Winter Wake

book will grab you.Its been a few years since I read it,but I remember how I just could not put this one down.Of coarse with Rick Hautala one can not go wrong

"Winter Wake" commences with a family - father John, mother Julia, and thirteen year-old daughter Brianna (Bri for short) journeying back to Glooscap Island, the place of John's birth and early childhood, to care for his father Frank, who's recntly suffered a stroke. It's clear from the onset that John is less than thrilled with this move, and thus the novel launches itself from the familiar but time-tested angle of the unhappy homecoming. Considerable animosity persists between Frank and John from events years before, and almost immediately upon arrival, subtly strange events occur. The book is very driven by the inter-relationship angles between the four family members. Julia is instantly a likable character, while her husband almost as quickly establishes himself as a petty and petulant character, quick to take great offence at any real or perceived slights to himself and equally quick to shrug off or laugh off any of the same slights or difficulties experienced by others, including his own family. The grandfather, Frank, quickly cements himself as a likable enough though highly cantakerous (understandable, considering his recent misfortune) character although before long one may find oneself wondering if that initial impression of likability might have been misplaced. Bri is the best character of the core family, a bright, inquisitive and likable girl who I think many readers - whether male or female - will find themselves relating to in the way one would to a younger sister or niece, the way I did. This one character is responsible for a good deal of the book's relentless readibilty even in places where the going gets slow or runs a bit Too close to familiar storylines. The ghostly elements are well-done - really not suffering from their familiarity - but what really gets creepy is the subtle tension coming from Bri and Julia living in this house with Frank and John and the mysteries of what secrets one or both of them are hiding. There quickly seems to be a strong connection to a girl named Abby whom John used to know; not to mention that an inordinate number of people on the island seem to be experiencing delusions about everything from ghostly organ music in the night to giant-sized rats lurking around the wharves. In terms of writing, it's in the middle of Hautala's work: not the best example of his writing style but better than a couple of works which have to some degree misfired in the prose department. At one point Hautala was considered to be on the cusp of joining King, Koontz, Barker et al. in the sales department but he's since dropped through the cracks to a much lower profile; hopefully his popularity will move back up higher in the near future.

Love hurts in Rick Hautala's page-turner WINTER WAKE, the story of a man and his family returning to his homestead on a small Maine island to face his estranged wheelchair-confined father--and the ghost from his past. You know you're in for a treat when any character in a novel could be bumped off, and WINTER WAKE does just that. No one is safe in this first-rate piece of horror literature, where the fun isn't only in enjoying its stylish plot, but also in understanding the psychological action of its characters. WINTER is more than a story of revenge beyond the grave ; it also a tale of forgiveness, strength and acceptance. John Carlson, the central hero, is the tortured soul, the one to who everything happens. He is a devoted husband and father. He can also be jealous, arrogant and quick-tempered. His inability to forgive and forget is slowly eating him alive, and while he tries his best to hide it, adversity has the upper hand. Hautala is an ace in creating multi-dimensional characters. Their inner struggles are shown throughout rich, vivid, and yes, sometimes scary prose. The good-against-evil theme may not be new, but never is it as profoundly drawn as it is in this novel. True to his style, Hautala chooses a dark and eerie atmosphere, holding out on the gross outs in favor of the tension-built scenes. Thumbs up also for the clever way in which he masks the true identity of his villain. You'll scratch your head wondering who it really is, as the action develops to a satisfying, edge-of-your-seat conclusion. This is Hautala at his best. Don't miss it.-----Martin Boucher

I've slammed Hautala in the past for some of his other work but Winter Wake was a really satisfying read. I've read it twice now and I enjoyed it both times. An average American family moves home to a small town in Maine to take care of an elderly relative. They soon find they are being stalked by a kind of wraith that seems to be related to a dark secret from someone's past. Hautala has fun with the idea and it really comes across. There's a lot of genuinely creepy elements to the story (even in the background,) and it makes for a great read. Find it. Read it. Enjoy it. I may even read it again.