Snowblind

Stephen King fans in the mood for another tale of a community under supernatural siege should enjoy this somewhat derivative horror thriller from Golden (Strangewood). The action opens on a strong note with a once-in-a-century storm hitting the American city of Coventry. The blizzard essentially locks down the city, but the dangers posed by extreme cold and downed power lines are quickly dwarfed by flying “blue-white figures” dubbed the “ice men” by a child. The creatures, who can move at incredible speed, claim several lives, while other people just vanish. At the climax of the terror, Golden fast-forwards the narrative 12 years into the future, when the onset of another huge snowstorm awakens fears among the survivors. Those feelings are soon justified, as the bad weather brings disturbing reminders of the tragic events more than a decade earlier. As in many such stories, once the threat becomes explicit, the sense of menace diminishes. Agent: Howard Morhaim, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. (Jan.)