Autumn Falls by A.R. Kingston

A desperate mother is mysteriously drawn to a serene but sinister town to start a new life in Autumn Falls by A.R. Kingston, a richly written horror novel that blends familiar genre motifs into an original work of dark fiction.

Attempting to find some normalcy in a seemingly normal town, Charlotte settles in and even begins to trust again, despite the occasional sense of eeriness she feels in her new home. Little does she know that her arrival has set off a cascade of horror that has been brewing for generations – fueled by a sinister power that has been eagerly awaiting the return of her blood.

The richly dense language throughout the novel summons vivid images of fog-drenched coastal towns and perpetuates an air of danger and mystery, but the passages are occasionally overworked, with an excess of adjectives that can detract from the flow of the story. Occasional misspelling errors (“heals” vs. “heels”) and other grammatical slips could be remedied with a fine-tooth edit, which could also trim down unnecessary exposition and tangential narration.

In terms of storytelling, the opening chapter gives readers a surprising wealth of information, setting them well ahead of Charlotte in terms of understanding the unfolding horrors of the book. Holding some of that back might increase the level of suspense.

Overall, this tangled tale is evocative and chilling, and will be especially appealing to readers of literary horror.

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