Review by Booklist Review
Mahoney's latest (after Ghostlove, 2020) is a blizzard of monster horror with a light dusting of character study. Brian and Holly are headed to Pinebuck, New York, for a winter getaway, hoping to repair their relationship after a traumatic night one year ago that pushed them apart. Soon, they are not only lost in a blizzard that buries Pinebuck in snow but there is a giant monster prowling the snowy dark, one that can rend buildings, crush cars, and mangle bodies. Sheriff Kendra Book tracks the monster through the blizzard, looking for redemption after failing to find another couple, while Brian and Holly struggle to survive the night. While Mahoney explores how trauma can poison a relationship, this novel is ultimately a snow-fueled scream machine. The book's frenetic pacing, its claustrophobic blizzard setting, and even its slow reveal of the event that fractured the couple's relationship all work together to continuously thrill readers. Fans of horror-thriller authors like Riley Sager and Dean Koontz will enjoy reading this on a long winter's night.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This shaky horror outing from Mahoney (Ghostlove) follows Holly and Brian, a troubled couple hoping for a fresh start on a winter vacation to the ski resort town of Pinebuck, N.Y. While separated during a blizzard, they each encounter a mysterious snow creature leaving a trail of carnage across the slopes. Meanwhile, local sheriff Kendra Book investigates the recent disappearance of another vacationing couple and races to save Holly and Buck from meeting a similar fate. The nature of the monster and its connection to both couples forms the novel's central mystery as the creature keeps popping up in Holly and Brian's paths. Mahoney also teases out the reason for Holly and Brian's estrangement, though the eventual reveal feels underwhelming. At its best, this is a breezy and pulpy chiller, with plenty of in-the-moment tension to hook readers' interest. Unfortunately, after a propulsive start, the plot is unable to sustain its forward momentum due to an avalanche of crime-writing clichés and underbaked supernatural elements, and the muddled and confusing climax is riddled with implausible twists. There's plenty of blood and guts to keep horror fans happy, but readers hoping for a story with more meat on its bones are advised to look elsewhere. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Brian and Holly are headed to Pinebuck, NY, for a ski-village getaway to save their dying relationship, but they can't outrun a rapidly approaching blizzard, and they lose control of their car. Sheriff Kendra Book, still feeling pressure from an unsolved case involving a missing tourist couple, suspects that Brian and Holly are responsible for the destruction and deaths that are being blamed on a snow monster. The true origin and nature of the monster is gradually revealed as both Sheriff Book and the monster pursue the couple. Trauma and fear are themes throughout the book as Brian and Holly deal with a violent incident that left Brian paralyzed by anxiety and Holly intensely focused on her work. As they run from the monster and learn about its true nature, they also learn more about themselves. VERDICT Ideal for fans of horror like Darcy Coates's Dead of Winter, this novel is crime fiction blended with horror and psychological suspense. Mahoney (Ghostlove) has created a work that combines a monster story with the claustrophobia of a massive blizzard while also exploring PTSD and its effects on relationships and individuals.--Lila Denning
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A couple grapples with monstrosity in this tense horror novel. Holly and Brian need a break. The couple have had a rough year, recovering from a horrible incident that left them both with severe post-traumatic stress; Holly has coped by throwing herself into her work, while Brian has developed debilitating anxiety: "They're too far apart and always drifting further. He doesn't understand how she keeps getting stronger, and she doesn't understand why he keeps getting weaker." They decide to take an "emergency vacation" to the village of Pinebuck, New York, where they plan to drink, eat, and relax in a B & B. Unfortunately, a blizzard hits the town, and the couple's car crashes en route after having been followed by "a giant, white shape that doesn't blow apart and almost looks solid." It turns out to be a snow monster that leaves a trail of destruction wherever it goes, which of course draws the attention of the town's beleaguered sheriff, Kendra Book; she suspects that Holly and Brian are actually behind the carnage--and in a way, she's right. "One: there's a monster," Holly explains to Brian. "Two: we're the monster. It's you, and then it's me, and after me it goes to you again." It's an off-kilter premise, but Mahoney pulls it off beautifully, with legitimately terrifying action scenes and a creeping sense of horror threaded through the book. But where he shines brightest is in his depiction--sensitive and accurate--of post-traumatic stress and anxiety: "Happiness was dangerous," he writes of Brian. "He had to keep his guard up. He watched for threats and problems and began to see them everywhere. But much of what he did to minimize trouble had the opposite effect and made things worse." There are two monsters in the book: one made of snow, the other made of psychological anguish. Mahoney does an excellent job illustrating how terrifying both are. Smart, sensitive, and scary as hell. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.