Stranded

Water, water everywhere, in the forms of ice and fog, is the element of terror in this claustrophobic horror tale of a trapped Arctic oil rig supply ship. Unpopular crew member Noah Cabot suggests calling for help after a damaging storm, but his bitter father-in-law, William Brewster, the ship’s master, presses forward into disaster. With the ship locked up in impossibly thick ice, equipment failing, and the crew suddenly beset by illness, Noah must lead a trek across the treacherous frozen seascape toward their only hope, a mysterious structure that’s similarly icebound. MacLeod (Mountain Home) carefully details his maritime settings, effectively placing the reader inside Noah’s growing fear by focusing on his struggle to reconcile past and present, especially the marital tragedy that complicates his attempt to save himself and his crewmates. Unfortunately, that tight focus leaves little room for anyone else to rise above melodramatic portraits of implacable foe and unswerving friend. (Oct.)