OUR WINTER MONSTER by Dennis Mahoney throws readers into a snowy vortex of violence, redemption, healing, and reconnecting. Brian and Holly have endured a terrible year after a random act of violence shattered their world. Now they are separated in a snowstorm, running from their monsters, and leaving a trail of bloody footprints. Will they make it back to each other? Or will they end up shattered souls lost to the snowy blizzard?
Holly and Brian need a vacation. They head to a ski village to enjoy some time away from work and the bleak winter. As they near the village, a blizzard blows in, and a giant, white shape descends upon their car, ripping Brian from the scene and leaving Holly unconscious. Sheriff Kendra Book is bracing for another wintry night of stranded tourists. It was only seven weeks ago that a newlywed couple went missing, and Kendra now is always anticipating the worst at every turn. Her reputation is on the line, and when she gets a report of a violent encounter and a dead local, it looks like her nightmare is beginning again. As Holly and Brian run through the village trying to find each other, each has encounters with the snow beast, who sucks them in and leaves a bloody trail in their wake. When a different type of monster sets its sights on the young couple, will they be able to resolve their inner turmoil and reconnect to triumph over the violence heading their way?
OUR WINTER MONSTER is a thrilling, electrifying mix of horror that propels a young couple on a terrifying journey back to themselves. The town of Pinebuck and the locals is a character study of weathered and battered people who have experienced life's challenges and settled into their despair. Holly and Brian are a couple who have suffered a random act of violence and the toll it has taken on their relationship and how they view each other. The action is swift, the violence is jarring, and the ending is a bloody and necessary act of redemption. The insidious nature of the villain is nuanced and subtle until it is not. Good bloody action, an unrelenting pace, compelling characters, supernatural forces, and a satisfying conclusion make OUR WINTER MONSTER a horrifyingly good time.
Chilling holiday horror about an unhappy couple running from their problems and straight into the maw of a terrifying beast, perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay and Sara Gran
For the last year, Holly and Brian have been out of sync. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening; neither can forgive what’s happened since. Tonight, Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York, trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway they hope will save their relationship. But soon they lose control of the car—and then of themselves.
Now Sheriff Kendra Book is getting calls about a couple in trouble—along with reports of a brutal and mysterious creature rampaging through town, leaving a trail of crushed cars, wrecked buildings, and mangled bodies in the snow.
To Kendra, who lost another couple to the snow just seven weeks ago, the danger feels personal. But not as personal as it feels to Holly and Brian, who are starting to see the past, the present, and themselves in a monstrous new light . . .
Mahoney’s exhilarating story moves like an avalanche, but its desperate characters, claustrophobic setting, and shocking displays of gore will stay with you long after the snow has melted. Our Winter Monster captures the horrifying moments that test if we’re strong enough to weather the worst—and asks who we might survive the storm with.
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