So Cold the River

By: Michael Koryta

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Now a major motion picture: So Cold the River is a chilling, supernatural tale "guaranteed to put the cold finger down your spine" (Michael Connelly).

It started with a beautiful woman and a challenge. As a gift for her husband, Alyssa Bradford approaches Eric Shaw to make a documentary about her father-in-law, Campbell Bradford, a 95-year-old billionaire whose past is wrapped in mystery. Eric grabs the job even though there are few clues to the man's past—just the name of his hometown and an antique water bottle he's kept his entire life.

In Bradford's hometown, Eric discovers an extraordinary history—a glorious domed hotel where movie stars, presidents, athletes, and mobsters once mingled, and hot springs whose miraculous mineral water cured everything from insomnia to malaria. Neglected for years, the resort has been restored to its former grandeur just in time for Eric's stay.

Just hours after his arrival, Eric experiences a frighteningly vivid vision. As the days pass, the frequency and intensity of his hallucinations increase and draw Eric deeper into the town's dark history. He discovers that something besides the hotel has been restored—a long-forgotten evil that will stop at nothing to regain its lost glory. Brilliantly imagined and terrifyingly real, So Cold the River is a tale of irresistible suspense with a racing, unstoppable current.

©2010 Michael Koryta (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"A cataclysmic finale will put readers in mind of some of the best recent works of supernatural horror, among which this book ranks." ( Publishers Weekly)

"This book builds like a summer storm. Beautiful to watch until it shakes the house and knocks out the lights, leaving you alone in the dark. Another masterful work from Michael Koryta, So Cold the River is guaranteed to put the cold finger down your spine." (Michael Connelly)

Kept me occupied.

Wasn't a bad book per say. It kept occupied; however, it dragged on several times with information/detail that was really not relevant to the storyline. Also, the dialog some of the "local" characters had was really out of place. Speech and mannerisms did not fit the time or locations.

Pretty cool idea, could be a bit spookier.

I love the story idea, and the back and forth portions of the book. I would have liked it to be a bit more spooky, but it was good read/listen.

Videographer becomes addicted to healing waters

Would you consider the audio edition of So Cold the River to be better than the print version?

No, I haven't read the print version, so I can't say.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The elderly woman who tracked storms. It is refreshing to have an old woman who wasn't a stereotype. She had intense interests and important insights.

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have. As it was, I listened to it very quickly.

Wonderful!

I really enjoyed "So Cold The River" and I nominate it for absolutely the best title! It caught my attention when I was browsing for books.

I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Petkoff's reading/narration. I loved that the lead character was flawed---and then how he evolves at the end---a beautifully done character arc.

And a terrific premise about the waters like some magical heroin. Wonderful writing.

Better than, Those Who Wish Me Dead

AST the title suggests, I think that So Cold The River is a more compelling story and Breyer performance than Those Who Wish Me Dead. Both are good books but So Cold the River scratches a different itch.

great book

this book has great characters and is paced well. I really enjoyed it.
I am looking forward to checking out more of his books.

Toooo Long

The performance was great. The story just wouldn’t end. I had to press myself to finish.

Not his best.

I really like most of Michael Koryta work. I have listened to 8 of his books but this one I struggled to finish. The book starts good but then in the middle seems to fade, it picks up again at the end, but I had lost sympathy for the character.

Interesting but a disappointing end

Would you try another book from Michael Koryta and/or Robert Petkoff?

The narrator did a very good job. It's interesting how some of the male narrators are able to pull off the female voices. I don't know when Michael Koryta wrote this book, he needs a little more seasoning.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The book kept me interested. I would get up early in the morning to listen as I got ready for work but was disappointed toward the end. It became a little repetitive and the ending was abrupt and not very satisfying.

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard his other perfomances but he's a plus for audible books.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, if only to hear the violin music.

This book made Me Thirsty. Great Performance.

This book made Me Thirsty. Great Performance. Loved it. Couldn't stop listening. Im going to Drink Some more water.