Reviews for Gold Under Ice

The average rating for Gold Under Ice based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-10-27 00:00:00 Margaret Watts Gold Under Ice is Carol Buchanan's second novel based on the Vigilantes of Montana. Descended from Montana pioneers and homesteaders, Carol is a nonfiction writer and student of Montana history who turned to historical fiction in God's Thunderbolt, The Vigilantes of Montana, which won the 2009 Western Writers of America Spur award for Best First Novel. Gold Under Ice continues the story of frontier attorney Daniel Stark, who rescues a man from drowning only to learn that his autocratic grandfather sent the man to bring him back to New York with gold to pay his family's debt. But Dan does not have enough gold to rescue the family from their financial burden. If he joins the gold traders, he could make enough to pay the debt and secure his family's future. Or he could lose everything and be branded a traitor to the Union. This story grabbed me on the first page and kept my nose between its pages until I devoured the last word. It is a quality book'from the cover photo to Carol's excellent writing. It is obviously well-researched and well-written. Carol weaves in Civil War history, how gold is traded and its parallels to gambling in an interesting and captivating way. Her characters are well-developed, with distinct, clear voices, and relationships are strongly drawn. Dan's dilemma'his duty to his family back home in New York versus his new family on the frontier'catches at the reader's heartstrings and raises the stakes for our hero. Carol builds the conflict with Dan's strong, patriarch grandfather as well as the elements, the lawless frontier and basic survival. Gold Under Ice, published by Missouri Breaks Press, is an excellent read, one I highly recommend.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-03-09 00:00:00 Susan De George I was fortunate enough to hit a narrow window of time where the author shared the kindle book for free on Amazon. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, although I kept feeling like I was missing something. Not knowing the author, I was completely unaware that there was a previous book I should have read first. It didn't keep me from figuring out the storyline, though, thankfully. I find I appreciate stories more when the central characters are flawed and make mistakes I consider to be very human. Timothy's temper, Martha's insecurity, Daniel gambling away the claim - still, it felt like a punch in the gut when Daniel fell for Harriet's machinations, especially knowing she wanted a child. For a one-time dalliance, a child would link Daniel to Harriet for a lifetime, potentially causing problems in the future. I found it extremely disappointing that Daniel couldn't have been physically faithful to Martha. For as much as Daniel valued Martha, loved her and was set on spending his life with her, it seemed out of character for him to sleep with Harriet. Daniel's character seemed more upright and honorable than that. I also felt that Arthur taking his guilt over the unanticipated death of Peter to the point of turning clergyman was a bit much. The death was a tragic accident that lay at the feet of Judge Stark, who was supremely unrepentant. That certainly felt in character; Arthur's way of dealing with the tragedy did not. Regardless, the story is certainly a good one that draws the reader in, and one I would not hesitate to recommend to others.