#12AngryRobotsOfChristmas ‘The Dead Of Winter’ by Lee Collins

About the book…

Cora and her husband hunt things – things that shouldn’t exist.

When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible.

But if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.

The first in the Cora Oglesby series by Lee Collins,‘The Dead Of Winter’ is available in e-book and paperback from Angry Robot Books!

It is a real adventure packed novel, right from the first page where town marsahl Mart Duggan,  and his deputy Jack Evans find the remains of what looks like a brutal fight between 2 wolfers and an unknown assailant. It appears to be a wild animal attack, but when they examine the crime scene a little closer, dog tracks away from the scene of the crime indicate that there were canine survivors. And neither Mart nor Jack know of an animal which would ignore the potential food source of 2 wolfhounds.

Puzzling over this problem which has hit their small mining town, of Leadville, Colorado, the mystery deepens with the arrival of a man and woman who offer to rid the town of whatever killed these full grown men without leaving a trace behind. Cora and Ben have a great deal of experience in fighting monsters and you are not sure whether they have tracked this supernaturally strong being to the town, or are wandering, Winchester-like, taking down monsters where they find them.

I love the mysterious nature of the outsider arriving in a small , Western mining town at a time when the North American Indian Wars were in full flow. The newly formed laws needed upholding by men with a strong moral fibre in order to establish a trusting relationship with the townsfolk, meaning there is a delicate balance of trust to be maintained between those who run the town, and those who live, and work there.

Threats from outside forces are a constant worry, and this includes a natural superstition about anyone who just saunters into the local saloon. This is a brave and bold take on a Western, frontier adventure, with added monsters, we find out about Ben and Cora as the townsfolk do, revealing in slow measure their back story as the encroaching darkness brings out the monsters in search of food…

Cora and Ben have been to this town before, and the growth in  the town is obvious to them and, as it has attracted these two monster hunters, it has also called to something unnatural which recognises a food source when it sees it. The story is fascinating as it goes back to a time when there was still a new frontier, still areas to explore and things which were unknown. The need for dependable and trustworthy leaders often led to corruption and misuse of power, but when you add in the outside threats, the open areas of country suddenly shrink and feel claustrophobic as the next settlement is so far away. Strength, a moral code which is unshakeable, and faith are key cornerstones of this story as if you believe in the inherent goodness and potential of humans to work towards a better future, so the alternative must also be true. There must be those willing to feed on such vulnerability with alcohol, gambling and sex to create addictions and need. The vampires may be sucking on blood, but worse than that is the stain left on the public consciousness as Leadville comes under attack.

Who will be left standing by the end of the book?

Will Cora and Ben find enough brave townsfolk to stand up to not only the threat to their souls, but also their sanity as their family and friends disappear, one by one, and some of them, well they return.

Like a Western Salem’s Lot, this exposes the frailties and strengths of an insular existence when it comes under attack. I loved the pacing and full on action scenes, the mysterious Cora and Ben who have many adventures under their belts and hopefully, many more to come (crossing all my fingers, there is a sequel, ‘She Returns From War’, which I will be picking up,but I would love to see this series expand at a future point!)

About the author…

Having grown up in Colorado, Lee Collins is no stranger to mountains, pine trees, and unstable weather patterns.

He remains, however, willfully ignorant of certain other Rocky Mountain delicacies. A job at his alma mater supports his writing, reading, and video game habits.

After receiving a degree in English, Lee remained in the dark with regard to all things publishing. This darkness continued unbroken for several years until he finished drafting his first novel,The Dead of Winter .

Now faced with the unmitigated terror of marketing the manuscript to agents, he began failing spectacularly for nearly a year.

His protagonist Cora Oglesby mocked him for his inadequacy, so he thrust her into the gauntlet of the Open Door Month at Angry Robot Books. Once there (and perhaps just to spite him), she rose to the challenge and did what he could not: secured a two-book deal.

He still lives in Colorado with his girlfriend and their imaginary corgi Fubsy Bumble.

Links-http://www.leecollinsfiction.com/

Twitter @angryrobotbooks @leecollinsfict