Even with his low profile, Joe finds many people vying from his attention. The is "Little Skag" Farino, head of the local crime family who has ordered Kurtz's hit from jail and his sister Angelina who has different reasons for wanting the same results. There's also a concert violinist whose daughter was murdered twenty years ago who wants Joe to find her murderer who has allegedly been dead all these years and finally, there's the serial killer/police detective who plans to pin his next murder on Kurtz. Outnumbered and outgunned, Kurtz will not be outsmarted and like a juggler is able to keep all these people at bay and is able to stay one step ahead of them all.

Hard Freeze is as gritty a PI novel as they come. Even with the emphasis on the local crime family it does not turn into a thriller full of Mafioso, but stays focused on the tough Joe Kurtz. Joe, with all his hard edges, is a very likable character who is very easy to root for, even if he is able to shoot you dead in the eye without thinking twice. The goons and thugs are evenly divided; some are expendable and very entertaining.

While the novel relies a lot on coincidences and relationships, the pace is so fast that acceptance of these unliklihoods is almost unconscious. The body count is high, but Dan Simmons keeps the graphic, gory violence in check. Neither does he allow the tough talking characters to become crude, their rough language enough to create an atmosphere without being offensive

Hard Freeze is a gritty PI thriller that will appeal to a wide audience of readers looking for a fast-paced, engrossing read with a great cast of characters.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry