Review: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre - Philip Fracassi

Title: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

Author: Philip Fracassi

Published: September 30, 2025

Genre: Slasher / Horror

My Rating: ★★★★★

Format: Physical

This was a book I genuinely struggled to put down. Fair warning: this is a slasher — and my first one at that.

Rose Dubois is what you’d call a “final girl,” but she’s not your typical one. She’s in her late 70s, spending her golden years at Autumn Springs Retirement Home — a place with movie nights, bingo, weekend outings, and a surprising amount of independence for its residents. On the other side of the facility is the medical wing, where residents don’t have that same freedom. Even so, it feels like the retirement home you’d hope to end up in.

When one of Rose’s friends dies alone in her apartment, she doesn’t think much of it. At this age, accidents happen. But when more residents start dying back-to-back, Rose begins to question whether these are really accidents… or something far more sinister. With the help of her best friend Miller, she starts investigating and becomes convinced a serial killer is living among them — and that she and her friends may be next.

I couldn’t have picked a better book to start my year with. It immediately set the tone for what kind of reading year I’m about to have.

The pacing is steady and intentional. The story shifts between Rose, a few residents we know are about to be killed, and the killer themselves, which creates this quiet, creeping tension. It’s incredibly well written, but what surprised me most was the depth.

This book isn’t just about murder in a retirement home. It’s about aging, loneliness, dignity, and the uncomfortable reality of how society views the elderly. Some residents have loving families. Others have children who never visit. Some are sharp and witty. Others are limited by their health. There’s innocence, humor, frustration, and a very real look at how easily older people are dismissed — sometimes even by healthcare workers who see them as burdens rather than people. And if we’re honest, many of us are guilty of that mindset too.

Rose is a phenomenal main character. She’s sharp, observant, and impossible not to root for. Miller is interesting because there are moments you’re unsure if you should trust him — but one thing is very clear: he’s in love with Rose. Rose, however, is too guarded by her past to let herself go there, and once you learn her backstory, you understand why.

I rarely say this, but I would absolutely reread this book.

There’s something about books centered around older characters that I love. They’re witty, honest, and unapologetic. This one just happens to also include a serial killer.

Links to the book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Goodreads