Michael and Sarah Stone have an unusual life, to say the least. Home is an old but sturdy yacht, sailing among the islands in the western Pacific. (A map showing the Marshall Islands, Palau and other important sites is kindly included in the book.) Both Michael and Sarah are doctors who sail the small sparsely populated islands offering medical care to the remote island people. With them is their ten year old daughter Ronnie, a lively and intelligent young girl who loves any contact with civilization.

When the Veronica gets a distress signal from a huge ship requesting help for a medical emergency, Ronnie has visions of satellite TV, People magazines and ice cream. Unfortunately for this small family, the men running the commercial freighter have a devious plan. As Michael tends to a dying islander who has washed up on a tiny atoll, he watches in horror as the freighter pulls his yacht out of the water and onto the deck. Within moments, the ship heads away – with Sarah and Ronnie on board!

Stranded on the abandoned island with only a handmade canoe, Michael must try to find and rescue his kidnapped family. The industrious Michael can navigate using the stars, but since he is hundreds of miles from any settlement, the task is daunting.

Meanwhile the brave Sarah finds herself trapped on the mammoth ship, the Dallas Belle, which is hauling a full cargo of natural gas. An evil ex-con named Moss holds Sarah and Ronnie hostage while they are forced to care for his boss, known as Mr. Jack. Mr. Jack has been shot under frightening circumstances. Sarah understands that her life and the life of her daughter depend on her ability to save Mr. Jack's life. It is scary enough while Mr. Jack is unconscious and Sarah must deal with Moss. But when Mr. Jack wakes up and begins telling his strange tales, things get even worse.

Garrison does an excellent job building up the suspense in this novel. He switches back and forth between Michael and his plight, and the tense situation faced by Sarah and Ronnie. Both the doctor characters are clever and resourceful. They are willing to take chances to get away. That both are reluctant to call the authorities for help when the chance comes lends another layer of mystery. Are Michael and Sarah already running away from something?

The various settings and ports, especially Shanghai, are colorfully drawn. The intricacies of shipping, black market business, Chinese and western gangsters and other various elements of the story are interesting and well developed. And of course the bad guys, Mr. Jack and Moss, are both subtle and blatant in their meanness. As they hold Sarah hostage by threatening to harm her daughter, their actions are truly repulsive.

The climax of Fire and Ice is amazing and terrifying. It is hard to believe that this is the author's first novel. He uses his personal experience with sailing and the western Pacific to create a delicious setting for a suspense. Read this one and enjoy!

--Martha Moore