Out, the sequel to John Smolens’s internationally acclaimed novel Cold, finds the former constable Del Maki recovering from surgery and haunted by the recent loss of his wife. His house, set deep in the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, becomes a haven for refugees during a fierce blizzard. First his pregnant physical therapist’s car won’t start. Then her two lovers come for her—and after each other. After her current boyfriend saves an enigmatic Finnish woman from freezing to death in the storm, they are followed by her former boyfriend, a petty thief who is armed and seeks revenge. As the weather worsens, leading to a power outage, damage from a fallen tree, and a fire, tensions rise. Forced to abandon the house, their flight through the snowbound forest leads to a bad deal with a deadly result. John Smolens’s novel Cold was lauded for its “stunning brutality and uncommon tenderness.” In the sequel, Out, nature and human nature again collide, illuminating the difference between being rescued and being saved.
author’s noteacknowledgmentsHe lived out.Connor Tyne couldn’t really think.Barr heard a phone ringingBarr managed to sit up.About a half dozen miles out CountyDel’s half-sleep receded,Barr might have dozed offBarr drove to Marcia’s apartmentConnor’s hands were a glazed red—Marcia moved her legsEssi would hum the verse,After Marcia sat on the end of the couch,Del never tired of watching logsMarcia felt something was incomplete,A sound.Barr listened to Marcia at the sink.After Del flushed the toilet,Marcia thought it was strangeTh e maple tree was at leastDel got on his hands and kneesWhen Barr aimed the revolver at him,When Barr tapped the sideFirst, there was a cello, a solitary cello.The truck belongedAbout five miles downThere was just the one bathroomThat sound.
