Review: The Death Chute

The Death Chute by Ambrose Stolliker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An engrossing horror novella set in Vermont's mountains, THE DEATH CHUTE deftly and winningly combines both contemporary events and the not-so-distant past. A Vermont native and reality producer of little note in L.A., Jake Porter has returned to his home state in order to place his mother, suffering from senile dementia, into a care home. Unfortunately he selects a lovely institution with a sad and tragic past.

As Jake grieves his mother's decline and fears she is sinking faster than expected, he also begins to develop a relationship with the physician who is the Home's administrator. These three individuals and a resident who has been at the Home a year, gradually unravel the tragic history of the building, which was once a much-needed sanitorium for Tuberculosis patients in the early 20th century.

The background history is fascinating and the story line kept me riveted through to the end, and delivered a satisfying sense of, if not mercy, at least poetic justice.



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