Cold Breath

'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times

'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. Bolton

Hidden away in a secure house outside Reykjavik, Detective Gunna and a high-profile stranger, a guest of the interiors minister, are thrown together - too close for comfort.

They soon find they are neither as safe nor as carefully hidden as Gunna and her boss had thought. Conflicting glimpses of the man's past start to emerge as the press begin to sniff him out, as does another group with their own reasons for locating him.

Gunna struggles to come to terms with protecting the life of a man who may have the lives of many on his conscience - or indeed may be the philanthropist he claims to be.

Isolated together, the friction grows between Gunna and the foreign visitor, and she realises they are out of their depth as the trails lead from the house outside Reykjavik to Brussels, Russia and the Middle East.

The sixth dark and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A chilling page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Soren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man.

Praise for Quentin Bates:

'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Siguroardottir

'A perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire' The Bookbag

'Well written and absorbing' Woman's Way

'Captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists' Booklist

'[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity' Publishers Weekly

'A superb new series' Eurocrime

“A great read - leaves you craving the next installmentA meticulously constructed thriller, peopled with exceptionally convincing characters and shot through with black humour. Frozen Out is as chilling as an Icelandic winterSuperior crime fiction set in Iceland... this is a well constructed, well written and satisfying police procedural - The Times on Cold Comfort[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity - Publishers Weekly on Frozen OutBritish author Bates captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists - Booklist on Frozen Out[With] an in-depth knowledge of just how Iceland works it's a perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire ... We've had quite a few books set in Iceland recently, but this one will give them a run for their money - The Bookbag on Frozen OutA beautifully crafted, intricately plotted, atmospheric thriller. Highly recommended - Crime Thriller Girl on Chilled to the Bone”

A great read - leaves you craving the next installment

A meticulously constructed thriller, peopled with exceptionally convincing characters and shot through with black humour. Frozen Out is as chilling as an Icelandic winter

Superior crime fiction set in Iceland... this is a well constructed, well written and satisfying police procedural - The Times on Cold Comfort

[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity - Publishers Weekly on Frozen Out

British author Bates captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists - Booklist on Frozen Out

[With] an in-depth knowledge of just how Iceland works it's a perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire ... We've had quite a few books set in Iceland recently, but this one will give them a run for their money - The Bookbag on Frozen Out

A beautifully crafted, intricately plotted, atmospheric thriller. Highly recommended - Crime Thriller Girl on Chilled to the Bone

Quentin Bates made his escape from suburbia at the end of the seventies as a gap year turned into a gap decade spent in the north of Iceland. He worked ashore and at sea before returning to England and, once finally ashore for good, drifted by accident into journalism.

Finally the lure of fiction became too strong to resist. Sergeant Gunnhildur and the series of novels she features in have their origins in a deep affection for Iceland and its people, and an intimate knowledge of Icelandic society and its language, customs and quirks.

Today Quentin divides his time between the north of Iceland and the south of England, translating books from Icelandic in addition to working on his own fiction.

'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times 'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. Bolton Hidden away in a secure house outside Reykjavik, Detective Gunna and a high-profile stranger, a guest of the interiors minister, are thrown together - too close for comfort. They soon find they are neither as safe nor as carefully hidden as Gunna and her boss had thought. Conflicting glimpses of the man's past start to emerge as the press begin to sniff him out, as does another group with their own reasons for locating him. Gunna struggles to come to terms with protecting the life of a man who may have the lives of many on his conscience - or indeed may be the philanthropist he claims to be.Isolated together, the friction grows between Gunna and the foreign visitor, and she realises they are out of their depth as the trails lead from the house outside Reykjavik to Brussels, Russia and the Middle East. The sixth dark and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A chilling page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Soren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man. Praise for Quentin Bates: 'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Siguroardottir 'A perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire' The Bookbag 'Well written and absorbing' Woman's Way 'Captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists' Booklist '[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity' Publishers Weekly 'A superb new series' Eurocrime

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.