i definitely didn't dislike this book, but i'm not totally sure i can say i liked it either. it has a really strong premise and a really good gradual creeping climb in suspense and mystery.... but there is absolutely no pay off. you never find out about a curse, you never find out why this is happening, you never find out how it started or if it'll stop... nothing. it feels very much like a set piece or like the start of a further story, v which isn't good deal at all for a standalone. it made the ending feel very weak and the reading experience a little pointless - even tho i enjoyed the journey, the lack of any conclusion made it feel a bit pointless.

Eminence Front is a deeply unsettling story set amid a blizzard that spans days. With it come unexplained events, violent acts and horrors set amid an icy background. We follow a cast of characters from the same neighborhood, seemingly experiencing isolated incidents but perhaps are more related than they realize. What is causing this phenomenon? Some parts of this book are truly disturbing and I loved it. Thank you so much to CLASH Books & NetGalley for the ARC. You can pick this book up when it publishes January 20, 2026.

I really struggled to get through this one. At times it felt hard to follow without much of a pulse driving the plot forward. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

Eminence Front definition from Google’s AI
“The idea of presenting a false, superior image or facade to the world, often to mask emptiness or lack of substance behind it.”

In this superbly scary novella a blizzard blows to town and whispers wickedness to a flawed and ill-fated group of New England neighbors. Quite the cast of characters here, each one an antihero, not quite deserving of what lies ahead, but not necessarily undeserving either.

I love snow as the antagonist of the story … a voiceless villain, sinister, unstoppable and as old as time. Cold, quiet and unrelenting.

This could definitely be a one sitting read, but save it for summer, especially if snow gives you cabin fever!

Thank you so much to Clash Books and author Rebecca Rowland for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
Terribly enjoyable!!!

Set in a quiet New England neighborhood during a relentless snowstorm, this eerie and atmospheric novel explores how a strange sound carried by the snow begins to unravel the lives of its residents. With a chilling mix of suburban secrets, slow burning dread, and an eerie supernatural presence, the story shows how quickly order collapses when fear takes root. The shifting perspectives, unsettling details, and creeping sense of doom make this a haunting and unforgettable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the opportunity to read this arc.
I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started Eminence Front, and it pulled me right out of it! It was such a fun and spooky read. The pacing was perfect and kept me saying “just one more chapter.” There was just this feeling of suspense and dread that carried on throughout the book. I really appreciate that
the story didn’t over-explain what was going on. The ending still left things mysterious. In my opinion, the explanation is always where books like this go wrong.
Eminence Front was my first book by Rebecca Rowland, but I will definitely be checking out more of her work. Eminence Front is out January 20, 2026! Perfect time for a spooky winter read.

A short (200 pages) horror tale set in a snowstorm. Enjoyed the different characters and the creepiness. Thank you to Netgalley and Clash Books for ARC.

Rebecca Rowland’s Eminence Front features a series of loosely tied snapshots of a town and its inhabitants in the midst of a massive snowstorm. Inexplicable acts of violence start sprouting throughout the neighbourhood, and we get to stand on the sidelines and watch as the inevitable happens again and again.
Be warned that this is not a linear, clean read. If you’re looking for a self-contained, neatly explained story, you might want to skip this one, as there are many loose ends and little explanation for the “why” of things. But if that doesn’t bother you -or if you're after a short collection of tales (albeit part of a larger story) -this might be the read for you. I liked it very much, as it reminded me of The Eternaut (deadly snow, societal rules breaking down) and the myriad of tales and short stories that it inspired.

Rowland’s writing is excellent and her descriptions are vivid -the characters and small town are fleshed out impeccably before our eyes. A very fun read; horror done right!

Eminence Front is a horror/mystery set in New England, USA.. During a heavy snowstorm a group of neighbours start to listen to the snow. What can they hear?
For me, too much time was spent fleshing out the characters in the book, nothing really happens until around half way through, which at a book length of 200 pages is later than I would expect it to get going and I felt it dragged a bit.
Eminence Front gave me vibes of Stephen King and True Detective: Night Country. If you like those, and you like a slow burn horror,,you might like this. I thought it was ok but not amazing. It's a 3 star read for me.
Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. #EminenceFront #NetGalley.

Animal Death Status: the cat lives

In terms of takeaways from this one, I don’t really know what to think?

I liked the writing style for the most part, it felt really cool to have pieces of history littered throughout the book in terms of records and newspaper clippings, etc, but considering this is horror and horror is generally intended to be commentary, I don’t know what I’m supposed to have taken away from this?

But the kills? Immaculate, so neat, incredibly ominous.

The sound of snow being the cause? I’m not sure how I feel about it? Banger last newspaper clipping though.

Would love an author’s note on this, I love getting author context on pieces like this where they’re weird and clearly have a deep love of some facet being covered

2.5 ⭐️

Overall this was a pretty average thriller. The characters are all pretty standard and so is the progression throughout. The media excerpts interwoven don’t actually add much but some confusion until a little more than halfway through the book when we start to figure out what’s going on.

There’s a lot of open-ended plot lines and the ending itself is just unsatisfying, we never truly get to understand what’s happening or why.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

This is a sharp, character-driven novel set in a posh neighborhood where wealth covers more than just expensive fencing—it hides secrets. When a glitzy dinner party goes wrong, long-buried tensions bubble to the surface, dragging everyone into a tense mix of rivalry, guilt, and hidden truths.

What hits:

Stress-filled setup: The author nails that elegant-but-tense suburban vibe—everything looks perfect until it isn’t.

Complex relationships: The cast isn’t huge, but their ties are messy—jealousy, ambition, and regret make every interaction crackle.

Moody pacing: The tension builds slowly but surely; there are no big shocks, just the steady weight of what’s unsaid.

What could improve:

A few arcs feel slightly rushed at the end—some loose threads aren’t fully tied.

If you’re after a full-blown thriller, this leans more literary/drama than whodunit.

Why it works:
It’s a “slow-burn” kind of read, perfect if you’re into books that expose the cracks beneath polished exteriors. It asks, What happens when facades fall? —and it answers with quiet power.

Thank you NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC.

For a short story, there were too many characters with little development. I struggled to engage with the story as it kept switching from one character to another, not giving much room to connect with anyone.

I was confused throughout the entire story and I didn't find it scary at all.

The writing flew easily so I managed to read it all in one day.

I honestly thought I was reading a book by Stephen King! This book was so dark and filled with horror I could not put it down! Do not read at night or during a snow storm! And definitely don’t listen to music of it’s a snow blizzard! Thanks for the ARC.

I'm sorry this book wasn't for me at all. I was disconnected from all the characters and couldn't enjoy what I was reading. I really thought I was going to be reading something completely different and high hopes but it fell flat for me.

The sun shines
And people forget
...
The snow packs as the skier tracks
People forget
Forget they're hiding

- "Eminence Front", The Who


Snow storms are cozy. They make you want to curl up, grab some cocoa, and read a book. Makes sense—it's usually cold outside when it snows. But what if there's another reason our instincts keep us inside? Something more sinister?

In Eminence Front, a group of snowed in neighbors might just find out.

This was a no-frills thriller with an ensemble cast of characters. We spend a lot of time learning about these characters who are ultimately not very developed. Most exist in one dimension: the shut-in, the alcoholic, the adulterer, etc. As a result, it's hard to get very invested in them despite spending half the book learning about their day-to-day lives.

Once things get going, the book falls into a predictable pattern that unfortunately undercuts any real sense of tension. For that reason, I didn't find what I was looking for in Eminence Front—it wasn't all that thrilling. That being said, there are some gruesome scenes in these 200 pages that really pack a punch; this author has a gift for gore.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the prose, either. Metaphors and similes were often shoehorned into descriptions where they didn’t quite fit. At times, it felt like the author was narrating a movie instead of writing a novel—too descriptive without immersion.

While Eminence Front wasn't what I'd hoped, it was still a fun read. I'm interested in checking out more of Rebecca Rowland's work. I hear she's got some very good short stories floating around!

Thanks NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC.

I was really drawn to the blurb and cover of Eminence Front - I'm a sucker for claustrophobic winter horror. Though there's so many claustrophobic winter horrors that are heavy on the winter low on the horror or claustrophobia. Thankfully, this didn't fall into that category and I found it a satisfying read across all those criteria. I enjoyed the almost "linked short story" aspect of it, with the characters all linked, and all neighbours, but at the same time going through their individual horrors. The downside of this style is that I didn't really connect with any of the characters on an in-depth level. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of this fast-paced, wild read though. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read and review!

This was an incredible read, written with astonishing subtlety and thriving on atmosphere and mood: claustrophobia is rarely done so well in winter horror, and the totally immersive experience of fear of the unknown and slow burn suspense (yes, despite the contradiction it works!) make Rowland's book an amazing accomplishment. "Eminence Front"'s premise is that people in a certain New England neighborhood can be affected by snow in disastrous and absolutely sad ways, under the cover of a malevolent force residing in the snow and intending to bring everyone right to their eventual doom; if you can buy into that, there's no chance you won't enjoy this story, with its large cast, great attention to detail and full of insights on suburban daily life. Many of the characters in the stories are relatable, though nothing in this book was predictable. The plot is interrupted by several intriguing snippets in the format of transcripts and newspaper articles, revealing how it's not the first time the snowstorm has claimed its victims. The last third of the book has so much creepiness and death, it grows into such a spooky and brutal tale of a neighborhood's self-annihilation, I didn't want it to end. I highly recommend it, definitely worth checking out.

I’ll be on the lookout for more Rebecca Rowland. Though I had to drop a star because that type of ending rarely leaves me satisfied. Otherwise, the characters and the world were well established, the horror level was pleasing, and I wanted to keep reading. It’s a shorter book so I don’t want to say too much. The idea intrigued me and the writing effectively sustained my interest through the end.

Interesting and slightly eerie, I enjoyed the way this story unfolded. I wasn’t a huge fan of the multi media aspect but the characters added a fun element, as did the unpredictable ending. An entertaining read!