The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is a brilliant blend of slasher mayhem and social commentary. But above all else, it’s the characters I fell in love with.

Our protagonist is Rose and while her age may be slowing her down a bit, her mind is just as sharp as ever. When Autumn Springs residents start dying—all in seemingly accidental and explainable ways—Rose grows suspicious. Thanks to the police brushing her concerns off—old people die all the time after all—she decides to start doing her own sleuthing. Rose is a complex character; she’s self-assured but guarded, confident but damaged. She’s a worthy final girl if ever there was one.

I can find slashers a bit boring when it’s all just slashing and stabbing, but each death is interestingly different in this book. And I loved that the dropping bodies gave Philip Fracassi a chance to dive into how awful it is that older people are often ignored—not just by society at large but also by their families.

I could have done with a touch more info and background on the killer, but that’s a minor thing. And was it a touch long? Sure, but I didn’t mind having more time with the Autumn Springs residents.

Rose DuBois is living out the rest of her days at Autumn Springs Retirement Home. She has some close friends and is comfortable. That is until someone dies. I guess accidents happen, or so she reasons, until another resident drops dead, and then another. Filled with suspicion, Rose and her friend Miller, investigate together. The more they do, the more convinced they are that a killer is targeting them.

This one was wild and so unhinged. It was completely unique and I was surprised at the direction it took. Rose and her friends were such interesting characters and I was cheering her on all the way to find the culprit and to evade death😅4.5*

3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.

What kind of crazy person would want to hurt a bunch of old folks?

I liked this one. It was fun, tense, suspenseful, witty, emotional, and even a tiny bit racy at times. I really enjoyed these spry elderly folk. Their banter between each other and relationships were such a joy and, at times, touching thing to read. I liked the story being told from multiple perspectives, including that of the killer.

Though it was slow to start, when it got going, it really did, and I can't honestly say, I was never bored reading. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. The kills count was high, but it wasn't an overly graphic read by any means. I also really liked how the author made it a point to include how quick elderly people are cast aside. Doubted and basically just set on a timer, counting down their last days.

Having said that, I feel like the book was a little too drawn out at times. Yes, I did love the characters, and they kept me thoroughly entertained. However, it could've been a little shorter. I also felt like after such a long cat and mouse game. The reveal of the killer was very mundane. I wasn't shocked, and the over the top crazy dialogue didn't help. I did see that we may see more of Rose in future works, so I'm excited about that.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK, and Philip Fracassi. For my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

When unexplained deaths plague Autumn Springs Retirement Home, Rose DuBois and her friend Miller set out to prove there’s a killer in their midst.

Although slow to start, once it got going I enjoyed this book. I had expected a very traditional slasher story and this felt different. I appreciated how inventive the deaths were.

I liked the characters, but there were none that I particularly loved and cheered on. I did pick the killer, but this didn’t stop my enjoyment of the story. I would also have liked more answers at the end.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.