Ice Station

Richard Mariner #24

by Peter Tonkin, Michael Tudor Barnes (Reading)

Late summer in the Siberian Sea. Richard Mariner stands in the main control centre of Ice Station Zemlya, Russia's massive new floating nuclear facility. As enormous seagoing tugs fight to position the ungainly monster, Richard is all too aware of dangerous – perhaps deadly – undercurrents. The multinational team helping the Russians to set up Zemlya are riven with disagreement, and there has been a relentless series of apparent accidents. But soon the whole situation begins to rapidly disintegrate. As a huge ice storm whirls towards the platform and threatens to cast the station adrift in American waters, Richard comes to the devastating realisation that someone is hell-bent on bringing about a nuclear catastrophe...

Audio Cassette

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Peter Tonkin's first novel, KILLER, was published in 1978. His work has included the acclaimed "Mariner" series that have been critically compared with the best of Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley and Hammond Innes.

More recently he has been working on a series of detective thrillers with an Elizabethan background. This series, "The Master of Defense", has been characterised as 'James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes meets William Shakespeare'. Each story is a classic 'whodunit' with all the clues presented to the reader exactly as they are presented to the hero, Tom Musgrave. The Kirkus Review described them as having 'Elizabethan detail, rousing action sequences, sound detection...everything a fan of historical mysteries could hope for."

Reviews

[Urszula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fast pased. Sometimes I had to go back a paragraph or two just to follow the story. I liked where the murders took place - on ice station. The whole environment was very unknown and strange to me, which made me appreciate everyone who works under such difficult conditions.

I found all the Russian names a bit confusing so I would wonder from time to time who was who and what their job roles were. I though Richard was very believable as the hero of the story and it was good to see him so faithful to his wife.

I liked that the reasons for the murder were explained, but I didn't like the fact that the murders were covered up and no one according to the public was charged with the sabotage - it was too much like the old communist Russia, where the government would tell people what the government wanted people to know.

I though it was strange to finish the story with Robin, who was not really part of the story at all.

[Mike Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

ICE !!!!!

The author takes you to The Icy North. Great Characters both Heros and Villains. The story is riveting. Big boats and packages.
This is A Good Read.
Santa Mike

[Al Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pace of this Novel is Very Slow, Building the Story I Guess, until You Get to the Chapter Labeled "Spanner" Finally it starts to speed up, and Tie Things Together in the Especially Last Three Chapters. It was a Very Slow Read, Because all the Russian Words/Phrases. It Ends for Me in a Very Strange Way ... Still some Loose Ends ... But Still, Peter Tonkin's Ice Station Hardcover version was a Great Read - I read this Back in March 2016, and Would Even Consider BUYING the eBook Version ( I Prefer the eBooks Over Hardcover or Paper "Dead Tree" Versions ), to READ AGAIN !!

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

so so. Dry, and too technical...skimmed