‘Tis the season for winter chills, and it’s been too chilly to do anything but stay warm and read. I certainly prefer to experience those winter chills in the books I read. So which books delivered the best chills

A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke

In my books, C.J. Cooke has firmly established herself as the Queen of creating gothic atmospheric settings. Whether it’s the unsettling house and woods of The Ghost Woods, the secluded fjord in The Nesting, or the desolation of the Scottish island in The Lighthouse Witches, she ventures into even more chilling waters in her latest work—a haunted ghost ship.

Just when I thought I had seen it all from entitled men who inflict pain upon women for their own desires, Cooke creates a dark, unique, emotional, bone-chilling, vivid narrative as she delves into themes of trauma and revenge. While not overtly descriptive, her writing resonates quietly yet vividly, painting a clear picture of pain and trauma through atmospheric prose. Adding another layer to the story, Cooke introduces Norse folktales, adding an exciting, unique, haunting dose of chills.

The cleverly paced reveal is surprising, with jaw-dropping moments that go beyond twists. The satisfying payoff brings everything together, leaving me with awe and an unforgettable reading experience.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong 

Kelley Armstrong’s stand-alone dives into the horror genre with Hemlock Island as she creates a thrilling and unique paranormal experience. It’s a page-turning, spine-chilling, bizarre adventure on an isolated island where odd and sinister things happen. The island becomes something more than a character; this is not your typical horror novel. Armstrong plays with familiar tropes—the isolated setting, the stranded characters, the looming storm—but she spins them into something new, avoiding the standard locked-room scenario.

The characters of Hemlock Island don’t fit the typical horror mold, and these characters are not necessarily the ones you find yourself rooting for. However, the story’s surprising and gripping villain motivations anchor the book’s suspense.

Armstrong weaves in various themes and elements like a wilderness adventure, supernatural occurrences, environmental activism, teenage turmoil, feminism, and LGBTQ representation with a nod to #MeToo feminism. It feels overly ambitious, and she misses the mark with some things.

Despite its shortcomings, I thought Hemlock Island was thrilling and kept me turning the pages. It offered an intense experience that didn’t demand much introspection while providing twists and a meaningful villainous drive.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

The “And Then There Were None” trope, a popular classic in the realm of mysteries, has been used many times, and breathing new life into this well-trodden path can be challenging. However, Darcy Coates manages to break the mold by infusing this familiar setup with a relentless, action-packed narrative that races from the very beginning, injecting a spine-chilling dose of horror into the mix.
From start to finish, the story was a white-knuckle thrill ride, keeping me on the edge of my seat. Coates does not hold back when it comes to delivering grisly and horrifying murders that send shivers down my spine.

One of the highlights of this narrative is the choice of a locked-room setting in a remote, snowstorm-battered location. Coates expertly utilizes this backdrop to enhance the story’s eerie atmosphere, further intensifying the horror element.

As the body count rose, my suspicions shifted from one character to another, keeping me guessing until the shocking reveal, and I found myself suspecting everyone until each character met their untimely demise. However, I did manage to deduce the identity of the killer before the final “And Then There Were None” moment. The revelation of the murderer and their motive was a delightful surprise, and I liked the intricate web of connections among the characters, lending an air of credibility to the story that paid off in the end.

Whether you choose to delve into this one in the dead of winter, as a spine-tingling Halloween read, or even on a scorching summer day, one thing is certain: it will chill you to the bone and keep you enthralled until the very last page.

“I radiate, magic charm and grace wherever I fu*king go!”