Reading Scott Carson’s The Chill gave me shivers like the ones I got when I first read Stephen King’s The Shining ... Carson ably and exponentially ramps up the intrigue and danger ... Carson includes plenty of factual exposition about real New York reservoirs and tunnel systems, sections that could have been dry and boring were it not for his deep characterizations and a pervading sense of doom. The result is a fast-paced, frenzied tale of survival against both natural and supernatural forces that will leave you gasping for air.
Blending myth with actual facts, Scott Carson has woven a story using one of nature’s most awful disasters combined with human greed and unconcern for the safety of his fellow man. Adding a supernatural element is icing on the cake ... would’ve made a great disaster movie back when that genre of motion picture was popular. As it is, it makes for a read that is—no pun intended—chilling ... a great tale, not of man’s inhumanity to man, but of man’s inhumanity to nature. Now, nature, with some supernatural assistance, strikes back.
... fully deserving of every word of the pre-publication buzz that it has received ... a memorable, haunting feast of supernatural literature ... an extremely effective and --- dare I say it? --- chilling work. We all depend on water while giving little thought to its availability unless we turn on the faucet and get nothing but a quiet sigh, for whatever reason ... a ghost story for our time.
... provides a wealth of historical details on everything from engineering to legends. The details build as the perspective switches, adding suspense, quickening the pace, and ratcheting up the terror until everyone and everything in the story seems as if it might burst ... Based on the true history of a drowned town and inspired by recent articles about the state of New York City’s water tunnels, this novel provides an alluring mix of truth and ghost story which will draw interest and keep readers hooked.
The Chill’s sharply developed characters, taut suspense and meticulous research might remind some readers of bestselling thrillers by Michael Koryta ... [Carson] has been winning awards for his crime fiction since he was 21; with The Chill he’s making his assured mark in another genre.
... [a] creepy tale of supernatural terror ... Carson suspends disbelief through plausible characterizations and convincing descriptive passages, especially of the water tunnel system that feeds New York City. Fans of Michael Koryta’s horror thrillers such as The Ridge will be more than satisfied.
The premise brims with creepy potential, and readers will learn more than they ever thought they wanted to know about dams and the challenges of harnessing a relentless force of nature that is often taken for granted. However, the meandering plot and muddled mythology eventually give way to scenes from a disaster film, with a thinly fleshed-out cast failing to provide the necessary emotional heft ... A waterlogged ghost tale.
