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| Release: 2013, Pages: 437 |
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that kept me this intrigued in the mystery it was laying out. Night Chill starts off fast and doesn’t let up. It will leave you guessing what’s going to happen next and after the last page turns, you’ll be begging for more. I don’t normally praise a book this much (unless it’s Bond, James Bond, or a movie novelization… okay maybe I do, so sue me!), but author Jeff Gunhus has a winner on his hands here. Read on to find out why this book will give you the chills…
Slightly longer nitty-gritty plot description from the back cover is as follows: Jack Tremont moves his family to the quiet mountains of Western Maryland
hoping to leave behind a troubled past and restart his life. Instead,
he finds himself caught up in a nightmare when his daughter Sarah is
targeted by Nate Huckley, a mysterious and horrifying stranger driven by
a dark power that will stop at nothing to possess Sarah. When Sarah
goes missing, suspicion falls on Jack and he must uncover the secrets of
the small mountain town of Prescott City and face the evil secret
hidden there. As he digs further, he learns the conspiracy reaches more
deeply than he could have imagined. Finally, he will have to face the
question, What is a father willing to do to save his child? The answer?
Anything. Anything at all.
I went into Night Chill blind. I didn’t read the synopsis or anything. I was just told to check it out and that I did. So, when I first started reading the book, my interest was piqued. The book starts off fairly quick and doesn’t pussy foot around, or delay slapping the supernatural in your face. We have mind readers, mysterious diseases, child abduction, gruesome deaths and crazy, insane, unexplained events. The beginning is certainly jammed pack with the interesting delights. As you keep reading, the book will slowly dish out the little tidbits you need, but doesn’t go over board in the exposition, leaving you always guessing with each chapter end.
It also helps that the characters of Night Chill are beautifully layered and well developed. Jack Tremont, the troubled author who is trying to move on with his life, after a tragic event in his past, is a loveable father and husband. He will do anything for his kids and that is shown later on, when he is put through the ringer, having even the woman he trust most, his wife, think him a liar and possibly a lunatic. You’re with Jack most of the book, so you feel for him and you wish him the best, but it’s not just Jack you get to know. Jack’s wife, Lauren gets her own spotlight and the book spends some quality time with her. Finally, the other character in the book that I absolutely loved, was Joseph Lonetree, a man who knows exactly what is going on and looks to stop it at any cost, even if some innocent people die in the process. Lonetree was satisfyingly off putting at first, but after Jack spends a good amount of time with him, the two become an unlikely pair, a force to be reckoned with.
Night Chill seems to have it all for the horror fan/supernatural lover. It’s got a beautifully laid out mystery, that spans centuries and involves something terrifying for any parent out there. The abduction of children is a touchy subject and the book goes for the throat with it and doesn’t let go. Parents are going to be sweating bullets with this one. As for me, I’m not a parent, but I do love a great mystery and Night Chill is exactly that. There is imagery here that will stick with me for awhile, a universe that I don’t want to let go of and I hope Jeff Gunhus continues with this idea.The ending does leave it open for more and raises a question, that I would love to get answered.
I highly recommend Night Chill and I think it’s one book that shouldn’t be passed up. It’s a tense mystery, that will envelope you from page 1 and stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Rating: 5/5