Hard Freeze - (Kurtz) by Dan Simmons (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published in 2002 by St. Martin's Press.

Book Synopsis

Revenge has never been served so cold.

Joe Kurtz, former investigator and convicted felon, is on parole. But the years he spent in Attica didn't make his old haunts any safer. Back on the streets of Buffalo, he's already marked by a local Mafia don.

As if watching his back weren't enough work, Kurtz has also been hired by a gravely ill John Frears, whose daughter met a grisly fate at the hands of a murderer. Frears wants one thing before he dies: for Kurtz to find the fiend that the authorities couldn't. But the calculating killer -- a master at changing identities -- has a little unfinished business of his own. Dodging a contract on his head and tracking a serial killer on the loose, Kurtz plunges headfirst into the icy waters of revenge as both victim and avenger.

Review Quotes

"Hard Freeze makes for great escapist reading...get ready to dip into a terrific, take-no-prisoners read."--Denver Post

"A bristling climax...Kurtz makes a riveting protagonist for the noir-is-beautiful crowd."--Kirkus (starred review)

"In addition to crafting one of the least likeable protagonists you'll ever find yourself rooting for... [Simmons] writes action scenes that'll leave your hands clammy on the page."--Booklist

"Readers looking for two-fisted, take-no-prisoners action should pick up a copy."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Simmons at his hard-driving best...[A] high-octane thriller."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Simmons' novel uncoils into a deliciously brutal chess game between a chameleon serial killer and ex-con PI Kurtz...action scenes that'll leave your hands clammy on the page."--Booklist

"This straight-ahead, no-frills read is sure to garner enthusiasm among fans of Richard Stark."--Library Journal

About the Author

Dan Simmons is the Hugo Award-winning author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Olympos and The Terror. He lives in Colorado.