Fire and Ice

by Paul Garrison

A debut thriller sends a humanitarian doctor working on the coast of Southeast Asia on a treacherous odyssey to rescue members of his family, who are kidnapped on the high seas by a group of cold-blooded assassins hired by a twisted millionaire.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Action

389 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Justin Scott
J.S. Blazer
Alexander Cole

Reviews

[Kristin Lundgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid thriller about a man and his doctor wife who sailed the south China seas on their small yacht with their daughter, stopping at al the local islands and attending to people in distress. In reality they were running away from a past that had happened to them, not because of anything they had done. One day they get a distress call from a supertanker - someone needs help. But at the same time, on the atoll where they are to be picked up, is a man dying of gunshot wounds. The father, Michael, decides to stay and help the old Polynesian sailor, while his wife and daughter board the super tanker and help the passenger there. Before he know what is happening, their boat is picked up, swung aboard and the tanker leaves him stranded on the tiny atoll, while his wife and daughter are aboard the supertanker. Having no idea of who or why, Michael sets out on a journey across the China seas, looking for help along the way. In his search he goes to Palau, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and eventually Tokyo as he tries to unravel the mystery of his wife's disappearance and apparent kidnapping, while he is being followed by thugs out to kill him. In between his adventures are the ones of his wife and daughter on board the tanker as they themselves try and figure out where they are, and how they can get safely back. Full of sailing terms and nautical stuff, it's still a good yarn. You don't have to know how to reef a sail to appreciate the majesty and terror of the high seas. Unique and powerful.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you eliminated all the overly-detailed sailing talk, this book would only be about 100 pages long. Being unfamiliar with sailing, I had a hard time struggling with all the sailing and shipping terms and the lengthy descriptions of them raising and lowering their sails, changing sails, maneuvering the boat this way and that, and so on. The storyline was interesting and somewhat gripping, but it was too often buried in the sailing details.

[Carol Aselton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book......fascinating story, fascinating characters, yes I could go on and on. Fire and Ice is my first Paul Garrison book. Apparently the first one he wrote also. He is an excellent writer....apparently quite familiar with the sea and boating through his grandfather, I think. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone for adventure, mystery and scenery. Will be looking for more Paul Garrison books.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book, packed with details on sailing, storms, weather patterns, rivers, ships, China, etc. For me it was not a fast read, sometimes I even skimmed over paragraphs just to keep going. Yet it was filled with suspense and adventure, and I really liked the main characters Sarah, Ronnie, and Stone, so I needed to finish the book to see how it all turned out. Lots of excitement. Anyone who sails will have a greater appreciation of this book.

[Geoff Cass · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been sailing all my l life. I am now 74 years old. One thing I can say about this book is that it is the most unadulterated rubbish I have ever had the misfortune to have to read.
The story is completely unrealistic, the characters are at times ridculous. How anybody can read this trash and like it, is beyond me. Possibly ok for a very gullible 9 year old.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too slow, not my style DNF

[Carrie Billig]

0

[Jane Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah and Michael are doctors on a small yacht. Together, with their daughter Ronnie, they sail to small remote islands offering medical services to those in need. Their compassion for others soon results in trouble when Sarah and Ronnie board a large vessel to attend to an injured Captain while Michael is left on an island to aid an injured native. It's not long before Michael realizes his wife is not coming back for him and is in some sort of trouble. Michael desperately searches for a way to leave the island and reunite with his family. His struggle leads to a high speed chase (via ships) to save his wife and daughter from a terrorist. The author is an experienced sailor and uses his extensive knowledge of sailing to make the chase at sea very believable and exciting. A nice roller coaster ride with a somewhat plausible plot. The strength of this story lies mainly in the sea chase and character development. An overall entertaining read that kept me turning the pages.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or perhaps I've been in an overly critical mood lately (which is entirely possible!), but I was never really able to get pulled in. The premise was solid enough, and for a time I was intrigued by what was coming, but I never really felt like the characters were whole or engaging. The whole thing just never really connected for me. That said, it was not unenjoyable, and there were some great moments. I'd recommend it for a beach or airplane read.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author certainly knows a lot about ships and sailing. I enjoyed much of it, but at times I was able to skim entire paragraphs. Character development was good, I cared about the characters. This small family sailing in southeast Asia was tightly knit and appealling. Both parents were doctors, tending to people on the various islands in the area. They have some secrets that haunt them, but mostly life is idyllic out on the ocean. Until, in a quick turn of events, something dark and criminal comes their way. Suspenseful and more than a bit farfetched, but I enjoyed it.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drs. Michael and Sarah Stone sail the South Pacific providing medical assistance to anyone in need until Sarah and their daughter are kidnapped and Michael is left stranded on a small island.

Fast-paced. A David vs. Goliath theme. Movie rights were sold to Disney.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced and suspensful from beginning to end. Should read "The Shipkiller" by Justin Scott before reading this book. Paul Garrison is a pen name for Justin Scott, and "Fire and Ice" was originally to be a sequel to "The Shipkiller." Both are quick, entertaining reads.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

first novel, very fast paced.
Man, wife and child sail around Asia and help injured and ill. They are doctors. Wife and daughter are kidnapped by crazy guy who plans to blow up Tokyo.
Good.
Recommended by Shirley.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire and ice. Paul garrison

Hold onto something when the action starts!!! An utterly fantastic read to the very end!! Full of nautical terms, but don't worry! You don't have to be a sailor to enjoy this book!!! Hope there is a sequel!#!!

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nautical thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, though it did seem a bit far-fetched at times.(The villain of this story reminded me of a seafaring version of Ian Fleming's Dr. No) On the plus side, I enjoyed learning lots of interesting tidbits about sailing and navigation.

[Bruce J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novel. Set in the south-pacific. Lots of suspence. Original. You might have a desire to take an astronomy course after you read it.

[Sheldon Lehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning was a bang, ending was great, the middle slogged down a little. Overall, one can see why Cussler picked him to cowrite books. The style and storytelling are similar.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fire and Ice' - written by Paul Garrison and published in 1996 by William Morrow and Company. A rousing sea, kidnapping story.

[Curt · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice exciting escapist book