gilda_elise

In Christopher Golden’s first horror novel in more than a decade--a work reminiscent of early Stephen King--Snowblind updates the ghost story for the modern age.

The small New England town of Coventry had weathered a thousand blizzards...but never one like this. Icy figures danced in the wind and gazed through children's windows with soul-chilling eyes. People wandered into the whiteout and were never seen again. Families were torn apart, and the town would never be the same.

Now, as a new storm approaches twelve years later, the folks of Coventry are haunted by the memories of that dreadful blizzard and those who were lost in the snow. Photographer Jake Schapiro mourns his little brother, Isaac, even as-tonight-another little boy is missing. Mechanic and part-time thief Doug Manning's life has been forever scarred by the mysterious death of his wife, Cherie, and now he’s starting over with another woman and more ambitious crimes. Police detective Joe Keenan has never been the same since that night, when he failed to save the life of a young boy . . . and the boy’s father vanished in the storm only feet away. And all the way on the other side of the country, Miri Ristani receives a phone call . . . from a man who died twelve years ago.

As old ghosts trickle back, this new storm will prove to be even more terrifying than the last.

I wish I could have given the book a higher rating, but, once again, the author has fallen back on the old cliché of a non-ending ending. Which is a shame, because if it weren’t for that, this would have been a fast-moving, satisfying read, with just enough creepiness to satisfy my horror appetite. And I was able to get into the characters, especially Jake. Their stories were all interesting, and even if the reader is left wondering about how their lives go from there, that’s fine. Relationships aren’t set in stone.

But it’s when you think the story is over, and then the author throws in a gotcha, that’s when my feelings about the book plummet. Because then it’s, “Okay, now what happens?” Only you never get to know what happens. Is there a sequel to the book? A lot of his books are in series, but this doesn’t seem to be one of them.

This is the second book that I’ve read by this author, but I have a feeling it’s going to be the last.