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Phil Broker #3
Absolute Zero
On one of the coldest nights in Minnesota history, the difference between life and death is literally the blink of an eye for Phil Broker, until recently St. Paul's most successful undercover cop. That blink will convey the urgent warning of a comatose man who knows the dark truth binding Broker to a remarkable cast of characters -- a weary anesthesiologist, a brilliant surgeon, a wealthy novelist, his exwife (a reformed exotic dancer), and her unrepentant pimp.
For Broker it all began when he agreed to take three big-city professionals on a canoeing trip across Minnesota's most remote lakes. One of the three is horribly injured in a freak October blizzard, and Broker embarks on a white-knuckle rescue against time and the elements, ending with a writer in a coma and his accountant dead. Suspicious of foul play, Broker follows a twisted trail of manipulation and revenge that leads back to the writer's beautiful wife -- and a ring of men caught in a deadly competition for her affections.
Absolute Zero is suspense writing at its finest, a novel whose surprising reversals and unexpectedly nuanced characters secure Chuck Logan's reputation as "one of the best of the . . . thriller breed" and blows the lid off Minnesota's best-kept literary secret.
For Broker it all began when he agreed to take three big-city professionals on a canoeing trip across Minnesota's most remote lakes. One of the three is horribly injured in a freak October blizzard, and Broker embarks on a white-knuckle rescue against time and the elements, ending with a writer in a coma and his accountant dead. Suspicious of foul play, Broker follows a twisted trail of manipulation and revenge that leads back to the writer's beautiful wife -- and a ring of men caught in a deadly competition for her affections.
Absolute Zero is suspense writing at its finest, a novel whose surprising reversals and unexpectedly nuanced characters secure Chuck Logan's reputation as "one of the best of the . . . thriller breed" and blows the lid off Minnesota's best-kept literary secret.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
107 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Logan
23 books90 followersChuck Logan is an author of crime drama and veteran of the Vietnam War, who lives with his wife and daughter in Stillwater, Minnesota.
He is best known for his series of novels featuring the character Phil Broker, an ex-Minnesota police officer. Logan's novels include Hunter's Moon, Absolute Zero, Vapor Trail, Homefront, and After the Rain. Homefront is now a major motion picture starring James Franco and Jason Stratham.
He is best known for his series of novels featuring the character Phil Broker, an ex-Minnesota police officer. Logan's novels include Hunter's Moon, Absolute Zero, Vapor Trail, Homefront, and After the Rain. Homefront is now a major motion picture starring James Franco and Jason Stratham.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 17, 2011
There are some books I should get into, but for some reason can't. Absolute Zero by Chuck Logan was one of them.
It has everything. Minnesota setting. Money corrupting. Moose hunting. Ostrich farming. Meathheads beating meatheads. Ostriches beating meatheads. What more could I ask for in a crime novel?
A lot.
Maybe it was the plot. The lead character, Phil Broker, is an ex-cop who winds up tangled in a love dodecahedron worthy of a Jerry Springer episode.
It all starts when a moose hunt goes awry in northern Minnesota. One of Broker's companions ends up in a coma. Trouble begins a-brewing when the coma guy's wife starts a-scheming to drain his bank account. Thorough ass a-kicking follows.
That's all great material, but I don't believe for a second Broker would allow himself to get wrapped up in it. He has plenty of money. He's living the good life retired. He just met a terrific girlfriend. He got this coma guy to the hospital in time to save his life. It should be Miller time.
No, Broker makes the stupid decision to start nosing into the coma guy's business. The book passes it off as his cop instincts getting the best of him. But if he had any cop instincts, he would be back in the woods shooting the moose the coma guy was after in the first place.
Maybe I'm being harsh. Maybe Broker is just a nice guy who cares a bit too much about the affairs of other people.
Wrong.
Broker is a card-carrying ass. This isn't a spoiler, but he cheats on his girlfriend with the wife of the coma guy. And his girlfriend is no bimbo. She's a nurse who saved the coma guy's life.
Broker's dick behavior means I can't get behind this guy. By proxy, I couldn't get behind Absolute Zero.
Despite all this, I'm willing to give Broker another chance. There is a series devoted to Broker. Maybe the other books present him in a different light. Chuck Logan came up with an original plot for Absolute Zero. His other books look to follow that trend.
Plus, it's cool to read a book and know exactly where things take place. One passage described an intersection I drove on just hours before.
It has everything. Minnesota setting. Money corrupting. Moose hunting. Ostrich farming. Meathheads beating meatheads. Ostriches beating meatheads. What more could I ask for in a crime novel?
A lot.
Maybe it was the plot. The lead character, Phil Broker, is an ex-cop who winds up tangled in a love dodecahedron worthy of a Jerry Springer episode.
It all starts when a moose hunt goes awry in northern Minnesota. One of Broker's companions ends up in a coma. Trouble begins a-brewing when the coma guy's wife starts a-scheming to drain his bank account. Thorough ass a-kicking follows.
That's all great material, but I don't believe for a second Broker would allow himself to get wrapped up in it. He has plenty of money. He's living the good life retired. He just met a terrific girlfriend. He got this coma guy to the hospital in time to save his life. It should be Miller time.
No, Broker makes the stupid decision to start nosing into the coma guy's business. The book passes it off as his cop instincts getting the best of him. But if he had any cop instincts, he would be back in the woods shooting the moose the coma guy was after in the first place.
Maybe I'm being harsh. Maybe Broker is just a nice guy who cares a bit too much about the affairs of other people.
Wrong.
Broker is a card-carrying ass. This isn't a spoiler, but he cheats on his girlfriend with the wife of the coma guy. And his girlfriend is no bimbo. She's a nurse who saved the coma guy's life.
Broker's dick behavior means I can't get behind this guy. By proxy, I couldn't get behind Absolute Zero.
Despite all this, I'm willing to give Broker another chance. There is a series devoted to Broker. Maybe the other books present him in a different light. Chuck Logan came up with an original plot for Absolute Zero. His other books look to follow that trend.
Plus, it's cool to read a book and know exactly where things take place. One passage described an intersection I drove on just hours before.
September 3, 2008
Logan tells a clean crisp story about two battered warriors--Phil and his war vet wife Nina, and their girl Kit, who is growing up to be a cool-headed action hero in her own right!
March 29, 2021
A bit of plot recycling with an ordinary person turning into a cold blooded killer. Broker pursues a femme fatale, whose shallow amorality is replaced by a conscience at the climatic moment.
September 5, 2021
Meh. Like other reviewers, a bit recycled and predictable.
November 27, 2017
Okay. Here's the thing. In November my sci-fi/horror novel was released. It is entitled, Absolute Zero. This is how I came across Chuck Logan in the first place. Turns out he has a book by the same title. (Completely, completely different types of stories). So I figured, hmmm. I am going to read every book Chuck Logan has written because they look damned interesting. Just finished my third in the Phil Broker series, Absolute Zero, and it turns out I was right. They are damned interesting!
This was a pretty cool tale. Three guys hire retired cop, Phil Broker, as a guide. They want to hunt Moose. Canoeing toward Grand Marais, Lake Fraser, they want some snow. It will make tracking the moose easier. The hunting party consists of a lawyer, Milton Dane, a surgeon, Allen Falken, and a writer, Hank Sommer. The guide, Broker, makes four. The guys hit it off, genuinely enjoying each other's company. Instead of snow, they get a storm. The canoes can't handle the barrage of waves. A fun trip turned deadly.
Sommer is in rough shape. He had a medical condition prior to to the hunting trip. The storm inflamed the condition. If he doesn't get to a hospital he will die. Battling against subzero conditions Broker gets the man, and the rest of the party rescued. And then, after surgery, Sommer winds up a vegetable. No brain activity. Sommer survived a storm, survived surgery, survived his medical condition, but wound up nearly dead after all was said and done.
All evidence points in one direction. The anesthetist, Amy Skoda. She messed up.
Only, Broker doesn't think so. There is something else going on. When another man is found dead in the woods, crucified to a tree, Broker puts one and one together. Sommer saved Broker's life. The least he can do is look into things and figure out if there was some other sinister plan in play.
A fantastic cast of characters. The pages just keep turning. There is no down time in this book. None. You've got bad guys, and bad girls. There are ostriches, and computers. Moose hunting, and secret loves. Most of all, you've got Broker. He's been known to fix things for people. Only this time he has his hands full! Absolute Zero was absolutely amazing. Loved it.
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Absolute Zero (lol)
and Assassin's Promise
This was a pretty cool tale. Three guys hire retired cop, Phil Broker, as a guide. They want to hunt Moose. Canoeing toward Grand Marais, Lake Fraser, they want some snow. It will make tracking the moose easier. The hunting party consists of a lawyer, Milton Dane, a surgeon, Allen Falken, and a writer, Hank Sommer. The guide, Broker, makes four. The guys hit it off, genuinely enjoying each other's company. Instead of snow, they get a storm. The canoes can't handle the barrage of waves. A fun trip turned deadly.
Sommer is in rough shape. He had a medical condition prior to to the hunting trip. The storm inflamed the condition. If he doesn't get to a hospital he will die. Battling against subzero conditions Broker gets the man, and the rest of the party rescued. And then, after surgery, Sommer winds up a vegetable. No brain activity. Sommer survived a storm, survived surgery, survived his medical condition, but wound up nearly dead after all was said and done.
All evidence points in one direction. The anesthetist, Amy Skoda. She messed up.
Only, Broker doesn't think so. There is something else going on. When another man is found dead in the woods, crucified to a tree, Broker puts one and one together. Sommer saved Broker's life. The least he can do is look into things and figure out if there was some other sinister plan in play.
A fantastic cast of characters. The pages just keep turning. There is no down time in this book. None. You've got bad guys, and bad girls. There are ostriches, and computers. Moose hunting, and secret loves. Most of all, you've got Broker. He's been known to fix things for people. Only this time he has his hands full! Absolute Zero was absolutely amazing. Loved it.
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Absolute Zero (lol)
and Assassin's Promise
June 29, 2018
Haunted ex-cop Phil Broker owes Hank Sommer his life -- and now the wealthy writer is in a coma, thanks to a “freak” mishap on a hospital operating table. Broker knows from hard experience that accidents are not always what they appear to be. He suspects foul play, and he's not about to let Sommer fade out of this world so easily. But the trail to answers is twisted and deadly, winding around the comatose man's beautiful wife -- a former exotic dancer -- and the ring of dangerous men still surrounding her. And Broker's determined search for justice and truth is taking him to a dark and terrifying place where he will be forced to fight for his very survival on the coldest night in Minnesota's history . . .
August 17, 2018
Haunted ex-cop Phil Broker owes Hank Sommer his life -- and now the wealthy writer is in a coma, thanks to a “freak” mishap on a hospital operating table. Broker knows from hard experience that accidents are not always what they appear to be. He suspects foul play, and he's not about to let Sommer fade out of this world so easily. But the trail to answers is twisted and deadly, winding around the comatose man's beautiful wife -- a former exotic dancer -- and the ring of dangerous men still surrounding her. And Broker's determined search for justice and truth is taking him to a dark and terrifying place where he will be forced to fight for his very survival on the coldest night in Minnesota's history .
April 7, 2020
6.9
Phil Broker leads a canoe adventure in wilderness for Allen (surgeon), Hank (rich, married to young bimbo), and Milt (lawyer)
Accident happens. Hank perf his bowels. Airlifted to hospital. Allen saves him.
In pacu, Allen mistakenly gives Hank succs (thought it was demerol)..puts Hank into vegetative state.
He blames the mistake on CRNA/pacu nurse.
Long story.
Hank’s wife Jolene. Everybody wants to get with. They fight over Hank’s money.
Hank recovers from coma, able to blink to communicate. Tells Phil, Amy (crna) who killers were.
Allen ends up killing Earl (jolene’s ex bf) and Jolene kills Allen in self defense.
Jolene leaves with money with Milt as lawyer.
Phil Broker leads a canoe adventure in wilderness for Allen (surgeon), Hank (rich, married to young bimbo), and Milt (lawyer)
Accident happens. Hank perf his bowels. Airlifted to hospital. Allen saves him.
In pacu, Allen mistakenly gives Hank succs (thought it was demerol)..puts Hank into vegetative state.
He blames the mistake on CRNA/pacu nurse.
Long story.
Hank’s wife Jolene. Everybody wants to get with. They fight over Hank’s money.
Hank recovers from coma, able to blink to communicate. Tells Phil, Amy (crna) who killers were.
Allen ends up killing Earl (jolene’s ex bf) and Jolene kills Allen in self defense.
Jolene leaves with money with Milt as lawyer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2022
OMG I can't seem to get enough of Chuck Logan's style. Again, I'm flummoxed as to why I didn't read him earlier. Better late than never, right? I must say, I love being able to read a series one after another, as most of his earlier fans had to wait out the next installment. If by some strange occurrence, you also missed out, you really should pick up a copy, library, audio, eBook, something, Give Phi Broker and gang a chance.
December 14, 2021
I just happened to find a copy of this book ( audio ) in my closet. I don't remember where I got it, but I thought I would give it a try. I have never heard of Chuck Logan, but the book was a pretty good story Apparently, it was third in a series. I probably won't look for any more by this author, but I enjoyed the story, even though it was a little too short.
April 28, 2023
Tried my best to finish this book, but could not get into the plot and the many varied characters. This author has away of dancing around the point that is not conducive to putting it down and resuming it later. I found myself skipping back to see who and what was going on in the story. Not for me.
January 19, 2024
This is not a book I normally would have read unless trapped somewhere with nothing else to read. It's a pulpy thriller, about an ex-cop/detective who becomes entangled in the lives of three men, all infatuated with the same woman and/or her wealth, and deadly complications arise. And ostriches. An improbable plot with lots of action. A light entertaining, slightly grisley read.
January 19, 2024
Bel libro, intreccio interessante, personaggi ben descritti e caratterizzati, trovo inverosimile la parte in cui una persona in coma viene fatta girare in macchina e nonostante ciò rimane ancora viva...
October 24, 2017
Suspense novel.
January 26, 2019
A tight story, with well defined characters. A very nuanced look into being in a coma, adds intrigue from the beginning.
June 13, 2019
Logan is a master
May 31, 2020
Had this on my shelf for a while but never got around to it until now. Very good read, believable characters, and good pacing.
July 30, 2021
Started off well but deteriorated into a bloody mess just to create an end.
January 6, 2022
I thought this book rather boring. Did t pick up till almost the end and then went on and on.
February 8, 2024
Old fashioned “man book”
October 14, 2016
I enjoy listening to this series! I am now going back in time as I read #6 first. I did know some of this story from reading ahead in the series first. I would recommend starting at the beginning. The audio book is really well done with voices. There is plenty of fast moving action but it is predictable which I am okay with as it makes it a fun easy read.
June 10, 2010
Book review # 21
“Absolute Zero” by Chuck Logan
This novel is a mystery / thriller with so many twist and turns that if you were to read it all in one sitting your head would be twisted and turned as well! Chuck Logan is a wonderful and talented writer that can look at any situation and present the many different perspectives that all the characters of that event might encounter.
The beginning of this book is a story about a middle aged man , Phil Broker who is going through the process of a divorce and in doing so is looking to find himself or possibly re-invent himself. His soon to be ex-wife is an Army Delta Force career woman and feels the need to be competitive in all roles of her life. He too is very competitive having been an Army Special Forces man, who latter became a police undercover man. I’m sure you can see the conflict starting to develop…Two people competing to be the one who makes all the decisions in the family. It just can’t work, but this is all a story for yet another day as Chuck Logan leads you away from Phil Broker’s personal problems and embroils him in the life of three very self-centered professionals who pretend to be each others friends. It seems as though Chuck Logan uses this personal problem of Phil Broker to help build the character and give the reader some direct insight as to who they are dealing with making it easy to identify with his life. It also gives Broker a reason for being in the role that he finds himself in at the time.
Phil Broker takes over the chores for his uncle of closing his hunting lodge for the season and fulfilling a last minute booking of three seemingly friends wanting to enjoy a season ending moose hunt. The three friends are all professionals, a doctor, Allen, a lawyer, Milt, and a wealthy writer, Hank. It appears to be an opportunity for Broker to take a chance at evaluating his own life and making some relatively easy money in the process. This is not to be. An early winter storm set them all in danger and brings out the worst in all the parties involved. Hank needs an emergency surgery, Allen seizes the opportunity to try to kill Hank, and Milt is in charge of all Hank’s holdings. The fly in the ointment, if you will, is Hanks younger and so it seems trophy wife who Allen and Milt are both infatuated with. Time would prove that this wife also has a past that is less then stellar. Hank falls into a coma and does not die, Broker smells a rat and his own integrity gets the best of him as he searches to find the true cause of the coma, opening a Pandora’s box. Chuck Logan adds so much to the story by letting the reader see through the mind of Hank while he is in a coma, giving insight and an intriguing slant to the whole ball of wax!
The story in itself has all the trapping to make it an excellent book but with Chuck Logan’s ability to set the reader into the mind of Hank, the man in a coma, the book takes on excellence that I have not found in most other books. Reading this book, although I would describe it as a “page turner” took me a long time to read as I kept stopping to say well, “what if”? or possibly “Could this really happen”?
If you want to stay cool on a hot summer’s night I recommend this book on the highest degree. I have found Chuck Logan to have use of descriptions that can put the reader in the time and setting of the event, including make you shiver with the cold and the evil that some people possess.
“Absolute Zero” by Chuck Logan
This novel is a mystery / thriller with so many twist and turns that if you were to read it all in one sitting your head would be twisted and turned as well! Chuck Logan is a wonderful and talented writer that can look at any situation and present the many different perspectives that all the characters of that event might encounter.
The beginning of this book is a story about a middle aged man , Phil Broker who is going through the process of a divorce and in doing so is looking to find himself or possibly re-invent himself. His soon to be ex-wife is an Army Delta Force career woman and feels the need to be competitive in all roles of her life. He too is very competitive having been an Army Special Forces man, who latter became a police undercover man. I’m sure you can see the conflict starting to develop…Two people competing to be the one who makes all the decisions in the family. It just can’t work, but this is all a story for yet another day as Chuck Logan leads you away from Phil Broker’s personal problems and embroils him in the life of three very self-centered professionals who pretend to be each others friends. It seems as though Chuck Logan uses this personal problem of Phil Broker to help build the character and give the reader some direct insight as to who they are dealing with making it easy to identify with his life. It also gives Broker a reason for being in the role that he finds himself in at the time.
Phil Broker takes over the chores for his uncle of closing his hunting lodge for the season and fulfilling a last minute booking of three seemingly friends wanting to enjoy a season ending moose hunt. The three friends are all professionals, a doctor, Allen, a lawyer, Milt, and a wealthy writer, Hank. It appears to be an opportunity for Broker to take a chance at evaluating his own life and making some relatively easy money in the process. This is not to be. An early winter storm set them all in danger and brings out the worst in all the parties involved. Hank needs an emergency surgery, Allen seizes the opportunity to try to kill Hank, and Milt is in charge of all Hank’s holdings. The fly in the ointment, if you will, is Hanks younger and so it seems trophy wife who Allen and Milt are both infatuated with. Time would prove that this wife also has a past that is less then stellar. Hank falls into a coma and does not die, Broker smells a rat and his own integrity gets the best of him as he searches to find the true cause of the coma, opening a Pandora’s box. Chuck Logan adds so much to the story by letting the reader see through the mind of Hank while he is in a coma, giving insight and an intriguing slant to the whole ball of wax!
The story in itself has all the trapping to make it an excellent book but with Chuck Logan’s ability to set the reader into the mind of Hank, the man in a coma, the book takes on excellence that I have not found in most other books. Reading this book, although I would describe it as a “page turner” took me a long time to read as I kept stopping to say well, “what if”? or possibly “Could this really happen”?
If you want to stay cool on a hot summer’s night I recommend this book on the highest degree. I have found Chuck Logan to have use of descriptions that can put the reader in the time and setting of the event, including make you shiver with the cold and the evil that some people possess.
February 15, 2014
I read a lot of crime fiction, most of which can be reviewed with a word or two. This one stood out for me. Although it ticked all the boxes for the genre, it didn't really follow the standard formula for a 12-chapter mystery. That made the plot a bit more organic, and it felt less like the hero was "solving a mystery" than usual -- more like he had real motivations. The writing was very vivid, and the characters were particularly well-drawn -- much more so than in the other Chuck Logan book I read "Homefront" and the one I abandoned because it started out with a stupid Al Qaeda interrogation scene. (Note to crime writers: If your name is not John LeCarre, I quit when I see the word "terrorist.")
January 31, 2013
It took me a long time to get through this Phil Broker title -- a lot of macho details when what originally attracted me was the manly-man daddy aspect of Broker (in this title, his wife has taken his daughter which seems to give Broker a pass at acting human). I thoroughly enjoyed the medical thread to the story, the ostrich details, and the VERY strong sense of place (Minnesota) and winter details that play a significant role in the story line. The denoument was satisfying (glad I was sitting in the sun) and I'm looking forward to #4.
May 7, 2015
#3 in the Phillip Broker series. Phil is a sometimes lawman for various agencies in the Upper Midwest - predominately MN. He has a troubled marriage with action junkie Nina, an Army MP Major.
Phillip Broker is separated from MP Major Nina Pryce who has taken their daughter to Europe. He guides a canoe trip and disaster strikes. A writer suffers a life threatening injury during a sudden blizzard. After evacuation to a local hospital, the doctor performs surgery but the writer winds up in a coma. The lawyer files a malpractice suit. Everyone lusts after the writer's wife.
Phillip Broker is separated from MP Major Nina Pryce who has taken their daughter to Europe. He guides a canoe trip and disaster strikes. A writer suffers a life threatening injury during a sudden blizzard. After evacuation to a local hospital, the doctor performs surgery but the writer winds up in a coma. The lawyer files a malpractice suit. Everyone lusts after the writer's wife.
April 26, 2010
It gets cold in Minnesota and points north. Author Chuck Logan heats up the north woods once again with character Phil Broker. After a daring backwoods rescue mission that goes right, and immediately takes a turn for the worse, Broker sees something that he does not like. His investigation takes some chilling turns that will heat up the Minnesota backwoods like a bonfire. Author Chuck Logan has pulled off another superb book in this third installment of the story of character Phil Broker.
April 7, 2016
A pretty good Northern MN Murder mystery, and it starts off in the Boundary Waters, and goes across the state back up to Ely, MN. It is set in wintertime, and is a fun read. Their are a few inconsistencies with some of Minnesota occurrences, like cell phone service in the BWCA and falling through the ice on a lake when it is -28F. seems pretty crazy. But, it is fiction so I give it up as it is a fun read.
November 15, 2011
This was wild ride from start to finish. I couldn't decide if it was a Suspense book, or a Thriller. So I marked it as both. The author so graphically portrayed what the winter cold of Minnesota could quickly do to unprotected human flesh.
I liked the weaving of a the medical storyline with the thriller.
I liked the weaving of a the medical storyline with the thriller.
October 18, 2016
Recommended by Randy. Reminds me a lot of John Sandford, but not as good. I liked it though. The main character got into an intense climate situation when he was being a guide on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. A mystery ensues, and he spends some time on an ostrich farm among other things. Quite creative!
January 14, 2009
A fantastic book. It's the first Chuck Logan I've read and I'm now committed to reading everything else he's written. A great writer, VERY reminiscent of John Sandford in style and tone (ironic, given that they both write from Minnesota.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews