In an effort to redeem Lisa Jackson as an author I enjoy reading, I picked up Deep Freeze. Part of the blurb on the back hooked me into choosing this one over others. "When she wakes, she's very cold. Colder than she's ever been in her life. She can't move or speak. And then she sees him. The one who took her. And before she dies, she wishes she could scream...". As a mystery book enthusiast I couldn't wait to begin reading.
Deep Freeze
Jenna Hughes is an actress that has chosen to leave Hollywood and fame behind. Moving herself and her two daughters to a remote ranch in Oregon, Jenna hopes to find peace after the death of her sister and the divorce from her faithless husband. Her daughters, Cassie and Allie, are determined to keep that peace from happening. Cassie at 16 years old rebels against the move by disobeying Jenna and getting into trouble, more than once, with her new boyfriend Josh. Even when her mom gets threatening letters, Cassie continues to sneak out at night. Will her defiance lead to Jenna's biggest fear?
Women are missing from Falls Crossing, a small town next to the Columbia River. It's Sheriff Shane Carter's job to find them. With the biggest storm in years to hit the county he has his hands full with car wrecks, power outages, and a thief. With all the work from the storm and women missing, Jenna's letter writer doesn't warrant much concern. That is until Shane discovers a link between the missing women and Jenna's past that is leading to Jenna's future...as a missing woman.
Slow Start...
It took me three days to get past the first few pages of Deep Freeze. It seemed to be the typical obsessed fan after gorgeous movie star theme and I just couldn't get into it. Then in the second chapter I was introduced to Charlie and his dog, Tanzy. Now, he was an interesting old coot of a character. He was, also, only briefly mentioned. Charlie is what hooked me into reading more of this book, though. He gave me hope that the rest of the book wouldn't echo the beginning.
Jenna, Cassie, Allie, and Shane are well written and believable characters. Jenna, as the movie actress wanting to live a normal life with her two children, earned my respect in how she handled herself. I felt sympathy for Cassie being removed from her friends and life as she knew it. She acted up in the typical teenage ways, but when it's needed her love for her mom is what comes through. Allie, a pre-teen, is exactly how I picture a girl of that age. Concerned about her horses, sleep overs with her best friend, and school. Shane is a man with past tragedies that led him to where he is in this book. A sheriff that only wants to keep the people of his county safe. He has a determination and strength that makes him my favorite character in Deep Freeze.
So, what was my problem with Deep Freeze? There are just too many people in this book. Rinda, BJ, Wes, Scott, Hans, Winkle, Travis, Dani, Harrison, Roxie, Blanche, Lynetta, Jake, Seth, and more create a confusing jumble that had me having to stop progress in the story to go back and figure out which person had done what. Anytime I can't read through a book and know which character is responsible for his or her actions I get a little irked. I like a streamlined story that leads you through the twists and turns looking forward to the next page, not one that has me going back two chapters to figure out if this was the man who did that or the woman that did this.
While the main characters are decent and I enjoyed reading about them, the overall book gets a bit confusing on who the minor characters are and what they are up to. The plot is a little tired ,too. The movie star with the obsessed fan has been a bit overdone. This one doesn't lend anything new to the old standby storyline.
Deep Freeze is an average book with too many negatives for a recommendation.
The New York Times bestselling author of The Morning After delivers another tale of romantic suspense. Former movie star Jenna Hughes left Hollywood f...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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