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Where the Chill Waits
In a test of their manhood, four men venture deep into a forest where evil awaits them, and the survivors of the lurking entity's fury will bear its evil out into the world.
332 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
62 people are currently reading
2178 people want to read
About the author
T. Chris Martindale
4 books27 followersT. Chris Martindale wrote a few horror novels back in the day—four to be exact. The first two were fairly well received, one even nominated for Best First Novel by the Horror Writers of America as they were known at the time. But the last two were barely noticed, possibly due to crappy distribution and some truly embarrassing covers. That and the general drying up of the horror market in the ’90s suggested to Martindale that maybe writing wasn't his bag after all. So he stopped.
Flash forward to 2017. His vampire novel Nightblood gets a mention in Grady Hendrix's book, Paperbacks from Hell, and that leads to it being reprinted for the first time in almost thirty years. Now Crossroad Press has offered to reprint his other three titles as well—Where the Chill Waits, Demon Dance, and The Voice in the Basement. Martindale says he's excited to see these works available for a new audience after all this time.
Questions for the author (aside from “What the hell you been doing for the last thirty years!”) can be sent to tchrismartindale@outlook.com.
Flash forward to 2017. His vampire novel Nightblood gets a mention in Grady Hendrix's book, Paperbacks from Hell, and that leads to it being reprinted for the first time in almost thirty years. Now Crossroad Press has offered to reprint his other three titles as well—Where the Chill Waits, Demon Dance, and The Voice in the Basement. Martindale says he's excited to see these works available for a new audience after all this time.
Questions for the author (aside from “What the hell you been doing for the last thirty years!”) can be sent to tchrismartindale@outlook.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
June 12, 2022
I don’t write reviews.
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. The windigo is a rarely seen horror trope and Martindale used it accurately and to great effect. The characters were likable and the woods incredibly creepy. A satisfying spine tingler for the summer.
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. The windigo is a rarely seen horror trope and Martindale used it accurately and to great effect. The characters were likable and the woods incredibly creepy. A satisfying spine tingler for the summer.
August 25, 2021
Afraid of the consequences of saying no, Steven and two of his co-workers agree to a week long fishing trip with their boss, Elton. They are flown into the Canadian wilderness, to Chalako Lake - Elton's huge, newly purchased plot of land - complete with their own guide.
"Native legend says that this place is a bad place, tainted by the spirits. A place to be avoided."
That night their guide, Davejac, tells Steven about a native spirit, said to roam the woods.
"Windigo?"
"One of their spirit demons. Sorta like the bogeyman of the forest. He-who-lives-alone in Cree. It's a giant cannibal, a spirit of madness that wanders the deep woods of the north, looking for hunters and any who should trespass there. The lucky ones would be consumed. But the others would suffer a worse fate."
The next day, the four set out on a hunting excursion, but as the group ventures deeper and deeper into the forest, Elton grows increasingly irritated by the lack of game to hunt, and he begins to suffer from drastic and frightening mood swings.
"The legend goes that if a man hears the windigo call his name, he is destined for madness. And if he should feel its icy touch, then forget it. He's cursed. For he'll soon know the hunger for human flesh himself, and he'll turn windigo. Doomed to wander the forest for eternity."
Davejac and Steven try desperately to convince Elton to turn back, but unwilling to admit failure, he stubbornly refuses. Suddenly, Elton sees a huge buck and, hyper-focused on hunting it, follows it down into a valley with his employees. The guide refuses to go into the valley, saying it gives him a very bad feeling, and stays behind to wait for them.
Almost 24 hours later, Davejac, frantic with worry sees something hobbling out of the tree line. It is two of the four men, badly injured and unable to even speak. There is something very wrong with them, and they are unknowingly bringing it out of the woods with them.
"The windigo is a malicious spirit who haunts the deep woods, stalking and preying on lost hunters. They are a cannibalistic race, this is true. But often as not, they would rather toy with their victim, torment and bedevil him rather than consume him. Sometimes to the point of insanity. Sometimes much worse."
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This was definitely a good book; my first from T. Chris Martindale, and I wasn't let down, I just wish there was more windigo action. More stalking and general terrorizing of the hunters, while they were lost in the woods. But I'm a huge sucker for Native American legends, so I'm very happy to find a book with a windigo in it in the first place.
"Native legend says that this place is a bad place, tainted by the spirits. A place to be avoided."
That night their guide, Davejac, tells Steven about a native spirit, said to roam the woods.
"Windigo?"
"One of their spirit demons. Sorta like the bogeyman of the forest. He-who-lives-alone in Cree. It's a giant cannibal, a spirit of madness that wanders the deep woods of the north, looking for hunters and any who should trespass there. The lucky ones would be consumed. But the others would suffer a worse fate."
The next day, the four set out on a hunting excursion, but as the group ventures deeper and deeper into the forest, Elton grows increasingly irritated by the lack of game to hunt, and he begins to suffer from drastic and frightening mood swings.
"The legend goes that if a man hears the windigo call his name, he is destined for madness. And if he should feel its icy touch, then forget it. He's cursed. For he'll soon know the hunger for human flesh himself, and he'll turn windigo. Doomed to wander the forest for eternity."
Davejac and Steven try desperately to convince Elton to turn back, but unwilling to admit failure, he stubbornly refuses. Suddenly, Elton sees a huge buck and, hyper-focused on hunting it, follows it down into a valley with his employees. The guide refuses to go into the valley, saying it gives him a very bad feeling, and stays behind to wait for them.
Almost 24 hours later, Davejac, frantic with worry sees something hobbling out of the tree line. It is two of the four men, badly injured and unable to even speak. There is something very wrong with them, and they are unknowingly bringing it out of the woods with them.
"The windigo is a malicious spirit who haunts the deep woods, stalking and preying on lost hunters. They are a cannibalistic race, this is true. But often as not, they would rather toy with their victim, torment and bedevil him rather than consume him. Sometimes to the point of insanity. Sometimes much worse."
---------------
This was definitely a good book; my first from T. Chris Martindale, and I wasn't let down, I just wish there was more windigo action. More stalking and general terrorizing of the hunters, while they were lost in the woods. But I'm a huge sucker for Native American legends, so I'm very happy to find a book with a windigo in it in the first place.
September 2, 2025
This book was awesome! I loved the isolation of the deep woods setting, and the native American folklore was captivating and legit scary.
It takes its time in the beginning setting up the plot and character development however it's worth it once the monsters of the woods come alive,the blood spills and minds are broken it makes it all the more devastating.
It takes its time in the beginning setting up the plot and character development however it's worth it once the monsters of the woods come alive,the blood spills and minds are broken it makes it all the more devastating.
August 2, 2008
This is one of my favorite books. I thought this did deep woods horror as well as anything I've ever read.
March 6, 2024
2.5 I feel bad kicking on this one because it has good qualities but the plot is just all over the place. The first half is the story of three businessmen who get rooked into an ill-advised hunting expedition in a cursed Canadian wilderness. It turns out their boss, a rich asshole, is about to have a nervous breakdown and lead them onto the land of an evil Native American spirit. It's slow going for about a hundred pages, abruptly shifts and changes locations, and does it again until there's a showdown against the demon in which our hero is joined by his Native Canadian guide and pretty magazine illustrator wife. It's silly pulp stuff that I would call good if it were a hundred pages shorter. I did, however, like the Native portrayals and thought they were pretty sensitive. Kind of surprised that it's from 1991 because it still feels relatively modern. If Wendigo books are something you're interested in, this book has a pretty solid take. It's just a mess. Introduces characters that it then drops, has long scenes that don't go anywhere, and builds up to some pretty underwhelming action. But there are some good parts too, a bit with a dead deer gave me chills.
June 25, 2012
I originally picked this book up at Brand Books in Glendale in their used section. It looked interesting, so I bought it, read it, then traded it back in. I immediately regretted trading it back in because it was one of those books that I knew I'd want to re-read and keep in my collection. SO I waited until the owner reshelved it and bought it again! I'm so glad I did - this remains one of my top 10 favorite horror novels of all time. The windigo (wendigo, depending on who's spelling it) hasn't gotten a lot of "air time", so to speak, either in publishing or films, and when it has, I have been generally disappointed in the results. Stephen King gave us a hint of how chilling the windigo could be in Pet Semetery, and Martindale's Where the Chill Waits takes that promise and runs with it. Find yourself a copy of this book and then pick up Demon Dance (zombie buffalo!), Night Blood (his first novel, which was nominated for a Stoker award) and Voice in the Basement. Then send him letters and tell him to write more books!
August 20, 2025
Had my heart pounding in a couple of spots and didn’t want to stop reading it.
October 29, 2012
I was originally led to this book when I went to Amazon in search of Crooked Tree (a movie adaption of which will soon be filming near my home.) A review of the book mentioned this one, and following the link provided even more reviews about how frightening this novel was. The reviews alone had me purchasing this novel over Crooked Tree immediately.
I was not disappointed.
There is a reasonable amount of build up in the beginning, some foreshadowing and mood setting that keeps the book from getting to a banging start. However, it is well worth the wait.
Like the old movie Jaws, this movie all about atmosphere, speculation, things that happen either out of the reader's view or realm of understanding...and the pay off is every bit as fantastic as that first much awaited glimpse of the shark in Jaws.
The characters are well thought out. Even the heroes of the novel have faults that keep them from being one dimensional. You can find something to relate to in the lead characters with ease, and better yet...something familiar about the secondary characters as well. This alone will keep you interested through the beginning of the novel until the real action starts.
I also did not see where this book was going. I thought I did, but about half way through, Martindale took it some place new. I always appreciate a twist I don't see coming, since I feel like so many novels these days end up following a simple formula that we've all come to expect when reading.
My other favorite part about this particular book was Martindale's style. He is not overly verbose or descriptive, but just descriptive enough to paint a picture in your mind's eye with ease. Reading this book, for me at least, was also like watching it unfold in my imagination like a movie. Why no one has adapted this book into a feature film is beyond me.
In short, would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It's not a rock-em, sock-em romp full of violence and screams, but it is a 'chilling' tale with a frightening storyline and its own fair share of horror before the awesome climax. I loved it, and I fully intend to seek out Martindale's other three books when I can.
I was not disappointed.
There is a reasonable amount of build up in the beginning, some foreshadowing and mood setting that keeps the book from getting to a banging start. However, it is well worth the wait.
Like the old movie Jaws, this movie all about atmosphere, speculation, things that happen either out of the reader's view or realm of understanding...and the pay off is every bit as fantastic as that first much awaited glimpse of the shark in Jaws.
The characters are well thought out. Even the heroes of the novel have faults that keep them from being one dimensional. You can find something to relate to in the lead characters with ease, and better yet...something familiar about the secondary characters as well. This alone will keep you interested through the beginning of the novel until the real action starts.
I also did not see where this book was going. I thought I did, but about half way through, Martindale took it some place new. I always appreciate a twist I don't see coming, since I feel like so many novels these days end up following a simple formula that we've all come to expect when reading.
My other favorite part about this particular book was Martindale's style. He is not overly verbose or descriptive, but just descriptive enough to paint a picture in your mind's eye with ease. Reading this book, for me at least, was also like watching it unfold in my imagination like a movie. Why no one has adapted this book into a feature film is beyond me.
In short, would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It's not a rock-em, sock-em romp full of violence and screams, but it is a 'chilling' tale with a frightening storyline and its own fair share of horror before the awesome climax. I loved it, and I fully intend to seek out Martindale's other three books when I can.
January 18, 2024
I never get scared when I read horror books, but this one had me a bit spooked. I really enjoyed the setting. Definitely will reread this.
November 2, 2014
A unique survival piece dealing with Indian mythology, corporate greed, and readjusting to daily routines. I love how the author clearly researched the Thunder Bay area to paint a vibrant and immense setting of the Canadian wilderness.
January 16, 2025
First book of the year, and it was a great one. Three coworkers are coerced by their boss to go hunting only for things to quickly get out of hand. This book is hands down the greatest outdoor horror novel I have read. It gets the atmosphere, and the gritty feel down perfectly. I'm really glad I read this one when I did, I've been in a fiction slump here lately, and this one took me out of it. It also gave me the creeps, which doesn't happen often. I read it at night one time and convinced myself I was seeing shadows. Never did it again. Violent and creatively horrific, worth a reread. Highly recommend for horror fans.
There it is and there you have it.
There it is and there you have it.
May 3, 2015
This would be 3.5 stars if we could do half stars on here. Its better than just okay but it isn't quite great. Martindale is a gifted writer, and I'm a little bummed that this is the 4th and final book I've read of his. Its unfortunate that he didn't write more, as he is leagues better than many authors who hopped on the horror boom in the 80s then disappeared after the horror bust of the mid 90s.
This book has a great first act, with Martindale giving us a very juicy backwoods horror setup. The writing is highly effective and creepy, it gets under your skin. The second act, or the middle of the book kind of surprised me. With that fantastic setup, I thought we were in for a long, dark journey into the deepest darkest woods, with maybe light at the end of the tunnel at the end of the book. Instead we have kind of a mini climax halfway through, then a lengthy regrouping section, then finally, the big finale. I thought the book suffered a bit in the regrouping phase. It kind of loses momentum and then tries to build it back up again. The finale is good, and made for an overall satisfying read. So, beyond a few things with its structure and pace that I didn't particularly enjoy, this was overall a good read. I think I enjoyed both "Demon Dance" and especially "Nightblood" quite a bit more than this one. Mr. Martindale, come out of retirement! You're a good writer and I'd love to read more stuff by you.
This book has a great first act, with Martindale giving us a very juicy backwoods horror setup. The writing is highly effective and creepy, it gets under your skin. The second act, or the middle of the book kind of surprised me. With that fantastic setup, I thought we were in for a long, dark journey into the deepest darkest woods, with maybe light at the end of the tunnel at the end of the book. Instead we have kind of a mini climax halfway through, then a lengthy regrouping section, then finally, the big finale. I thought the book suffered a bit in the regrouping phase. It kind of loses momentum and then tries to build it back up again. The finale is good, and made for an overall satisfying read. So, beyond a few things with its structure and pace that I didn't particularly enjoy, this was overall a good read. I think I enjoyed both "Demon Dance" and especially "Nightblood" quite a bit more than this one. Mr. Martindale, come out of retirement! You're a good writer and I'd love to read more stuff by you.
August 11, 2019
T. Chris Martindale doesn't disappoint. I first read his book Night blood and followed it with this book. A suspenseful novel with an array of characters that were so very well written. Each chapter just builds into uneasiness. It also had an uncommon villain that I don't find in a lot of horror novels. It actually made me wary of the woods too. Very well written. I'll probably read it again. Is this author still out there? I can only find four novels.
July 25, 2022
If you’re still debating about paying the price to buy this book (like I was) don’t. This is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read. Such a captivating story and such a very unpredictable ending. The book definitely kept me guessing. Definitely in my top 10 books I’ve ever read.
April 17, 2025
Okay, I know what a wendigo is, but what the hell is a windigo? Is is just a wendigo who likes cranking the AC?
June 11, 2024
5/5 - “The forest smiled at the notion and continued to wear its most tranquil face. For now… but it was eternal. It could wait. “
Such a fun read and genuinely creepy. Trip into the Canadian wilderness gone wrong with a horror spin is so up my alley that I was afraid my expectations were too high. Totally delivered.
Such a fun read and genuinely creepy. Trip into the Canadian wilderness gone wrong with a horror spin is so up my alley that I was afraid my expectations were too high. Totally delivered.
June 10, 2010
I'm a big fan of this kind of horror novel, especially when it's done correctly. Martindale nails the slow pace needed to get you to the sort of insane climax of the story without losing you along the way. Creepy and really fun to read. It's out of print, so I had to track down a beat up, used paperback copy of this online to read it, but it was worth the effort.
September 10, 2025
Content warning:
Deep woods horror story set in Canada; four men on a hunting trip encounter the Wendigo of First Nations folklore. Very well done!
Deep woods horror story set in Canada; four men on a hunting trip encounter the Wendigo of First Nations folklore. Very well done!
November 8, 2022
Lots of fun and many twists and turns right to the last page… Well done!
July 30, 2025
kept me hooked the entire time, GOD i love w-ndigos
November 20, 2025
This one hit all the right horror nerves. Where the Chill Waits feels like cracking open a time capsule from the late ’80s paperback horror boom—complete with toxic bosses, gruff men with rifles, and a hunting trip gone straight to hell. Three guys get roped into a “corporate bonding” trip deep in the Canadian wilderness, led by their egotistical boss who clearly missed the memo about HR policies. What starts as a macho pissing contest quickly turns into something far darker, colder, and more than anyone bargained for.
This is my second book I’ve read by Martindale, and this guy knows horror. You can feel the Pet Sematary and The Thing vibes bleeding through the pages. There’s that creeping dread early on, that slow burn of “something’s out there,” and then boom, he flips the script halfway through. The second half is full-on creature-feature mayhem, blending psychological horror with bone-crunching survival. Think frostbite, fear, and folklore all bundled together.
The character work surprised me too. These guys start off as your typical meatheads, but Martindale gives them just enough humanity to make you root for them (and fear for the dogs, trust me you’ll worry). Janet, the main guy’s wife, gets her own POV in the back half, and it works, and it actually raises the tension and grounds the chaos.
This one’s criminally underrated. Perfect for fans of King’s wilderness horror, movies like The Ritual, or anyone who thinks a “work trip” can’t get any worse. The pacing’s sharp, the atmosphere’s icy and oppressive, and the final act punches hard. If you’re into wendigo horror, arctic terror, or lost relics of vintage horror fiction….get this one on your shelf
This is my second book I’ve read by Martindale, and this guy knows horror. You can feel the Pet Sematary and The Thing vibes bleeding through the pages. There’s that creeping dread early on, that slow burn of “something’s out there,” and then boom, he flips the script halfway through. The second half is full-on creature-feature mayhem, blending psychological horror with bone-crunching survival. Think frostbite, fear, and folklore all bundled together.
The character work surprised me too. These guys start off as your typical meatheads, but Martindale gives them just enough humanity to make you root for them (and fear for the dogs, trust me you’ll worry). Janet, the main guy’s wife, gets her own POV in the back half, and it works, and it actually raises the tension and grounds the chaos.
This one’s criminally underrated. Perfect for fans of King’s wilderness horror, movies like The Ritual, or anyone who thinks a “work trip” can’t get any worse. The pacing’s sharp, the atmosphere’s icy and oppressive, and the final act punches hard. If you’re into wendigo horror, arctic terror, or lost relics of vintage horror fiction….get this one on your shelf
February 27, 2023
This is the first book I've read by someone other than Louise Penny in a while. I got a recommendation from this guy on Instagram who said it was one of the best horror books he's read. Well, I thought it was just ok. The majority of the story takes place in the Canadian wilderness, so as the Penny books take place in Canada, this one was, at least, topical. The story revolved around the mythical creature known as the Wendigo. I admit, Martindale went into the Wendigo quite a bit, more than I have read on it in the past. However, the characters were lacking in my opinion. The best character was Barton, the Native American guide. His character stayed consistent throughout the book, while the other characters lacked that consistency. The main character seemed to be a good guy but would suddenly go against how he had been acting. This was a distracting trait displayed by most of the characters, which made the whole story seem less than believable. I've been so spoiled by the other books I've been reading that this one was glaring in its shortcomings. I certainly could be more specific regarding my complaints if anyone is interested, but not now.
June 25, 2023
Overall a solid read. The story does start a bit slow, but by the end picks up quite a lot. I like the characters development. Just enough to get to know them, but not too much. It was a little on the predictable side to start. Once the story gets going though it is very well done, keeps you interested. I liked the ending on this one as well. I would say this was a good read, with a little room for improvement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2024
i want to read all the windigo books now !!!!!! the only negative comment i have is that sometimes the author would refer to the characters as both their first and last name, so until i could remember who was who, it was a little confusing. despite that teeny issue, the rest of the book was amazing. great description of the windigo, and i was devouring the final chapters. and as someone who spends a lot of time in the deep woods, i’ll be extra wary of wind blowing through the trees.
August 30, 2024
hea raamat aga lõpus läheb liiga Schwarzeneggeriks ära, pole väga hirmus, pigem märul. indiaanid on küll hästi kirjutatud ja näib, et nende uskumusi ja pärimusi on põhjalikult järele uuritud ja austavalt esitletud.
good book but turns into a Schwarzenegger flick by the end, not exactly what I'd call scary. the native american representation seems well researched and respectful though, almost an extra star just for that.
good book but turns into a Schwarzenegger flick by the end, not exactly what I'd call scary. the native american representation seems well researched and respectful though, almost an extra star just for that.
August 6, 2024
Very solid ‘haunted woods story’. Good characters with a story that kept it moving. The ending didn’t tie up everything neatly (which I like) and I left you filing in the blanks with your own thoughts. I’m surprised this author didn’t get more traction when this book originally released.
June 25, 2023
A slow build up but overall a WILD ass ride. Will be updating this in a few days but a solid 4/star creature feature "group goes out into the woods and...".
August 28, 2024
This was an interesting book and it did take me a while to get through it (mostly due to reading it on Kindle on my phone). I enjoyed the premise and the plot itself was pretty good. The beginning was definitely slow so I enjoyed the latter half of the book because of how intense it became.
November 1, 2022
I really like native folklore. Especially the Wendigo. This a really good novel with some really killer moments. Solid.
4 stars ****
4 stars ****
February 27, 2025
3,5⭐️ I really liked the book. It was very slow at the beginning but it ends up being very good and interesting. Some moments made me read with the lights open because I was TERRIFIED😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews