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Shivering in Hell
Some crooks are so cold they’ll still be shivering in hell.
Boris is a petty criminal who reluctantly comes back to the one place where everything always goes horribly wrong…home. Desperately needing a payday, he agrees to assist a former classmate kidnap the son of a corrupt judge as part of an ill-conceived plan to help an imprisoned acquaintance and score some quick cash. Predictably, the scheme blows up in their faces, forcing Boris to scramble to survive. With one partner in a coma (thanks to a bullet in the brain), and another turned homicidal maniac in an effort to cover his tracks, Boris allies himself with the judge’s junkie son and a local working girl in possession of some very profitable secrets. Over the course of a snowy weekend in rural Kansas, the trio attempt to play their enemies against each other and cash in on the sordid skeletons hidden in the town’s closet. But can they trust each other to stay out of their own way? Or will their insecurities cost them their lives?
Taking its cue from the work of Joe R. Lansdale, S.A. Cosby, and Jordan Harper, Shivering in Hell is the story of a damaged man struggling to survive in a harsh world made even more unforgiving by his own missteps. Featuring no shortage of shady deals, violence, sex, and dark comedy, it introduces a quick-witted and often unreliable narrator. Boris is not a good guy, but surrounded by even worse guys, even a bad guy is due for a break. Just ask him.
Boris is a petty criminal who reluctantly comes back to the one place where everything always goes horribly wrong…home. Desperately needing a payday, he agrees to assist a former classmate kidnap the son of a corrupt judge as part of an ill-conceived plan to help an imprisoned acquaintance and score some quick cash. Predictably, the scheme blows up in their faces, forcing Boris to scramble to survive. With one partner in a coma (thanks to a bullet in the brain), and another turned homicidal maniac in an effort to cover his tracks, Boris allies himself with the judge’s junkie son and a local working girl in possession of some very profitable secrets. Over the course of a snowy weekend in rural Kansas, the trio attempt to play their enemies against each other and cash in on the sordid skeletons hidden in the town’s closet. But can they trust each other to stay out of their own way? Or will their insecurities cost them their lives?
Taking its cue from the work of Joe R. Lansdale, S.A. Cosby, and Jordan Harper, Shivering in Hell is the story of a damaged man struggling to survive in a harsh world made even more unforgiving by his own missteps. Featuring no shortage of shady deals, violence, sex, and dark comedy, it introduces a quick-witted and often unreliable narrator. Boris is not a good guy, but surrounded by even worse guys, even a bad guy is due for a break. Just ask him.
- GenresCrime
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Edited review as I misspelled the author's name multiple times! Sorry Patrick!
3.5 stars rounded up
Shivering In Hell, the debut novel from Patrick Glancy is a promising debut and a fun noir that references a lot of the classics. Boris, a petty criminal gets involved in a kidnapping scheme in his hometown in Kansas. Things go sideways and Boris has to improvise a new plan to try and survive while maybe still coming out with some money while protecting some unlikely allies.
The start of the story reminded me of Fargo and I thought the story was going to be about some schmucky criminals who bumble their way through a poorly thought out plan in a rural setting. It quickly expands into a larger story of small town corruption with a lot of twists and turns. At one point, it reminded me a bit of something like The Big Sleep where it almost became hard to keep track of the additional characters and motivations. The setting plays a large role in the story and anyone who grew up in a small town that they love/hate will be able to relate to the feelings of Boris as he navigates his homecoming. I get the impression a lot of the setting of "Stinkton" was a reflection of Glancy's feelings towards his own hometown and like any great noir, the setting becomes its own character.
Glancy clearly loves the genre with Boris at one point comparing himself to Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past. One criticism is that Boris' inner dialogue at times becomes a bit too much - he is constantly making quips in his head or explaining exactly what his thought process is at all times. I think the story shines when it follows the "show don't tell" style. It isn't until close to halfway through the book that Boris and his companions become much more fleshed out through their conversations and the time spent away from the action. There was a point when I was hoping this might be the start of a series following Boris and his new found crew of misfits, ala Andrew Vachss' Burke series.
I also wish the antagonists were given a bit more time. The big bad ends up mostly being described by other characters and then when we finally meet him, he ends up being a bit underwhelming. Alternatively, one of the side antagonists, a quirky movie loving doctor ended up being one of my favorite characters.
Glancy writes action well, but I do think scenes can get bogged down a bit by Boris' internal voice and explanations which lessened some of the tension. That being said, I hope we might see more of these characters in future Glancy stories as I enjoyed my time with them and often thought some of the best parts were the quiet times they shared.
3.5 stars rounded up
Shivering In Hell, the debut novel from Patrick Glancy is a promising debut and a fun noir that references a lot of the classics. Boris, a petty criminal gets involved in a kidnapping scheme in his hometown in Kansas. Things go sideways and Boris has to improvise a new plan to try and survive while maybe still coming out with some money while protecting some unlikely allies.
The start of the story reminded me of Fargo and I thought the story was going to be about some schmucky criminals who bumble their way through a poorly thought out plan in a rural setting. It quickly expands into a larger story of small town corruption with a lot of twists and turns. At one point, it reminded me a bit of something like The Big Sleep where it almost became hard to keep track of the additional characters and motivations. The setting plays a large role in the story and anyone who grew up in a small town that they love/hate will be able to relate to the feelings of Boris as he navigates his homecoming. I get the impression a lot of the setting of "Stinkton" was a reflection of Glancy's feelings towards his own hometown and like any great noir, the setting becomes its own character.
Glancy clearly loves the genre with Boris at one point comparing himself to Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past. One criticism is that Boris' inner dialogue at times becomes a bit too much - he is constantly making quips in his head or explaining exactly what his thought process is at all times. I think the story shines when it follows the "show don't tell" style. It isn't until close to halfway through the book that Boris and his companions become much more fleshed out through their conversations and the time spent away from the action. There was a point when I was hoping this might be the start of a series following Boris and his new found crew of misfits, ala Andrew Vachss' Burke series.
I also wish the antagonists were given a bit more time. The big bad ends up mostly being described by other characters and then when we finally meet him, he ends up being a bit underwhelming. Alternatively, one of the side antagonists, a quirky movie loving doctor ended up being one of my favorite characters.
Glancy writes action well, but I do think scenes can get bogged down a bit by Boris' internal voice and explanations which lessened some of the tension. That being said, I hope we might see more of these characters in future Glancy stories as I enjoyed my time with them and often thought some of the best parts were the quiet times they shared.
September 25, 2026
Really great stuff. This is a propulsive character piece that accurately captures what it's like to be in small-ish Kansas towns getting into situations you shouldn't be getting into. At just shy of 300 pages, this thing doesn't over stay it's welcome and is honestly quite the pager turners. Patrick has a cinematic quality to his writing that keeps the prose breezy and entertaining. That's not to say that the plot is simple, cause there are some pretty great twists and turns in this book. There's a dash of the Coens here for sure, but I also think it has a bit of Hal Ashby jingle jangle in it's steps.
Patrick also writes little shorts on his substack and those are very much worth checking out.
Patrick also writes little shorts on his substack and those are very much worth checking out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A solid 4 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is so fast paced and an edge of your seat thriller that you can definitely devour in one setting. The storyline is gripping and so intense I couldn’t stop reading. I really loved every second of this. It never went off track with filler to make the book any longer than it should be. Every word was pertinent to the story and the ending was so satisfying. I loved all the characters and the way this played out! Highly recommend!
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this to read and review! Loved it.
This book is so fast paced and an edge of your seat thriller that you can definitely devour in one setting. The storyline is gripping and so intense I couldn’t stop reading. I really loved every second of this. It never went off track with filler to make the book any longer than it should be. Every word was pertinent to the story and the ending was so satisfying. I loved all the characters and the way this played out! Highly recommend!
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this to read and review! Loved it.
September 21, 2026
An enjoyable journey that forces you to root for the least-bad guy, laugh when you probably shouldn't, and feel the feels despite how disappointing the character's decisions are. The world building of the small town feels genuine, pulled from reality in the worst ways possible. Truly fun to read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews