Iced
A Novel
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4.1 • 44 Ratings
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- $1.99
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
In the tradition of Clive Cussler and James Lee Burke, Iced, the latest in Francis's fictional world, is a heart-pounding thriller that will keep you racing to the next page.
Seven years ago, Miles Pussett was a steeplechase jockey, loving the rush of the race. But after an unfortunate event, he left horseracing behind and swore he would never return. Now he gets his adrenaline rush from riding headfirst down the Cresta Run, a three-quarter-mile Swiss ice chute, reaching speeds of up to eighty miles per hour.
Finding himself in St Moritz during the same weekend as White Turf, when high-class horseracing takes place on the frozen lake, he gets talked into helping out with the horses. Against his better judgement, he decides to assist, but things aren’t as innocent as they seemed.
When he discovers something suspicious is going on in the races, something that may have a profound impact on his future, Miles begins a search for answers. But someone is adamant about stopping him—and they’ll go to any length to do it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The entire life of Miles Pussett, the narrator of Francis's subpar sixth solo addition to his father's horse-racing series (after 2019's Guilty Not Guilty), has been shaped by that of his father, Jim Pussett, a British steeplechase jockey champion. Jim died in a car accident when he steered his side of the vehicle into harm's way to protect then 12-year-old Miles. Suffering from survivor's guilt, Miles sets out to emulate his father's success as a jockey, a career that's threatened by his dependence on alcohol and comes to an end after an unfortunate incident. Seven years later, Miles competes in toboggan races in Switzerland, where on one occasion he winds up participating in the White Turf, a horse race run on an iced-over lake. Soon afterward, Miles is almost killed when someone puts a cement block in the path of his toboggan, forcing him to play sleuth to identify his adversary. The mystery element is minimal, and a clichéd and superficial romantic subplot undercuts the suspense. Hopefully, Francis will do better next time.
