JAMES W. HALL

Tropical Freeze

The rugged Florida troubleshooter Thorn is back in another high-tension story of crime, love, and revenge, described by the Chicago Tribune as "wry, vivid, wonderful. . . . A first-rate thriller!"

In an exotic blue-water locale where greed and criminality thrive, the mysterious disappearance of Thorn's boyhood friend Gaeton Richards, an FBI agent, entangles Thorn in a web of violence and intrigue that takes him from seamy local bars to glittering ocean villas. Then, when Gaeton's beautiful sister becomes Thorn's lover, he finds himself facing a jealous lunatic stalking her, a rogue government agent involved in a murderous scam, and an unforgettable underworld of petty crooks, amoral hired guns, and dangerous losers.

"A terrific read with a gritty and tangible sense of place, a hero who's a cross between Davy Crockett and Philip Marlowe, and a lyrical, almost poetic touch in scenes both sexual and violent." — Orlando Sentinel

"Provocative and suspenseful . . . a worthy and brilliant successor to Under Cover of Daylight." — Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion-Ledger

"James Hall's writing is astringent, penetrating, and unfailingly gripping." — Dean Koontz

"Menacing . . . brilliantly written!" — USA Today
"James W. Hall's lyrical passion for the Florida keys, his spare language and unusual images haunt us long after the story has faded." — New York TimesBook Review
"Explosive . . . suspenseful . . . action galore." — Worcester Telegram & Gazette
A selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club

James W. Hall's latest thriller is Body Language (St. Martin's, September 1998). He lives in South Florida.

1999 / paperback reissue / ISBN 0-393-31895-8 / 446 pages / MYSTERY