Member Reviews
Cold Storage has it all - creepy evil fungus taking over humans to propagate more easily, high octane action and liberal amounts of humour to wash it all down. I have never enjoyed a quasi-horror novel more. It's true I did have nightmares a few nights into starting this book but once I overcame my flesh crawling reaction, I sat back and enjoyed the lighter side of potentially apocalyptic destruction.
The finale played out pretty much as expected and I am glad for it. We could have gone a number of ways but this ending was just what the doctor ordered for our characters. Roberto, Teacake and Naomi were all terrific fun, and likeable, and I enjoyed watching them work to contain the wickedly adaptive Cordyceps novus.
Amazingly good fun, Cold Storage will make your palms sweat as events unfold and the danger creeps ever closer.
I enjoyed this book, it was a good storyline, which at times had me twitching in my seat. The characters were equally likeable and horrid. The only thing I was disappointed in was the ending, it was good, but seemed a bit rushed.
This was a quite strange but very entertaining book filled with a plethora of characters and bizarre events. It wasn't quite my cup of tea but nevertheless was fun to read although some of the violence was a bit unwelcome, but the theme was very original although it did read a bit like a submission for film rights, perhaps because of the author's previous work, Jurassic Park.
This is one riotous read that made me laugh with 'did that just happen' moments and kept me entertained from start to finish.
Set in a small town in Australia, a local man has made a little extra cash over the years by displaying bits of wreckage from spaceships that have broken upon returning to Earth from missions in space. Well, one too many rub ups to make a bit gleam a little just sets off a reaction with a hi-jacker that had returned with it. The deadly organism thrives on any living thing in order to rapidly expand. Bioterror Operative Roberto Diaz becomes the hero of the hour, destroying the whole town and containing a sample of the fungus in an underground government storage facility.
Decades later Diaz receives the dreaded call to say it is on the loose again. The determined fungus had found a way out. Diaz heads for the facility while two young security employees try to hold the fort and stay alive.
There are some spectacular moments as the fungus learns from its hosts, some which make quite hilarious moments. Loved the thoughts of the deer from death to well death and the bizarre ways that it managed to get around.
A very entertaining read, very visual, violent but at times lighthearted. There were even backdrop stories on the characters and time for a little romance to blossom. A brilliant read. Hope to see more from this talented writer.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e=copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
This was a good horror story, filled with suspense and with humour in places. In some places it led you to a certain conclusion, then you find out it was all wrong. It keeps you hooked and scarily you could almost imagine this all happening. A very good read.
I admit, when I got the email saying my request for Cold Storage had been approved, I didn't actually remember requesting it. Then, when I went to download it I remembered, Jurassic Park guy!
I really enjoyed this, lots of action from the outset, well developed characters and a unique view from Cordyceps Novus!
I work with a screenwriter occasionally and I did feel a little like I was reading a screenplay with extra padding, but this would not be apparent to a regular reader who would be happily carried along by the fast pace, well placed humour and a need to know what was going to happen next...this would make a great film!
I would love to say more and delve a little deeper, but I really don't want to give anything away!
A wonderful debut from a wonderful storyteller. Definitely recommended!
I’m much more indifferent to this book than I thought I’d be. I came to it wanting Crichton but I’m really disappointed at how much like a Crichton novel it was.
An outstanding, top-level, blockbusting bio-thriller. Relentlessly paced, spell-bindingly crafted and completely terrifying, this is entertainment of the highest order - complete with a rich characterisation that you sometimes don't get with books of this size, scale and scope. Like its unstoppable antagonist, Cold Storage will, I've no doubt, be as massive and all-conquering as an out of control, mutating fungus, devouring all competition.
Not all heroes wear Doc Martins, but Dr Hero Martins... Okay, okay, that's a cheap joke but it fits. The story starts in 1987 and the first few chapters read like an 80s action movie. And yes, there really is a Dr Hero Martins. But, just when I was starting to think the scariest part of this book was the barrage of cliches the story found it's feet and things started to pick up. Given Koepp is a very accomplished screenwriter it isn't particularly surprising that it never fully shakes that Hollywood movie-feel throughout, but it makes for an enjoyable read.
That introductory 80s section isn't a great way to get you hooked on the book because there is a tone shift once we get up to date. But, for me, that was a definite shift for the better. Sure, we never go full horror or have too much suspense, but we do get a dose of tension and the characters are actually enjoyable. And that's it, it's a hamburger book - it fills a gap and leaves you satisfied. But we all know there are bacon cheeseburgers out there that deliver more. You can either sit with your hamburger moaning and whining that you wanted cheese, or you can tuck into a perfectly good hamburger and enjoy the pleasures of something simpler. Because it's a great hamburger. If you need all the trimmings every single time you'll come away a little bit wanting. But if you enjoy a cut back classic that's done well, this is exactly what you need. Grab it and enjoy. Too much cheese is bad for you anyway.
Very good sci-fi thriller. I liked the remote setting and the description of the fungal invader. I read this in one day it was very addictive.
A cinematic and entertaining debut in the grand tradition of classic Michael Crichton novels. The plot is as fast paced as the invasive fungus that is determined to survive, no matter what. There is just the right amount of characters to help move the story along without it seeming too convoluted. All good catastrophe thrillers have the right mixture of action, cliché, people that you are rooting for and this book is definitely one of them.
This is a book akin to reading a Stephen King novel. The horror as well as the snappy depictions of the characters makes you feel that you are reading one of the legends of horror writing. There’s even room for humour and a love story. An alien fungus has managed to reach earth creating sure death on human contact. Roberto and Trinni are fantastically portrayed as the chilled, street wise hero’s at the beginning of the book. Shoot to many years later where we then have Naomi and Teacake with greatly paced banter and an underlying attraction bubbling away as much as the fungus! Roberto returns as a much slower, older hero, but still manages to do it in style! If you love a fast paced action story, with delicious horror and a bit of sci-fi thrown in you won’t be disappointed.
Cold Storage is, at its heart, a horror story. It starts with a prologue where an alien fungus arrives on Earth to do some nasty damage. It's defeated, but of course some of it needs to be stored in cold storage for reasons that aren't quite clear...but at least it lets the story advance some thirty years to a night where the fungus finds a way to break free of its confines and once again become a dire threat.
As stories go, I felt this one was worth while. It's not going to become the next horror classic, but it's an enjoyable read. The primary characters are given good motivations, but some of the antagonists feel more like coarsely drawn caricatures. If you're going to flesh out characters, and give even some hints at their internal monologues, then you should spend more time to do it right for all of them.
Which brings me to the viewpoints in the novel. They tend to shift around between different characters interacting with each other. At one point you're reading about the inner thoughts of one character, then the next paragraph is in someone else's head. It's a little disconcerting.
But in the end, the novel kept me interested. There were some particularly gruesome scenes that felt like the author was holding back to keep from completely turning away his readers. I wouldn't have minded a little more there.
I recommend the book as a nice filler. It feels like brain candy for people who like horror novels.
Two bioterror agents and a doctor are sent to a remote Australian town to investigate a reported incident there. They discover a rampant fungus that has taken over and killed the townsfolk. Despite wiping out the site completely, they keep a small sample of the fungus which is stored in a secure military facility where they deem it can do no harm.
Fast forward to present times and the facility has been sold off and become a storage company. Meanwhile, the well-hidden fungus has adapted to its environment and found a way to flourish. Teacake and Naomi are "security guards" working a shift at the storage facility and together with Roberto, one of the original agents, have to stop the fungus from escaping into the world.
Great storyline and well written. While the main premise might seem familiar, it is a rather novel take on the theme. The scenarios and well thought out and then tension maintained throughout. A good cast of characters rounds it all out for an enjoyable read.
The plot description of this book sounded like exactly the sort of thing I love, so I was delighted to receive an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Unfortunately, once I started reading, I just couldn't get into it. I appreciate a good bit of characterisation but it felt like too much at the beginning and to make matters worse, I didn't really like the characters. Then it seemed like nothing happened for pages and pages, apart from what felt like a lot of info dumping. I waded on for awhile hoping the action would pick up but I finally gave up. So it's a DNF on this one but it could just be me- the premise of the story does sound good and perhaps those who persevere will get more out of it than I did. I'm giving it a couple of stars on that basis.
I loved this tongue-in-cheek (I think!) sci-fi/zombie-fungus book. From the first page right to the end I chuckled like a demented clown. Not sure though if this is what the author intended when he penned this but nevertheless it had me giggling away! Highly probable premise which did tend to sober me at times - but it DID read very much like a sci-fi movie script. Either way - whether it was intended to make me laugh or not - I LOVED, LOVED LOVED this book and indeed read it in 2 sittings. If you're looking for something different, fast-paced, full of quips, quirky characters and a greedy, deadly fungus that eats all in it's path then this is the book for you. While I'm not a sci-fi fan - and I don't know if this book can be classified as such, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. A winner for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a coy of this book.
I found this book quite enjoyable, with a good fast-paced storyline and characters that you can believe in............although I won't look at fungi in the same way again!!!
I never really connected with this book. Scientists go to investigate a mutating fungus in the Australian outback which may have come from outer-space via space jun which landed locally. The 'stuff' can pretty much mutate into anything and is incredibly dangerous. The plot then flips forward 20 years when the stuff is rediscovered after government cutbacks. It was a light, fast-paced, cartoony character sort of read. But it lacked edge and ultimately offers nothing that Michael Crighton was writing 30 years ago. A bit disappointing.
Really enjoyed this book, a great pace and some intelligent humour injected throughout the book. Interesting subject matter with a good splattering of science and geek speak which was very enjoyable. The author has made it on to my watch and read list. Am about to look to see what else David Koepp has written to see if i can get my hands on them.
An excellent read- that keeps you wondering if the deadly goo will break free and take out the world!
I loved the character of Roberto in his latter years, disgruntled but still willing and just about able to act to save the earth. I was less keen on the descriptions of the fungus seemingly sentient as it mutated to suit its changing environment. That said the descriptions were pitched right, being just scientific enough to ring true without getting bogged down in the details of fungal spores and reproduction.
The plot was excellent- who hasn't stuck something into storage and then forgotten about it! I particularly loved the adventure of the 2 security guards trying to track down the beeping noise.
All in all a great story line, enough action to keep you reading, enough science to keep it interesting and believable and plenty of tension along the way.