In Chills, a ritualistic murder in small town Connecticut leads to a series of events starting with a freak snow storm in June. Kathy Ryan, who specializes in occult crimes, is brought in to investigate and she comes across a cult dabbling in dangerous magic that requires sacrifices to the Elder gods all in a plot to open a portal into our world and let these Elder gods in. The snow is not just the backdrop in this story. It is part of what is being brought in from another dimension. Kathy and her team have to stop the cult and the creatures being brought in before they not only take over this town in Connecticut but destroy the entire world.
This was a really enjoyable novel. It was a good blend of mystery, crime fiction, and cosmic horror with each part being skillfully blended in to a good mixture. Mary SanGiovanni does a fine job of handling these different elements like a master chef putting together a challenging recipe. The plot is laid out logically. There is good suspense throughout the novel. It builds up to a nice crescendo, and the ending delivers. All together, this is a novel that I would recommend, one that will keep the reader’s interest from beginning to end.
