Cold Zero

CIA officers Kasey Sheridan and Walter Ho attempt to shield Chinese physicist Dr. Chen Li and his secret weapon from America’s enemies in this excellent standalone from Thor (Edge of Honor) and Larson (Dark Vector). At the outset, Sheridan and Ho are relaxing with Li on an escape plane after smuggling the scientist out of China with a copy of Sky Fire, his game-changing military software. Then Chinese forces hack Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777 as it crosses the Arctic Circle, and the plane crashes on polar ice. As the 10 survivors attempt to stay alive in a freezing storm, the world’s superpowers try to locate the wreckage and secure Li’s secret weapon: the Chinese send an ice breaker, the Russians a state-of-the-art submarine, and the Americans a fast attack sub. Sheridan teams up with one of her fellow passengers, a former fighter pilot, to save the injured Chen and keep possession of Sky Fire, while Chinese, Russian, and American spies maneuver in the background. Meanwhile, the elements—and a polar bear—close in. Seamlessly fusing aspects of survival fiction and espionage thrillers, Thor and Larson serve up high-caliber suspense that keeps the pages flying. It’s pure popcorn. Agent: Heide Lange, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Feb.)