A dark and unsettling tale from a bold voice in horror writing, British writer Alison Littlewood's first novel was decreed "hugely enjoyable--perfect reading for a dark winter's night," by the influential Richard & Judy Book Club. "A scary read that will chill you to the bone," said Library Journal.
After the battlefront death of her husband, a soldier, in the sands of the Middle East, a distraught Cass decides to move to the bucolic village of Darnshaw--a place she once knew and loved--with her teenaged son, with the hope that a change in scenery will be just the thing to help her family heal. But the locals aren't as friendly as she had hoped and the Internet connection isn't as reliable as her work requires. Ben begins to display an uncharacteristic hostility. A blizzard strikes Darnshaw, marooning it in a sea of snow, and Cass begins to despair. She finds a sympathetic ear in the person of her son's substitute teacher. But his attentions can't put to rest her growing anxiety about her son and her business. And soon, she finds herself pitted against dark forces she can barely comprehend. The cold season has begun.
Industry Reviews
"This is a very spooky story.A.A. Disturbing." ""Daily Express""" "A thick layer of snow hides the sins of a creepy rural village in Alison Littlewood's chilly debut novel . . .an itchy tension-cranker of parental paranoia."--SFX "Littlewood's fiction is set in a world where the possible and the improbable rub shoulders, and strange stuff creeps through the gaps in out of the way places. She is the real deal, a writer with a unique vision."--TTA Press "The novel builds a real sense of foreboding and dread, which creates a chilling reading experience for fans of demonic and religious horror."--Library Journal "This is a very spooky story.A .A . Disturbing."--Daily Express "What makes this novel such an astounding success, is it's as heart breaking as it is frightening, and it's guaranteed to leave an unrelenting knot in the belly.... gripping piece of fiction that draws the emotions of the genre fan taut, and completely tears at the fibers of those who also happen to be parents. . . When it comes to debut novels, Littlewood offers forth a masterpiece that stakes immediately claim as one of 2013's finest."--Horror Novel Reviews "[Alison Littlewood's A Cold Season] was a career defining masterpiece that exuded chills and almost.A .A . hurt, in a frightening way. Hands down one of the year's greatest novels, it was the perfect debut and the ideal introduction to a welcoming worldwide audience... . [She] may have had the most impact on the genre this year."--Matt Molgaard, Horror Novel Reviews "A dark and disturbing tale from a bold new voice in horror writing"--Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing "This is a very spooky story.A.A. Disturbing." Daily Express" PRAISE FOR "A COLD SEASON""A thick layer of snow hides the sins of a creepy rural village in Alison Littlewood's chilly debut novel . . .an itchy tension-cranker of parental paranoia." --"SFX""This is a very spooky story... Disturbing." --"Daily Express""Littlewood's fiction is set in a world where the possible and the improbable rub shoulders, and strange stuff creeps through the gaps in out of the way places. She is the real deal, a writer with a unique vision." --"TTA Press" PRAISE FOR "A COLD SEASON""A thick layer of snow hides the sins of a creepy rural village in Alison Littlewood's chilly debut novel...an itchy tension-cranker of parental paranoia." --"SFX""This is a very spooky story... Disturbing." --"Daily Express""Littlewood's fiction is set in a world where the possible and the improbable rub shoulders, and strange stuff creeps through the gaps in out of the way places. She is the real deal, a writer with a unique vision." --"TTA Press"
