Mourning his son after a tragic accident, Staff Sergeant Samuel Mulwrey must command his Army Ranger platoon during cold-weather training in the wintry wilds of Alaska. It’s his last chance to pull his troops – and himself – together. After a blinding whiteout separates Mulwrey and three other Rangers from their unit, they seek refuge in what seems like a cheerful, homey chalet nestled in the savage wilderness. Except nothing is as it appears. The place possesses a dark and disturbing history. As the Rangers warm themselves, someone – or something – stalks them all with an unquenchable bloodlust, and the terror won’t stop until the blinding snowstorm ends and they all die.
This started out well, though I was less absorbed by the end. The author uses any cliched horror moments well by making them funny. A relatively light, fast read, that’s entertaining. I can imagine this could make a decent film if done well, and it’s apparently currently in production.
A truly exceptional book that takes you inside the once strict mind of Staff Sargent Mulwrey as he resists the collapse of life that has been crumbling around him. With a dead son and a comatose wife, he seeks comfort in the responsibility of being an Army Ranger. Sure that he is still top shape even after his grieving period, he is thrust into the snow with a group of rangers who are less likely to resist their own collapse.
A great novel that digs into perseverance of mind, horror of death, and honor of the Army Creed. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good skin-prickling nervous sweat before bedtime.