The Chill by Scott Carson

Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1982104597

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

When authors decide to try another genre, it can be a fun ride. The newest name to jump into the darkest end of the pool and go for broke with a horror novel is Scott Carson, better known as New York Times bestselling thriller writer Michael Kortya. Kortya wrote a few books with supernatural elements before going to pure thrillers, but as Scott Carson, he goes all out with a straight horror novel that vacillates between slow burn atmospheric dread and balls-out fights; a mix, perhaps, of Peter Struab and Michael Marshall Smith.

Far upstate in New York State, an old town exists– underwater. The residents who lived there lie drowned beneath the dam that was built to supply New York City with water through a series of tunnels. Those who built the reservoir at Galesburg over eighty years ago had the people leave, bought them out of their homes, and resettled them in Torrance (a Stephen King nod?).

Or so people were told.

Those who didn’t leave still dwell beneath the surface, and their time has come to reclaim their town, along with exacting a bit of revenge on the descendants of those who profited on their deaths.

Back in Torrance, Chief Steve Ellsworth keeps a lid on everything– all except for his son, Aaron, who has returned from a failed stint in the Coast Guard as an ace swimmer and diver. Now plagued by an addiction to drugs and alcohol, he meanders through the town evading rehab and responsibility. All of that changes one fateful evening when he decides to swim in the Chillewaukee reservoir, known to locals as the Chill, to battle the current and prove himself one more time.

An odd photographer, Mick Fleming, a man with a long lineage in the area, emerges from nowhere to discuss the history of the town, the dam, and nothing much at all. Afterwards, Aaron accidentally kills the dam inspector with a bottle toss, only to see Fleming walk out of the woods as if nothing had ever happened. Chief Ellsworth, environmental officer Gillian Mathers, and others witness the event, are convinced Aaron’s lost to substance abuse, and take him home. This act sets the story into motion, as Fleming learns of his role in the town’s revenge, while Gillian’s father, working in the tunnels beneath the Big Apple, begins to see the ghosts of those who perished during the construction of the century-old system.

The histories of the main players unfold with an artful touch as the dread and suspense build towards a conclusion that might be inevitable. Like the best horror writers, Carson knows the characters are the key to a solid story. He builds each of them, every one flawed and fragile. Watching them both crumble and strengthen is a treat. This is what makes The Chill an ultimate success. Its unique premise, coupled with one of the most talented writers publishing today, results in an entertaining book that will likely keep readers of both genres happy. Recommended.

Reviewed by David Simms