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The Snow Garden
A shocking death exposes dangerous forces of seduction, obsession, and vengeance lurking beneath the idyllic surface of a prestigious New England university.
It is more than just the late November weather that has cast a chill over the campus of Atherton University. When the wife of respected professor Eric Eberman is killed in a tragic accident, his secret student lover, Randall Stone, fears the professor tried to avert career suicide by committing homicide. Or do the dead woman’s haunting last words point to an even more damning crime?
Fearing the truth, Randall digs into his lover’s hidden history. But what he finds draws him and everyone he cares for into a dark dance of sexual manipulation, twisted retribution, and murderous rage where nothing is as it seems. And no one will escape from it unscathed…if they escape at all.
In this emotionally gripping tale from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, the past may seem buried, but it can come back with a deadly vengeance.
Revised This edition of The Snow Garden includes editorial revisions.
It is more than just the late November weather that has cast a chill over the campus of Atherton University. When the wife of respected professor Eric Eberman is killed in a tragic accident, his secret student lover, Randall Stone, fears the professor tried to avert career suicide by committing homicide. Or do the dead woman’s haunting last words point to an even more damning crime?
Fearing the truth, Randall digs into his lover’s hidden history. But what he finds draws him and everyone he cares for into a dark dance of sexual manipulation, twisted retribution, and murderous rage where nothing is as it seems. And no one will escape from it unscathed…if they escape at all.
In this emotionally gripping tale from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, the past may seem buried, but it can come back with a deadly vengeance.
Revised This edition of The Snow Garden includes editorial revisions.
527 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
754 people are currently reading
3716 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Rice
37 books2,585 followersChristopher Rice is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines. An executive producer for television, Christopher also penned the novels Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiri with his late mother Anne Rice. Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com. He lives in West Hollywood, California, and writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice. Visit him at www.christopherricebooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
July 6, 2009
I want Christopher Rice to be better than he is. And really, from what I've read of his trashy bestsellers, he knows how to crank out a page turner. And this is dirty, trashy fun. It's ridiculous and melodramatic, but in an unintentional sort of a way. And so I gladly demolished it in the space of a couple of days, but in full knowledge that it wasn't really very good at all. These characters are all a little too damaged-and-broken-underneath their Prada-and-sunglasses to be legitimate people, which would be totally okay if this was a satire. But it's not. The book is saturated with postmodern gay stereotypes, some I myself have freely perpetuated in my earlier years (prince of darkness, aloof slut, etc.), and really it's all too easy, these characterizations, and that's my number one issue with Mr. Christopher Rice. He's Bret Easton Ellis without the ironic detachment. Imagine Rules of Attraction (a HILARIOUS book) if Ellis took his characters seriously at all.
I know some gays who take Rice very seriously. He's their Salinger, and his gay characters mean so MUCH to them. But really, they're one-dimensional idealizations of youthful fantasies of what it means to be gay. And there's an inescapable immaturity to their depictions. Rice almost gives us "Randall Stone" as a comment on the folly of those fantasies, but then allows him to dodge a bullet and escape (as a character) back under the cloak of that problematic allure. Foul!
Whatever. The book was fun. The set-pieces, well-constructed. I couldn't get to the denouement quickly enough. I was picturing it as a movie; it thrilled me. I'll probably read more Rice. But I'll never take him seriously.
I know some gays who take Rice very seriously. He's their Salinger, and his gay characters mean so MUCH to them. But really, they're one-dimensional idealizations of youthful fantasies of what it means to be gay. And there's an inescapable immaturity to their depictions. Rice almost gives us "Randall Stone" as a comment on the folly of those fantasies, but then allows him to dodge a bullet and escape (as a character) back under the cloak of that problematic allure. Foul!
Whatever. The book was fun. The set-pieces, well-constructed. I couldn't get to the denouement quickly enough. I was picturing it as a movie; it thrilled me. I'll probably read more Rice. But I'll never take him seriously.
March 3, 2023
My third Rice read and, as with the first two, an intricate and intriguing plot with lots of layers. However, unlike with 'Density of Souls' and 'Light Before Day', I developed no emotional attachment to any of the many characters ... just didn't care what happened to them. 🤷♂️ However, the story itself makes this a solid 4 star tale.
December 28, 2023
Mr. Rice wrote a masterpiece in this murder mystery, "The Snow Garden." It was a Hitchcock thriller from beginning to end.
September 25, 2011
2.35
A big let-down, sad to say. There was definitely the skeleton of a good story here, even after a faltering start, but it was buried beneath something like a fat suit -- unnecessary and increasingly unbelievable layers of melodramatic villains, subplots, and twists. The result was a messy glob of pure silliness. And derivative silliness, to boot. (I mean, come on. An inane sex-cult? A mad sculptor-on-steroids who does a poor imitation of Vincent Price in The House of Wax? The list goes on: secrets and deceptions, murders, near-murders, a suicide, nefarious plots, fires and explosions, !shocking! character connections, blah blah blah . . . blech.)
I liked the MC, Randall, except for his inexplicable attachment to the clingy, hypocritical Kathryn. (Ugh. Why was she even there?) I hoped for but never got more development of Jesse, who had the potential for being an intriguing foil and ultimate partner for Randall. But, as usual, the author opted for piling on all kinds of sensational crap instead of subtly shaping characters and creating nuanced, tension-filled situations.
It's really a shame Rice keeps resorting to cheap thrills. He does have talent.
I think I'm done with him.
* * *
I just started the book, but this phrase did trip me up a bit: "...[her] breasts had exploded at fifteen..."
I like figurative language as much as the next writer, but some word choices are more unfortunate than others. Had a little trouble sleeping after that one.
A big let-down, sad to say. There was definitely the skeleton of a good story here, even after a faltering start, but it was buried beneath something like a fat suit -- unnecessary and increasingly unbelievable layers of melodramatic villains, subplots, and twists. The result was a messy glob of pure silliness. And derivative silliness, to boot. (I mean, come on. An inane sex-cult? A mad sculptor-on-steroids who does a poor imitation of Vincent Price in The House of Wax? The list goes on: secrets and deceptions, murders, near-murders, a suicide, nefarious plots, fires and explosions, !shocking! character connections, blah blah blah . . . blech.)
I liked the MC, Randall, except for his inexplicable attachment to the clingy, hypocritical Kathryn. (Ugh. Why was she even there?) I hoped for but never got more development of Jesse, who had the potential for being an intriguing foil and ultimate partner for Randall. But, as usual, the author opted for piling on all kinds of sensational crap instead of subtly shaping characters and creating nuanced, tension-filled situations.
It's really a shame Rice keeps resorting to cheap thrills. He does have talent.
I think I'm done with him.
* * *
I just started the book, but this phrase did trip me up a bit: "...[her] breasts had exploded at fifteen..."
I like figurative language as much as the next writer, but some word choices are more unfortunate than others. Had a little trouble sleeping after that one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2016
This is my second Christopher Rice novel. They were both okay. Not great but not bad either. Both books had a few different plots going all at once and it got confusing with so many characters going every which direction. Now that I'm finished with The Snow Garden I still can't say I'm 100% sure wtf just happened. I'm left with a few questions that may or may not have been answered during the overwhelming last few chapters. I was barely able to keep up with all that was happening and being revealed. But despite that I was never bored with the book. So that is a plus!
December 7, 2014
*Net Galley book for review*
First off, I liked the story line about an HIV infected person running around on a college campus. Second thing, I find some of the things that happened in this book a little too far fetched. I just don't understand why Rice tries so hard in his books. This one was just overly written to the point I was just glad when it came to an end.
First off, I liked the story line about an HIV infected person running around on a college campus. Second thing, I find some of the things that happened in this book a little too far fetched. I just don't understand why Rice tries so hard in his books. This one was just overly written to the point I was just glad when it came to an end.
March 23, 2015
Young Rice is the progeny of vampire-slash-witch-slash-everythinggoth chronicler Anne Rice. While I am impressed he is not treading the same mucky, overblown ground his mother turns into 4000-page books, I am still not a fan.
There is an excellent premise here, though. A professor’s wife dies of a car accident while he’s sleeping with one of his students. There are some nice curves, also. The wife’s car crashes into the same river a young girl drowned in when the professor was a student. And the professor was somehow involved in that incident fifteen years earlier. And did I mention that the professor may have poisoned his wife’s well-used stash of alcohol? And did I mention the professor’s lover also nips from that same cache of poisoned Chivas? Also, did I mention the student lover was a boy?
All this is good and exciting, ripe with possibilities, except that instead of choosing a mature way to telling the story, Rice decides to make this half teen soap opera. All of the sudden it’s loaded with ennui and bad dialogue and gay rights and immature people we don’t ever really end up caring about. It’s like early Brett Easton Ellis decided to write for Beverly Hills 90210. Or worse, Saved by the Bell.
Let ‘em all drink the poisoned scotch for all I cared.
There is an excellent premise here, though. A professor’s wife dies of a car accident while he’s sleeping with one of his students. There are some nice curves, also. The wife’s car crashes into the same river a young girl drowned in when the professor was a student. And the professor was somehow involved in that incident fifteen years earlier. And did I mention that the professor may have poisoned his wife’s well-used stash of alcohol? And did I mention the professor’s lover also nips from that same cache of poisoned Chivas? Also, did I mention the student lover was a boy?
All this is good and exciting, ripe with possibilities, except that instead of choosing a mature way to telling the story, Rice decides to make this half teen soap opera. All of the sudden it’s loaded with ennui and bad dialogue and gay rights and immature people we don’t ever really end up caring about. It’s like early Brett Easton Ellis decided to write for Beverly Hills 90210. Or worse, Saved by the Bell.
Let ‘em all drink the poisoned scotch for all I cared.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2007
Of his three works of dark fiction thus far, The Snow Garden is Christopher Rice's best. Full of twists and turns, this mystery is gripping and addictive, and it's just so delightfully twisted.
April 30, 2018
Christopher Rice does not disappoint
I read Density of Souls a short time ago, and was immediately mesmerized by the vivid, multidimensional characters. I found the same in The Snow Garden. The story follows several college students and professors, each of whom are fighting their own demons and trying to build authentic lives for themselves. Each character had a secret he or she was hiding, and hoped the new friends college brought them would not find out. Kathryn went away to college to escape a tragedy that had left ten young women destroyed and her boyfriend dead by his own hand. Randall longed to reinvent himself in a place where he could find the love he craved and truly be himself. Jesse used his good looks and charisma to manipulate and control others. Eric was a married professor who hid his affair with a male student. In the Snow Garden, all these characters intersect and change each other's lives in ways they could have never imagined
I read Density of Souls a short time ago, and was immediately mesmerized by the vivid, multidimensional characters. I found the same in The Snow Garden. The story follows several college students and professors, each of whom are fighting their own demons and trying to build authentic lives for themselves. Each character had a secret he or she was hiding, and hoped the new friends college brought them would not find out. Kathryn went away to college to escape a tragedy that had left ten young women destroyed and her boyfriend dead by his own hand. Randall longed to reinvent himself in a place where he could find the love he craved and truly be himself. Jesse used his good looks and charisma to manipulate and control others. Eric was a married professor who hid his affair with a male student. In the Snow Garden, all these characters intersect and change each other's lives in ways they could have never imagined
August 14, 2016
I think my actual rating is closer to 2.5 stars, but I did really enjoy some parts of this book so I am rounding up to three. Also, I've been really harsh with my ratings this year--maybe it's my mood or maybe I'm just choosing the wrong books, who knows, but I've really been nit-picking everything as I read. So, knowing this I am giving the benefit of a doubt with three stars.
The novel is a murder mystery, of sorts, that takes place amongst the privileged but tormented youth of an Ivy League college. With this setting, I expected the story to be chock full of psychopaths, assholes, special snowflakes and tortured souls, and I was not disappointed. The characters are either horrible or seem one page away from a nervous breakdown. Or both. (No, this is not a personal observation about Ivy League students--I can safely say that my plebeian feet have never trod such lofty ground. Rather, it is the overwhelming impression that I have gotten from reading books like this one.)
It all starts when freshman Randall Stone's secret lover, an art history professor, is suspected of killing his wife. Even when her death is deemed to be an unfortunate accident from drunk driving, Randall keeps digging into it, sure that the truth is something darker. That was all I knew of the plot when I downloaded this with kindle unlimited, and it sounded interesting enough, but that is not really what the story is about. As the author states in his prologue, it is "a murder mystery about sexual identity."
That about sums it up. Or, as one of the tormented characters expressed it, "How can I embrace my sexuality when all it wants to do is sink its teeth into me?" Just about every character has a dark sexual secret: At first it was interesting. Then is seemed like what would happen if rich kids went on Jerry Springer--tawdry but full of high end fashion. Finally it became so far-fetched and weird that I couldn't really take the story seriously anymore. Which is a shame, because the novel is otherwise quite well-written and enjoyable.
In the afterward, the author mentions that he was only 22 (I think) when he first wrote this, and suddenly it all made sense. Thematically, this seems very much like a "new adult" story. In light of that, I would definitely read more from this author before deciding now I feel about his work.
The novel is a murder mystery, of sorts, that takes place amongst the privileged but tormented youth of an Ivy League college. With this setting, I expected the story to be chock full of psychopaths, assholes, special snowflakes and tortured souls, and I was not disappointed. The characters are either horrible or seem one page away from a nervous breakdown. Or both. (No, this is not a personal observation about Ivy League students--I can safely say that my plebeian feet have never trod such lofty ground. Rather, it is the overwhelming impression that I have gotten from reading books like this one.)
It all starts when freshman Randall Stone's secret lover, an art history professor, is suspected of killing his wife. Even when her death is deemed to be an unfortunate accident from drunk driving, Randall keeps digging into it, sure that the truth is something darker. That was all I knew of the plot when I downloaded this with kindle unlimited, and it sounded interesting enough, but that is not really what the story is about. As the author states in his prologue, it is "a murder mystery about sexual identity."
That about sums it up. Or, as one of the tormented characters expressed it, "How can I embrace my sexuality when all it wants to do is sink its teeth into me?" Just about every character has a dark sexual secret: At first it was interesting. Then is seemed like what would happen if rich kids went on Jerry Springer--tawdry but full of high end fashion. Finally it became so far-fetched and weird that I couldn't really take the story seriously anymore. Which is a shame, because the novel is otherwise quite well-written and enjoyable.
In the afterward, the author mentions that he was only 22 (I think) when he first wrote this, and suddenly it all made sense. Thematically, this seems very much like a "new adult" story. In light of that, I would definitely read more from this author before deciding now I feel about his work.
June 1, 2010
I thought about giving this two stars before I explained it to my roommate. Then we both realized: One star.
House of Wax. Major trauma. Badly developed mystery. Stupid characters. Everyone is gay or traumatized or both. Fine, whatever. In real life, that can happen, sure. But in your insular little book? It's like yaoi. In yaoi, everyone is pretty much gay.
And, to boot, EVERYONE is traumatized or idiotic? Plot elements make no freakin' sense. They are introduced in the beginning and then left dangling so the author can indulge in ridiculous melodrama--character development, my arse--and bring it haplessly together in the end. It's not bad enough to have a wife murder and machinations of revenge by a 'roided-out architect, but a sex cult on TOP of all that? No, no, no.
It is totally yaoi meets House of Wax meets J.T. Leroy. I barely made it through this one. We. Are. So. Done.
Plus, if you read the back, it sounds potentially like 'The Shining' for college students. Nope. The back has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the book. It is TOTALLY misleading.
OH, yeah. I really only liked Randall at all. Jesse and Tim have their characters basically assassinated throughout the book, and they could have been all right. Kathryn is just a bitch the entire time. Yawn, kiddies.
House of Wax. Major trauma. Badly developed mystery. Stupid characters. Everyone is gay or traumatized or both. Fine, whatever. In real life, that can happen, sure. But in your insular little book? It's like yaoi. In yaoi, everyone is pretty much gay.
And, to boot, EVERYONE is traumatized or idiotic? Plot elements make no freakin' sense. They are introduced in the beginning and then left dangling so the author can indulge in ridiculous melodrama--character development, my arse--and bring it haplessly together in the end. It's not bad enough to have a wife murder and machinations of revenge by a 'roided-out architect, but a sex cult on TOP of all that? No, no, no.
It is totally yaoi meets House of Wax meets J.T. Leroy. I barely made it through this one. We. Are. So. Done.
Plus, if you read the back, it sounds potentially like 'The Shining' for college students. Nope. The back has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the book. It is TOTALLY misleading.
OH, yeah. I really only liked Randall at all. Jesse and Tim have their characters basically assassinated throughout the book, and they could have been all right. Kathryn is just a bitch the entire time. Yawn, kiddies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2015
Son of author Anne Rice, I had high hopes for this book. But, it was a struggle to get through. This book is kind of dirty, trashy nonsense. Another reviewer said, "It's ridiculous and melodramatic, but in an unintentional sort of a way. These [mostly gay] characters are all a little too damaged-and-broken-underneath their Prada-and-sunglasses to be legitimate people, which would be totally okay if this was a satire. But it's not." That's a pretty clear depiction - set on a college campus, these 18-19 year olds are trying to find their way but as their high school secrets are slowly (much too slowly) revealed, I found I didn't care what their secrets were - drugs and sex? That's it? The gay characters seem so stereotypical and even the gay guy's best female friend is a cardboard cutout..... Oh yeah, there's a murder on campus that involves some of the students, but .... I didn't care about that either.
October 5, 2010
So, remember in my blog post about the J.D. Robb mystery I’ve been reading over several trips to the bookstore, rather than buying it, in which I said that her books are almost completely plot- and character-driven (not in those words), but not literary in style? Well, read this book and you’ll immediately see what I mean. Like the Robb mysteries, this book has a strong plot and distinctive characters, but the tone, the writing, the use of language rise above “common” mystery novels to be modern literature. This book, which I bought, will stay on my bookshelf. Very highly recommended.
July 26, 2018
At first I didn’t like this book. It started out slow and dull. I think it was at the half way point when it caught me. The twists and turns kept me enraptured for the rest of the novel. This was the first book I read by Rice, the copy I read had the original ending included as well, I am glad he changed it to what it is now.
February 5, 2020
A mystery punctuated by menace in which each character reveals more of himself or herself by interacting with the setting, each other, unravelling each layer concealing the truth. Sharp moments of tension and hidden secrets come to life as the characters explore and reveal them. The students, teachers, and a mysterious benefactor at Atherton College draw the reader in with their hunger and their needs. Much of the story is told from the perspective of Randall Stone, a student who is too composed and sophisticated, creating a veneer for himself which is gradually pulled away. The majority of the rest is related from the point of view of Kathryn, a girl Randall connects with in an honest way, although she’s concealing secrets of her own which flare up in defensive moments of anger and vulnerabilty. Other characters are Jesse, Randall’s roomate whose predatory charms and appetites provoke extreme reactions in both Randall and Kathryn; Eric, the teacher whose secrets and passions have spawned a legacy he can no longer control, and Mitchell, Eric’s prize student who follows in Eric’s footsteps in unexpected ways that cast shadows of their own. Looming over all of them is the larger than life Atherton benefactor, who expresses his power through monuments that hint at his controlling hand. All of these individuals engage in their dance, revealing their inner mysteries which contribute to the growing menace, building up to an unsuspected and bloody climax.
Contributing to his mother’s legacy of elegant horror, only grounding it in a reality of human beings affecting, shaping, and tearing at each other in a shattered world, Christopher Rice’s story is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a character-driven suspense with a touch of the rainbow and the shadows cast by the clouds from which it springs.
Contributing to his mother’s legacy of elegant horror, only grounding it in a reality of human beings affecting, shaping, and tearing at each other in a shattered world, Christopher Rice’s story is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a character-driven suspense with a touch of the rainbow and the shadows cast by the clouds from which it springs.
April 11, 2011
I'm hurriedly reading Rice's books to determine whether or not to attend a function at which he'll be speaking. It's a great excuse to try to read all of someone's books at one quick go (to which I'm grateful he only has five so far).
This book is an improvement over Rice's first book (the writing isn't as clunky as some parts of 'Density', the characters less in number but more finely drawn across the board). The book is mix of genres, though, with the first half being a detailed psychological mystery with the second half answering all the questions from the first half with a fast-paced sequence of events that remind me of the twistiest plots that Law and Order:SVU can come up with (complete with whacked out psychological disturbances and just the right mix of the right kind of damaged people coming together to produce explosively dramatic results). I can dig this kind of storytelling when it's done right, so that's a complement, though others may not think so.
Some may get bogged down with the initial slow approach to laying out all the players, their details, and the very slow reveal of answers, but those with patience will be rewarded.
This book is an improvement over Rice's first book (the writing isn't as clunky as some parts of 'Density', the characters less in number but more finely drawn across the board). The book is mix of genres, though, with the first half being a detailed psychological mystery with the second half answering all the questions from the first half with a fast-paced sequence of events that remind me of the twistiest plots that Law and Order:SVU can come up with (complete with whacked out psychological disturbances and just the right mix of the right kind of damaged people coming together to produce explosively dramatic results). I can dig this kind of storytelling when it's done right, so that's a complement, though others may not think so.
Some may get bogged down with the initial slow approach to laying out all the players, their details, and the very slow reveal of answers, but those with patience will be rewarded.
January 19, 2009
Overwritten and unintentionally campy murder mystery set on a northeastern university campus. Has qualities of a YA novel - overwrought emotion, 18 year old protags., fun of sex and drugs coupled with disapproving attitude. Slow all the way through with an over-the top-ending that reveals all kinds of implausible, if not impossible, surprises. The story focuses on gay prostitute and college student Randall Stone and his best friend Kathryn Parker. Randall's involvement with an older married professor suspected of murder in two suspicious deaths leads to more violence and murder. A sex cult adds to the fun.
December 23, 2024
I am giving this book two stars with grave reservations. I read it ten years ago and my memory is that I finished it and felt that I was wasting my time. Rice can write but I am not convinced he has much to say. While an enjoyable romp it was pretty clichéd and superficial. The gay 'characters' were even more reductive - I don't have any problem calling them gay because they ain't queer and certainly are only 'gay' in marketing terms. I shouldn't shelve this novel under queer literature but I am dam well not going to create a new heading for rubbish like this. I came away feeling I was unlikely to read any more of his books.
February 22, 2016
This was an interesting read. It took a few to get into but the plot provided a good twist in the end. The main character was damaged and interesting.
December 31, 2019
As always, Christopher Rice's development of story and characters is outstanding. I love that he included the alternate ending. Well, worth reading.
January 11, 2025
Attention grabbing and entertaining, though I was severely mislead by the prologue- what I thought was going to be a murder mystery focused on the actions of a serial killer, ultimately solved by three college students was actually an egregiously long and occasionally homoerotic hodgepodge of various points of view of narration. At some point in part 2 (thanksgiving) I realized a striking similarity to the characters/plot/vibe of the film Saltburn- a movie I did NOT enjoy. Not sure if this book needed to be 600 pages long :/
March 26, 2016
I really have some mixed feelings about this book. I am a fan of Rice and enjoyed all the books I have read by him so far, but this book left me with some sense of dissatisfaction.
Here are some of the things I liked about the book:
Interesting plot; element of surprise (I could never have foreseen or expected the ending or some of the twists in the plotline; and some interesting characters (mainly Dr. Eric Eberman and Jesse. It really is a shame that both did not receive the development they deserved, especially in the case of Jesse. Both were tragic figures in my opinions, and, maybe I am alone in this, but I really liked Eberman and his character in the last few scenes he appeared in.)
Some of the things I did not like:
First and foremost, Rice had an excellent plot, be he deviated from it so much, adding so many descriptive parts that could have been taken out easily to make the pace of this story quicker and more intense and focused. I could not stomach most of Kathryn's trip home. For days I could not really pick up the book, it was just too boring and plodding in places! As usual in some of Rice's books, the narrative just picked up speed in the last 100 pages, before that it was really just an exercise in patience.
Kathryn's character is another thing that I have problems with. She was, to me, a very unsympathetic character. She came across as self-righteous, judgemental and arrogant. I could never understand why Randall was so attached to her nor why she was in the story to begin with! She is a spectator of the unfolding events much like us. Only in the face-off between her and Michael does her presence work as a catalyst to some larger events.
Finally, while I was reading the book, I almost thought I would give it 1 star for effort. Though, after finishing it and reading the last section, I have to admit I liked how Rice tied all loose ends and brought all aspects of his story together. I also like the surprise ending for almost all of his characters. Not to mention, finally gaining an ounce of sympathy to the main character, Randall.
All in all, it is a good read if you are interested in thriller/mystery/horror (the amount of horror is very, very small) and you do not mind a slow-moving book.
Here are some of the things I liked about the book:
Interesting plot; element of surprise (I could never have foreseen or expected the ending or some of the twists in the plotline; and some interesting characters (mainly Dr. Eric Eberman and Jesse. It really is a shame that both did not receive the development they deserved, especially in the case of Jesse. Both were tragic figures in my opinions, and, maybe I am alone in this, but I really liked Eberman and his character in the last few scenes he appeared in.)
Some of the things I did not like:
First and foremost, Rice had an excellent plot, be he deviated from it so much, adding so many descriptive parts that could have been taken out easily to make the pace of this story quicker and more intense and focused. I could not stomach most of Kathryn's trip home. For days I could not really pick up the book, it was just too boring and plodding in places! As usual in some of Rice's books, the narrative just picked up speed in the last 100 pages, before that it was really just an exercise in patience.
Kathryn's character is another thing that I have problems with. She was, to me, a very unsympathetic character. She came across as self-righteous, judgemental and arrogant. I could never understand why Randall was so attached to her nor why she was in the story to begin with! She is a spectator of the unfolding events much like us. Only in the face-off between her and Michael does her presence work as a catalyst to some larger events.
Finally, while I was reading the book, I almost thought I would give it 1 star for effort. Though, after finishing it and reading the last section, I have to admit I liked how Rice tied all loose ends and brought all aspects of his story together. I also like the surprise ending for almost all of his characters. Not to mention, finally gaining an ounce of sympathy to the main character, Randall.
All in all, it is a good read if you are interested in thriller/mystery/horror (the amount of horror is very, very small) and you do not mind a slow-moving book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2021
*recommended by a friend* it’s been a good long while since I’ve read a thriller/mystery, and “The Snow Garden” did not disappoint. Set on a university campus in the early 2000s, this story begins when we meet Randall, a young gay college student who is in bed with his professor Eric Eberman the night the mans wife dies. Randall is convinced that Eric has something to do with his wife’s death, and begins digging to see if he can find proof. Meanwhile, his best friend Kathryn starts a flirtation with an upper grad named Michael, who turns out to be a shady ass motherfucker. Randall is hiding his affair with the professed from his best friend, but enlists the help of his ex flame Tim -who is a wannabe reporter-to help him Investigate. Add into this Jesse, the sexy roommate of Randall now one can put a pin on, only that he has a new sexual partner almost every night that at the surface appears to be nothing more than promiscuity, but could be something more sinister. THEN add in the fact that this is the second woman who has died with a connection to Eric Eberman—a young woman in the 80s Eric was seeing fell into a frozen lake and it was ruled an accident decades ago—but the death of his wife, the investigation into it by his secret lover Randall, and his old housemate might just make the circumstances of that young woman’s fate more clear. And Randall? Why is it Randall never talks about his parents? They never call? Doesn’t go home for the holiday? Who exactly IS Randall? There are so many factors to this story guys I have whiplash. Every few pages new information is revealed, a new twist, a new secret. Cults, sexual depravity, murder, secret identities, crazy histories...you name it this book has it man. If you’re looking for a mind fuck of a book, this is as good as any. You’re left guessing for so much of this book, and the second one question is answered another one is raised. Why does Kathryn hate Jesse so much? Why is Randall suddenly talking with a southern accent? Who is Michale to Eric? So good. Another highly recommended book, especially for my mystery lovers out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2014
I have to confess that this is technically a re-read for me, although I read it so long ago that I no longer remembered anything that happened. Only that it was about a group of college students from Atherton. This was the first book I ever read by Christopher Rice back in the day, and though the events of the novel were fuzzy, I remembered adoring it. Then I read The Vines, and OMG what a train wreck of a novel. So when I saw CR's earlier novels on NetGalley, I had to grab them to see if I still loved them or if they were a product of my questionable youth.
Do you guys remember that movie, Gossip, back in 2000 that starred James Marsden, Lena Headey, and Norman Reedus? It was about a group of friends at a university who were both decadent and debaucherous, with an undercurrent of violence. The plot isn't relevant to this comparison, just the general tone of their friendship and the secrets they kept from each other. The Snow Garden reminded me so much of this.
It's loosely about a trio of friends (Randall, Jesse, and Kathryn) and their experiences at Atherton College. Randall is having an affair with his married professor, and when that professor's wife dies under suspicious circumstances, all the secrets that were being kept start to emerge.
Sexual intrigue and murderous urges are at the heart of this novel, and just when you think you have figured out something about a character or a situation, everything changes and you know nothing. This book was deeply psychological and disturbing, yet filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense. It was hard for me to put it down for any length of time, and I was so drawn into this world.
I sincerely recommend this as a starting point if you want to check out Christopher Rice's work. Please, for the love of all that is holy, skip The Vines. I don't even know what to say about that.
This eARC was provided free from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Do you guys remember that movie, Gossip, back in 2000 that starred James Marsden, Lena Headey, and Norman Reedus? It was about a group of friends at a university who were both decadent and debaucherous, with an undercurrent of violence. The plot isn't relevant to this comparison, just the general tone of their friendship and the secrets they kept from each other. The Snow Garden reminded me so much of this.
It's loosely about a trio of friends (Randall, Jesse, and Kathryn) and their experiences at Atherton College. Randall is having an affair with his married professor, and when that professor's wife dies under suspicious circumstances, all the secrets that were being kept start to emerge.
Sexual intrigue and murderous urges are at the heart of this novel, and just when you think you have figured out something about a character or a situation, everything changes and you know nothing. This book was deeply psychological and disturbing, yet filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense. It was hard for me to put it down for any length of time, and I was so drawn into this world.
I sincerely recommend this as a starting point if you want to check out Christopher Rice's work. Please, for the love of all that is holy, skip The Vines. I don't even know what to say about that.
This eARC was provided free from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2022
Well, this was a very good read. The characters, all of them, have a great depth and we slowly get to know them and their deepest motives for acting the way they do.
This is a dark story in which nobody is truly innocent (not in the sense of guilt, but in the sense of bright eyes innocence), they all have scars that had defined their lives but they seem to be trying to let all that pain behind. And then, the wife of one of the professors dies in what might or might not be a car accident and everything changes.
The way in which we are led through the story, how the clues are right there, little clues that can be easily overlooked if we are not paying close attention, is fantastic.
At its core, this is a story of love and revenge, a story of guilt and unbalanced power. A story of flawed young people facing adulthood as best as they can. It's disturbing and tragic, and it's great.
This is a dark story in which nobody is truly innocent (not in the sense of guilt, but in the sense of bright eyes innocence), they all have scars that had defined their lives but they seem to be trying to let all that pain behind. And then, the wife of one of the professors dies in what might or might not be a car accident and everything changes.
The way in which we are led through the story, how the clues are right there, little clues that can be easily overlooked if we are not paying close attention, is fantastic.
At its core, this is a story of love and revenge, a story of guilt and unbalanced power. A story of flawed young people facing adulthood as best as they can. It's disturbing and tragic, and it's great.
January 25, 2019
I absolutely loved it! Ate it up and wish i didn't need sleep, because I would have finished it in a day! I never read book reviews, too many opportunities for spoilers, but just before I wrote this review i read a few and oh boy are some people salty and pompous. This was a great story, i wish there was a way for a 15 years later story, Randall all grown up.
January 31, 2009
Utter trash, made worse by the assumption on the part of the author that everyone is likely to be shocked by stuff that's not very shocking.
April 12, 2017
Fantastic read - the plot has a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I will choose Christopher Rice over Anne any day.
March 14, 2018
I think this was his second book after A Density of Souls. It got a tad confusing at the end as all the different threads started to come together but all in all a good read.
December 5, 2021
So this was an interesting page turner, and there were a variety of gay and bisexual characters. But I don't know that I'd call it good representation. But my main objection is that it was an absolute nonstop angst fest, and it took three quarters of the book for anything like the plot I was expecting to materialize. First we apparently had to have a lot of brooding, cryptic, pseudo-intellectual dialogues between ... frenemies? Did anyone in this book have a good relationship with each other? Frankly it got exhausting, and then at the end all the plot elements and big revelations piled on top of each other and blurred together, without any good time spent feeling the impact of any of them. For me, this needed more focus and plot and less angsting around about sex and art.
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