in Delroy's death, he sure as shit didn't do a thing to protect him. No guilt. Only vengeance, sweet vengeance. (I will give props to the author for killing the kid rather than holding him hostage. That was a surprise.)
3. Why is Roo still alive? I kept asking that. A couple of inventive, lucky escapes make for an exciting ride but for heaven's sake, kill the man, don't outline your eeeeeevil plot to him in great detail and then leave him to die. SHOOT HIM. You have guns. And goons. This happened twice.
4. Roo ends up in a freaking space cannon and is rescued. This is where I went from not being impressed with this book to hysterical "I can't believe I read this" gasps of laughter. (See #3 above.)
5. The launch key retrieval. So Roo broke what, a hundred plus bones in his body but can still hold up the key in a hurricane for Kit to see it? Haven't we spent a lot of this book talking about how hard it is to talk or shout with a speared or collapsed lung?

I liked Arctic Rising, which is why I read this. I like the world building here, where the Caribbean has to change its internal structure and policies and adapt to the new storm cycles. The politics and dynamics interested me, as did Roo, at least until he picked up the thumb drive and dropped off his common sense.

Or maybe it was shot into near space with a giant cannon. Who knows. I'm done here and I'll never get this time back.

[Akina Blaze · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast casual read. Unique characters but repetitive stereotypes and phrases. Seemed like it was going to turn into something good, but once it started to take off it was quickly finished before it hit a climax.

[A.F. Grappin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent quite some time in my high school years reading all the James Bond novels I could get my hands on, and Buckell has brought me back to that love I used to have for the genre. In fact, if there are books out there like this, new spy novels of this caliber, then I need to reacquaint myself with this old flame. I admit I did have a little bit of culture shock or maybe geography shock from this being set wholly in the Caribbean, but it was so easy to sink into the characters that I got over that quickly. Buckell tugged at my emotions more than once. There were a few tidbits I wouldn’t have minded a little more information on, and in comparison to the Bond novels I was used to in this genre, this seemed short. I’m not saying it was uncomfortably short for a novel. It was a good solid length. I think my own expectations might be a tad biased toward the length and convolutions of Bond novels, though. I wasn’t unsatisfied with Hurricane Fever by any means. I think it’s my own inexperience with this particular genre that left me with furrowed brows at how quickly it ended.

[Tanya Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a fast paced thriller and action packed too. It's a thriller that moves about various Caribbean islands as Roo pursues the person responsible for deaths of those close to him. Clearly, Buckell is one smart writer. He managed to make me envision a World where hurricanes were ever increasing, and all the talk of weather patterns, and biotech espionage wasn't overdone. What might have been a tad too much, was all the information about sailing, but I enjoyed hearing about the various Caribbean islands he went to.

But I had problems with believing that Roo was a kick-ass ex-spy. He says he and his phone were almsot untraceable - but somehow his past acquaintance was able to track him down, and later, that acquaintance's sister - who was NOT a spy.

I also felt like much of the information about boating was unnecessary and too much. It felt like an infodump. Sometimes, Hurricane Fever felt like it was on a predictable course, so I wanted a bit more of a journey before we reached the destination.

[Patrick DiJusto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood is missing a great but if they don't turn this book into a Blockbuster movie.

Semi-retired Caribbean Intelligence agent "Roo" Jones lives on a catamaran sailboat in the Lesser Antillies. When he gets an email and voice message from a recently deceased colleague, he's reluctantly drawn back into the business. But when he gets targeted by the same neo-Nazis who killed his friend, he's out for revenge. Can Jones follow the clues his dead friend left scattered throughout the Carribean, while simultaneously racing the worst hurricane in modern times????

The book takes place "the day after tomorrow" -- autopiloted, 3D Printed sailboats, but human driven cars; messages from dead people relayed via Amazon Web Services (no, Amazon can't talk to the next world -- the agent set up a message to be delivered if he got killed), genetically altered hemorrhagic fevers, suborbital railguns -- but Buckell never forgets that all good SF revolves around people.

This is the seocond Roo Jones book, and I'd like to see many more.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The worldbuilding is excellent, the setting and its contingent issues handled well, the action sequences thrilling. Loved Roo as a character. Some side-character sketches done well. Unfortunately, there was a general lack of character development--many times we're told, rather than shown, the evolution of character relationships and ideas. Kit was the worst offender: next to nonexistent, for all that she was there for most of the novel. Several plot points fell flat or felt perfunctory. A certain person's death served little purpose--just so that Roo could feel strong emotions and not act thoughtfully, even though he'd been like that before the death anyway. The villain suspended my disbelief--he was just a cut-and-paste monologuing psychopath with a refrigeratored wife. Maybe things would have been different if I had read Arctic Rising first? I don't know. I really wanted to like this novel.

[Stacey Filak · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot to like in this book. The characters were fun, the setting was full and lush and obviously well-loved by the author. The story was intriguing and fast-paced, and while containing Sci Fi elements, lent itself very well to the spy genre. I have not, as of yet, read ARCTIC RISING, which is a precursor to this book, but I will. I would also read a follow up novel, especially one that focused on a young Roo.

That said, I'd have liked to see some more in-depth character growth. I wanted to see what made Roo such a bad-ass. I wanted to see his mind at work, which unfortunately, got thrown out the window part way through. I wanted more a deeper understanding of the villains and their motivations. In short, I wanted more than I got. It was a fun, quick read, but I think it could have been more.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurricane Fever is a sharp thriller set in the near future, where the seas have risen and extreme weather patterns batter the Caribbean all summer. It was a quick read, fast paced and enjoyable with a definitely unique sensibility. An ex-Caribbean Intelligence officer gets caught back up in biotech espionage when an old comrade sends him a posthumous message asking to be avenged. There are boats, there are hurricanes, there are many many people of color (what with it being set in the Caribbean and all). To me it was a great antidote to the "white guy beats up all the brown bad guys" airport thrillers I've read over the years. I've been hearing for a while that Tobias Buckell was an author to be reckoned with, and now I understand why.

[jillbertini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book two different ratings: one for the writing and one for the story. I LOVED the character of Roo, the setting and the overall story. I would give it four stars for that. I thought the pace was great and I enjoyed the thriller and science fiction elements.

The writing kept throwing me out of the story, though. I don't know if this is because I'm learning more about writing and craft, but there were little things that made the experience bumpy. Perhaps these would not be issues for other readers.

Overall, I would recommend the book. It's great to see and read more diverse characters and landscapes!

[Cynde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller set in the Caribbean where we all think only vacations happen. Prudence Jones, known as "Roo", must thwart a maniacal industrialist who on the surface appears to be promoting vertical farming to provide more food for the masses, but in his labs,which are free from government's prying eyes , he is growing something far more sinister. "Roo" must fight through hurricanes and Neo-Nazi bodyguards to stop him from spreading a deadly virus.
The characters are not steriotypical and the storyline was fresh and different. I enjoyed this book and will look for his first book "Arctic Rising" and any future books he may write!

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two Goodreads stars means, "It was OK," and that's what I felt about this formulaic thriller. All the standard elements were there--independently minded secret agent up against a rich super-villain and his Nazi henchmen, who benefits from alliances with shady characters and a mysterious woman, with car chases and gunplay. What distinguished the story from the paint-by-numbers plotting was its near-future Caribbean setting and its indigenous West Indies hero. If only he were balanced by an equally interesting villain! This one seemed particularly bland and colorless, and that can take a lot of "umph" out of a thriller.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finished the first book in this series (Arctic Rising) I thought it was a mistake to listen to instead of read. It was so well paced I figured any sequel would be one of those books you read in an evening or two instead of trying to find the right bit of genre TV. Spoiler: I was right.

This is in the same near future, post-global warming, resource constrained world, but it follows a supporting character (Roo) back to the Caribbean where weekly hurricanes and not melting ice are the backdrop for the new normal.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the near future, former spy Roo gets dragged back into his old life when an old spy friend dies and leaves him a mysterious package.

Took me awhile to figure out that it was in the near future vs the present. (Which just goes to show you how terribly ignorant I am of world affairs as well as how well written and plausible Buckell's world creation is. Bonus points for POC protagonists. It's always nice to see us in the future, too.

[John Devenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining but also thought provoking near future eco-thriller set in the Caribbean. The world is suffering the effects of climate change with regular and frequent hurricanes. Throw in a James Bond style villain, some interesting future technology and very engaging characters and you have a terrific book.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hurricane Fever” walks a thin line between action thriller and vacation read. The tropical setting makes this book almost serene (if you listen to the audio book the narrator helps), while the characters rush headlong into a conspiracy they didn’t wish for. With a good balance of character development, plot progression and action this well written thriller is a fun and interesting read.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent futuristic action thriller with a unique Caribbean slant. A little bloody at times but fast paced action held my attention enough that I read it in one sitting. I just started Arctic Rising, Mr.Buckell's first novel and await more from Prudence "Roo" Jones.

[Vickstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fast-paced and very clever. I loved Roo as a character and the near future world building was fantastic, especially the Caribbean setting and the consideration of the political and technological effects of global warming, not the just the ecological fallout. More please!

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read, pretty simplistic, more like a teen read. Read as a first effort or an entry for a college class, not what I'd expect from a New York Times best selling author. Needed more editing, lots of spelling errors, poor grammar, poorly constructed sentence structure, etc.