Gabriel McQueen is relieved to make it to his parent's house for the holidays, right ahead of a big storm. But when he arrives, Gabriel's father, the local sheriff, sends him out to check on a town visitor who's been out of contact since the huge ice storm began brewing.

Gabriel probably wouldn't have minded the task if it hadn't been Lolly Melton he was checking on. She was in town getting her family home ready to sell, and he would have been happy to avoid laying eyes on her. She had irritated and annoyed him when they were kids, and he'd done the same to her, dubbing her Lollipop.

But when Gabriel arrives at Lolly's house, his military cop instincts tell him something is wrong. There are strangers wandering around downstairs, and they don't look like friendly visitors. Sneaking in close to look, he sees drugs on the dining room table. Then he sees Lolly preparing to climb out of her bedroom window using sheets tied together, and he knows she's in trouble.

Both of them, in fact, are in trouble because the storm has hit and there's no way they can drive down the mountain from Lolly's home. The terror mounts from there, with Gabriel and Lolly fighting the elements and Lolly's abductors.

I was disappointed in this Howard book. With her excellent track record, this book felt shallow and like it was reaching for a storyline. It was very short for a hardcover, and things happened so fast that I felt as if the characters didn't develop well. I just found it hard to suspend disbelief and enjoy this book.