Dramatický román z Nového Zélandu líčí vyšetřování příčin přírodní katastrofy, která zničila přes padesát lidských životů v malém hornickém městečku.

I have been fortunate to find quite a few novels set in the South of New Zealand in the recent past, and reading one written by Desmond Bagley, one of my favourite authors, has been the perfect start to my reading this year.
This is the story of a snow avalanche that killed more than fifty people in a gold mining town called Hukahoronui in South New Zealand, narrated primarily through the proceedings of the enquiry commission into the incident. Though it is a simple story, the execution by Bagley, the master adventure writer, is gripping. The narration alternates between the present and past seamlessly as the chairman of the enquiry commission goes about the probe chronologically. The story moves at a fast clip with vivid descriptions of the avalanche and the destruction it wreaks. The major characters are quite nicely worked out and the explanation on the technicalities of snow and avalanche is informative.
The Snow Tiger, in spite of seeming a bit too simple, is an engaging read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ( )

Een afgelegen mijndorpje in de bergen van Nieuw-Zeeland...

Plotselidg wordt het dorp opgeschrikt door een lawine,
de Sneeuwtijger. In 66n seconde wordt het hele dorp van de aardbodem, weggeveegd. Overlevenden, meegesleept door gevoelens van woede jaloezie en hebzucht naar macht, verdenken Ian Ballard, beheerder van een goudmijn voor een miljardenconcern. Vooral de gebroeders Peterson kunnen zijn bloed wel drinken.
Ian Ballard zal moeten bewijzen dat hij onschuldig is, dat zijn beslissingen, waarvan men zegt dat ze tientallen levens hebben gekost, juist waren. Slechts met hulp van Mike McGill, een poolexpert, en van de verleidelijke Liz Peterson, moet hij - een speelbal op de golven van de meedogenloze machtstrijd die in het concern worden uitgevochten - voor de rechters zijn onschuld bewijzen.

Book Description
A small mining community in New Zealand is devastated when 'the snow tiger' (an avalanche) rips apart their entire township in a matter of minutes, killing fifty-four people. In the course of the ensuing enquiry, the antagonisms and fears of the community are laid bare, and a ruthless battle, for control of a multi-million pound international mining group, is exposed. The tension in the courtroom mounts as each survivor gives his graphic account of the terrifying sequence of events.

About the Author
Celebrated for his fast-paced stories and attention to detail, thriller writer Desmond Bagley was born in the Lake District and spent his early working life in the aircraft industry, before his adventurous spirit took him on an exciting road trip to South Africa, where he settled as a freelance journalist and film critic. His first novel, The Golden Keel was an instant success, and he went on to write a further fifteen gripping stories, which have been translated into more than 20 languages.