Icebound: A Novel

Aside from his series (Odd Thomas) and his pairing (Christopher Snow), this is my favorite Dean Koontz book. The ending has a touch of cheese to it, but the interactions of the characters keeps me coming back! Whenever I'm down, I just grab the book, open it somewhere in the last 2/3's, and within a page or two I'm laughing. I've gone through four copies, loaning them out, and finally purchased a copy for my Kindle so I would always have one!

For the few reviewers that griped about this story, get a grip! This may not be the most serious or intellectual of Koontzs' stories, but it is a great read and kept me in my chair until the very end. With it's tense scary moments and it's fun light moments, it offers two books for the price of one. I highly recommend!

This story is about scientists who are trying to find a way to harness arctic ice for melting for crops in drought stricken countries. After setting deep charges to blow a huge chunk of ice free, something catastrophic happens. As if staying alive isn't enough, they are stuck in a life threatening storm. Plus, they have a psychopath in their midst. Well written book. Good enough that this was a reread for me.

The very first chapter was GRIPPING because I am shopping for a Corvette right now. But the "bad guy" in this one was not "real" or even suspense-grabbing enough to keep me flipping the pages. Oh.... I finished it alright; because I'm trying to read all of Dean Koontz' work.
But if you're doing the same.... I would save this one for last. Just my $0.02

Icebound was definitly a walk off the beaten path for Dean Koontz but he carried it off in style. I loved the charactors and the tension. I got the book Christmas eve and finished it Christmas night. A definite "have to" for Koontz fans everywhere.

Listened to this book a long time ago (on cassette!) and it was read beautifully by BD Wong. I just purchased a new copy for my ipod and noticed the different cover but didn't notice the new reader. No offense to Mr. Mitchell, but what the hell! Why wasn't BD Wong the reader? He's asian, and the character is asian, and YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE in listening to the story. So disappointing! If you can ger the BD Wong version, do so. As fas as the story goes, it's clever and different, but the main chick is irritating. Simpering and overly worked as coquettish.

I had read so many good comments about this book, so I bought it to give it a try and didn't like it at all. There were so many pages of useless information and the ending was ridiculous. I wish I had read another one of Koontz's books first.

Listened to this book a long time ago (on cassette!) and it was read beautifully by BD Wong. I just purchased a new copy for my ipod and noticed the different cover but didn't notice the new reader. No offense to Mr. Mitchell, but what the hell! Why wasn't BD Wong the reader? He's asian, and the character is asian, and YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE in listening to the story. So disappointing! If you can ger the BD Wong version, do so. As fas as the story goes, it's clever and different, but the main chick is irritating. Simpering and overly worked as coquettish.

I had read so many good comments about this book, so I bought it to give it a try and didn't like it at all. There were so many pages of useless information and the ending was ridiculous. I wish I had read another one of Koontz's books first.

This book, written in the style of Alister MacLean, is unlike anything else Dean Koontz has published. While it is well written, I find myself missing what I read Dean Koontz books for - suspense, deep characterizations, and the compelling need to keep turning the pages all night long. Wish I'd paid more attention to the descriptions before I bought this one.

Originally written in 1976 as Prison of Ice under a Pseudonym – Icebound was re-released in 1995. I’m not sure if anything was changed or updated from the original to the 1995 release – but if nothing was changed – I didn’t realize that Koontz was on par with Crichton for forward-thinking fiction.

The premise of the story is that there is an expedition of scientists who are working on an Arctic icefield – attempting to blow an iceberg off of the field and into the water to help countries who are suffering major droughts and water issues. Just the fact that this was a thought in 1976/1995 baffles my mind. I guess there are people out there who pay attention to the scientists early and write fiction about it – but this sounds like something out of a 2018 headline, not a 1976 byline of a book. The expedition is lead by husband and wife team of Rita and Harry Carpenter. Rita suffers from fear of ice and cold – so god only knows why she came on this expedition. After all the explosives are set – “a shattering tidal wave breaks loose the ice on which they are working” and they are basically stuck on the ice surrounded by their literal ticking time bombs.

One of the members of the expedition is suddenly missing and we later find out that there might be someone out there trying to kill him. Knowing they are the only ones on the ice they quickly realize that one of them is not who he/she claims.

The book itself was a blast to read. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be boring with not much going on in the intro – but it was good to get to know the crew and understand why they were doing what they were doing. It was a similar start to The Martian (not exactly the same, but close) once we realize what each person is there for and does. The opening also reminded me a bit of the opening of The Day After Tomorrow – so I wonder if this book influenced either of those.

I haven’t read much Koontz and now I’m doubting myself for this. I enjoyed almost every second of this audiobook and I’m now going to look for other books that sound up my alley.

I mentioned Rita’s issues earlier in the review – I thought that Koontz did a good job weaving them into the story to explain and describe just how she was feeling. You really felt for her and felt that tightness in your chest when she started to lose it.

You can tell that this book was originally written during the Cold War because of the Russian (or Anti-Russian depending on your character) sentiment during parts of it. I won’t give too much away but I thought he wrote about it in a way that still felt realistic in 2018.

I know this has been released on audio before – but Brilliance with Jim Frangione at the helm does a great job on this one. I thought his narration, speed, and tone added to the suspense that Koontz was trying to build in Icebound.

One of my all time favourite reads – and I have re-read this title five times since its purchase back in 1998! It has a lighter tone to Dean Koontz’s regular novels, but don’t get me wrong, there s still lots of horror, suspense and action – Ticktock is full of satire and dry wit. I got caught many times laughing out loud on the tram, hanging off the lounge, and giggling in my darkened bedroom when I really should be asleep. This is a page turner! Expect to be lifting your feet from the ground in expectation that some creepy crawly is about to reach out of the shadows from under your chair (or bed) to hook claws into your heels.

Our reluctant hero, a Vietnamese American called Tommy Phan becomes the unwitting victim in a supernatural chase. He is emasculated, not to mention infatuated, by a waitress-come-gun toting action star Deliverance (Del) Payne that Tommy crosses paths with. Del doesn’t trample all over her co-star, letting him shine and bumble along, supporting him as best she can. It is a lot like the Get Smart duo of Max and 99… if they were thrown in a horror movie. I especially loved the appearance of Scootie, Del’s dog and his contributions to the conversations by pfft’ing his rubber hotdog. Each of the cast is given opportunity o shine: each to use a unique and surprising survival skill as well as add to witty banter. They are alive, colourful and leap from the page in expertly crafted words.

Together these three manage to destroy Tommy’s house, a corvette, a van several houses and backyards on their path trough the city, packed to the armpits with pistols and shotguns (maybe I exaggerate, but that’s what this book does to you… it is all types of awesome).

Don’t expect this book to make a lot of sense – think ‘Big Trouble in Little China.’ It’s just a fun romp through the streets with a murderous demon thing on your tail! The end result is a thoroughly entertaining story with an unexpected twist that will have you smiling too.

Scientists had been secretly researching the possibility and feasibility of using icebergs from the arctic as a source for fresh water. As a team is in the Arctic doing research and planting explosives in order to break off a piece of ice, an earthquake breaks off the ice on which they are working. They find themselves afloat, and the countdown has already begun for the explosives!

This book is a race against time. Highly developed characters try to solve the problem, as the clock ticks down, each facing his/her own fears and past experiences in the fight to survive. The solution is ingenious; however, you can expect terrible feelings of claustrophobia as you read! Enjoy!

This was quite interesting, and for the most part, quite a delight. Koontz takes a turn from his usual, and gives us an unusual twist in the Arctic Circle. I think my question was like the question of some, and I wondered if it would work. Would Dean Koontz try to be Tom Clancy mixed with Oliver North and try to pull of a techno-suspense thriller? No he didn't and I thought WHEW as I finished it up.

So we take an assignment to the Arctic, on an iceberg, and let the games begin. But with the climate, storms and what not, trouble brews. As time passes, you wonder if there is somebody there with murder on their mind. You have Harry and Rita Carpenter. Harry is the leader of the expedition, the big dog. Rita has her fears, actually intense phobic reactions. These fears are, #1; Cryophobia: the fear of ice and frost. #2 fear is Frigophobia: the fear of cold. And last but not least is Chionophobia: the fear of snow. Then you have big and bad Pete Johnson, along with Roger Breskin, your basic no fear type guys, Pete is the electric engineer. Then you have Brian Dougherty, related to a former President. I myself couldn't help but laugh at George Lin, who thinks the communists are trying to control them. Claude Jobert, who is also part of the team, and Franz Fischer, who used to date Rita. There you have a believable story, mixed in with the fact that you have a murderer. Oh and by the way, you have bombs in the ice that will blow up the iceberg in about 12 hours. No sweat, right? And HEY!! the Russians are coming to the rescue this time! Don't miss out. I really like the Russian submarine captain, Nikita Gorov, who is in all reality, doing this for his son.

I guess the reason I gave this only 4 stars is easy for me. I missed the heart stopping suspense that he normally delivers, and I didn't get much in this. I did get a well written story, one that you can share with anyone without scaring them too much. Koontz really showed a lot of guts in attempting something new, and he pulled it off.

So, there was no quote in the beginning from "The Book of Counted Sorrows" as usual. There was no real blood and guts, as you suspect from Koontz, but he made it work, and did better than most I might add. Now, in his author's note, he added that he previously released this as "Prison of Ice" by David Axton, and it was rougher and grittier in form. He even said it wasn't his intent to be as technically detailed as Tom Clancy, and I'm glad he wasn't. That would be too overwhelming. But instead, he gives us some frostbite, just a little on the brain to play with our heads here and there. Try it, you just might like it!

Oh what could have been.
Koontz sets this novel up great. The first half of the book was vintage Koontz (aside from any supernatural/violence) as he sets a great atmosphere. I really loved the setting of this book, and i loved how the story could have gone almost anywhere as far as the "who is it?" plotline goes. However, as the ending approaches, i start wondering when something was going to happen, when and where the twist will be, and if everything would finish on a high note.
Koontz's climax is anything but climatic. I really feel like he had a great opportunity here to just blow the reader's mind away, and hit us with something we never saw coming. After finishing the book i felt dissapointed, and even though i'm no Koontz, i feel like i could have written a better ending here.
I gave three stars because i did enjoy some things, mainly the setting. I also enjoyed that this book had normal characters, and nothing supernatural in it. I love Koontz's horror/supernatural stuff, but it was nice to get a break from them things and enjoy a "regular novel". An O.K. book overall, and it's a shame because this could have been much much more.

Dean Koontz created a real page turner in TICK TOCK. Heck, even the cover art works well with the book on this one. It's an all around winner. I'll tell you up front one complaint that keeps it from being a 5 star - it's only one book.

The book chronicles the night from hell for Tommy Phan. Starting with the purchase of his first corvette the ride just keeps going from there.

This book is not what it seems at first. When I picked this up I expected a horror story, with focus on Tommy and a demonic pursuer. I was set up for one scare after the next as Tommy is chased and tormented.

It was so much more than that. This is drama, horror, and love story rolled into one. It's a story about social moors, tradition, and family as well.

Tommy is forced to confront his past and traditions. Along the way he hooks up with Del, a woman with a unique family and history. The demon thing gives chase at first to just Tommy but soon it's chasing them both across the city and beyond.

Make no mistake, there are chilling demon tormenting moments, scary monster eating innocent scenes, and relentless pursuit. But just the same, there is a bit of magic, a few wild car rides, and a trip to Las Vegas.

All that's missing from this story is Elvis.

The title implies something to do with a ticking clock or computer countdown. Oh, there's a countdown the computer and clock having nothing to do with the story. That's my other gripe. Though the story takes place all in about 18 hours, the count down isn't shown on clock, computer, or really even a watch.

If you like Koontz, you'll enjoy this. It's quirky, scary and fun.

) John Glover reads the audiobook version of this story and like previous readings I've heard from him he does a good job. I always appreciate when an actor goes the "extra mile" to give different accents or speech patterns to different characters so that the audiobook come across more like a play vs. simply a reading.

2) This is not the typical Koontz supernatural story. This is a man vs. nature story that would better play off the submarine movie crowd and/or natural disaster crowd instead of the normal Koontz crowd. This story seemed like a scaled up version of a screenplay or TV made movie and probably would have done better as a movie than a novel.

3) Basically some scientist get stranded on an iceberg and need to get rescued. They have an unidentifiable bad guy in their midst in order to complicate things. A Russian sub is trying to rescue them but gets thwarted at each attempt. Story was fairly predictable and lacked a lot of suspense.

4) On the flip side, Koontz has a couple of strong characters that help keep the story afloat and as the iceberg drifts to its conclusion so the reader in turn will drift along with the story. At points you'll want to dump this book but then you'll realize that you've invested time and need to finish things out.

5) There were a couple of characters totally forgotten and given little if no attention for some reason. And the climax was formularic and in turn anti-climatical.

It wasn't a terrible story, but it wasn't fantastic either. I'm glad I picked this up at the library and didn't pay money for it. Too bad because Koontz has some great books out there; Watchers being one of my favorite books to read and Tick-Tock being in my all time top three audiobooks to listen to.

Tommy Phan has just about everything he ever dreamed of: a successful career as a novelist, a brand new Corvette, and all the trappings that money can buy. His life would be perfect if only his Mother would stop making him feel guilty for forgetting his Vietnamese roots.

When Tommy returns home one night, after a particularly bad nagging phone call from Mom, he finds an innocent rag doll lying on his doorstep and brings it in for a closer inspection. This is when things start getting really weird. In no time at all Tommy, an eccentric woman who saves his butt, and her chocolate lab whose favorite toy is a farting hot-dog, are running for their lives from the devil's spawn. They have until dawn to outrun the demon.

I really have to read the unabridged version of this book. I hate knowing I missed even one hilarious word. Unlike Koontz's most recent releases that were sometimes painfully dark, twisted and so intense I couldn't read them alone TICK TOCK is a more of a screwball comedy that reminded me of some of my favorite campy B horror flicks. I had visions of PUPPETMASTER & NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD while reading and was reminded of my favorite kind of B movie demon: The beast that wouldn't die. This is not a criticism! There is nothing like a good campy B horror movie!
Koontz creates the most likable off the wall characters: the guilt ridden down to earth Tommy Phan (I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced the "guilt" phone call), Deliverance Payne who continually surprised me with her strangeness, Scootie the face licker, and Tommy's Mom who has some of the most hilarious lines in the book. Which brings me to the dialogue - some of the funniest I've ever read. Too often humor can seem forced or stilted but never in this book. The characters were so kooky the wild dialogue flowed naturally. Some of my favorite scenes weren't the suspenseful chases or the gore filled shoot-outs but the bantering and bickering between the characters. TICK TOCK has a little bit of several of my favorite genres: horror, comedy, suspense, and a good old fashioned romance.
I found there were a few unexplained plot points in the abridged version I read and I'm hoping they will be cleared up when I read the full version or maybe I'll just hope for a sequel.

Swaying from his usual out-of-this-world original style that consumes readers with his unnerving wit and suspense, "Icebound" is a Koontz piece that is certainly attempting to shade the likes of Clancy, Crichton, and even King. With this said, the novel does not possess the uncanny qualities that he often uses to grip his readers and the premise of an arctic team stranded in the ice-pierced habitat falls through the cracks.
Harry and Rita Carpenter are part of a team of scientists who are studying how they can use age-old icebergs in order to save a planet that is thirsting for water after ill-advised societies whiped out almost all traces of the essential lifeline. Just before they are about to leave their mission as a success, the team is terrorized by a murderous maniac and is keeping them from leaving the shivering area. As Harry and Rita try to figure out who the mysterious killer is, they also have to keep the team together before the suspicions, delusions, and fears corrupt the expedition and cause them even more harm.
Only a half-way enjoyable story, "Icebound" is a fast-paced read that unfolds to reveal nothing special--the characters are not well-developed and are a part of a drawn-out cliche of a novel. Seems like a rushed effort by Koontz after such incredibly satisfying works such as "Intensity" and "Dark Rivers of the Heart". A major disappointment.

I don't think Koontz was thinking about the bestsellers list when he wrote this. If you read the liner notes, he stated that he needed to write a light-hearted, fun story after completing intensity and Dark Rivers of the Heart. If you read those, you would understand why. Very serious, very heavy books. This one, on the other hand, is just entertaining and very funny!
Tommy Phan is a good character. But the book actually centers on his reaction to characters like Del Payne, her mother, his mother, and the little rat-quick monster thing. All of these supporting characters were outstanding. I agree with another reader, who said that he hopes Del is revisited in another story. She was great. And the dialogue with his mom kept me in stitches. And I loved the ending. Koontz always has a way of tying everything together and creating an ending that parallels the good guys riding into the sunset.
Hey, you critics stop taking this book too seriously. Its meant to make you smile. Its short, but just long enough to tell a complete story and give closure. If you feel stressed or down, pick this one up and it will certainly lighten your day and give you a more appreciative perspective on the world. Get your priorities straight or find yourself being chased by your own Minikin!

I'm always slightly suspicious when a highly successful author such as Koontz re-issues an earlier attempt - is he exploiting the fact that a large proportion of the book buying public will snap up anything with his famous name emblazoned across the front? Or does the book have genuine merit? In this case of ICEBOUND sadly the answer is no. It is poorly written, lacks suspense or tension, the characters are one-dimensional and the 'serial killer' subplot is pitiful - and clearly copied from Alistair Maclean's ICE STATION ZEBRA - which incidentally is a much better book.
Was something lost in the updating? Was it all originally an evil communist plot?

I can only say had I written this book I would prefer it to remain buried - the writing is so bad that by the first ten pages I couldn't go on and merely flicked through to the end to see what happened. I was constantly aware that I was reading what someone else had written - at no time did I get lost in the story and that, for me, is the worst criticism I can make of any book.

Having said all that at least I picked up a second hand copy for under a pound as I didn't like the look of ICEBOUND when it first came out. How right I was. Now if I had paid 6/7 pounds for this rubbish I really would be pissed off ...

Can you really write the supernatural & be funny as well? Yep, Koontz has done exactly that here.
Our hero, Tommy Phan finds himself going from elation to fearful to befuddled. He's got a nasty little entity trailing him & he can't shake him. Enter the lovely Deliverance Payne (Read her name closely; a play on words) to rescue him. She gives new meaning to the phrase "Never argue with a woman." She mesmerizes & baffles him at the same time. The dialogue between the two & her dog is often funny. You'll find yourself smiling from the time he meets her. Mind you, all this time a crazed being is trying to take them out of their mortal world.
As if Tommy isn't confused enough, wait until he meets Deliverance's mother. Now, he really doesn't know which end is up. Throw in his own mom, brother, mom's friend, & deadly supernatural being which evolved from a rag doll & you'll be glad you don't have his life.
The ending is pretty predictable. The beginning bogs down a bit until he meets Ms. Payne. I would have given this 4 stars. The humor & the Koontz style earn it an enjoyable 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was unlike anything I've ever read before. Admittedly, I've only recently discovered Koontz (I'm more prone to read Stephen King, Dan Brown and Tess Gerritsen) and found most of his books I've read thus far a bit far-fetched or the plot too thin. This is the second of his books I like (the other being Phantoms).

It's a good mix of humor, action, good characters and for the most part, a believable plot. Yet my rating is only 3? I would have given it a 3½ rating (if there was such a thing) because I feel it deserves a bit more than 3, but not quite 4.

So what was good about this book?

Firstly, the characters. The story centers around Tommy (Tuong) Phan who fled Saigon with his family in the 60's when the communist Vietnamese government tortured its citizens and Thai pirates wreaked havoc. Tommy was only 8 when they escaped the carnage, seeking asylum in America. He adapted well to life there and did his best to be an all-out America - something his family, especially his ultra-cultural mother, disapproved of. She still believes in the "old ways" and more often than not scolds Tommy; who was born Tuong and changed his name when he was of age to fit in with the "American way" - another thing that displeased his mother. She accuses him of forgetting his heritage and become what he is not - an American. The other main character, Deliverance Payne, is quirky, enigmatic and very eccentric. She is a bit of a mystery to Tommy and he finds it hard to quite grasp the concept that is Del.

Secondly, the humor. There's a lot of conflict between Tommy and his mother. She strongly disproves of how "Americanized" he has become and will more often than not taunt him with excruciatingly funny retorts such as "Too much cheeseburgers and French fries, soon you look like big fat cheeseburger" and "But your father good man. Don't put him in fancy sports car and take him out drinking whiskey, fight, chase blondes". The fact that she speaks in broken English makes it even funnier.
Del and Tommy further add to the comedy as practical Tommy gets infuriated with the mysterious Del who always answers his questions either with another enigmatic question or something totally ridiculous. Such as:
"What's that for?" Tommy asked (referring to a red flannel Santa hat)
"It's a hat."
"But what are you going to use it for?"
"Use it for? To cover my head" she said, as if he were daft. "What do you use hats for?"
"You look ridiculous."
"I think it's cute. Makes me feel good. Puts me in a holiday mood."
"Do you see a therapist regularly?" he asked.
"I dated a dentist once, but never a therapist."

Thirdly, the action. It was constant and spontaneous throughout the book. Tommy with Del and her Labrador, Scootie, by his side must out run a monstrous creature that issued from a rag doll. It's bent on killing Tommy and peruses him relentlessly throughout the night. Gun battles, exploding cars, wrecked boats, car chases - this book has it all.

So what is there not to like then?

Only one thing in my opinion: the fact that Del is a multi-millionaire heiress and that she seems to be able to do everything and anything. She has reckless abandonment for causing damage to property (in most instances that of other people) and the law as a whole. She has no problem stealing 2 cars and then crashes her own $750,000 yacht into an island, making it off as if it was a worthless toy. She doesn't see the wrong in what she does and defends it by saying they didn't steal the cars, just "borrowed" them. Neither of them ever gets punished for the havoc they wreaked while trying to escape from the rag doll creature nor do they ever get caught by the authorities. Everyone seems to know and like Del - something that's not humanly possible. The ending is probably the worst. A Vegas wedding arranged in mere hours. Lear jet flights between California and Las Vegas to inform Tommy's parents of the marriage and the "bit unpalatable" explanation for Del's abilities.
Yet, I'm able to concede that this is fiction and I believe that there are many things in this world that our human minds cannot comprehend, so I'll give the writer that. But Del's reckless behavior still doesn't sit well with me. As the resident of a developing country it has always (bitterly) amazed me how people in first world countries could utterly waste money, resources or destroy cars, houses, etc. that is in a perfectly working condition, something that is still good for use, all in the name of good fun. "Waste not, want not" don't seem to matter at all as there seems to be an abundance of everything in developed countries. This is probably my main reason for not rating this book with more than 3 stars. Also the co-main character (Del) seems to have it all - good looks, endless riches, exceedingly smart, enigmatically intuitive - there are no people like that on Earth. Her perfections get a bit irritating.

Yet I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes fast paced books with a hint of the super natural.

I have always heard that Koontz was a great writer but I have noticed that he seems to do more "telling" than "showing" in his fiction. He is in love with big words which drag you out of the fictional dream. Certainly he knows how to write plots--as evidenced by his fine book "How to Write a BestSeller" (now only available as xeroxed copies passed from writer to writer) but he tries to do the thinking for his reader rather than giving them sensory information and letting his readers do the thinking.
Aside from that problem--which afflicts all of Koontz' work--this book has characters who you cannot differentiate. When he switches from one character to another, you do not remember who each character is. The Russian sub captain is about the only one who really is memorable. Also, the George Lin character is so obviously the shill villain that the reader is forced to expect that he's not the real villain. And when the real villain comes to light near the end, it seems completely unmotivated and therefore is unsatisfying. I will read the "Watchers" next, which I hear is excellent. Still, the problem with his intellectualizing his prose is really a killer. You just get the sense that, personally, he's a perfectionist who grew up in a poorer family and so he is constantly trying to impress you with his intellect.
Contrast that with somebody like Tolstoy in "War and Peace" who is brilliant but who provides the reader with sensory information--food for the five senses--and lets the reader discover the profundity. After all the money Koontz has made, you would think he would take the time to let me read the story, rather than digesting it for me and giving it pre-chewed.

One of the more interesting books from Dean Koontz is TICK TOCK. Koontz felt this book was too short to justify asking readers to pay hardcover prices so it was released directly as a paperback (since then a hardcover edition has been made available).
TICK TOCK is the story of a single night in the life of Tommy Phan, a Vietnamese American who has embraced American culture with a grip of steel. Tommy finds a small rag doll on his stoop and brings it into his home. Now what do we know about inviting evil into your home? The doll quickly starts to change into some sort of reptilian creature that uses Tommy's computer to let him know he will be dead by dawn.
The rest of the book details Tommy's flight from his pursuer, his meeting a very strange young woman, his dealings with his family who thinks he is a disgrace and other strange occurrences.
Dean Koontz claims that he was attempting to recreate the feelings in some of the great screwball comedies. Well, except for the very obvious dark elements, he came very close. Except for his lack of the proper ethnic heritage I could very well see Cary Grant in the part of Tommy, Katherine Hepburn as his mother and Claudette Colbert as the love interest. Of course suck a movie can not be made but it is fun to think about. Tommy is the epitome of the screwball comedy male. Trying to make sense of the craziness around him while everyone else thinks he is the strange one.
But even at almost four-hundred pages this is a very quick read. The plot continues to advance while the tension builds and understanding begins to gel. As tension rises so does the humor level. Tommy's mother is hilarious while being believable. The only real flaw I found was I did not quite fully accept the way the book was resolved at the end. The ending fit but I just didn't feel it was done quite right. But despite that I found it an enjoyable book that I heartily recommend.

ICEBOUND is a unique offering from Koontz, an adventure story in the spirit of Alister McLean or Tom Clancy. It's an enjoyable, if slightly lightweight read.

Koontz originally wrote this book under the title "Prison of Ice" under the pseudonym "David Axton" in the mid 1970s. After Koontz became a famous writer, he re-released some of his earlier works under his own name, but only after extensively updating and rewriting them.

This book isn't Koontz' best novel by a long shot, but it's a fun read about a group of scientists trapped on a glacier that is about to explode. This isn't a particularly realistic book, but it's fast-paced and suspenseful, especially toward the end (there is literally a ticking clock). This is also the only novel by Koontz that resembles an old-fashioned whodunit -- there is a killer on the glacier, and the reader has to figure out which scientist is the guilty party.

I've read nearly all of Koontz's work, and this one ranks somewhere in the middle. For a truly great Koontz novel, my advice is to try WATCHERS, PHANTOMS, LIGHTNING, INTENSITY, or ODD THOMAS instead.