A predator stalks the frozen woods.
At a fort deep in the Ontario wilderness in 1878, a ghastly predator is attacking colonists and spreading a gruesome plague–his victims turn into ravenous cannibals with an unending hunger for human flesh. Inspector Tom Hatcher has faced a madman before, when he tracked down Montreal’s infamous Cannery Cannibal. But can even he stop the slaughter this time?
… this time?
In Montreal, exorcist Father Xavier visits an asylum where the Cannery Cannibal is imprisoned. But the killer who murdered thirteen women is more than just a madman who craves human meat. He is possessed by a shape-shifting demon. Inspector Hatcher and Father Xavier must unravel a mystery that has spanned centuries and confront a predator that has turned the frozen woods into a killing ground where evil has come to feed.
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Wow this book was a roller coaster ride of chills and thrills!
A little backstory:
Setting: Ontario 1878
A fort out in the wilderness has been invaded by a predatory creature that is attacking the citizens and as the citizens succumb to the creature they begin to turn into crazed cannibals. No one knows how to stop what is happening so they employ Inspector Tom Hatcher from Montreal as he is known for capturing a man called the Cannery Cannibal so they figure he will be able to help them out in solving what is happening within the fort.
But what Tom doesn’t know is that the creature is not what it seems and in fact a priest is brought in to help with the case as some things are not of this world which needs to be dealt with another way. So Tom and the priest end up working together to solve the mystery of the creature.
What is the creature? Why has it invaded the fort? Does Tom and the priest figure out the mystery of what the creature is and what it wants? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
This was a very intense spooky story which slowly works its way up to a crescendo as the author slowly pulls you in to the story and then as the puzzle pieces come together everything starts fitting into place.
The author captures the essence of the story and kept me in suspense mode throughout most of the book along with blood and gore weaved into the storyline made this book go into overdrive action. Giving this one five “gut-ripping” stars!
Bitter cold. Wild animals. Running out of food. Turning into a monstrous cannibal. These are all things you need to fear when trapped in an Ontario outpost in the middle of winter. At least you do if you inhabit the world of Brian Moreland’s horror novel, Dead of Winter.
Moreland takes you back to the winder of 1879. The location is a remote fur-trading outpost, and people are disappearing. One body is found ripped in half, her body frozen by the shore of the frozen river. Something taller than a grizzly cleaved her body in two and left claw marks on the nearby trees.
There have also been reports of cannibalism, so Tom Hatcher … the man who caught the Cannery Cannibal of Montreal is brought in to find the culprit (or culprits) and unravel the mystery.
But things aren’t all that they seem. This plague of cannibalism is not a physical virus, but a disease of the soul. Even the dogs and goats can catch it. (The scene in which goats feast on their caretaker and then one of there own could keep you up nights.)
Soon, a Catholic exorcist is called in to help. Father Xavier has battled demons for a long time, inspired by the possession of his sister when he was little. He was even called in to exorcise the Cannery Cannibal himself … but failed.
The local Ojibwa and Cree people fear it is the return of the winter wendigo. Father Xavier believes it is demon possession. But what if it is both?
Moreland deftly blends Algonquian legend with Catholic belief, creating a spiritual plague and villain that is more chilling than either belief system had created on their own. Wendigos are cannibalistic spirits who can possess a human if he resorts to eating human flesh … even to save his own life. They are ravenous, gaunt, and superhumanly tall. Demon possession often happens when a person is corrupt or spiritually weak.
Blending elements of gothic family curses, remote snowed-in horror, and serial killer suspense, Dead of Winter pulls you in and keeps you guessing at how the many storylines will eventually fit together. No one is completely innocent of sin … even the heroes. It is love and faith that prevail in the end … that, and accepting one’s true nature.
Dead of Winter starts out strong and ends with a gripping, edge-of-your-seat climax. Twists, turns and unexpected affiliations revealed at the end surprise you. Unfortunately, you have to read through a few slow chapters here and there in the middle to get from beginning to end. The eye of the storm lasts a bit longer than it should. But keep reading … you will be rewarded.