SNOWBLIND by Christopher Golden

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Expected Date of Publication:  January 21, 2014
Pages:  320

About the Book:  In Christopher Golden’s first horror novel in more than a decade--a work reminiscent of early Stephen King--Snowblindupdates 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.

Wanda's Review:  The city of Coventry had given itself over to the storm. Roads became impassable, even the snow plows weren't making many appearances. The snow blanketed everything, creating drifts that resembled ocean waves on the streets. Sixteen inches of ice and snow were predicted and this blizzard would long be remembered with fear and haunting memories. Eighteen people had died or disappeared in this blizzard. 

Now, twelve years later, another blizzard is predicted and people are becoming unsettled. The police department is receiving many calls from folks in Coventry, claiming that they have seen ghosts, and the possibility that the dead lingered on is causing fear and uneasiness in the town. And the story unfolds ---

I was swept into the storyline early on with its well constructed plot, fully expecting a riveting thriller. Unfortunately, as the story continued, it just lost the excitement and fell rather flat for me. The book certainly had an interesting premise, but just never developed a crescendo of suspense and had a rather luke-warm ending. This was an interesting book, but not one I'd enthusiastically recommend. 3 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden is the award-winning, bestselling author of such novels as The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, and (with Tim Lebbon) Mind the Gap. Golden co-wrote the lavishly illustrated novel Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film for New Regency.

He has also written books for teens and young adults, including the thriller series Body of Evidence, honored by the New York Public Library and chosen as one of YALSA's Best Books for Young Readers. Upcoming teen novels include Poison Ink for Delacorte, Soulless for MTV Books, and The Secret Journeys of Jack London, a collaboration with Tim Lebbon.

With Thomas E. Sniegoski, he is the co-author of the dark fantasy series The Menagerie as well as the young readers fantasy series OutCast and the comic book miniseries Talent, both of which were recently acquired by Universal Pictures. Golden and Sniegoski also wrote the upcoming comic book miniseries The Sisterhood, currently in development as a feature film.

Working with actress/writer/director Amber Benson, he co-created and co-wrote Ghosts of Albion, an original animated supernatural drama for BBC online, from which they created the book series of the same name. (www.ghostsofalbion.net)

As an editor, Golden’s work has included the Hellboy novel series, a trio of Hellboy short story anthologies, and co-editing duties on British Invasion, from Cemetery Dance. His non-fiction work includes collaborative efforts such as The Stephen King Universe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher's Guide, and the upcoming Neil Gaiman Companion. His other writing has included video games, numerous comic books, and short stories.

Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in fourteen languages in countries around the world.