Take a troubled couple, a snowstorm with a vendetta, and a creature straight out of your worst nightmares, and you’ve got yourself a book that’s equal parts chaos and catharsis. Our Winter Monster doesn’t just test Holly and Brian’s relationship—it pulverizes it under the crushing weight of their secrets, guilt, and…well, something that’s neither human nor forgiving.

The setting: Pinebuck, New York, a picturesque ski town turned survival horror film. The characters: a sheriff haunted by her own losses and a couple who probably should’ve tried therapy before hitting the highway. The vibe: The Shining meets Marriage Story, with a dash of monster movie madness.

What elevates this tale is the way it gnaws at the idea of what we become when we’re desperate to survive—both individually and as a couple. Sure, the pacing can be a little erratic, but the moments of terror and heartbreak hit like a snowplow in a blizzard.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill monster romp—it’s a frosty cocktail of small-town terror, relationship drama, and a creature that’ll haunt your snowstorm daydreams. This one’s worth the trek through the snow.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read and review Our Winter Monster prior to publication.

Review of Our Winter Monster by Dennie Mahoney

Dennis Mahoney’s Our Winter Monster delivers a chilling blend of psychological tension and visceral horror, weaving an unsettling tale of survival, guilt, and the thin line between human and beast. Holly and Brian’s strained relationship takes center stage as they confront not only a harrowing snowstorm but a terrifying creature that feels like a reflection of their own fractured bond. Sheriff Kendra Book adds depth and urgency to the narrative, her personal stakes amplifying the dread as the monster’s rampage grows ever closer. Mahoney masterfully balances relentless action with deeply introspective moments, crafting a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels as suffocating as a winter blizzard. With its vivid gore, raw emotional stakes, and a setting that mirrors the characters’ turmoil, Our Winter Monster is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to endure—both the storm outside and the storms within.

If you are looking for a chilling small town horror look no further. The setting of this book is absolutely amazing - everything is white and you are really are in the thick of the storm. I enjoyed the mystery of the monster and exploration of relationships and trauma. At times you aren’t sure where the story will take you and I loved this. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you gripped. The characters we jump between are all interesting and real. Overall a vivid experience I enjoyed.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I LOVE snowy, wintery reads! It's all snow in Our Winter Monster. The cold, the sense of being trapped yet lost makes the frozen landscape the right place for a tale of trauma and fear. The emotions the characters go through are portrayed so well. I could easily understand what they are thinking and feeling as they run from whatever is after them.

But what are they running from? What is barreling through town, leaving blood and destruction in its path? I figured it out (early?) and the answer is revealed soon enough. There's more to the story though and it's one unique tale. There's a dark twist, a shocking bloody scene that horror lovers will appreciate, and moments where you just want to scream at the characters. No, don't do that!

There is blood and satisfaction at the end. Are they in two different scenes? Maybe. I would love to say something but can't because of spoilers. Let's just say I anticipated an action and I was right!

Our Winter Monster arrives on the scene January 28th. It's well done and perfect for horror readers who want something different.

Thank you to Soho Press for the chance to read!

This story is of a couple who gets caught up with a snow monster with a strange and mysterious nature. Other people find themselves in the snow monster's way and ultimately meet their demise.

This book was uncomfortable in the best way possible—I think you want some discomfort when you're reading horror. The setting was so claustrophobic and I think the intimacy of a couple fighting was claustrophobic as well. It took me a while to read this one just because of the discomfort, but at the same time, I didn't want to put it down because I needed to know what happened. This was a solid horror novel and I will definitely be adding a physical version to my collection.

Our Winter Monster is an atmospheric tale that artfully blends dark fantasy and mystery with a wintry setting that feels both chilling and intimate. The story's strengths lie in its evocative descriptions of the icy, foreboding landscapes and the eerie, enigmatic creature at its heart, which lends an otherworldly tension to the narrative.

However, while the premise is intriguing, the pacing can be uneven, with certain sections dragging and others feeling rushed. The characters, though well-defined, sometimes struggle to break free from archetypes, making it harder to form strong emotional connections. The resolution, while satisfying in some respects, leaves a few too many loose ends for those who crave closure.

Overall, this book is an engaging read for fans of atmospheric storytelling, but it might leave others yearning for a more polished execution. A solid three-star read: not without its flaws, but worth exploring for its immersive setting and haunting premise.

"Our Winter Monster" immediately wraps you in, with an intriguing start and some quite likeable characters and cosy little winter town. The story surrounds the troubled couple Holly and Brian, who drift further apart from each other after a traumatic event. They struggle coping and communicating, so they took a trip to a lovely winter village for some change of scenery. They get caught in a heavy blizzard and lose control over their car, each other and themselves. Meanwhile, the local sheriff Kendra tries to make sense of past and current events surrounding lost couples in the snow.

I absolutely enjoyed the start and the build up of the story. The town felt appealing, and I enjoyed the characters of Kendra and Holly a lot. There are some time and location jumps between the scenes, getting back and forth, spiralling into the showdown, and we learn what happened to our couple in the past. Sadly, some of the revelations in the book do not hit the mark, and that includes the 'solution' to our 'monster'. It was sadly quite a letdown and impacted my overall impression of the story a lot.
It still is a good book and worth a read for sure though, and I do love the vibe and intense snowy setting.
3.25-3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve never read anything else by this author, but this story as me interested in checking out other titles. I liked the writing and the pacing. I enjoyed the bad date flashbacks. I loved the cold and isolated small town setting. One of my favorites quotes from the story was: “It’s a bubble of enchantment, magical and whole, like a snow globe right before it’s shattered with a brick.” Would recommend.

Dennis Mahoney’s Our Winter Monster is an intense, atmospheric horror story that delves deep into emotional trauma and strained relationships against the backdrop of an unforgiving winter landscape. A couple, burdened by a past tragedy that has driven a wedge between them, decides to take a vacation to a remote ski resort. When a devastating blizzard strikes, an accident separates them, and they both come face-to-face with an enigmatic snow-and-ice monster that spares them but savages others.
Mahoney does a fantastic job combining horror with human drama, portraying complex characters struggling with loss and guilt. The town’s sheriff, grieving her own personal loss and dealing with an unsolved missing person’s case, adds depth and tension to the narrative. The creature itself is a unique twist in horror, embodying more than mere menace but symbolizing how monsters—and the fears that create them—take shape.
With vivid, chilling imagery, unique kills, and an ever-twisting plot, this novel offers a fresh take on the nature of monsters and their purpose. An action-packed read that I highly recommend to horror enthusiasts looking for depth and originality.

Thank you, Soho Press, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review this wonderful novel.

Is there such a thing as relationship horror? “Why do we do these things to each other and why can’t we stop” horror?

If there isn’t, there should be, and Our Winter Monster would be a classic example.

Holly and Brian are in a push/pull sort of difficulty in their relationship, needing to put work in and not sure if they can anymore. They decide to try a weekend away to a winter village. But they have brought all their difficulties with them and the car ride is already awkward with the abrasive bicker just under the surface. And then a blizzard hits.

But this storm is much more than it seems. It is a monster that seems to reflect Brian and Holly’s unprocessed traumas, their anxiety and their grudges, their fear and their desperation.

Even though this story has all the elements of your basic well-written horror story, excellent characters, wonderful back stories, a terrifying monster, Mahoney has written a very different sort of horror story. It is clever and sneaky, it is in-your-face yet also slyly slithering into your heart. I could see myself in every emotion, every reaction, every terror and heartbreak. Smart, tightly paced, with shocking violence, deep sorrow and ferocious love.

Well-done, Dennis Mahoney. This one is very good.

A fast paced gripping horror story with a lot of heart. Our Winter Monster had me enthralled from the first chapter.

We follow Holly and Brian on their way to a ski village to try to work on their estranged relationship. Only things aren't so simple for the couple and take a monstrous turn before they even arrive. They soon realize being stranded in a blizzard is far from their biggest concern. The characters in this book are flawed but incredibly likable and easily resonate with you. Our Winter Monster has action, twists, and a healthy smattering of body horror (a little something for everybody)

This is the perfect book to read in the wintertime from the safety of your warm home. I had a lot of fun with this and plowed (snow pun) right through it. Be sure to check it out when it's released 1/28/25

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

This one really missed the mark for me. I was hoping for some kind of scary winter monster, and I was very disappointed with what we got. The author did a good job of describing the icy and dark setting. Everything else was just messy. Half the story was people wandering around in the snow and thinking about their failed relationships. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish, but it was just not the type of "monster" horror that I prefer. I think this would work well for people that enjoy Paul Tremblay's work.

ARC copy kindly provided by Netgalley.

Holly and Brian's story is a little like a bad dream, that just gets worse! Set amidst a small town gripped by a mega snow storm, people are going missing or losing sections of their memory.

I struggled with this book. Whilst not overly long, I found myself lost with the plot, wondering quite where the story was going until the plot twist came, which I found to be anticlimatic. It just popped up, leaving me feeling a bit.'Oh?'

What I can't fault is this authors absolute skill in weaving a world that is trapped in the snowstorm that Holly and Brian face. That feeling of terror is present when you're lost, isolated, and scared if trapped in bad weather as they are. This is the strong point of the novel for me.

A small remote mountain town still reeling from an unsolved missing persons case is now in the midst of a devastating blizzard when reports come in of a car accident, missing persons, property damage, and … a monster. The townsfolk and tourists will face terror, both physical and psychological, in this horror story about a giant monster concealed in the snow and the far-reaching effects of trauma on ourselves and our relationships.

Our Winter Monster hooked me when it wasted no time getting right to the good stuff (monster) in the first chapter. The author, Dennis Mahoney, creates an atmosphere of stifling tension right from the beginning - the main characters, Brian and Holly, trying to repair their frayed relationship, are driving in a whiteout blizzard and being chased by a giant monster in the dark.

We experience the story through the lens of the many characters: Brian and Holly, the couple whose relationship has been crumbling since a traumatic event a year prior; Kendra, the BIPOC lesbian sheriff; Cookie, the exuberant diner owner; and Tanner, the helpful plow driver. The narrative style, which shifts between these characters, offers a unique perspective on the unfolding events. On the outside, the characters are vastly different, but on the inside, everyone is fractured and scared. Multiple carrots keep the reader flying through the pages - we're constantly teased of "the bad date" that fundamentally altered Brian and Holly, the unsolved missing person's case, and the mysterious giant monster wreaking havoc in the storm. Oh, and there's a twist, too!

Our Winter Monster, a profound exploration of trauma, fear, and the human condition, is a must-read for fans of monster, supernatural, and survival horror with a deeply psychological dimension. Dennis Mahoney's novel is a thought-provoking allegory that will leave readers pondering long after the last page is turned.

_Our Winter Monster_ by Dennis Mahoney is a nonlinear and fast-paced horror read told from multiple points of view. Holly and Brian are struggling with their relationship when they decide to book a winter getaway. After crashing their car during a blizzard, they become separated from one another and begin experiencing strange and violent events. An intriguing book that will keep the reader entertained.

A deeply unsettling 80’s style Horror novel.
I actually really enjoyed this.
Gut wrenching, heartbreaking and creepy.
Will be on the lookout for his next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Our Winter Monster.

I love anything horror and/or supernatural; extra points for including the word Monster in the title will always catch my eye.

I was excited my request was approved since the premise was intriguing.

After a difficult year, Holly and Brian are on a trip hoping to reconnect and salvage their relationship. As the couple heads toward Pinebuck, a blizzard derails their plans and sets them on a course neither of them can imagine.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped even though all the elements were there; a blizzard, a supernatural entity hunting innocent people, and a subplot that includes a missing couple from a few months ago.

The monster is not so much supernatural as it is a manifestation of trauma and guilt; it reminds me of the Babadook, but the movie was way better.

My biggest issue was how I didn't connect with anyone; I didn't dislike Brian and Holly but I didn't care about them and I also couldn't understand why they were together. They didn't seem to be compatible.

I didn't care about Kendra, either; I understand she misses her ex-gf and dealing with guilt over not being able to figure out what happened to the missing couple but her constant monologuing over these two issues got tedious quick.

The writing was good, but the narrative dragged as Holly and Brian searched for one another in the storm.

Despite the blizzard and disorientation of being caught outside in frigid temperatures, there was a lack of suspense and urgency.

The flashbacks may have contributed to this; it takes nearly the entire novel to explain what happened to the couple a year ago. There's plenty of filler on their lackluster relationship and how Holly feels about Brian.

As I mentioned above, I didn't feel any chemistry between them and couldn't take their relationship seriously.

I hoped the winter monster was a legit monster, but I understood it was a psychological and physiological response to the violent attack Holly and Brian survived a year ago.

What was ironic was when Tanner showed up on the page I made a correct assumption, and not because he likes odd combinations.

But I do read a lot of books featuring murderers.

At the center of this slow-building tense novel is a relationship still oozing from a traumatic day one year earlier that ricocheted them in separate directions. Now, wanting to get back to some semblance of their relationship before, Holly and Brian escape to a snow-quiet little town. Before they can arrive, though, a blizzard - or something in it? - stops them in their tracks, separating them once again. Battling the weather, onlookers, and trouble that seems to follow them both, Holly and Brain fight to get back to each other before it's too late. It's tight, tense, and terrifically written, with raw emotion at the center of everything.

Holly and Brian take a short trip to the mountains for a romantic getaway. Since a terrible event happened to them the previous year, their relationship has been on the rocks. They are both hoping a vacation might bring them closer together. Just outside of the town they're driving to, they get caught up in a blizzard and their car slides off the road. Suddenly, in a swirl of snow, Brian disappears. Holly attempts to find him but can't see any footprints or indication of which direction he went. Meanwhile, Brian wakes up outside with no memory of how he got there. As he attempts to find his way back to Holly, they keep missing each other and having unpleasant interactions with . . . whatever the thing in the snow is. Meanwhile, Sheriff Kendra Book is having a bit of a personal and professional crisis. She's reeling from an unexpected breakup with her girlfriend and is feeling guilty that she hasn't been able to find a couple that went missing in her town a few months ago. Now she's hearing that another couple might be missing and she worries that this case will also go unsolved. So she sets out in the blizzard to see if she can find the latest missing couple.

The story moves along at a fast pace and I liked the overall premise. I didn't really like the explanation for what was causing the disturbances/violence in the town. I never did really get a grasp on what was going on there. It was an interesting and fast read to find out what's going on -- which I guess sort of happens!