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Cold Front
A power beyond all human control has been awakened...
You might pity the girl, trapped in a snowbound cabin deep in the Canadian wilderness with three desperate fugitives...
But you’d be wrong.
It’s not the girl you should fear for—it’s the men, as their burning lust turns to a cold, creeping horror in Barry Hammond’s long-lost Canadian classic.
This work is presented as it was originally created and may contain outdated and offensive cultural depictions.
You might pity the girl, trapped in a snowbound cabin deep in the Canadian wilderness with three desperate fugitives...
But you’d be wrong.
It’s not the girl you should fear for—it’s the men, as their burning lust turns to a cold, creeping horror in Barry Hammond’s long-lost Canadian classic.
This work is presented as it was originally created and may contain outdated and offensive cultural depictions.
- GenresHorror
172 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
2 people are currently reading
488 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 24, 2025
*(Update 4/5/25) Just wanted to update all y’all who’ve been trying to track this down: a new edition is finally available from Fathom Press/Savage Harvest. You should get it because it smells really nice. And the story’s not bad either.
(Reread 7/28/24)
Well, I just read this whole thing (only 152 pages) in one sitting, and I stand by my original 5 star review. The only thing I felt I got wrong was where I said that the three main characters weren’t totally evil scumbags. I was being charitable, as they pretty much are just that — maybe not evil, but definite pieces of garbage. I think I have a tendency to forgive or overlook certain flaws in protagonists, especially in horror, as I want to be able to relate to them. If I don’t care about them, I’m not scared, and if I’m not scared, well it’s not an effective horror novel, usually. I found the imagery in this to be pretty damn terrifying, despite the scummy protags. Glad to hear from Jordan that this will finally be getting reprinted in the near future.
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(Original review 9/9/18. Note: I discuss the first 30-40 pages or so in detail, basically just the setup, though a lot happens in those pages.)
The only thing scarier than being isolated and hunted by a nebulous "evil," imo, is being isolated and hunted by a nebulous "evil" during a brutal snowstorm. That's what happens after three Canadian laborers accidentally kill their boss while attempting to rough him up a little (they were a bit drunk at the time). In a panic, they steal several thousand dollars from a lockbox on their way out of his office and hit the road in search of a suitable burial spot.
Due to the blizzard, they somehow end up in the middle of a vast wilderness, out of gas, and with nothing around for miles except trees and snow. Lots and lots of snow. And it's so cold they need to find shelter very soon. Good thing they come across a rundown old cabin in the middle of the woods. But the chunks of human flesh strewn about the trees nearby is pretty disconcerting. It appears to be their boss, who's supposed to be dead in the trunk. And who is the mysterious girl in the cabin? She barely talks, and appears to be mentally challenged. But boy is she creepy.
And they all live happily ever after. Such a sweet story. Okay not really. Some bad stuff goes down, you know the deal. But guess what? It's actually pretty damn freaky. Is the evil outside the cabin, or inside? Or both? And while the three men are pretty despicable, I still couldn't help sympathizing with them. I mean, they're not good guys, but they're also not totally evil scumbags; just flawed everyday Joes who drink way too much and are maybe a bit greedy. But I knew better than to root for them. That gets you nowhere here. Just embrace the darkness and wallow in it.
It's a quick read at only 152 pages, which I believe is about the perfect length for slowly building and maintaining tension and terror. Unfortunately, most fiction from the horror boom era is either 300-plus pages or 10-20 page short stories. 150 pages allows enough room for characterization so that you care about what's happening, but not so long that the overall atmosphere of fear and weirdness starts to dissipate. It's very well-written, with no wasted words, and the intensity remains at a steady clip throughout. It appears author Barry Hammond is actually more well-known as a poet than a fiction writer, and this is his only novel as far as I know. Too bad, as I would certainly snatch up more of his work if it existed.
Any fan of snowbound terror should grab the hell out of this. You'll have to be diligent while searching, however, as it's a bit of a rare one.
(Reread 7/28/24)
Well, I just read this whole thing (only 152 pages) in one sitting, and I stand by my original 5 star review. The only thing I felt I got wrong was where I said that the three main characters weren’t totally evil scumbags. I was being charitable, as they pretty much are just that — maybe not evil, but definite pieces of garbage. I think I have a tendency to forgive or overlook certain flaws in protagonists, especially in horror, as I want to be able to relate to them. If I don’t care about them, I’m not scared, and if I’m not scared, well it’s not an effective horror novel, usually. I found the imagery in this to be pretty damn terrifying, despite the scummy protags. Glad to hear from Jordan that this will finally be getting reprinted in the near future.
———————————————
(Original review 9/9/18. Note: I discuss the first 30-40 pages or so in detail, basically just the setup, though a lot happens in those pages.)
The only thing scarier than being isolated and hunted by a nebulous "evil," imo, is being isolated and hunted by a nebulous "evil" during a brutal snowstorm. That's what happens after three Canadian laborers accidentally kill their boss while attempting to rough him up a little (they were a bit drunk at the time). In a panic, they steal several thousand dollars from a lockbox on their way out of his office and hit the road in search of a suitable burial spot.
Due to the blizzard, they somehow end up in the middle of a vast wilderness, out of gas, and with nothing around for miles except trees and snow. Lots and lots of snow. And it's so cold they need to find shelter very soon. Good thing they come across a rundown old cabin in the middle of the woods. But the chunks of human flesh strewn about the trees nearby is pretty disconcerting. It appears to be their boss, who's supposed to be dead in the trunk. And who is the mysterious girl in the cabin? She barely talks, and appears to be mentally challenged. But boy is she creepy.
And they all live happily ever after. Such a sweet story. Okay not really. Some bad stuff goes down, you know the deal. But guess what? It's actually pretty damn freaky. Is the evil outside the cabin, or inside? Or both? And while the three men are pretty despicable, I still couldn't help sympathizing with them. I mean, they're not good guys, but they're also not totally evil scumbags; just flawed everyday Joes who drink way too much and are maybe a bit greedy. But I knew better than to root for them. That gets you nowhere here. Just embrace the darkness and wallow in it.
It's a quick read at only 152 pages, which I believe is about the perfect length for slowly building and maintaining tension and terror. Unfortunately, most fiction from the horror boom era is either 300-plus pages or 10-20 page short stories. 150 pages allows enough room for characterization so that you care about what's happening, but not so long that the overall atmosphere of fear and weirdness starts to dissipate. It's very well-written, with no wasted words, and the intensity remains at a steady clip throughout. It appears author Barry Hammond is actually more well-known as a poet than a fiction writer, and this is his only novel as far as I know. Too bad, as I would certainly snatch up more of his work if it existed.
Any fan of snowbound terror should grab the hell out of this. You'll have to be diligent while searching, however, as it's a bit of a rare one.
November 3, 2018
Chilly willy.
Bleak, pointless lives. Sleepwalking lives. When stuck out in the freezing cold, falling asleep is dying.
Three crude idiots. All the crude dialogue one would expect. Crude violence.
Remarkable characterization. These three crude idiots come alive. Hammond doesn't hide their idiocy or their crudity or their thoughtless cruelty. Nor does he make them monsters. They are real and understandable, and for some, perhaps relatable. Hammond's strong skill at creating three-dimensional characters is the highlight of the novel.
Flesh torn from body, chunks of it everywhere. A cabin in the woods. An idiot woman in that cabin. Rituals.
A tight narrative. Brisk pacing. Crude realness. Dream sequences both sorrowful and excruciating. A scary story. Sad too.
A cold lover... protective and jealous. A whispering wind. An exterminating wind. It will blow any interlopers away.
Chilly willy.
December 27, 2023
After a drunken argument with their boss goes horribly wrong, three friends and coworkers - Ken, John and Jimmy - decide to rob the safe in his office and dump his body, hoping to make it look like he took off with the money. They know in the dead of winter, in Canada, it'll be months before anyone finds the body - and they plan to be long gone before then.
They put his body in the trunk and start driving as far as they can. With his other friends asleep, and a fierce storm blowing outside, Ken decides to pull over, contemplating if they are finally far enough to ditch the body. The very next thing he knows, Ken is waking up in the backseat.
It's morning and he has no memory of going to bed. Or of driving to this location. And certainly not of dumping the body, which is gone from the trunk. The engine is dead, there's snow as far as the eye can see. The three friends grab what they can carry, and start walking.
They see smoke, and hoping it's a shelter, head in that direction. Before they can reach the source, they discover something incredibly disturbing and unexplainable - their boss's body, ripped apart and strung across the trees. With no other option, they continue on, eventually finding a small cabin.
Little do they know, they should've just kept walking and taken their chances out in the elements, for what resides in the cabin might just end up being their downfall.
----------------
I didn't write a super thorough review, because this is a short book, so I didn't want to give too much away. I've been searching for this book ever since I started collecting about 3 years ago and I've only now just gotten my hands on a copy. I'm very grateful to have finally been able to read this great white whale of a horror paperback. The perfect book to read on a cold winter night.
They put his body in the trunk and start driving as far as they can. With his other friends asleep, and a fierce storm blowing outside, Ken decides to pull over, contemplating if they are finally far enough to ditch the body. The very next thing he knows, Ken is waking up in the backseat.
It's morning and he has no memory of going to bed. Or of driving to this location. And certainly not of dumping the body, which is gone from the trunk. The engine is dead, there's snow as far as the eye can see. The three friends grab what they can carry, and start walking.
They see smoke, and hoping it's a shelter, head in that direction. Before they can reach the source, they discover something incredibly disturbing and unexplainable - their boss's body, ripped apart and strung across the trees. With no other option, they continue on, eventually finding a small cabin.
Little do they know, they should've just kept walking and taken their chances out in the elements, for what resides in the cabin might just end up being their downfall.
----------------
I didn't write a super thorough review, because this is a short book, so I didn't want to give too much away. I've been searching for this book ever since I started collecting about 3 years ago and I've only now just gotten my hands on a copy. I'm very grateful to have finally been able to read this great white whale of a horror paperback. The perfect book to read on a cold winter night.
April 15, 2025
I want to give a shout out to Fathom Press for bringing back this book and getting into the hands of readers. I believe this is the 3rd of what looks to be many reprints of out of print horror fiction gems.
Cold Front is one of the most difficult books to find from the horror boom era. If you did happen to find the book it would go for a lot of money. So there is a lot of hype around the book and I just hoped it lived up to some of that hype. I have to say it definitely does. Cold Front is the perfect little horror story. I say little because it is short in length but it packs a punch and includes what I enjoy out of a horror book. There is isolation, bad people, sex, violence and gore and an unknown evil/monster that the primary characters have to deal with.
I definitely recommend picking up this lost gem and giving it a quick read.
4.5 💀’s
Cold Front is one of the most difficult books to find from the horror boom era. If you did happen to find the book it would go for a lot of money. So there is a lot of hype around the book and I just hoped it lived up to some of that hype. I have to say it definitely does. Cold Front is the perfect little horror story. I say little because it is short in length but it packs a punch and includes what I enjoy out of a horror book. There is isolation, bad people, sex, violence and gore and an unknown evil/monster that the primary characters have to deal with.
I definitely recommend picking up this lost gem and giving it a quick read.
4.5 💀’s
October 31, 2025
For such a short book, Cold Front moves at a surprisingly sluggish pace. Honestly, the hype surrounding its rarity far exceeds its actual quality.
Bookstagram and BookTube have a powerful influence, I’ll admit I’m often drawn in by their enthusiasm. Their reviews are entertaining and persuasive. But I have to be honest with myself here: this book just isn’t good.
There’s almost a cult following for Cold Front, though I use that word lightly. Too often, people end up vouching not for the book itself but for the review that sold them on it. They mistake the passion of the reviewer for the quality of the story and don’t want to feel misled after buying it.
On paper, the premise sounds fantastic. In practice, it’s slow, forgettable, and populated by thinly written characters. For me, Cold Front isn’t a hidden gem, it’s simply a collector’s curiosity.
Bookstagram and BookTube have a powerful influence, I’ll admit I’m often drawn in by their enthusiasm. Their reviews are entertaining and persuasive. But I have to be honest with myself here: this book just isn’t good.
There’s almost a cult following for Cold Front, though I use that word lightly. Too often, people end up vouching not for the book itself but for the review that sold them on it. They mistake the passion of the reviewer for the quality of the story and don’t want to feel misled after buying it.
On paper, the premise sounds fantastic. In practice, it’s slow, forgettable, and populated by thinly written characters. For me, Cold Front isn’t a hidden gem, it’s simply a collector’s curiosity.
September 9, 2023
Had to drive to ottawa and hit up the copy residing in the library of archives by parliament to get my hands on this rare treat. A brisk and exciting read, oozing with profaneness, dread, and mystery. The gore was there but not a highlight as much as the strong character writing and atmosphere. Worth seeking for those looking for an aggressively canadian pulp book and one of the few examples of a wendigo in horror fiction. Would be an excellent pairing with T. Chirs Martindale's Where the chill waits (and that one is back in print as of 2023).
January 3, 2026
Grimy crime/horror set in snowy Canadian wastelands. Decent pacing, gross characters, disgusting cabin, but very readable and effective. Recommended!
Full review:
https://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot...
Full review:
https://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot...
December 5, 2021
So finally decided to restart my Goodreads account. I have by far read over a hundred books this year and barely logged any.
To get to the point of this review Cold Front was a book I had to special order from a library all the way across the country as it is exceedingly rare. I only knew this existed from a random Youtube video I stumbled upon.
Was it worth all of the effort to track down?
Yes, yes I think it was.
To be completely upfront this was written in 1982 and the main characters are a truly despicable lot. As such you'll find language here that was definitely not acceptable in any era but especially stands out in today's time. Still, it felt natural for these characters to be saying them as they are especially loathsome.
If you are one of those people who need to find characters likeable to enjoy a book, this is the last book you should ever read.
The descriptions laid out by Barry Hammond paint a truly gross picture of the world we inhabit. The description of the cabin itself is sickening, painted with a level of detail rarely seen.
The horror is similarly disgusting but in the way you expect.
This will be a book that will sit with you long after you read it.
To get to the point of this review Cold Front was a book I had to special order from a library all the way across the country as it is exceedingly rare. I only knew this existed from a random Youtube video I stumbled upon.
Was it worth all of the effort to track down?
Yes, yes I think it was.
To be completely upfront this was written in 1982 and the main characters are a truly despicable lot. As such you'll find language here that was definitely not acceptable in any era but especially stands out in today's time. Still, it felt natural for these characters to be saying them as they are especially loathsome.
If you are one of those people who need to find characters likeable to enjoy a book, this is the last book you should ever read.
The descriptions laid out by Barry Hammond paint a truly gross picture of the world we inhabit. The description of the cabin itself is sickening, painted with a level of detail rarely seen.
The horror is similarly disgusting but in the way you expect.
This will be a book that will sit with you long after you read it.
January 20, 2025
Lean, mean, and spooky. See my longer, spoiler-free review here: https://youtu.be/Ih4RL5DlrQA?si=6Lipt...
January 5, 2026
3.5/5, rounded up.
I'm glad to have finally had a chance to read this much sought after paperback from hell, thanks to the folks at Fathom Press who are doing some great reprint work, in some ways picking up where Valancourt is leaving off. And the even nicer surprise is that Cold Front is a pretty wicked little tale, with some exceedingly frosty atmosphere, and good characterizations. Now that said, our three main characters are not remotely likeable, but they feel grounded in reality, one I recognize myself from working in the Canadian North with men who weren't that different from our three scumbags here. The prose is simple but effective, and there are some truly horrific moments throughout. I think the thing I most appreciated about the book was the vague sense of unease and hints at explanations we don't fully fathom. I kind of did love Jimmy though, even if he was a lowlife.
I'm glad to have finally had a chance to read this much sought after paperback from hell, thanks to the folks at Fathom Press who are doing some great reprint work, in some ways picking up where Valancourt is leaving off. And the even nicer surprise is that Cold Front is a pretty wicked little tale, with some exceedingly frosty atmosphere, and good characterizations. Now that said, our three main characters are not remotely likeable, but they feel grounded in reality, one I recognize myself from working in the Canadian North with men who weren't that different from our three scumbags here. The prose is simple but effective, and there are some truly horrific moments throughout. I think the thing I most appreciated about the book was the vague sense of unease and hints at explanations we don't fully fathom. I kind of did love Jimmy though, even if he was a lowlife.
September 4, 2022
Sure is a lot of pissing in this book.
September 18, 2025
Cold Front is a Canadian horror novel, the sole effort by author Barry Hammond. It has become sort of a cult classic in the retro horror paperback world due to its rarity, having only been available in Canada from New American Library in 1982. These days, an original copy of Cold Front can go for hundreds of dollars. Fathom Press reprinted it this year under their Savage Harvest imprint with an afterward by the author, so I figured I'd pick up a copy and see what it's all about.
Essentially, it's about three criminals who hide out in a cabin during a bad storm in the snowy Canadian wilderness, where they find a beautiful young girl... and the Wendigo. That's pretty much it. Not a whole lot happens in the book after the opening when the three douchebags commit a brutal murder for some money and escape in their car with the guy's body. The main characters are all super unlikable, foul-mouthed scumbags. Their colorful language is sort of fun at first, but it gets old real quick. The story pretty much dies when they get to the cabin, and the Wendigo stuff is too brief and too subtle.
That said, Hammond isn't a bad writer; his prose does pop off the page, so I feel sort of bad giving it only one star (maybe it would be more like a star and a half). I just found it SO disappointing considering the hype this thing gets from the "Paperbacks from Hell" crowd.
Essentially, it's about three criminals who hide out in a cabin during a bad storm in the snowy Canadian wilderness, where they find a beautiful young girl... and the Wendigo. That's pretty much it. Not a whole lot happens in the book after the opening when the three douchebags commit a brutal murder for some money and escape in their car with the guy's body. The main characters are all super unlikable, foul-mouthed scumbags. Their colorful language is sort of fun at first, but it gets old real quick. The story pretty much dies when they get to the cabin, and the Wendigo stuff is too brief and too subtle.
That said, Hammond isn't a bad writer; his prose does pop off the page, so I feel sort of bad giving it only one star (maybe it would be more like a star and a half). I just found it SO disappointing considering the hype this thing gets from the "Paperbacks from Hell" crowd.
March 14, 2025
I spent years trying get ahold of this book, its rare and very expensive. Fathom Press did a re-release and now finally it is affordable. It is also worth it. A wendigo story set in Canada. This story was great and I wish Barry Hammond wrote more stories.
April 28, 2025
I’m glad Fathom Press reissued this hard to find book as I had wanted to read it but wasn’t going to get a second mortgage to pay for it. The characters were heathens which I loved. Quite atmospheric and well worth a purchase as it’s time well spent.
April 20, 2025
I was excited to read the new printing of this. I love these old pocket horror books and this one didn’t disappoint.
It’s a fairly simple story of 3 men who commit a murder and while on the run find a cabin inhabited by a young woman. But there’s something off about her.
I liked the progression of events. From the murder to how they get to the cabin and finding the young woman, I was constantly in the dark but wanting more.
This read very fast and delivered what it promised. Perfect book for a horror fan who’s ok with unreserved 70’s sensibilities and themes.
It’s a fairly simple story of 3 men who commit a murder and while on the run find a cabin inhabited by a young woman. But there’s something off about her.
I liked the progression of events. From the murder to how they get to the cabin and finding the young woman, I was constantly in the dark but wanting more.
This read very fast and delivered what it promised. Perfect book for a horror fan who’s ok with unreserved 70’s sensibilities and themes.
December 24, 2025
Cold Front by Barry Hammond: Just finished this old gem and they dont make them like they used to. (4.5 rounded to 5 stars) I loved pretty much everything about this book. The chillingly cold atmosphere was very cool and the latter half of the book is one of the better crazy fever dreams I’ve ever read.
I enjoyed the slow creeping dread built up despite how short the book was. I wish more horror novels were like this, short, well written and concise. I think too many modern authors get caught up in the pressure of making a full length novels over the quality and pace of the story.
At only 150 pages I felt like I had a full 300+ page experience after reading it. The gruesome descriptions make for a very unsettling read. I highly recommend it for old school horror fans now that it’s available again.
I enjoyed the slow creeping dread built up despite how short the book was. I wish more horror novels were like this, short, well written and concise. I think too many modern authors get caught up in the pressure of making a full length novels over the quality and pace of the story.
At only 150 pages I felt like I had a full 300+ page experience after reading it. The gruesome descriptions make for a very unsettling read. I highly recommend it for old school horror fans now that it’s available again.
May 15, 2025
This reads like it was written by a horny 16 year old. I feel let down after hearing about this book and searching for years to get a copy. As soon as I heard they were reprinting it, I ordered a copy.
I have never cared for horror porn. This was a complete waste of time. The monster in the story was not portrayed accurately. The powers it has don't follow the folk lore.
I have never cared for horror porn. This was a complete waste of time. The monster in the story was not portrayed accurately. The powers it has don't follow the folk lore.
April 6, 2025
Cold Front is nasty, fast, and totally my kind of horror. Hammond throws us straight into the action and never lets up. There’s no fat on this thing at all. The setup is strong, the pacing’s tight, and the book knows exactly what it wants to be. The central characters are all dumb, mean-spirited villains, and watching them get their comeuppance is quite fun.
I’m a sucker for snowy horror, and this nails the foreboding and lingering (literally) atmospheric threat of it. We’ve got bits of body horror, gore, gross-out, suspense, and even a supernatural threat. It’s all in here and handled well. The central threat is especially effective—creepy, ominous, and never over-explained (though appropriately foreshadowed). When the writing is good, it’s good—especially in the horror, setting, and gore-heavy scenes. That’s where Hammond shines. And the length is just right, less than 160 pages, beautiful! Some might find it over too quickly, but for me, the pacing was perfect. No wasted time.
There are a couple issues. Hammond has this odd quirk of using bizarre, out-of-left-field swears and insults. He even calls it out in the afterword (which is otherwise interesting), but yeah, they land with a thud. Also, it should be noted that the book leans heavily into misogyny and casual racism. It fits the type of characters Hammond wrote—ugly people doing ugly things—but it’s worth flagging.
The new cover by Stephen Andrade is excellent—maybe even better than the original—and a nice visual nod to it too. Savage Harvest keeps making great choices with the titles they’re reissuing, and I’m glad this one got the treatment. The mass market paperback size is the best way to read a story like this—honestly maybe the best way to read any story. Feels right in the hand, like you grabbed it from a spinning rack at a gas station and read it under a blanket with one light on all night long.
Honestly, this one was begging for a Sam Raimi adaptation in the 1980s. Pity we haven’t figured out the whole time travel thing yet.
Thanks to Savage Harvest and Barry Hammond for this great little horror book. Read on their beautiful paperback.
I’m a sucker for snowy horror, and this nails the foreboding and lingering (literally) atmospheric threat of it. We’ve got bits of body horror, gore, gross-out, suspense, and even a supernatural threat. It’s all in here and handled well. The central threat is especially effective—creepy, ominous, and never over-explained (though appropriately foreshadowed). When the writing is good, it’s good—especially in the horror, setting, and gore-heavy scenes. That’s where Hammond shines. And the length is just right, less than 160 pages, beautiful! Some might find it over too quickly, but for me, the pacing was perfect. No wasted time.
There are a couple issues. Hammond has this odd quirk of using bizarre, out-of-left-field swears and insults. He even calls it out in the afterword (which is otherwise interesting), but yeah, they land with a thud. Also, it should be noted that the book leans heavily into misogyny and casual racism. It fits the type of characters Hammond wrote—ugly people doing ugly things—but it’s worth flagging.
The new cover by Stephen Andrade is excellent—maybe even better than the original—and a nice visual nod to it too. Savage Harvest keeps making great choices with the titles they’re reissuing, and I’m glad this one got the treatment. The mass market paperback size is the best way to read a story like this—honestly maybe the best way to read any story. Feels right in the hand, like you grabbed it from a spinning rack at a gas station and read it under a blanket with one light on all night long.
Honestly, this one was begging for a Sam Raimi adaptation in the 1980s. Pity we haven’t figured out the whole time travel thing yet.
Thanks to Savage Harvest and Barry Hammond for this great little horror book. Read on their beautiful paperback.
October 19, 2025
For my October horror reads I read Cold Front by Barry Hammond (1982, 153 pgs., Paperback $15.99) which is a hard-crime-fiction-horror novel that has a cult status especially in Canada where the author is from and where the story takes place. I liked Cold Front a lot, it's well written, and seamless from beginning to end...but, having said that there is definitely two half's to the story. The first half is the hard-crime-fiction and the second half is the horror part, reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft or Cornell Woolrich. The book is about three Canadian oil rough-neck losers who in a drunken stupor steal their companies pay roll cash box. They escape into a raging snowstorm and end-up getting their car stuck. Looking for food and shelter they come upon a cabin and the horror portion begins with a few surprises and murder & mayhem....Near the end the writing turns into some almost psychedelic fancy writing, but I found it to be well written plus it gets realigned for the ending...I recommend Cold Front and I'm going to re-read it next October...4.0 outta 5.0...-P.S. I found this pretty good review of Cold Front at YouTube...it matches up with my review almost exactly....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYhXh...
May 2, 2025
Seldom have I experienced such fascinating and contentious characters. Likeable might be too strong of a word for these fellows, but from the first pages on, I'm on their side in all their misdeeds (yeah, talking about murder). And although their image of women is despicable, I except that, and their borderline racist jokes, as character flaws.
We spent the first half of the novel exclusively with those three, with their thoughts and banters and their almost slapstick-like clumsiness. It's great fun, with an underlying grim and cynical tone.
It goes downhill in the second half of the book, when it gets to the real horror. The book switches from social study to pulp novel, and a very simpleminded at that. Yes, I was expecting pulp, and it wouldn't be so bad, if the first half hadn't been that good.
The worst decision was to kill them off very quickly and leave us with the most uninteresting (read: brightest) of the three.
The novel still has its strengths in the end; some well written surreal scenes and a bleak ending. But it never gets back to the heights of the first 80 pages.
We spent the first half of the novel exclusively with those three, with their thoughts and banters and their almost slapstick-like clumsiness. It's great fun, with an underlying grim and cynical tone.
It goes downhill in the second half of the book, when it gets to the real horror. The book switches from social study to pulp novel, and a very simpleminded at that. Yes, I was expecting pulp, and it wouldn't be so bad, if the first half hadn't been that good.
The worst decision was to kill them off very quickly and leave us with the most uninteresting (read: brightest) of the three.
The novel still has its strengths in the end; some well written surreal scenes and a bleak ending. But it never gets back to the heights of the first 80 pages.
June 10, 2025
This book is something of an internet legend - at one point, people were questioning if it even existed. The few people who had read it raved about it, so when Fathom Press reprinted it, I had to get a copy.
When it comes to the books reputation, the scarcity is definitely doing some of the work - it's become overhyped simply because most were unable to experience it.
However, there is a VERY good little novella here. Three unlikeable main characters, doing terrible things, stumbling into a bizarre situation where terrible things happen to them. It's It's a story with no good guys, proving you don't have to have likable characters for a book to just work.
Cold Front is short, efficient, and brisk - especially in the last 50 pages where the horror really ramps up. When it hits the fan, it does not slow down.
The horror that unfolds is never fully explained, and that is wonderful - the modern need for everything to be explained is a drag.
Creepy, gory, and weird. A must-read.
When it comes to the books reputation, the scarcity is definitely doing some of the work - it's become overhyped simply because most were unable to experience it.
However, there is a VERY good little novella here. Three unlikeable main characters, doing terrible things, stumbling into a bizarre situation where terrible things happen to them. It's It's a story with no good guys, proving you don't have to have likable characters for a book to just work.
Cold Front is short, efficient, and brisk - especially in the last 50 pages where the horror really ramps up. When it hits the fan, it does not slow down.
The horror that unfolds is never fully explained, and that is wonderful - the modern need for everything to be explained is a drag.
Creepy, gory, and weird. A must-read.
May 25, 2025
This book is awesome! I've been wanting to read this for a while, and with Fathom Press recently re-releasing it, I was finally able to get my hands on a copy. I'm glad to be able to say I wasn't disappointed. This is a nasty little novel about three shitty guys who find themselves stranded in a cabin during a blizzard. The characters are all total pieces of shit, which I loved. The writing hops between these characters' different perspectives and their perverse views on their lives and the world. Very fun and easy to read, great atmosphere, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Definitely recommend checking this one out, I thought it was a blast.
December 3, 2025
I read this book rather quickly for myself. The book starts out with 3 guys getting drunk, wanting a payment advance for their next check. The boss refuses and they accidentally kill him in a blind rage. They eventually try to dump the body out in BFE and get caught in a snow storm where the eventually find a cabin and a very stand-offish woman that is more than meets the eye! This novel was grimey, trashy, and horrific in the best ways possible! I’ve been dabbling in themed reading the past year and would absolutely recommend this to a fellow vintage horror lover.
Also I got my version as a reprint from FATHOM PRESS and would definitely recommend looking there for rare reprints!
Also I got my version as a reprint from FATHOM PRESS and would definitely recommend looking there for rare reprints!
April 9, 2025
What a great book. Just finished the recently release (re-release?) from Fathom Press. The first third is a gritty crime novel before dovetailing into a bizarre, folk, Lovecraftian, monster story. Cold Front hits all the right notes for a horror novel. Even better, it doesn't overstay it's welcome. At 153 pages, it sets up the premise, provides the scares, and leaves. I wish authors from the last 20 or 30 years would learn to get out of their way and just write the story. We don't need 200 pages of character backstory and supporting characters, especially for horror.
March 10, 2025
4.5; the Trailer Park Boys get mean drunk, commit manslaughter, and go to hell - featuring canadian Mia Goth as the Girl and canadian BOB as her lover. A stripped down, introspective take on Evil Dead territory with the OTT gore swapped out with a a palpable, almost Lynchian, sense of nightmare dread; every bit as lean, mean, and effective as its reputation suggests.
March 30, 2025
Five hundred dollar
horror paperback (reprint)
worth every penny
horror paperback (reprint)
worth every penny
May 15, 2025
it was a slow moving story. I did enjoy the banter, and back story. I did miss the hero???? there should be a hero
December 5, 2025
3.8, short and chilly, a good companion read to Where the Chill Waits.
December 28, 2025
Short and good story. Pretty sexual in parts so be aware of that and read with caution.
January 9, 2026
This was fun. Some immature moments and a ton of pissing, but the highly unlikable characters and the writing style make the story. Definitely a great book to start off my year.
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