BOOK REVIEW: CHILLS BY MARY SANGIOVANNI

BY KIT POWER 

 
 
Picked up on a whim, I think as the ebook was on sale. I know of SanGiovanni’s podcast work, on both The Horror Show amd Cosmic Shannagains (a deep-dive-yet-accessible exploration of cosmic horror in all its forms, covering both the work and the underpinning philosophies, tropes, and branches - well worth your time). I’d also been aware of John Boden’s reviews of her work elsewhere on this site.
 
Chills is set in small town Connecticut, where a freak snowstorm in May is spreading misery and mayhem, as well as proving to be the harbinger of a far darker situation.
 
The novel starts off as a pretty standard police procedural, with a murder detective and a gruesome, frozen crime scene, and part of the joy of the book, for me, was just how skillfully SanGiovanni gradually wove the more sinister, supernatural elements into this well-worn genre. It’s a real pleasure to feel the cosmic horror/creature feature blend slowly bleed into the procedural, without ever quite overtaking the narrative entirely - this remains, at its heart, a cop drama, albeit one where the cops in question are facing a very atypical opposition - and with higher stakes than that genre can generally reach for.
 
The cops themselves are brilliantly realised characters.  - the family man and experienced murder detective, the younger irishman, and the somewhat distant occult specialist, who is respected for her expertise. All are exceptionally well drawn, with an admirable lightness of touch that allows the characters to breathe on the page, their interactions and dialogue flowing naturally from their circumstances. It’s deft, assured writing, and really swept me along with the narrative.
 
It’s a hell of a story, too, taking in cosmic horror, evil cultists, dark family secrets, and some superb, pulp horror setpieces. While SanGiovanni is not afraid to deliver gore, should the occasion demand it, in many of these sequences it is the building of tension that is most powerful, and her ability to generate a mounting sense of dread is exceptional.
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Overall, I found Chills to be a superb reading experience - gripping, powerful, and brilliantly written. I look forward to exploring more of SanGiovanni’s work.
 
KP
16/2/18