Icecore by Matt Whyman review

He's a seventeen-year-old British computer hacker who penetrated the security systems at Fort Knox for a laugh. But the American government was less than amused. Since his prank, gold bars have been landing in the hands of terrorists across the globe.Now, Carl has found himself in a military prison deep in the Arctic and far off the grid. He's been caged alongside the world's most notorious terrorists, with no one to trust and no end in sight.Carl Hobbes may not be a criminal mastermind, but if he wants to escape this subzero prison with his life, he'll have to start thinking like one.

From Goodreads


Carl Hobbes knew what he was doing was risky, but he honestly didn't mean for anything untoward to happen when he opened the doors to the largest gold bullion repository for kicks. That's right, 17 year old computer hacker Hobbes got bored and infiltrated Fort Knox on an unprecedented scale. What he didn't do was work in cahoots with those who robbed it while he created the window.

His boredom project has landed him in so seriously deep water that he's treading fairly well, at first. That is until the "American government" decides to release him, after he takes a weekend trip to an undisclosed location where he will tell all. It sounds like the ray of sunshine that Hobbes was holding out for, but he is sorely mistaken.

Flown to Icecore, a detainment camp for some of the worst kinds of terrorists settled in the Arctic Circle, Hobbes must now wade his way through the other detainees, confusing special agents, demanding military higher-ups, and a girl with the most gorgeous eyes. Too soon does it come to Hobbes that they have intention of releasing him and the other detainees are just as determined to get out.

This was a great thriller! I think Publisher's Weekly did a spot-on job labeling this a "techno-thriller" with hints of Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series. That's not to say that Hobbes is anything like Bourne, but there is definitely some cross-over. I was a little apprehensive to dive into this book because I was afraid that the techno-jargon would be too much for me. Fortunately Whyman has a deft hand when it comes to how much detail is needed to be authentic and convincing without overwhelming the reader.

Most of the events in the book took me by surprise. There is so much going on around Hobbes that, looking back now, I can see the small clues, but on the first read-through I completely missed them. What works best for this book and the plot is the short time frame. The majority of action takes place over approximately 3 days. That being said, there is very little down time and it only added to the awesomeness.

This is a great book for guys, but works just as well for gals. Another strength of Whyman's is challenging your preconceived notion of what kind of a person behaves a certain way. The reader doesn't end up caring about the gender of the character taking the action, but they can more fully appreciate the action itself. A hard task to master.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! Even better, if you did like it, there appears to be a sequel entitled Goldstrike.