I downloaded this without looking closely at genre or synopsis and started reading thinking it was yet another popular, even cozy mystery, set again in a retirement home with older people being the crime solvers. Well, yes, it’s set in a home of seniors enjoying their life but that’s where it stops. This is no cozy mystery, it’s the antithesis of one and it’s not a book for the queasy.
Rose loves her life at Autumn Springs. She has her independence, her good friends, and a life she enjoys. That is until the killings start. Someone is bumping off seniors, most especially her friends, and in very creative and gruesome ways. And no one including the police believe it’s anything but accidental or health related deaths. So it’s up to Rose and her friends to put themselves in harms way to save themselves.
The complex and delightful characters make this book, including Rose, Miller, Gopi, and Tatum Bird to name a few, so when the author mentions in the acknowledgements she’d like Rose to continue, it’s a heartbreaker that most of the characters will not be with her.
So I believe this to be a genre defying book. The author goes on in detail about what it’s like to be a senior in the community if you’re healthy, need assistance or at End Of Life, and the way she describes it, It’s all pretty grim. But there’s a lot of black humor as well and of course, if you love slasher books, this is definitely going to thrill you.

Rose DuBois is enjoying her small apartment at the Autumn Springs retirement community, even if she does have to listen to the occasional pesky freight train that rumbles through from the tracks outside her window. She's enjoying a (so far) platonic relationship with a retired professor named Beaureguard Mason Miller, or Miller for short. Then the death rate at the community begins to rise alarmingly. At first, the staff and even the police are dismissive about the situation, feeling that it's expected that elderly people are going to die, and if several of them die in a short period of time, that's nothing to worry about. Then the deaths get more gory and violent and can no longer be explained away. As the deaths begin to close in on Rose's small circle of friends, she worries that she might not have the pleasant retirement she'd hoped for.

I was expecting this to be a light-hearted mystery, so I was a bit surprised when things turned bloody! It was still a very enjoyable read and there were funny and poignant parts as well. I was a bit dismayed at all of the portrayals of forgotten/neglected/unnecessary elderly people, but I suppose the author was trying to highlight the plight of an increasingly elderly population and some of the attitudes and problems they face. The afterward indicates we may see more of Rose in the future, so I will be interested to see what she gets up to next!

A wonderful mix of of Stephen King and Kevin Williamson. Likeable characters, a great setting, good kills and a satisfying ending. What more could anyone want? Fracassi has the juice and he’s an author everyone should know about.

Finding ways to successfully subvert a trope is harder than finding a lost pair of dentures. Or so I’ve heard. I often can’t find my glasses, and sometimes they’re on my face, so I’m well on my way.

This novel was a blast. It took a tried-and-true slasher formula, and completely obliterated it — in all the best ways. Over the course of its 400 pages, I got to know each of these characters intimately, and I cared for each one of them. This was not a surface-level examination of emotion as the description on the dust jacket might make you think. Fracassi took his time dishing out details to build real depth. I love how this story creates connective tissue between who we are and the events that shape us, but also gives us room to break free from their stranglehold.

The elderly are so rarely featured in fiction, and when they are, it is often done to elicit a sense of disgust from the reader. This portrayal, in contrast, was done with reverence and had an empathetic, tender and compassionate touch. This is a story that reminds you that life on the downslope of the age curve can be gratifying and full. Bravery and beauty aren’t bound by age. Neither is murder, however.

The pace of this novel was perfect. It was snappy without feeling cursory. The ending was surprising and satisfying. The tension was taut throughout, and only relented in perfectly timed increments.

I feel lucky to have read an advanced copy of this book, so thank you to @tornightfire for the approval! I hope my review did it justice.

Philip Fracassi- The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre.

Oh I loved this one so much. I was beyond pleased when I received the ARC for this (thank you) and started reading immediately.

I loved the characters, our main protagonist Rose is such a strong and real character. I loved her relationship with the other residents too.

This is a slasher. A good and simple slasher. Set in a retirement home, and the old folks are the victims. It was bloody and gory and fun and there was definitely the whole “who is it” theme going on. Some parts are tense, some parts are horrible, but I’ve never cried at a slasher until this one.

There were some really properly emotional parts, and as I grew to love characters I was really rooting for them to survive. Without giving too much away my favourite scene of a pair of reunited friends really made me sob.

Would definitely recommend you pick this one up on its release.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this early edition

This was a ride. And I honestly loved every single moment. I loved these characters and I love the fact that the author wrote about one of the most vulnerable people on the planet (the elderly) although in this book some meet a deadly end. .. but in a little over 400 pages, you get to know them all and care for them. The love and care he put into these characters was brilliant!

The killings start really early (which I loved so much, I don’t like waiting) lol - the mystery, the humor, the violence and the storytelling was all so well done! And I had a fun time trying to guess who the twisted killer was. There was never a dull moment and the bodies were just piling up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Boys in the Valley was one of the best horror books I read back in 2022. I was so happy to see Philip had written another horror novel. His short story collection last year wasn’t my favorite, and I think he does amazing with long formats like this.

This story broke my heart from the beginning. I guess I just have a soft spot for little old folks. I love how emotionally distressed this made me. As we got to know these characters, I wanted them all to get away safely. The body count here was high, and I always love a good slasher that’s not afraid to be gory.

Rose is a badass main character who I thought was super interesting. Even more interesting about a white male author writing in the POV of an elderly black woman. I believed Rose’s character and I fell in love with her. She had dreams and fears and a tragic past. She and Miller and their friend group were so fun to watch. There were moments here that were actually really funny and I appreciated that break from the chaos.

The killer was a surprise. I had guesses but it was very well done. Murdering in a retirement home feels so scummy but they were right that they could be easy targets. I felt so bad for everyone. I actually wanted to cry for a few of them. This story was a punch in the heart but also super entertaining and it had me on my toes the whole time. I love Philip Fracassi’s writing so much and I always look forward to another book by him now.