In the not-too-distant future, the U.S. and China are at war and the only place that's safe for their scientists to work in parallel is Antarctica. But when a group of Chinese scientists arrives at the American research base with a brutally murdered body in their transport vehicle, the formerly peaceful continent is full of suspicion and danger, especially once the American scientists start acting irrationally. Can they stop the biological threat that's taking out both teams before scientists are all dead?
The person who recommended this to me compared it to Michael Crichton's books, and I guess I can kind of see that, since there is action and some scientists involved. However, I really didn't like this book AT ALL. There's a strong element of "mediocre white man failing up" going on as the main character takes over the base in an attempt to manage the crisis; there are WAY too many characters, all of whom are sleeping with each other (and we're supposed to keep track, because the illicit liaisons play into the plot twists); and some of the science is a bit questionable (how could the brutally murdered Chinese scientist's body smell so gross in -40 degree weather and high winds?). Skip this one and read some actual Michael Crichton, or, if you want something visual, watch that one polar parasite episode of The X-Files or Doctor Who's "The Waters of Mars" episode. That's what I kept thinking about the whole time I read this book, about how much better all of those are.
