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DEEP FREEZE
by Lisa Jackson
Zebra Books, March 2005
507 pages
$7.99
ISBN: 0821772961


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Drawing on the fierce beauty of the Oregon coast in winter, a series of stupid decisions by several people who should know better, and a carefully conceived plot line, author Lisa Jackson has fashioned a lengthy rollercoaster ride. Emotionally, this novel hits all the buttons.

Jenna Hughes is a retired film actress. She was on the fast glittering track to superstardom. Then tragedy struck and her sister died on the set of Jenna's then current production. She also learned that her producer-husband is unfaithful. Jenna cancels her career, takes her two children and flees to the peace and relative quiet of a bucolic small Oregon town in the mountains.

But fate isn't finished with Jenna Hughes. Women start to disappear. A body is discovered by a dog. Winter closes in as a storm of the century drops more and more snow, ice and freezing temperatures on the region. And somebody is playing deadly games with Jenna's head, and her little family.

Jackson is a competent writer. And if there are a few too many convenient devices, well, this is still a strong story. The logic of the character's actions doesn't falter. All the characters are well drawn and most have the necessary depth, plus there are enough quirks among some residents of this town to keep readers intrigued and guessing for quite a while. I did occasionally wish for at least one or two ordinary normal-acting characters among the large cast, just as counterpoint.

The author has designed Jenna Hughes' family very well. The conflicts between the two girls and their separated parents are a nice touch, and feed into the plot in logical ways. The final conclusion of the story which pits the sheriff against weather and his own long-suppressed emotions over the accidental death of a friend, is also well-handled.

The novel is a welter of emotionally draining psychological conflict. At times, Jenna Hughes herself is so overwhelmed one almost expects her to self-destruct and that to this writer is a flaw. In some ways, the novel goes over the emotional crest to justify its inordinate length. But there is no doubt Jackson's many fans will savor with great delight this icy story of barbarous murder and demented infatuation. And, that, after all, is what it's all about.

Reviewed by Carl Brookins, March 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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