Book Review: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor Nightfire (September 30, 2025)

Length: 416 pages

Author Information: Website

Slashers aren’t generally my go-to when it comes to scary movies, as I tend to prefer atmosphere over gore. But when it comes to books, all horror genres are fair game! I’m also no stranger to Philip Fracassi, whose Boys in the Valley nailed exactly the kind of vibes I’m always looking for. So when I heard his next novel would be a bloody thriller about a serial killer loose in a retirement community, I was curious to see how he’d handle the genre.

On the surface, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre shares many characteristics with the classic slasher. But here, our unlikely final girl is seventy-something-year-old senior community resident Rose Dubois who spends her days gossiping with friends, participating in social events, and trying to keep the health problems of aging at bay—all the while wishing her daughter would come around more often with her grandson. But when mysterious deaths begin happening at Autumn Springs, Rose begins to suspect a killer stalking its halls. Along with her friend and would-be suitor Miller, she sets out to see if her suspicions might have any truth to them.

What they discover turns out to be far more sinister than either of them bargained for. As the body count keeps climbing, even the most dismissive staff can no longer keep brushing them off as bad falls, natural causes, or the inevitabilities of old age. When the police are finally brought in and more residents begin to realize that something is terribly wrong, it’s only a matter of time before everything explodes as fear and suspicions spread through Autumn Springs like wildfire.

Unconventional protagonists—especially unconventional final girls—are my catnip, so it’s no surprise that I felt the greatest strength of this novel was its cast of characters. The residents of Autumn Springs are an interesting, memorable bunch, each carrying a mix of highlights, tragedies, and quirks that come with long, full lives. I may not have remembered every name, but I never forgot their personalities or backstories. The retirement home setting worked just as beautifully, presenting a tightknit and almost claustrophobic environment where everyone knows each other and deaths are sadly an all-too-common occurrence. For some residents, this is also the only place they can call home, and when danger hits, there’s nowhere else they can go.

But where the novel stumbles is its handling of the horror and suspense elements. At times, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre reads like a psychological thriller, complete with crazy twists and creative kills and moments that genuinely make you raise your eyebrows and think “WTF?” Yet at times the book also slingshots back hard the other way, lingering on the minutiae of retirement community life and slowing the momentum down. The pace is either crawling or cranked up so far that it flies into over-the-top absurdity.

I was also left with burning questions about the vague hints of the supernatural teased throughout the story, especially with the presence of some of Autumn Springs’ more eccentric, “witchy” residents. I kept waiting for something to happen there, but I can’t say for sure if anything truly materialized, leaving that aspect hanging and unsolved. And finally, there was the underwhelming reveal of the killer. Given the direction the plot was trending, I expected a lot more. Heck, even an over-the-top, unrealistic ending would have been welcome, instead of the flat and unclimactic conclusion that we got.

With all that said, the ride itself was genuinely entertaining, making for an overall quick and engaging read. The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre not only flips the script on the usual genre expectations, but centering on elderly characters also adds a facet that’s rarely explored in horror. Ultimately though, the novel probably works better as a character-driven, darkly fun concept than as a fully satisfying slasher. It’s violent and witty, yet still misses some of its marks. Still, it’s worth checking out if the story’s premise piques your interest.