If you enjoy creepy, atmospheric suspense, then you need to check out Voices in the Snow. This book has all the things that make mystery and horror work: an unknown threat quickly shutting down communications, out of control weather making it difficult to reach safety, a car crash, waking up in an empty house in the care of a stranger, mysterious figures in the darkness...it just keeps getting creepier and creepier.
The protagonist Claire is on the way to her sister's house when her car hits a tree. She awakens in a rambling house with a man named Dorran who claims he rescued her from the wreck. They are trapped in the house by a blizzard with no power, no phones, and dwindling supplies. The house is supposedly empty, but Claire keeps hearing noises and seeing figures in the shadows whenever Dorran leaves her alone. He assures her that the tension of the situation is making her paranoid, but the feeling grows that they are not alone.
Readers will begin to wonder just as Claire does - is Dorran telling the truth? Is it just paranoia? Are there others in the house and he is lying? Are they really there and he truly doesn't know? The huge house isolated in the forest seems like something from a Gothic novel; Claire even wonders if she is "living in a real-life recreation" of Jane Eyre.
This is a novel that does a great job of piling on the suspense. The break in Claire's memories as she struggles to remember what caused the car crash leaves the reader confused, too. When she does begin to recall details it only adds to the mystery. Why was she heading to her sister's house? What is causing the blackout of communication with areas all around the world and the strange weather patterns? What are the figures she keeps seeing in the house (if they do exist)?
Fans of trapped in the snow with a stranger stories like Misery, Gothic novels with possibly haunted mansions, or tales of survival against weather gone wild should dive into this first book in the Black Winter series.
No comments:
Post a Comment