Cold Storage - David Koepp

Okay, so the cover of David Koepp's new novel Cold Storage pretty much telegraphs a sci-fi read. And yes, there is a terrifying fungus that has lain dormant for twenty five years that has managed to escape the containment facility it was stored in and is threatening human kind.....whew.

Now, sci-fi is not my usual genre. But - Cold Storage is so much more than it's premise! It's non stop action - and its funny. I know - didn't expect that, did you? Either did I. But, what this book such a great read for me was the characters and the dialogue.

The beginning of the book introduces us to the both the fungus and two 'bioterror' agents charged with containing and destroying the threat. Koepp's characters are richly fleshed out with lots and lots of detail. And as we fast forward twenty five years, we meet the two young security guards who will cross paths with the deadly fungus. Oh my gosh, I loved Teacake, the male security guard. His inner thoughts and out loud dialogues were so much fun to read. His partner Naomi is the calmer of the two and they played well off each other.

Every player in the book, no matter how fleeting their time, gets that same detail. So yes, I was caught up in the page turning, non stop action for sure. But it was those characters and that detail that had me staying up late to finish this one.

Koepp's debut novel makes for entertaining, addictive reading. And here's the reason why - Koepp is a noted screenwriter, having penned some films you might have seen.....Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man and Panic Room to name just a few. Yep, Cold Storage reads like a movie. And I can absolutely see this one making it to the screen.

Completely far fetched, but so much fun to read. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of Cold Storage.