Churn the Soil is one of the most fast paced reads I've had recently. It starts off with a bang, and you'll spend the entire time on the edge of your seat, so you might as well just start off sitting there!
Graham Brown and Raymond Reynolds are a truly loveable pair of police officers based in my Hell on Earth: a bitterly-cold-down-to-the-bone-marrow place waaaaaaaaay up north. When they receive an anonymous call about a young girl's grisly murder, they're thrown into an environment where their help isn't wanted, and dangerous secrets are everywhere. As the body count quickly rises, the partners (and a few other companions) are fighting against forces they didn't even know existed, and a ticking clock they can't see.
The first of my favorite elements in this story is the setting. If you're someone who dislikes the cold and snow as much as I do, that alone adds an unsettling vibe to any story. But in addition to the climate, Steve masterfully paints a picture of the reclusive village nestled in the depths of an ominous forest, and its unwelcoming inhabitants. So much of the story takes place in the wilderness, frigid temperatures both day and night, with horrible things lurking in the shadows, that you're uncomfortable for the entire duration.
The second is Steve's character building. Spoiler alert: my favorite one has four legs.💖 But anyways... It's hard for me to get into a story where the characters aren't relatable or likeable, and it took no time at all for me to start cheering on Brown, Reynolds, and Patrick. As someone who works in Law Enforcement, these characters actually reminded me of officers I work with, making it that much easier to be concerned about their welfare (and having an understanding of their approach to things). I was very invested in what happened to them, hanging on to every word!
This releases 2/17/23, and I highly recommend that you get your hands on it. It gave me strong 30 Days of Night vibes, so if you're a fan of that film, you'll definitely enjoy Churn the Soil!
Go find Steve!
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