Hot Ice by Nora Roberts
Hot Ice by Nora Roberts 1987 Bantam Books
[image error]Like many, I’m working from home and catching up on my reading in my spare time during the coronavirus outbreak. Last summer I bought 14 Nora Roberts books at a yard sale. I’ve already reviewed Sue Grafton’s 25 books, A through Y, and I’ve read and reviewed J.D. Robb’s books (Nora’s alter ego). As a writer I’m looking at what makes Nora so successful. I’m starting with the oldest book 1987 and working toward her more modern writings.
Hot Ice is a mixture of Romancing the Stone and How to Steal a Million. The story is more about the interaction and relationship between the man and woman than the jewels. The characters are opposites who battle wits as they are increasingly drawn to one another
Whitney McAlister is a bored heiress and Doug Lord is a thief who steals enough to enjoy the good life before a pretty girl takes his last dollar or he runs out of cash. He was hired by very bad guy Dimitri to steal papers dating from the French Revolution, leading to a box of jewels. When he arrives to turn over the papers, he realizes they want to kill him instead. He runs off and jumps into Whitney’s car as they bad guys give chase. Whitney is no longer bored as the journey takes them to exotic Madagascar.
Roberts throws us into the action immediately and never lets up on the gas. Her chapters are long with only 16 chapters total in the 356 pages of the paperback. She uses two stereotypes, the spoiled rich heiress and the charming thief but builds on them by giving each vulnerabilities and depth shown in the struggles and interaction with other along their journey. They become wary partners who outwit each other and then the bad guys, who are very bad, which puts them in real danger. You never know how they are going to get out of trouble. These are bad guys that have no redeemable characteristics.
Robert makes us love the characters more than the plot. It’s a treasure hunt. They’ll find the treasure. They each have different plans for the treasure, but they have to find it first. The dialogue is smart back and forth. Whitney is no helpless damsel in distress. She’s smart, resourceful, and uses her wits to stay alive and outmaneuver Doug when necessary. Doug who has no strings attached to him, begins to get tangled up.
Whitney is the type of heroine readers want to be. That’s key to any story. When you create a character, they need to be a little bolder, smarter, and braver than the ordinary person. Let your reader fantasize a little and be that person.
Roberts uses head hopping effortlessly but it is frowned upon in today’s writing. When the point of view changes between characters, there normally is a definite break or a new chapter when the POV changes. Roberts slipped into a POV for a minor character a few times as well. This was published in 1987 and is part of Roberts style, but most writers should avoid it. I was told to rewrite my first novel because I was a J.D. Robb fan and was head hopping.
What else did I learn for the book? Even a romance novel needs research. Roberts describes Madagascar, its animals, flowers, and people. She inserts French history into the novel. Research is important in any writing. Learn how to do it.
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