Murder Below Zero

by Ron Lovell

In his latest adventure, professor and sometime amateur sleuth Thomas Martindale leaves campus to sign on as a science writer for a research expedition to the Arctic for a change of pace from the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976797801
• ISBN13: 9780976797807
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Penman Productions
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Characterizations are well defined and mesh smoothly with the tale

Written as the fourth Thomas Martindale murder, Ron Lovell casts himself as the mouthy journalist, based on his own experience as a journalist and professor of journalism at Oregon State University. Using global warming and the Arctic as a backdrop, Lovell gives readers a glimpse of the Pacific Northwest and the much more pristine Arctic Circle. MURDER BELOW ZERO was preceded by: MURDER AT YAQUINA HEAD, DEAD WHALES TELL NO TALES, and LIGHTS, CAMERA...MURDER. Retired professor Thomas Martindale jumps at the chance to join a scientific expedition to the Arctic as a public relations guru. But almost immediately his "once in a lifetime" opportunity turns difficult from the onset. His old flame, another professor, shows up with the man who tore her away from Tom years earlier, who now has his now gay lover in tow. The autocratic project head, Jameson, who has possibly sold his soul...and the safety of the project...to a suspicious Russian company who have their own agenda: "'The company is Siberoil, which owns a lot of the oil and gas fields in Siberia,' he answered, finally. 'The guy who controls that company has a Western view of the value of public relations and advertising. He thinks the company will gain prestige if its logo is on the tags Boris puts on the whales. He plans to use photos of the whale-tagging operation in a new public relations and advertising campaign.'" Lovell treats readers to a fast-paced, tightly plotted mystery that is all too current. He knows his subject matter, whether it be what effect global warming has had on the Arctic to real time problems that have resulted from the breakup of the Soviet Union. He uses this unique knowledge as a backdrop to craft a fascinating plot. His characterizations are well defined and mesh smoothly with the tale, and the reader can't help but become engrossed from the first page. This scientific, quasi-military, mystery thriller is one that should be a must read. Lovell really knows how to weave a plot; and when the ending comes, the reader is bowled over by the power of the story. Lovell's MURDER BELOW ZERO is a masterpiece and would make a great movie! He also gains environmental kudos for explaining the effect of global warming on the fragile eco-system of the Arctic. A big thumbs up! Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer