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cspeet's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun story, pretty typical of an Alistair MacLean yarn with all the plot twists and turns one comes to expect from him. Similarly to his immediately preceding book, "The Last Frontier", some of the plot development hinges on the ineptitude of the main character, but in this case it's more understandable since the protagonist in this one is a scientist rather than a spy. A good, fun read.
mike_68's review against another edition
4.0
Not one of MacLean's best but a good read. It is a combination of a "locked room mystery" as well as the typical action/adventure of MacLean's early work.
When a plane mysteriously crashes in Greenland, Dr Peter Mason rescues the passengers, but later discovers that the crew were murdered. The list of suspects in a typical "locked room style" were:
Margaret Ross : Flight Attendant
Marie LeGarde : Queen of the Music Hall
Nick Corazzini : Manager of "Global Tractor Co."
Reverand Joeseph Smallwood : Religious delegate
Johnny Zagero : Boxer
Solly Levin : Johnny's manager (Dad)
Mrs Dansby-Gregg : London Socialite
Helene Fleming : Mrs Dansby-Gregg's maid
Theodore Mahler : Diabetic
Senator Hoffman Brewster : U.S. senator
With winter closing in, Dr Mason along with his colleague Nils Nielson ('Jackstraw") decide to get the passengers back to civilization, undertaking a dangerous journey across the ice fields of Greenland, but with a killer unidentified, the journey becomes even more perilous.
In the typical dramatic writing style of MacLean, he brings alive the barren landscape of Greenland, showing why he regarded by many as a great in the Action/Adventure novels.
When a plane mysteriously crashes in Greenland, Dr Peter Mason rescues the passengers, but later discovers that the crew were murdered. The list of suspects in a typical "locked room style" were:
Margaret Ross : Flight Attendant
Marie LeGarde : Queen of the Music Hall
Nick Corazzini : Manager of "Global Tractor Co."
Reverand Joeseph Smallwood : Religious delegate
Johnny Zagero : Boxer
Solly Levin : Johnny's manager (Dad)
Mrs Dansby-Gregg : London Socialite
Helene Fleming : Mrs Dansby-Gregg's maid
Theodore Mahler : Diabetic
Senator Hoffman Brewster : U.S. senator
With winter closing in, Dr Mason along with his colleague Nils Nielson ('Jackstraw") decide to get the passengers back to civilization, undertaking a dangerous journey across the ice fields of Greenland, but with a killer unidentified, the journey becomes even more perilous.
In the typical dramatic writing style of MacLean, he brings alive the barren landscape of Greenland, showing why he regarded by many as a great in the Action/Adventure novels.
redpoll's review against another edition
3.0
I was in the mood for a thriller with a plane crash and this was just the ticket. The plot is daft and the protagonist a paranoid, misogynistic dipshit, but it nevertheless achieves exactly what it set out to do, which is more than a lot of books manage.
pinetcht's review against another edition
3.0
This is my external reading book! Unexpectedly quick-paced and suspenseful. It totally reminded me of Agatha Christie’s mystery books, only this one was set it Greenland. I imagine I would develop an emotional connection better if I read the full version. For now, all the characters did just a sheer impression on me. That being said, I kind of liked the scientists working in the island. They’re like super efficient in every single thing, maybe save for catching the real murderer. Which is totally forgivable, provided that this is supposed to lead the reader through wrong guesses to increase its fun. Honestly, the ending was a blur to me. The ending was as expected—the good guys win, yay. To me, it totally dropped towards the end.
Overall, not bad for a learner’s version of a book!
Overall, not bad for a learner’s version of a book!
laticsexile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
A bit of a rehash of Ice Station Zebra. Very good in terms of getting a feel for survival in Arctic conditions, but pretty contrived. What really lets this edition down is the narration. I'm sure others will get on with it just fine, but the voice was very strained and the accents were dreadful. I'm starting to think that my teenage self loving Alistair Maclean's books was somewhat deluded.
I'm going to have a crack at Where Eagles Dare next to test the hypothesis.
I'm going to have a crack at Where Eagles Dare next to test the hypothesis.
tommynomad's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific romp that--as a Winnipegger--I could tell was well-researched. MacLean's ability to tell tales lasting just a few days (or even hours) in 180pp is a good one.
paul_gallagher's review against another edition
2.0
Standard Maclean closed circle mystery, very dated. I just managed to push through to the end but with little sense of satisfaction other than to confirm that I don't need to read another Maclean anytime soon. Best to leave well alone the good memories of reading them back in the 80's.
marireads09's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting. Ending is a bit messy and could have finished better imo.