SFF

A Cold Season

by Alison Littlewood
Jo Fletcher: Quercus. Sept. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9781623650223. $22.95; ebk. ISBN 9781623650230. HORROR
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Looking to start over after the death of her husband in Afghanistan, Cass takes her young son Ben to Darnshaw, the village where she grew up. While she has some creepy memories from her childhood, it seems like an idyllic place. That is, until Ben starts falling into trances and acting violently. At about the same time, Cass notices the crosses scratched on all the doors in town and begins to discover the dark secrets in Darnshaw's past.
VERDICT This creepy, claustrophobic debut evokes classic films and novels, such as The Omen and Rosemary's Baby, in the demonic-horror genre. While these similarities help elevate the book by placing it on the shoulders of giants, they also make the story a tad predictable and formulaic. Cass is an incredibly unlikable protagonist, oblivious even by the low standards of horror-novel characters. She makes unrealistically poor decisions and takes a ridiculously long time to figure out what is going on. Despite these shortcomings, the novel builds a real sense of foreboding and dread, which creates a chilling reading experience for fans of demonic and religious horror.
Reviewed by Peter Petruski, Cumberland Cty. Lib. Syst., Carlisle, PA , Aug 01, 2013
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