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The Ice

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The Ice

By: Laline Paull
Narrated by: Samuel West
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About this listen

An electrifying story of friendship, power and betrayal by the bestselling, Baileys-prize shortlisted author of The Bees.

‘A memorable eco-thriller. This is a world of arms dealers, heroic arctic adventurers and power crazed captains of industry. And that’s just the ladies’ The Times

A frozen corpse emerges from a melting glacier and after three years of uncertainty, Sean Cawson can finally put the past behind him. Tom Harding, Sean’s friend of thirty years was lost in an accident and Sean was the last person to see him alive.

Tom’s body is not the only secret hidden in the ice. As global businesses and global powers jostle for territory in this new, lawless frontier there are big opportunities for those with the courage – or mendacity – to seize them. And equally big risks.

For years Sean has navigated these dangerous waters, loving the glamour and influence they bring. But as the inquest into Tom's death begins, the choices made by both men – in love and in life – are put on the stand. Soon everything Sean has believed about his friends, his position and himself is thrown into question.

Just how deep do the lies go?

©2017 Laline Paull (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Polar Region Espionage Crime

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Critic reviews

''Beautifully written and unusual.... Captivating.... A brave and original story that highlights our modern environmental crimes, and offers a fascinating glimpse into the intricacies of bee world.... Any book that changes the way we see our world surely deserves to be a success.'' (Lucy Atkins, Sunday Times)
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A brilliantly written, environmental adventure/love story. I bought it because i had enjoyed The Bees so much. This was totally different but I loved it too.

Gripping.

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The interspersing of quotes from Arctic explorers with this gripping tale set in Svalbard really brings the Arctic environment to life. I throughly enjoyed the narration and the mix of business, exploration and ecocrime really moved the story on. The ending was a wee bit contrived thus the four rather than five stars but a very good listen nonetheless.

Gripping

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Enjoyable and absorbing for the most part. The prose is just wonderful. The quibble is with the plot. The ending especially, was completely over the top. Would have been far better if it had ended at chapter 36 followed by an epilogue. Still, would recommend.

Spoilt by ending but ....

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Perfectly read by Samuel West (he manages women's voices well - no Hinge & Bracket here) this is a great exploration of ambition, naivety and integrity. It's been in my library for a while, and I'm so annoyed that I'd waited. The characters and scenario are believable and topical, entirely possible in the very near future. It's a book which I'll listen to again in a little while, approaching it with foreknowledge, and see if my perceptions change.

And also because it's a fine tale.

Fine tale

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loved everything about The Bees and this is different but very very good although the wordsmithery is just as brilliant

Amazingly different 2nd novel from her first

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I liked the overall story, it's just a few things here and there which were typically male centric behaviours that annoyed. Like all good wives who have been discarded for younger models simply wait around for the man in question to came to his senses and she will always remain available to him no matter what. Yuk! Oh, and of course he has time to buy incredibly expensive watches, and if I hear one more story of frozen poo being made into things!

Entertaining, but too many stories of frozen poo

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I really enjoyed this story, a bit like a good Clare Francis. It moves in worlds I know little about but was convincing in relationships and proposition. I found this by searching for anything narrated by Samuel West as one of my favourite voices to listen to. It’s a tactic that has broadened my subject range quite a bit.

Very enjoyable and well read.

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A rather long-winded murder story. I was bored pretty much from the beginning but stuck with it because other reviewers mentioned a plot twist at the end. That's 11+ hours I'll never get back! It wasn't worth listening to the end. The author could have conveyed his eco-political message with more punch. It doesn't work as an eco-political novel nor as a murder mystery and certainly not as both.

Didn't live up to expectations

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