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Jaxon Jennings #1
Frozen Past
Luke is only fourteen. Eliana is his whole world and for a fourteen year old, the burden is immense. You see, Eliana is being stalked. Stalked by a madman who wants nothing more than to see her dead. The madman knows things that no one should know and sees things that no one should see. He tells them if they say a word to anyone, they will both die. And Luke can’t let that happen. Eliana’s past is catching up with her and Luke must do anything to save her. Anything.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
2503 people are currently reading
3682 people want to read
About the author
Richard C. Hale
36 books180 followersRichard C Hale has worn many hats in his lifetime including Greens Keeper, Bartender, Musician, Respiratory Therapist, and Veteran Air Traffic Controller. You can usually find him controlling Air Traffic over the skies of the Southeastern U.S. where he lives with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
March 27, 2012
Entertaining all around!
This is the first Richard Hale novel I've read, and I've found a new author. Along with my favorite NY Times Best-Selling authors, I will check out Hale's other novels and look forward to future releases.
Not normally a person drawn to the young adult genre, I wasn't sure what I would think of this book. But don't let the book blurb fool you. This is a thriller, through and through.
The story is told through multiple viewpoints - the teenagers Luke and Ellie, the killer and the police detective Jaxon Jennings.
When it comes to the teenagers, and their group of friends, Hale did an excellent job in capturing the essence of being that age. It's as if he were that age just yesterday the way he has them interact and think.
The book starts out with an arranged meeting for a snowball fight between neighborhood teen boys, but Hale's writing voice pulled me through. It didn't take long for a gruesome discovery, which cut the game short. From this point, he really had me.
The killer is one twisted, and sick man with his affection set on young kids. He lures them by whispering out from bushes, also covered from the darkness of night "help me" - creepy. With more deaths, and more gruesome findings, the kids still think they can handle things on their own. Even, when Luke and Ellie are befriended by a strange man on Facebook, who is obviously the killer, they believe they can handle the situation.
In the meantime, with the bodies of young boys being discovered, Detective Jaxon Jennings and his partner Sally are assigned the case. It seems whenever they turn around Luke and his friends are somehow connected with the findings, but with nothing concrete tying them to the crimes. This leads the detectives, eventually, to seek help from the FBI, which results in the involvement of Jennings' ex-wife.
Hale created a believable and unique character in Detective Jaxon Jennings. He's not the cookie-cutter, cardboard model - obsessed with his career, single or going through a rough divorce, or divorced because of the job. Jennings, although, a good cop at heart, is broken. His past pushes him to the bottle to numb any feelings he has, and proves to be something he needs to work on if he's going to solve the case. I loved how Hale weaved Jennings' past into the plot of this book. (You'll have to read the book to find out what this is.)
Hale captures emotion, seemingly effortlessly, and in turn this created reactions from me. During this read, I experienced a spectrum of emotion - anger, fear, and heartbreak to name a few. I even found myself "talking" to the characters more than once. When an author can elicit these reactions, I consider this a true talent.
With unexpected turns at every corner, and an extra twist at the end, I will definitely revisit another Hale novel. Although, I had a hard time deciding who my favorite character was, I would like to see more of Jennings and his partner moving forward.
This is the first Richard Hale novel I've read, and I've found a new author. Along with my favorite NY Times Best-Selling authors, I will check out Hale's other novels and look forward to future releases.
Not normally a person drawn to the young adult genre, I wasn't sure what I would think of this book. But don't let the book blurb fool you. This is a thriller, through and through.
The story is told through multiple viewpoints - the teenagers Luke and Ellie, the killer and the police detective Jaxon Jennings.
When it comes to the teenagers, and their group of friends, Hale did an excellent job in capturing the essence of being that age. It's as if he were that age just yesterday the way he has them interact and think.
The book starts out with an arranged meeting for a snowball fight between neighborhood teen boys, but Hale's writing voice pulled me through. It didn't take long for a gruesome discovery, which cut the game short. From this point, he really had me.
The killer is one twisted, and sick man with his affection set on young kids. He lures them by whispering out from bushes, also covered from the darkness of night "help me" - creepy. With more deaths, and more gruesome findings, the kids still think they can handle things on their own. Even, when Luke and Ellie are befriended by a strange man on Facebook, who is obviously the killer, they believe they can handle the situation.
In the meantime, with the bodies of young boys being discovered, Detective Jaxon Jennings and his partner Sally are assigned the case. It seems whenever they turn around Luke and his friends are somehow connected with the findings, but with nothing concrete tying them to the crimes. This leads the detectives, eventually, to seek help from the FBI, which results in the involvement of Jennings' ex-wife.
Hale created a believable and unique character in Detective Jaxon Jennings. He's not the cookie-cutter, cardboard model - obsessed with his career, single or going through a rough divorce, or divorced because of the job. Jennings, although, a good cop at heart, is broken. His past pushes him to the bottle to numb any feelings he has, and proves to be something he needs to work on if he's going to solve the case. I loved how Hale weaved Jennings' past into the plot of this book. (You'll have to read the book to find out what this is.)
Hale captures emotion, seemingly effortlessly, and in turn this created reactions from me. During this read, I experienced a spectrum of emotion - anger, fear, and heartbreak to name a few. I even found myself "talking" to the characters more than once. When an author can elicit these reactions, I consider this a true talent.
With unexpected turns at every corner, and an extra twist at the end, I will definitely revisit another Hale novel. Although, I had a hard time deciding who my favorite character was, I would like to see more of Jennings and his partner moving forward.
January 28, 2015
Read the complete review at Frozen Past > Review
This has to be one of the best Thriller I have read so far. The pace, the story, the flow is so engrossing and amazing that it is impossible to put the book down before finishing it. The book speaks to you, creates a movie in front of your eyes with every word you read, the movie goes ahead, with every letter, a new picture is created. It is just something else, reading this book.
January 24, 2016
Holy shitballs, i can't even put into words !! This book gripped me and shook me to the core right from the start. I didn't know the journey it would take me but wow !! hell of a roller coaster ride !!! Uncomfortable at times, gory, mind boggling, a true thriller !!
This story centers on a group of teenage friends, under threat from a cruel sadistic mystery evil murdered. The twists in the plot will leave you speachless. As the story progresses we get to know the characters and easily attach to them and also the detective dealing with the case, Jaxon Jennings,( who has also suffered in his past with his own young son being murdered) and his determination to get this case solved. Everything ties in !!!!!! I really don't want to give spoilers but this is a truely gripping read !!!!
Would i recommend it? MOST DEFINITELY !!!!!!!!! GRAB IT NOW !!!!
This story centers on a group of teenage friends, under threat from a cruel sadistic mystery evil murdered. The twists in the plot will leave you speachless. As the story progresses we get to know the characters and easily attach to them and also the detective dealing with the case, Jaxon Jennings,( who has also suffered in his past with his own young son being murdered) and his determination to get this case solved. Everything ties in !!!!!! I really don't want to give spoilers but this is a truely gripping read !!!!
Would i recommend it? MOST DEFINITELY !!!!!!!!! GRAB IT NOW !!!!
June 4, 2022
A melding of police procedural and It.
A stalker is after a group of kids, meanwhile, the kids try to stop him, and so does one Jaxon Jennings. It reminds me of an 80's slasher movie, in that stuff is happening to the kids, and meanwhile, the police detective is investigating completely removed from that part of the action.
Effectively creepy.
A stalker is after a group of kids, meanwhile, the kids try to stop him, and so does one Jaxon Jennings. It reminds me of an 80's slasher movie, in that stuff is happening to the kids, and meanwhile, the police detective is investigating completely removed from that part of the action.
Effectively creepy.
June 20, 2020
Tedious!
Ugh! I thought I would never finish this book.
A lot of murder. A lot of children dying. I have problems with stories that try to portray children as smarter than the adults.
Detective Jaxon Jennings, and his ex-wife, Victoria Holt, an FBI agent, team up to catch a serial killer who is murdering children.
The story spends a lot of time being told through a group of children’s point of view, which I found tedious. And hard to believe.
Though I saw the ending coming, l found it satisfying.
Ugh! I thought I would never finish this book.
A lot of murder. A lot of children dying. I have problems with stories that try to portray children as smarter than the adults.
Detective Jaxon Jennings, and his ex-wife, Victoria Holt, an FBI agent, team up to catch a serial killer who is murdering children.
The story spends a lot of time being told through a group of children’s point of view, which I found tedious. And hard to believe.
Though I saw the ending coming, l found it satisfying.
February 7, 2021
WOW, I can't even put into words how this book kept me so hooked..From beginning to end it was so full of twists and unexpected events . A must read if you like suspense novels
April 8, 2015
This book is so good. I feel bad for thinking I won’t enjoy it at first. Well, I really should not judge a book by its cover!
It is exhilarating, captivating and definitely made me won’t stop turning the pages! It’s been a long time since I had my hand on a crime book. So it is definitely worth my time to read this. I never read a book by Richard Hale before and I may want to read more from him.
Everything is good in this book. The plot is going at normal pace. Easily to catch up on. There are some moments that sent shiver to my body. I thought I will have a nightmare reading this (fortunately I don’t.) The crime itself is so twisted, gruesome and disturbingly cruel. Although I have to say that there are some parts that seem unnecessary for me. But it doesn’t really bother me anyway.
The characters are realistic and believable. The main protagonist is Jaxon, the police officer, trying to solve the murder case of the kids around the county. The case he’s leading however somehow involving two teenagers, Luke and Ellie. (OMG. These two are so in love. They are so cute for a fourteen years old!)
Anyway, the plot got more twisted as I read the story and lots of unexpected moments happened. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. And the epilogue…. OMG! It’s like the author won’t let me have a peace of my mind for a moment. I thought everything was settled already.
Definitely recommended if you like crime, thriller, mystery genre.
It is exhilarating, captivating and definitely made me won’t stop turning the pages! It’s been a long time since I had my hand on a crime book. So it is definitely worth my time to read this. I never read a book by Richard Hale before and I may want to read more from him.
Everything is good in this book. The plot is going at normal pace. Easily to catch up on. There are some moments that sent shiver to my body. I thought I will have a nightmare reading this (fortunately I don’t.) The crime itself is so twisted, gruesome and disturbingly cruel. Although I have to say that there are some parts that seem unnecessary for me. But it doesn’t really bother me anyway.
The characters are realistic and believable. The main protagonist is Jaxon, the police officer, trying to solve the murder case of the kids around the county. The case he’s leading however somehow involving two teenagers, Luke and Ellie. (OMG. These two are so in love. They are so cute for a fourteen years old!)
Anyway, the plot got more twisted as I read the story and lots of unexpected moments happened. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. And the epilogue…. OMG! It’s like the author won’t let me have a peace of my mind for a moment. I thought everything was settled already.
Definitely recommended if you like crime, thriller, mystery genre.
July 20, 2016
July 20, 2016
A review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book Frozen Past (A Jaxon Thriller) by Richard C. Hale
This was an exciting read and a real page turner, though I read it on my Kindle. The author develops a growing picture of a serial killer as seen through the eyes of a couple of ninth graders. It was a story that begged for greater dialog between the kids and the police (Fairfax County Police). Woven into this story is the love relationship between Jaxon Jennings and his ex-wife who is a former Fairfax County cop and now an FBI Agent.
The murders involve animals and young children leading up to a story of a horrible home life for one of the children. The murders span a couple of decades and lead the reader into several twists and turns and leaves the reader breathless at several of these unexpected turns.
The author weaves a young person’s love story and brings back memories of innocent time growing up. There is also the renewed love story of the Fairfax County policeman and his ex-wife FBI Agent, who divorced almost ten years before the time of the current drama.
I have to say, the author did a tremendous job of drawing in the reader in to the story and causing several air catching moments. There is a lot of action and drama that the reader will totally enjoy and a very surprising end. I will read future books by this author.
I gave this book four stars out of five because it was a captivating book.
A review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book Frozen Past (A Jaxon Thriller) by Richard C. Hale
This was an exciting read and a real page turner, though I read it on my Kindle. The author develops a growing picture of a serial killer as seen through the eyes of a couple of ninth graders. It was a story that begged for greater dialog between the kids and the police (Fairfax County Police). Woven into this story is the love relationship between Jaxon Jennings and his ex-wife who is a former Fairfax County cop and now an FBI Agent.
The murders involve animals and young children leading up to a story of a horrible home life for one of the children. The murders span a couple of decades and lead the reader into several twists and turns and leaves the reader breathless at several of these unexpected turns.
The author weaves a young person’s love story and brings back memories of innocent time growing up. There is also the renewed love story of the Fairfax County policeman and his ex-wife FBI Agent, who divorced almost ten years before the time of the current drama.
I have to say, the author did a tremendous job of drawing in the reader in to the story and causing several air catching moments. There is a lot of action and drama that the reader will totally enjoy and a very surprising end. I will read future books by this author.
I gave this book four stars out of five because it was a captivating book.
July 19, 2012
"Frozen Past" by Richard C. Hale will surprise you. At first it seemed like the book might turn out to be a suspenseful story targeted at high school kids. The intensity, however, started to shift about 6% of the way into the book. After that, Hale skillfully drew in adult characters whose destinies were aligned with those of the kids and who were just as desperate to end the reign of terror unfolding as they were. The suspense spiraled until I was riveted to the Kindle, anxious to see how it was going to develop.
One particular aspect of Hale’s writing that I enjoyed involved the combination of the mystery with the thriller. In a thriller, the reader knows who the bad guy is, and the story revolves around catching that person. In a mystery, the reader learns more and more clues designed to help her eventually discover who the bad guy is. In the beginning, Hale takes the reader through a series of clues and misinformation on the trail of discovering the identity of the bad guy. However, once you know, that’s when the thrill ride really begins.
One particular aspect of Hale’s writing that I enjoyed involved the combination of the mystery with the thriller. In a thriller, the reader knows who the bad guy is, and the story revolves around catching that person. In a mystery, the reader learns more and more clues designed to help her eventually discover who the bad guy is. In the beginning, Hale takes the reader through a series of clues and misinformation on the trail of discovering the identity of the bad guy. However, once you know, that’s when the thrill ride really begins.
September 21, 2015
Not a bad read, but I had some problems with the way the author relayed information to the reader....having characters react to something horrendous, and then not sharing what that something is until the next scene. That happened a couple of times. Yes, I know it's supposed to make me want to turn pages, but I'd rather be clued in at the moment of discovery along with the characters. A good tale will still make me want to turn pages, regardless.
There were also some repetitious descriptions that distracted me. Those items aside, I really enjoyed the characters, especially the kids, and the plot was intriguing. A nice read that I rate 3.5 stars.
There were also some repetitious descriptions that distracted me. Those items aside, I really enjoyed the characters, especially the kids, and the plot was intriguing. A nice read that I rate 3.5 stars.
April 20, 2012
Kept me on the edge of my seat! Excellent!
April 15, 2017
SENSATIONAL! in my view! This Psychological Thriller by Richard C Hale will have you going from the git-go and won’t let up until the thrilling climax. Like this one ain’t over ‘till it’s REALLY over. It’s got probably one of the creepiest and most despicable villains ever written. I mean you’re really gonna HATE this guy before it’s all said and done. And two of the protagonists are a couple of feisty teen sweethearts determined to endure and persevere. Just so you know there is a serious creep factor going on here and Ellie and Luke take the brunt of it.
Then when everything looks impossible, Detective Jaxon Jennings arrives on the scene. From that point everything goes downhill fast. Like everybody’s in the soup with a vicious serial killer running rampant and each clue becomes a doorway to more trouble.
And there’s some of the funniest stuff you’ll read all year in here, too. Along with DOGS! Yes! Gotta have dogs. But I’m just saying that if you’re on the squeamish side, you might wanna think twice, yunno. Like don’t be eating pea soup for lunch like I did. Now how can you resist? So if this doesn’t sell you on FROZEN PAST, the book contains one of the best snowball fights ever. I don’t know about you, but back in the day, the kids in my neighborhood were into some pretty serious pranks. Well the krew in this story is waay over the top with their idea of a joke. I will remember “George in the pool” for the rest of my life, and poor Stewie in his Halloween costume. HAHAHA!
But hang on! It only gets better. Right now—April 2017—the Goodreads Psychological Thrillers Reading Group is reading and discussing FROZEN PAST as our Book of the Month (BOTM) selection. Our discussion thread is blazing away and will stay open for your comments for an entire year. So c’mon down and tell us what you think. You will be able to read all the astute commentary forever, of course, and you won’t have to join to do that. But why wait? Join Goodreads. Join the Psychological Thrillers Reading Group and participate. It’s all FREEE! And right now FROZEN PAST is FREEE, too, as a Kindle eBook at Amazon. Yup. Costs you nuthin’ at all, and you’ll blaze right through it, too.
FROZEN PAST is the first book in Richard C Hale’s Jaxon Jennings Thriller Series. And he’s got another one coming out next month. He’s a busy guy, but he’s taken time to join our Goodreads discussion thread and explain all sorts of stuff.
You can begin at the following website, which also contains more information about FROZEN PAST and its author, Richard C Hale. Just click the link below and follow your nose:
http://botm.blackdogebooks.com/
Then when everything looks impossible, Detective Jaxon Jennings arrives on the scene. From that point everything goes downhill fast. Like everybody’s in the soup with a vicious serial killer running rampant and each clue becomes a doorway to more trouble.
And there’s some of the funniest stuff you’ll read all year in here, too. Along with DOGS! Yes! Gotta have dogs. But I’m just saying that if you’re on the squeamish side, you might wanna think twice, yunno. Like don’t be eating pea soup for lunch like I did. Now how can you resist? So if this doesn’t sell you on FROZEN PAST, the book contains one of the best snowball fights ever. I don’t know about you, but back in the day, the kids in my neighborhood were into some pretty serious pranks. Well the krew in this story is waay over the top with their idea of a joke. I will remember “George in the pool” for the rest of my life, and poor Stewie in his Halloween costume. HAHAHA!
But hang on! It only gets better. Right now—April 2017—the Goodreads Psychological Thrillers Reading Group is reading and discussing FROZEN PAST as our Book of the Month (BOTM) selection. Our discussion thread is blazing away and will stay open for your comments for an entire year. So c’mon down and tell us what you think. You will be able to read all the astute commentary forever, of course, and you won’t have to join to do that. But why wait? Join Goodreads. Join the Psychological Thrillers Reading Group and participate. It’s all FREEE! And right now FROZEN PAST is FREEE, too, as a Kindle eBook at Amazon. Yup. Costs you nuthin’ at all, and you’ll blaze right through it, too.
FROZEN PAST is the first book in Richard C Hale’s Jaxon Jennings Thriller Series. And he’s got another one coming out next month. He’s a busy guy, but he’s taken time to join our Goodreads discussion thread and explain all sorts of stuff.
You can begin at the following website, which also contains more information about FROZEN PAST and its author, Richard C Hale. Just click the link below and follow your nose:
http://botm.blackdogebooks.com/
March 6, 2022
Hlavnymi hrdinami su Elia a Luke, zalubeni teenageri. Eliu zacne niekto sledovat a zacina to najprv stratou jej milovaneho psika. Ked sa vsak najde o nejaky cas bez hlavy a ked sa nevinny zart chlapcov, ktori hodia do bazena figurinu cloveka, zmeni na nocnu moru, namiesto figuriny sa v bazene najde mrtvola chlapca, zacina im ist o zivot.
Hlavnymi vysetrovatelmi su Jaxon a jeho ex Victoria, ktori prisli o syna. Zavrazdil ho seriovy vrah. Jaxon si cely cas myslel, ze vrah sedi za mrezami, no ten, kto sleduje Eliu, ma pre Jaxona nieco, co sa nenaslo pri tele jeho syna. A zacne to byt velmi osobne.
Celkom fajn triler, pacila sa mi skupinka tych mladych, ako sa to snazili poriesit, vsetko bolo uveritelne, co mne lahodilo 🙂.
Urcite si zo serie este nieco precitam a fakt netusim, preco som knihu tak dlho obchadzala.
Hlavnymi vysetrovatelmi su Jaxon a jeho ex Victoria, ktori prisli o syna. Zavrazdil ho seriovy vrah. Jaxon si cely cas myslel, ze vrah sedi za mrezami, no ten, kto sleduje Eliu, ma pre Jaxona nieco, co sa nenaslo pri tele jeho syna. A zacne to byt velmi osobne.
Celkom fajn triler, pacila sa mi skupinka tych mladych, ako sa to snazili poriesit, vsetko bolo uveritelne, co mne lahodilo 🙂.
Urcite si zo serie este nieco precitam a fakt netusim, preco som knihu tak dlho obchadzala.
April 19, 2017
The story starts with a snowball fight that children in the neighborhood are having before dinner. Seems innocent enough right, well think again. Ellie has a dog that goes missing and part of the dog is found during the fight which is the start of the story. This book has it all and and you want to know the who and why this is happening. While I was reading it I personally was thinking about a more innocent time when children went outside to play, walked over a couple of streets to see a friend even though the book takes place when cell phones and computers were doing a lot.
The book is filled with chills and thrills and you really root for the kids. Pick up a copy see what you get out of the book.
The book is filled with chills and thrills and you really root for the kids. Pick up a copy see what you get out of the book.
April 5, 2017
'Gripping Narrative, But Excessive'
Well, well, well, Richard C. Hale’s Frozen Past. I won’t detail every twist, but here's what I will avow. The book states it’s a Jaxon Jennings Thriller, but he wasn't the first story focus. Teenager Luke Harrison and his friends Jimmy and John Besner and Ellie and Patrick Pemberton, get the ball rolling with the story setup. Ellie holds a special place in Luke's heart: She's his sweetheart and he'll do anything to protect his Goofy Goober. But the sudden abduction of a boy during Halloween in 1984 sets Frozen Past on its frightening track.
Now, present-day Fairfax County, Virginia. Ellie finds her beloved dog, Bentley, mutilated. That’s just the start. The 1984 child and a second neighborhood kid in the present named Paul Bannon are both asphyxiated with their remains frozen. Enter Fairfax County PD Detective Jaxon Jennings. His profile is he hates to give death notifications, he drinks heavily when stressed, he still suffers from a divorce from ex-wife Victoria, now an FBI Agent, and the murder of their only son, Michael still haunts him. A former FCPD cop, Victoria quits after blaming Jaxon for Michael’s death and joins the Bureau. She’s since moved on and starts a relationship with an Agent Emory Holt.
Jaxon teams up with Detective Sally Winston and they investigate the Bannon boy case. His demise occurred at the community swimming pool area that points at Luke and his friends as potential culprits due to certain evidence. Neighbor Mr. Lolly’s surveillance cam captures someone BIG tossing a body over the pool fence. The Medical Examiner’s office determines the 1984 little boy named Steward or Stewy Littleton was frozen for about 10-20 years. Some time later, local pets disappear and the neighborhood residents find them mangled. A gruesome pattern develops here: Butchered children and pets are found frozen in death. Jaxon and Sally have a murderer the media dub, The Swimming Pool Killer, working in the neighborhood.
The UnSub or Unknown Subject remains several steps ahead of the investigators that now includes Victoria and Emory. Via a series of Facebook messages/cell phone texts, Luke, Ellie, Jimmy, John, and another neighborhood boy in a family of suspect character, Quentin Jenson or Q, tracks the UnSub’s cell locales with a computer program. This sets up a parallel investigation by professional and amateur sleuths alike in efforts to box in the serial killer. These computer phone hacks put the kids squarely in the crosshairs of a crafty and brutal villain. They also open a painful chapter in some of the characters’ lives that have yet to heal.
The multiple state search for the UnSub results in horrific events as the killer mocks the professionals and amateurs every logical move. They just can’t get a grasp on the killer’s next steps and that leads to devastation. As pieces of the investigation finally do coalesce, including the identity of the UnSub and the bonus of Jaxon's relationship with Victoria rekindling, a very personal attack on him and the grotesque humiliation of a kid leaves him so depleted of investigative energy, he quits the case and the FCPD.
With Victoria deciding to leave Holt and stick by her ex-husband, the now can I say KnSub (my term) or Known Subject taunts Jaxon, Victoria, and the authorities with a brazen and disgusting display for the world to see. THAT fires up Jaxon to end this maniacal reign of terror by this serial killer but time isn't Jaxon’s friend.
The resolution hits the reader with revelation upon revelation like a tsunami upon a helpless island. The emotions of the people within this horrific tale and those that read it boiled and will boil over until the slam-bang conclusion including a little ‘bonus’ scenario that I sensed was coming in some manifestation but I just didn’t know when or how. Tragic. Simply tragic.
At first, I didn’t find Jaxon Jennings of great interest because Luke, Ellie and their friends drove the narrative at the start. But Jaxon became more interesting as his backstory unfolded. Nothing unfamiliar or shocking for we all have past hurts. A reader needs to root for the protagonist and I did both on and off the case. Same with the kids especially Luke and Ellie. However, I question if today’s youth would be so bold or might a better word be stupid. I say the same for the parents. If a crazed killer's loose, why have your children outdoors so late? I know kids can manipulate but come on. Who's the adult here? Maybe author Hale tipped his hand in his story construct so the events fit his thrilling narrative. I don’t know. I wouldn’t let my kids leave my sight.
However, this I do know. Frozen Past isn't for the faint of heart. It's one nasty R-rated thriller with liberal doses of profanity, animal, and child cruelty. It’s heartbreaking to know that such monsters do live among us and subject their victims to these various tortures and I suppose that’s the or a point of the story too. Hale set out to create a compelling thriller and he accomplished just that. I praise his craftsmanship, but can I say I enjoyed it? Not sure I’d go that far. I write crime stories as well so I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to these dark places where we live and dark spaces where we think. But I’m not sure I’d read Hale again despite his immense talent for crafting such an intense and horrifying thriller. Mostly too much language for me. Hale's a skilled storyteller and boy it’s on display with Frozen Past. I just don’t recommend eating before reading it.
Well, well, well, Richard C. Hale’s Frozen Past. I won’t detail every twist, but here's what I will avow. The book states it’s a Jaxon Jennings Thriller, but he wasn't the first story focus. Teenager Luke Harrison and his friends Jimmy and John Besner and Ellie and Patrick Pemberton, get the ball rolling with the story setup. Ellie holds a special place in Luke's heart: She's his sweetheart and he'll do anything to protect his Goofy Goober. But the sudden abduction of a boy during Halloween in 1984 sets Frozen Past on its frightening track.
Now, present-day Fairfax County, Virginia. Ellie finds her beloved dog, Bentley, mutilated. That’s just the start. The 1984 child and a second neighborhood kid in the present named Paul Bannon are both asphyxiated with their remains frozen. Enter Fairfax County PD Detective Jaxon Jennings. His profile is he hates to give death notifications, he drinks heavily when stressed, he still suffers from a divorce from ex-wife Victoria, now an FBI Agent, and the murder of their only son, Michael still haunts him. A former FCPD cop, Victoria quits after blaming Jaxon for Michael’s death and joins the Bureau. She’s since moved on and starts a relationship with an Agent Emory Holt.
Jaxon teams up with Detective Sally Winston and they investigate the Bannon boy case. His demise occurred at the community swimming pool area that points at Luke and his friends as potential culprits due to certain evidence. Neighbor Mr. Lolly’s surveillance cam captures someone BIG tossing a body over the pool fence. The Medical Examiner’s office determines the 1984 little boy named Steward or Stewy Littleton was frozen for about 10-20 years. Some time later, local pets disappear and the neighborhood residents find them mangled. A gruesome pattern develops here: Butchered children and pets are found frozen in death. Jaxon and Sally have a murderer the media dub, The Swimming Pool Killer, working in the neighborhood.
The UnSub or Unknown Subject remains several steps ahead of the investigators that now includes Victoria and Emory. Via a series of Facebook messages/cell phone texts, Luke, Ellie, Jimmy, John, and another neighborhood boy in a family of suspect character, Quentin Jenson or Q, tracks the UnSub’s cell locales with a computer program. This sets up a parallel investigation by professional and amateur sleuths alike in efforts to box in the serial killer. These computer phone hacks put the kids squarely in the crosshairs of a crafty and brutal villain. They also open a painful chapter in some of the characters’ lives that have yet to heal.
The multiple state search for the UnSub results in horrific events as the killer mocks the professionals and amateurs every logical move. They just can’t get a grasp on the killer’s next steps and that leads to devastation. As pieces of the investigation finally do coalesce, including the identity of the UnSub and the bonus of Jaxon's relationship with Victoria rekindling, a very personal attack on him and the grotesque humiliation of a kid leaves him so depleted of investigative energy, he quits the case and the FCPD.
With Victoria deciding to leave Holt and stick by her ex-husband, the now can I say KnSub (my term) or Known Subject taunts Jaxon, Victoria, and the authorities with a brazen and disgusting display for the world to see. THAT fires up Jaxon to end this maniacal reign of terror by this serial killer but time isn't Jaxon’s friend.
The resolution hits the reader with revelation upon revelation like a tsunami upon a helpless island. The emotions of the people within this horrific tale and those that read it boiled and will boil over until the slam-bang conclusion including a little ‘bonus’ scenario that I sensed was coming in some manifestation but I just didn’t know when or how. Tragic. Simply tragic.
At first, I didn’t find Jaxon Jennings of great interest because Luke, Ellie and their friends drove the narrative at the start. But Jaxon became more interesting as his backstory unfolded. Nothing unfamiliar or shocking for we all have past hurts. A reader needs to root for the protagonist and I did both on and off the case. Same with the kids especially Luke and Ellie. However, I question if today’s youth would be so bold or might a better word be stupid. I say the same for the parents. If a crazed killer's loose, why have your children outdoors so late? I know kids can manipulate but come on. Who's the adult here? Maybe author Hale tipped his hand in his story construct so the events fit his thrilling narrative. I don’t know. I wouldn’t let my kids leave my sight.
However, this I do know. Frozen Past isn't for the faint of heart. It's one nasty R-rated thriller with liberal doses of profanity, animal, and child cruelty. It’s heartbreaking to know that such monsters do live among us and subject their victims to these various tortures and I suppose that’s the or a point of the story too. Hale set out to create a compelling thriller and he accomplished just that. I praise his craftsmanship, but can I say I enjoyed it? Not sure I’d go that far. I write crime stories as well so I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to these dark places where we live and dark spaces where we think. But I’m not sure I’d read Hale again despite his immense talent for crafting such an intense and horrifying thriller. Mostly too much language for me. Hale's a skilled storyteller and boy it’s on display with Frozen Past. I just don’t recommend eating before reading it.
April 19, 2017
FROZEN
What is love and how can it be so beautiful and yet so ugly at both ends...High school... boy wished I could go back to mine and relive it just like these two they had a love that wasn't going to let anything destroy it...but then things start happening and kids start getting killed and animals start disappearing then here comes the worse feeling ever can love survive outside of this world and how far would you go
What is love and how can it be so beautiful and yet so ugly at both ends...High school... boy wished I could go back to mine and relive it just like these two they had a love that wasn't going to let anything destroy it...but then things start happening and kids start getting killed and animals start disappearing then here comes the worse feeling ever can love survive outside of this world and how far would you go
December 27, 2013
It took me awhile to get through this. The story was interesting, but it couldn't hold my attention. There were a lot of details that weren't necessary and, if anything, detracted from the overall appeal of the book. It's definitely not something that you "can't put down" by any stretch of the imagination, although it IS easy to pick up again once you do. You can't really get lost, which is a plus.
One thing that bothered me a bit was that it was really... unrealistic, for lack of a better term. No relationship between high school aged kids is THAT intense THAT quickly. At that point, they're still distracted by shiny objects. Also, the hacker kid? He would have been caught & either working for the government or in juvi. Not to mention that the kids didn't tell their parents anything. Now, yes, the killer said not to and teenagers are secretive, but these kids are scared out of their minds! There's no way you can tell me that their parents aren't going to be able to figure that out & make the kids tell them what is going on. I know it's supposed to be a story, and therefore has the potential to be unrealistic, but when everything else about it seems to be so modern and true to life, it's hard to mesh it with something that seems like it came out of a Disney movie or a Scorsese film.
All that aside, I liked the killer. I don't mean that in the sense that he was a great guy & I want to go get a cocktail with him or something; he was a good villain though and made you want to catch & kill the SOB, just like the detective and the FBI agent. The man was F-ed in the head, but it was perfect for how he was worked into the story.
Finally, although the book itself didn't hold my interest much, I enjoyed the ending. It was a good way to wrap it up, albeit a little predictable after how the rest of the story went down and again, unrealistic enough to be a nuisance, but not so much that I couldn't live with it. My biggest issue with it, however, was that it was quite vague. We don't find out much about what happened with the detective, the FBI agent, Luke's family, etc. We just get a small glimpse of what's going on. There are loose ends that could have been tied up, or at least left at a point where the reader can do more than speculate.
One thing that bothered me a bit was that it was really... unrealistic, for lack of a better term. No relationship between high school aged kids is THAT intense THAT quickly. At that point, they're still distracted by shiny objects. Also, the hacker kid? He would have been caught & either working for the government or in juvi. Not to mention that the kids didn't tell their parents anything. Now, yes, the killer said not to and teenagers are secretive, but these kids are scared out of their minds! There's no way you can tell me that their parents aren't going to be able to figure that out & make the kids tell them what is going on. I know it's supposed to be a story, and therefore has the potential to be unrealistic, but when everything else about it seems to be so modern and true to life, it's hard to mesh it with something that seems like it came out of a Disney movie or a Scorsese film.
All that aside, I liked the killer. I don't mean that in the sense that he was a great guy & I want to go get a cocktail with him or something; he was a good villain though and made you want to catch & kill the SOB, just like the detective and the FBI agent. The man was F-ed in the head, but it was perfect for how he was worked into the story.
Finally, although the book itself didn't hold my interest much, I enjoyed the ending. It was a good way to wrap it up, albeit a little predictable after how the rest of the story went down and again, unrealistic enough to be a nuisance, but not so much that I couldn't live with it. My biggest issue with it, however, was that it was quite vague. We don't find out much about what happened with the detective, the FBI agent, Luke's family, etc. We just get a small glimpse of what's going on. There are loose ends that could have been tied up, or at least left at a point where the reader can do more than speculate.
October 7, 2014
"An Awesome Thrill Ride Right To The End"
I think I have found another outstanding author who's story held me spellbound. In many ways I thought this might be a good Young Adult fiction story for the lessons to be learned. But I think I'm wrong ... there are parts that may be too difficult for teens to take. In this mind-blowing story, Stewy Littleton, 12 years old, out too late on Halloween night, knows he'll be in trouble with his mom when he gets home...but he doesn't get home. He's grabbed into some bushes, a cloth held to his nose, with an obnoxious odor. Luke Harrison, about 14 years old, has three close pals: Jimmy Besner and his brother Johnny, and Eliana Pemberton. It's been a very cold winter in Annandale, VA, with lots of snow. Ellie is missing her poodle mix who she considers her best friend in the world. It was too cold for Ellie to go outside with her dog for his potty break. Bentley never comes homes. Her nasty brother Patrick tells her he found Bentley, but couldn't move him ... he's found in the snow, dead, beheaded. Luke is very saddened for Ellie as he's very fond of her. A few days later, Luke goes to his computer, logs onto FaceBook to see someone by the name of William Smith wanting to be his friend. Okay, he can always use more friends. He clicks onto Smith's page and he is shocked to see a picture of Bentley's head, tongue hanging out, with dead eyes glazed over. Before long, another body is found in the frozen community swimming pool. Detective Jaxon Jennings of the Fairfax County PD knows how stressful it is to notify a family of a death, especially when it's a child. A school paper had been found with the body with the name of Luke Harrison. The detectives soon learn Luke is not the victim ... this time. This is a very captivating thriller, one that held me like a prisoner to read till the very end. I loved the creativity of the author, the vulnerability of Detective Jaxon Jennings for his past failings, and the dedication to each other of these four teens. Great, great story! I'll be reading this author's next book very soon.
I think I have found another outstanding author who's story held me spellbound. In many ways I thought this might be a good Young Adult fiction story for the lessons to be learned. But I think I'm wrong ... there are parts that may be too difficult for teens to take. In this mind-blowing story, Stewy Littleton, 12 years old, out too late on Halloween night, knows he'll be in trouble with his mom when he gets home...but he doesn't get home. He's grabbed into some bushes, a cloth held to his nose, with an obnoxious odor. Luke Harrison, about 14 years old, has three close pals: Jimmy Besner and his brother Johnny, and Eliana Pemberton. It's been a very cold winter in Annandale, VA, with lots of snow. Ellie is missing her poodle mix who she considers her best friend in the world. It was too cold for Ellie to go outside with her dog for his potty break. Bentley never comes homes. Her nasty brother Patrick tells her he found Bentley, but couldn't move him ... he's found in the snow, dead, beheaded. Luke is very saddened for Ellie as he's very fond of her. A few days later, Luke goes to his computer, logs onto FaceBook to see someone by the name of William Smith wanting to be his friend. Okay, he can always use more friends. He clicks onto Smith's page and he is shocked to see a picture of Bentley's head, tongue hanging out, with dead eyes glazed over. Before long, another body is found in the frozen community swimming pool. Detective Jaxon Jennings of the Fairfax County PD knows how stressful it is to notify a family of a death, especially when it's a child. A school paper had been found with the body with the name of Luke Harrison. The detectives soon learn Luke is not the victim ... this time. This is a very captivating thriller, one that held me like a prisoner to read till the very end. I loved the creativity of the author, the vulnerability of Detective Jaxon Jennings for his past failings, and the dedication to each other of these four teens. Great, great story! I'll be reading this author's next book very soon.
May 15, 2018
"What an Amazing Read for 300th novel!! Fabulous!! Simply blew me away!!
Highly impressive writing, fast-paced, romance-laced, suspense loving, thrilling, and highly captivating novel. The characters were also well-defined, realistic, and had connected me well. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end wondering what the creepiest psychopathic serial killer was going to do next. This killer is one of the demented one I have ever read, from killing dogs and cats, even young kids and keeping their heads are souvenir, all his actions were skin crawling.
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Frozen Past Story Line:
It begins with a child disappearing on Halloween night 27 years ago. The story the continues to tell the sometimes gruesome tale of a broken cop and a serial killer who goes after children and teens. Jaxon is the cop who lost his own son to killer years ago. When a boy’s body shows up floating in a pool who was killed 27 yrs ago with frozen organs and freezer burns confirms the psychopath killer is back. Jaxon begins a chase with a criminal who seems to be always one step ahead.
Luke and Ellie have been best friends since third grade. Now they are in ninth grade and their relationship is warming up. Luke hear’s a strange voice as “Help Me” as a group plays outside. Ellie’s dog disappears until Luke stumbles upon it during a snowball fight. The pair then get creepy facebook messages from a stranger. The kids pull a prank that turns into something horrible and soon the police are regular visitors.
Jaxon is intent on stopping the killer each death crushes his spirit more. As more dead bodies are found, including beheaded animals, the FBI is called in for some input. Soon Jaxon’s ex-wife, an FBI agent is working the case with him. Things might improve between them if Jaxon doesn’t fall into a greater depression over the death of more children.
Ellie and Luke need protection when it becomes clear the killer is targeting them. Even with enough protection given by cops the killer still able to kidnap Ellie. It is figured out to the creepiest killer is no other but Ellie's dad who everyone thought to be dead. Eventually after too many stunts Ellie is able to shot the killer and rescuing everyone."
Highly impressive writing, fast-paced, romance-laced, suspense loving, thrilling, and highly captivating novel. The characters were also well-defined, realistic, and had connected me well. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end wondering what the creepiest psychopathic serial killer was going to do next. This killer is one of the demented one I have ever read, from killing dogs and cats, even young kids and keeping their heads are souvenir, all his actions were skin crawling.
--------------------
Frozen Past Story Line:
It begins with a child disappearing on Halloween night 27 years ago. The story the continues to tell the sometimes gruesome tale of a broken cop and a serial killer who goes after children and teens. Jaxon is the cop who lost his own son to killer years ago. When a boy’s body shows up floating in a pool who was killed 27 yrs ago with frozen organs and freezer burns confirms the psychopath killer is back. Jaxon begins a chase with a criminal who seems to be always one step ahead.
Luke and Ellie have been best friends since third grade. Now they are in ninth grade and their relationship is warming up. Luke hear’s a strange voice as “Help Me” as a group plays outside. Ellie’s dog disappears until Luke stumbles upon it during a snowball fight. The pair then get creepy facebook messages from a stranger. The kids pull a prank that turns into something horrible and soon the police are regular visitors.
Jaxon is intent on stopping the killer each death crushes his spirit more. As more dead bodies are found, including beheaded animals, the FBI is called in for some input. Soon Jaxon’s ex-wife, an FBI agent is working the case with him. Things might improve between them if Jaxon doesn’t fall into a greater depression over the death of more children.
Ellie and Luke need protection when it becomes clear the killer is targeting them. Even with enough protection given by cops the killer still able to kidnap Ellie. It is figured out to the creepiest killer is no other but Ellie's dad who everyone thought to be dead. Eventually after too many stunts Ellie is able to shot the killer and rescuing everyone."
April 2, 2017
This book was both a beautiful and terrifying read for me. The beautiful part was the relationship between teens Ellie and Luke who were best friends now turned romantic couple. Their loyalty and concern for each other and willingness to sacrifice for the other that only comes with with the very young and in love and the elderly very much in love. The terrifying aspect is the man who preys on pets and young children. I really had a hard time with the beginning of the book and the cruelty to the animals, being a pet lover myself. Jaxon Jennings is the detective who investigates the killer and tries to keep Ellie and Luke safe only to discover that this investigation brings up sad memories from his own frozen past. The killer is taunting him with what he knows about Jaxon's past as well as psychologically tormenting and threatening the children. Can Jaxon and his ex-wife save the children? I found the suspense so good that I stayed up late to finish reading this in one day.
April 17, 2021
Set in Northern VA this a tale of a Police Detective, a group of young teens eventually the FBI
and a seriously demented killer who is targeting the teens and the Detective but killing others along the way. As in a book I read earlier it features a teen couple and friends as they become targets and eventually confront the killer. A decent read. I think that I got this as part of a boxed set of 3 as a book funnel free download.
and a seriously demented killer who is targeting the teens and the Detective but killing others along the way. As in a book I read earlier it features a teen couple and friends as they become targets and eventually confront the killer. A decent read. I think that I got this as part of a boxed set of 3 as a book funnel free download.
March 4, 2017
This book may have been written for Young Adults, but it held my adult interest because there are three interesting plots in one:
1. We have the Swimming Pool Killer (the 1st body was discovered in a swimming pool), an absolute monster, who decapitates animals, especially kids' dogs and cuts off the heads of his victims, sometimes freezing them for years What we find out is that he is seeking revenge on Detective Jaxon Jennings who was the one who responded to the domestic violence call by the killer's wife and thereafter she wanted nothing more to do with her abusive husband. To sever all ties with him, she even changed her name back to her maiden name, from Worthington (killer) to Pemberton. This plot is about Jennings and the killer who is carrying out his vendetta against Jennings: "You took my family from me; now I'll take yours and your life."
2. The 2nd plot involves the two teens, main characters, Ellie Pemberton (Worthington) and Luke Harrison who, at 14, fall in love. The killer is stalking Ellie, his daughter, to get to Jennings, and Luke is trying to protect her and keep her safe, not doing the greatest job.
3. The 3rd plot involves Jaxon and his ex-wife Victoria. Because of their son Michael's death by this same killer years ago, they split, couldn't handle the grief/guilt together, but they never got over each other and now they realize that they do need each other and need to be together to heal and move forward. They do seem good for each other.
SPOILER: The surprise comes at the end when the killer, Worthington, goes on a shooting rampage, wounding Victoria, Luke and Jaxon, slitting Ellie's mother's throat, and Ellie becomes the "hero" as she picks up Jaxon's pistol and shoots/kills Worthington. That's how it ends, rather abruptly, but the horror and killings are over.
I first gave the book 3 stars b/c I did "like it", but the more I thought about it, I bumped it up to 4 star because it did hold my interest and the author created a clever, interesting character, although horrible, in the Swimming Pool Killer. This is our Psych. Thriller BOTM for April.
1. We have the Swimming Pool Killer (the 1st body was discovered in a swimming pool), an absolute monster, who decapitates animals, especially kids' dogs and cuts off the heads of his victims, sometimes freezing them for years What we find out is that he is seeking revenge on Detective Jaxon Jennings who was the one who responded to the domestic violence call by the killer's wife and thereafter she wanted nothing more to do with her abusive husband. To sever all ties with him, she even changed her name back to her maiden name, from Worthington (killer) to Pemberton. This plot is about Jennings and the killer who is carrying out his vendetta against Jennings: "You took my family from me; now I'll take yours and your life."
2. The 2nd plot involves the two teens, main characters, Ellie Pemberton (Worthington) and Luke Harrison who, at 14, fall in love. The killer is stalking Ellie, his daughter, to get to Jennings, and Luke is trying to protect her and keep her safe, not doing the greatest job.
3. The 3rd plot involves Jaxon and his ex-wife Victoria. Because of their son Michael's death by this same killer years ago, they split, couldn't handle the grief/guilt together, but they never got over each other and now they realize that they do need each other and need to be together to heal and move forward. They do seem good for each other.
SPOILER: The surprise comes at the end when the killer, Worthington, goes on a shooting rampage, wounding Victoria, Luke and Jaxon, slitting Ellie's mother's throat, and Ellie becomes the "hero" as she picks up Jaxon's pistol and shoots/kills Worthington. That's how it ends, rather abruptly, but the horror and killings are over.
I first gave the book 3 stars b/c I did "like it", but the more I thought about it, I bumped it up to 4 star because it did hold my interest and the author created a clever, interesting character, although horrible, in the Swimming Pool Killer. This is our Psych. Thriller BOTM for April.
October 22, 2021
Good Read!
An excellent serial killer story! It had me guessing on who the killer was until almost the end! Very well written.
An excellent serial killer story! It had me guessing on who the killer was until almost the end! Very well written.
February 23, 2017
This was a mixed bag, with some excellent "thriller" bad-guy elements, a strong opening, and good interactions between the pursuing law enforcement personnel and the serial killer leaving clues and taunts. However, there were too many weaknesses to really elevate the book above "just okay," including improbable behaviors by our teen protagonists as well as the adult cops/FBI agents. Also, the parallel love interests (the two teens experiencing first love and the ex-husband-wife law enforcement team who as anyone can guess will somehow reconcile) made for distractions and clumsily written dialogue that detracted from the suspense filled plot.
More strict editing would have helped, particularly for the ending that was just over the top and strained credulity beyond what had already been a breaking point 50 pages earlier.
Okay for a quick diversion, but just not up to the standards of better murder mystery or police procedurals that I prefer.
More strict editing would have helped, particularly for the ending that was just over the top and strained credulity beyond what had already been a breaking point 50 pages earlier.
Okay for a quick diversion, but just not up to the standards of better murder mystery or police procedurals that I prefer.
March 18, 2019
When I first started reading this book, I thought it was an adolescent novel. It's not. The characters were kids, and the writing was very child-like and stagnant. The main characters are supposed to be Jaxon Jennings, a detective, and his ex-wife, an FBI agent. But the 13-14 year old kids are more prominent in the story, and I really didn't care about them. Much of the story is about their "love story" as if a 14 year old knows what love is.
Someone is watching Luke and Eliana. It appears he is trying to scare them and even frame them for a murder. The kids think it would be funny to put a dummy in the pool and see if it freezes and fools anyone, but someone replaces the dummy with a real kid. The stalker contacts Luke and Eliana through Facebook, and claims to know Elaina's father, so there is a whole backstory about her family. And of course the stalker threatens that if they go to the police, they will both die.
When the murdered boy in the pool is found, enter Jaxon Jennings and his partner. They believe they have a lead on the swimming pool murder, albeit in a different state, thus the FBI, and jaxon's ex-wife, become involved. The kids are having more luck finding the murderer than the police are.
It was actually a VERY predictable story. You will know what is going to happen before it happens, and you will be correct. There really are no surprises. It was like watching one of the Friday the 13th movies, minus the music. You're telling the characters, "No, don't go in there! Get out!" But they go in anyway. It was also rather gruesome like a horror movie what with chopping off the heads of both people and animals, among other things.
I also don't appreciate when authors who aren't familiar with teenagers and youth try to write dialogue for them. I don't know any teenager who uses the description "epic" over and over again. The dialogue was disingenuous. I also didn't enjoy the love story between the teenagers, expressing their everlasting love for one another, thinking they can protect each other better than the police. And what kid has better tracking and hacking software than the FBI? Also, I don't know any parent who would allow his or her 13 year old daughter to move in with the boyfriend's family, much less when there is a murderer on the loose.
This book lacked suspense, believability, compelling dialogue, and character motivation. I don't recommend it.
Someone is watching Luke and Eliana. It appears he is trying to scare them and even frame them for a murder. The kids think it would be funny to put a dummy in the pool and see if it freezes and fools anyone, but someone replaces the dummy with a real kid. The stalker contacts Luke and Eliana through Facebook, and claims to know Elaina's father, so there is a whole backstory about her family. And of course the stalker threatens that if they go to the police, they will both die.
When the murdered boy in the pool is found, enter Jaxon Jennings and his partner. They believe they have a lead on the swimming pool murder, albeit in a different state, thus the FBI, and jaxon's ex-wife, become involved. The kids are having more luck finding the murderer than the police are.
It was actually a VERY predictable story. You will know what is going to happen before it happens, and you will be correct. There really are no surprises. It was like watching one of the Friday the 13th movies, minus the music. You're telling the characters, "No, don't go in there! Get out!" But they go in anyway. It was also rather gruesome like a horror movie what with chopping off the heads of both people and animals, among other things.
I also don't appreciate when authors who aren't familiar with teenagers and youth try to write dialogue for them. I don't know any teenager who uses the description "epic" over and over again. The dialogue was disingenuous. I also didn't enjoy the love story between the teenagers, expressing their everlasting love for one another, thinking they can protect each other better than the police. And what kid has better tracking and hacking software than the FBI? Also, I don't know any parent who would allow his or her 13 year old daughter to move in with the boyfriend's family, much less when there is a murderer on the loose.
This book lacked suspense, believability, compelling dialogue, and character motivation. I don't recommend it.
June 5, 2012
Amazing Read! Don't pass this one up!
I purposely waited two days after reading FROZEN PAST by RICHARD C. HALE to write this review. My body felt shell shocked from the thrilling tension the author was able to convey in his highly charged writing. From beginning to end, Mr. Hale was able to keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what the demented, psychopathic serial killer was going to do next. I must say, this killer is one of the creepiest I've read about. I found that while reading about this monster's actions, my skin was crawling, my breath was catching and I was constantly clutching my chest.
This book is told through several points of view. Many of the characters are young teens. Don't let that fool you. This is no YA novel. This is a novel for all of you suspense loving, thrill ride seekers and horror junkies like me. You'll find yourself screaming in your head over and over things like: "What the hell is going on?", "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?", "NOOOO! HE DIDN'T REALLY JUST DO THAT?"
I can't say it any clearer. THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS!
Being a romance lover, one of my favorite aspects to this book is the wonderfully sweet story of first love between Luke and Ellie. Mr. Hale was able to transport me back in time and helped me remember all of those wonderfully warm feelings of young love. I must say, I was not expecting to have such a touching storyline throughout this thriller.
Another facet of this book that I thought was truly brilliant was the lead detective's character of Jaxon Jennings. Detective Jennings is not your normal tough, unstoppable crime fighting character that you find in so many suspenseful thrillers these days. Due to a tragic past that is tightly connected to the serial killer, Detective Jennings is a flawed and sometimes weak character that I found myself wanting to slap silly occasionally so he wouldn't give up. As the reader, you are not sure if he is going to catch the maniacal serial killer or not, which added a whole new level of stress to this story for me.
If you like heart stopping suspense and the thrill of a really scary emotional roller coaster ride, you have just got to read this book. You won't be able to put it down. Beware, FROZEN PAST does contain extreme violence.
I purposely waited two days after reading FROZEN PAST by RICHARD C. HALE to write this review. My body felt shell shocked from the thrilling tension the author was able to convey in his highly charged writing. From beginning to end, Mr. Hale was able to keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what the demented, psychopathic serial killer was going to do next. I must say, this killer is one of the creepiest I've read about. I found that while reading about this monster's actions, my skin was crawling, my breath was catching and I was constantly clutching my chest.
This book is told through several points of view. Many of the characters are young teens. Don't let that fool you. This is no YA novel. This is a novel for all of you suspense loving, thrill ride seekers and horror junkies like me. You'll find yourself screaming in your head over and over things like: "What the hell is going on?", "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?", "NOOOO! HE DIDN'T REALLY JUST DO THAT?"
I can't say it any clearer. THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS!
Being a romance lover, one of my favorite aspects to this book is the wonderfully sweet story of first love between Luke and Ellie. Mr. Hale was able to transport me back in time and helped me remember all of those wonderfully warm feelings of young love. I must say, I was not expecting to have such a touching storyline throughout this thriller.
Another facet of this book that I thought was truly brilliant was the lead detective's character of Jaxon Jennings. Detective Jennings is not your normal tough, unstoppable crime fighting character that you find in so many suspenseful thrillers these days. Due to a tragic past that is tightly connected to the serial killer, Detective Jennings is a flawed and sometimes weak character that I found myself wanting to slap silly occasionally so he wouldn't give up. As the reader, you are not sure if he is going to catch the maniacal serial killer or not, which added a whole new level of stress to this story for me.
If you like heart stopping suspense and the thrill of a really scary emotional roller coaster ride, you have just got to read this book. You won't be able to put it down. Beware, FROZEN PAST does contain extreme violence.
May 21, 2012
Frozen Past (Richard C. Hale)
Thriller/Suspense
Luke and Ellie were 14 years old and had been friends for as long as they can remember. Along with pals Jimmy and Johnny bored one day they decided to try an experiment. They built a straw boy, chipped a hole in the ice in the pool and put the "fake boy in there". Then they made bets with each other on how soon the "boy" would be discovered. What happened next was unbelievable.
Turns out the very next day the police find a real dead boy in that same pool. Things turn grim and it seems that the killer has done this before..young boys are turning up dead, Ellie seems to be the target of this madman. Each time they are contacted by the crazed lunatic they are warned NOT to tell anyone or Ellie will end up dead.
In a race for time and a race for their life, Luke and Ellie try to solve this crime before they become the next victims.
Spine-tingling, nail-biting up until the very last page. Thriller/suspense lovers will love the twist, turns and the unpredictable events and the shocking ending.
Thriller/Suspense
Luke and Ellie were 14 years old and had been friends for as long as they can remember. Along with pals Jimmy and Johnny bored one day they decided to try an experiment. They built a straw boy, chipped a hole in the ice in the pool and put the "fake boy in there". Then they made bets with each other on how soon the "boy" would be discovered. What happened next was unbelievable.
Turns out the very next day the police find a real dead boy in that same pool. Things turn grim and it seems that the killer has done this before..young boys are turning up dead, Ellie seems to be the target of this madman. Each time they are contacted by the crazed lunatic they are warned NOT to tell anyone or Ellie will end up dead.
In a race for time and a race for their life, Luke and Ellie try to solve this crime before they become the next victims.
Spine-tingling, nail-biting up until the very last page. Thriller/suspense lovers will love the twist, turns and the unpredictable events and the shocking ending.
January 25, 2013
I recently finished this book and I must say it was very suspenseful from the start. Almost downright scary in spots. This is not a book for teens, regardless of the protagonists being teens. But I had a couple of issues with the book. First, in my opinion, a bit stronger editing was needed, mostly in the use of the incorrect term, "alright". It's used all too often. Also, the teens do not tell their parents anything at all. Now, we all know teens are very secretive, but this extends to the point that even though murders are happening, the teens say nothing, ultimately giving the parents in this story a 'Charlie Brown' adult feel to them.
But the relationships are very well done. The cops in the story and their investigation really rang true to me.
Without giving away any spoilers here, I guessed the ending. I would have also liked to see it turned around a bit, but atypical endings, and twists and turns like this story has, are always good for books, I think.
I recommend this book. It's an exciting read!
But the relationships are very well done. The cops in the story and their investigation really rang true to me.
Without giving away any spoilers here, I guessed the ending. I would have also liked to see it turned around a bit, but atypical endings, and twists and turns like this story has, are always good for books, I think.
I recommend this book. It's an exciting read!
August 22, 2017
I speed-read (skip read) after about the 30% mark and eventually just deleted the novel and moved on to something else. I wanted to figure out the mystery but the frequent anachronisms and contradictions of the book were distracting. The young teenagers were playing kick the can and having snowball fights part of the the time and totally involved in deep love relationships the next. The main teen character was variously described as 14 years old and, I believe, 16 at another time. The body in the pool was "missing the head" yet the eyes stared up at the teens. The characters were caricatures much of the time. The lone girl in the group was always dissolving into tears and having to turn to the boyfriend to "comfort and protect." The young teen boy was concerned for nothing (even though he and all his friends had been threatened) except protecting his girlfriend. They played silly pranks one minute and discussed heavy philosophy the next. The tone of the book was casual and almost flippant while the subject matter was serious and deadly. It was just a very odd novel.
July 26, 2012
This book was a page turner, filled with suspense. I'm kind of torn about the kid characters though. I liked them and was on the edge of my seat worrying about their safety. On the other hand, I didn't think they spoke the way teenagers speak. Sometimes it was too mature and a lot of the time it seemed really too young. Most of all it was just too polite all the time. However, they all had great heart and even the secondary characters were well developed. There were a couple of places where deaths were portrayed but not a lot of emotion from those that should have shown it. However, those were the only two places lacking in feelings. The rest of the time, the emotions were front and center and kept you emotionally tied to the characters and what was happening with them. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery/suspense novels.
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