Tropical Freeze
“James Hall’s writing is astringent, penetrating, and unfailingly gripping.”
— Dean Koontz
“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
Overview
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.
Praise
“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 Times Book Review
“Menacing . . . brilliantly written!” — USA Today
“Provocative and suspenseful . . . a worthy and brilliant successor to Under Cover of Daylight.“ —Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion-Ledger
“Explosive . . . suspenseful . . . action galore.” — Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Read The Whole Thorn Series
I thought I’d told Thorn’s complete story in Under Cover of Daylight but my publisher convinced me otherwise.
James on Writing Tropical Freeze
Thorn was still licking his wounds from Under Cover of Daylight when another disaster snagged him. His oldest and best friend, Gaeton Richards, was killed. And Gaeton’s kid sister, Darcy, a tag along companion of Thorn’s from his childhood dragged Thorn into his next adventure.
At the time I was writing Tropical Freeze I was watching the Iran-Contra hearings on television and was struck with the incredible audacity of government officials (particularly Oliver North) who flaunted American foreign policy and ran their own secret operation funded by various illegal activities.
The whole mess only deepened the national cynicism about politics. With that backdrop weighing heavily on my mind I concocted a scenario that I had imagined for some time, a scheme to smuggle wealthy cocaine dealers into the US and give them new identities.
Part of my inspiration for this was a friend of mine in Key Largo whose part time job involved creating and selling new identities to various folks who had moved to the Keys to start over.
They weren’t all criminals. Some were simply running from bad debts or marriages or something back on the mainland. And my friend supplied them with drivers licenses and diplomas and social security cards. He had a booming business.
When I was writing the ending of Tropical Freeze, I had begun to feel a gloomy sense that justice would never be done in the Iran-Contra situation. So I let that same gloomy uncertainty color the final scenes of the novel.
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Keep in touch with Jim
We check in with Thorn over at Snappers or Lorelei every once in a while. Maybe he’ll have some new stories to tell us.
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