The Rink

by Steve Tovey

Three nights. Six friends. One killer on the ice.

December 1989. In the shadow of the Matterhorn, a shuttered Swiss ice rink becomes the secret playground for six teenagers looking to party their way into the new decade. They’ve got booze, skates, music—and the place all to themselves.

But as the snowstorm outside seals them in, whispers echo through the rafters. Strange noises. Shadows that move. A mask glimpsed in the dark. And then the first body falls.

What began as a celebration turns into a nightmare. One by one, they are hunted by a figure who should be long a disgraced coach, buried in scandal, who vanished years ago. Trapped inside the rink, the friends realise escape is impossible. Survival means facing the terror on its own ice.

The Rink is a chilling, blood-soaked slasher set against the towering menace of the Matterhorn on New Year’s Eve 1989. Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2025

About the author

Steve Tovey is a British author of horror fiction whose work explores the strange, the unsettling, and the unknown. His novels — The Hollow Ones, Below the Black Tide, Waterloo: The Forgotten Night, The Rink and The Mist Between Worlds — invite readers into vivid, atmospheric worlds where history, myth, and terror collide.

Blending chilling imagery with human drama, Steve’s stories are as much about the people at the heart of the nightmare as the horrors that surround them. From supernatural folklore to the shadows of war, his writing captures both the fear and the resilience of those who face the darkness.

When he isn’t writing, Steve is often researching history, studying folklore, or developing new story ideas to bring to life on the page. He is currently at work on future novels that continue his commitment to eerie, thought-provoking, and page-turning horror.

Reviews

[Debbie Schwarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Wow and double Wow!!
I had no idea what to expect from this book. In the early stages I found myself at risk of being too distracted by the sheer brilliance of his writing style to actually get a grasp on the evolvement of the tale being told.
I have absolutely no knowledge or experience of Indoor Ice Skating Rinks. His use of Skating Rink terminology and references to the building structure etc did indeed have a very important place in the book, and as the pages turned I felt I was learning along the way.
It has all the Feels of the standard horror/thriller but is NOT a book to be rushed. It deserved every ounce of effort I spent devouring it.
If you like very descriptive and creative writing styles then you will enjoy this Gem. I found this kept my reading at a pace that did it full justice.
It even left me researching Indoor Skating Rinks and the terminology etc. Not many books can be that inspiring.....
Well written and captivating. I encourage you to give it a chance. I am sure you will be blown away as I was. Definitely following this author and actively looking for more of his material right now.
Thank you,
Debbie (from New Zealand)

[Abbie Reads Horror · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was beautifully descriptive, but for me that meant the pace was too slow. There were many times when I couldn’t quite picture what was happening because the focus was on scene details instead of scene layout or plot, it seemed to jump around and I found it confusing. There was too much repetitive dialogue and I found the reactions to their friend’s deaths a little nonchalant. I nearly DNF this one but I persevered painfully and the ending really wasn’t worth it.