Cold: A Novel

I have always loved a good story. John Smolens can tell one -- in aces. A few years ago I discovered his 2001 book, "Cold", a novel set in the frozen winter fastness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and peopled with characters so real you would swear you had met them before. It was the kind of story that grabbed you on page one, sucked you into the vortex of its white-out blizzard setting, and finally deposited you breathless and gasping on the final page, wishing there were more. You came to know his characters, but you wanted to know more. It wasn't that the story was incomplete. Quite the opposite. "Cold" is a perfect gem of the writing craft. Even its secondary and minor characters come alive as real and recognizable flesh-and-blood people. I hope he brings the principals back in a sequel one day. - Tim Bazzett, author of Love, War & Polio[...]

Cold opens with Liesl, a middle-aged widow, living in the woods, who finds a runaway from the prison near her cabin during a blizzard. Norman is a trustee who walked away from the prison during a blizzard and now finds himself lost in the woods and so cold he needs to seek shelter. Fortunately, Liesl has a rifle, so she allows Norman in the house to get warm and change his clothes, and then they set out together on snowshoes to the nearby gas station so she can turn him in. On the way to the gas station, Liesl has an accident, and Norman must decide whether to get her help or to take the opportunity to continue his escape. To tell more would be to ruin the story, and the suspense is so great I can't bring myself to do that. I read the entire novel on a hot Sunday in July; the cold descriptions helping to distract me from the heat as I eagerly turned the pages. Smolens depicts the U.P. accurately, and while he fictionalizes most of the locations, save for references to places in Marquette like the Delft, he uses effectively the U.P.'s remoteness and the cold and the blizzards for character motivation and to display the great storytelling potential of the region. The novel reminded me a bit of the film Reindeer Games starring Ben Affleck, about a man released from prison who gets involved in a casino robbery in Upper Michigan. But I thought Cold was far better, less sensational, and more realistic and suspenseful. It would make a splendid film, but since the movie hasn't been made yet, read the book. You won't be disappointed. - Tyler R. Tichelaar, author of Iron Pioneers, The Marquette Trilogy: Book One

John Smolens, in his novel, "Cold," captures the feel, the smell,and and the atmophere of a frigid, nothern climate. His woods and the people who inhabit them are so real that they move off the pages. I couldn't put this book down and read it until three in the morning."Cold" is as good as "Fargo"and "Dr. Zhivago." I hope that this book is made into a movie, because the shivers are better than my 1977 trip to Siberia!

The unjustly low rating of this book by other reviews seem to stem from their issues with Finnish names and deer carcass than with the actual plot and story being presented here.That said, Smolens delivers a page-turner that rivals the turnability of Stephen King, while keeping the story a little more grounded. Some characters are indeed flat, and maybe they should be. After all, there's not room for every character to be well-rounded.Some may say this story is about Norman, but the true character change comes in Sheriff Del Maki who, in the pursuit of the escaped Norman, takes a trek down memory lane to the "one that got away". Maki's inner resound is where, I feel, the real story dwells.Smolens next book is set on the east coast, which should justify it for better reviews since hostile Yoopers won't be able to pick apart names and settings.And also, having lived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for six years, yes it does get that cold.

Wow. The reviews before mine were pretty harsh. They really picked this book apart. Seems they took personal offense that the book was set in the UP, and they weren't happy with the author's take on their area and their lives. Born and raised in Chicago, I enjoyed this book. Maybe that's the difference. I didn't read it and pick every little thing apart. The first few pages really got my attention, and the story was slow moving, but gradually built to a satisfying conclusion. I disagree that the characters were shallow or underdeveloped. I thought both Warren and Norman were quite well developed, just not very likable. But that's what made the story interesting! I say pick up a used copy and check it out for yourself. Give it a chance.