Woman in Horror to Watch: Alison Littlewood

One of the best horror debuts of 2013, was by an author I knew very little about before the novel was released, Alison Littlewood.  Her novel A Cold Season, is a creepy tale of all that a parent will do to protect her child.

Why I like this novel for a public library audience is that while it is decidedly a horror novel first and foremost, it has hints of psychological suspense and even women’s fiction.  You could hand this title to a wide range of readers, at least those who don’t mind a little gore.

I will be featuring A Cold Season in my upcoming Halfway to Halloween guest spot in Neal Wyatt’s Readers’ Shelf column in the April 15, 2014 issue of Library Journal, but that is way too far after WiHM to wait, so here’s a taste of some of what I wrote about the book for the column:

After the death of her husband in Afghanistan, Cass and her son Ben relocate to the small English Highlands village where she lived in as a child. From the very first line, Littlewood introduces a tense atmosphere that steadily ratchets up as Cass finds the locals to be less than welcoming, her business struggling, and a blizzard moving in, isolating the town even further.  Ahh, the perfect setting for horror to descend, placing Cass in a battle against evil forces in a fight for her life and her son’s soul. This is an unsettling read filled with compelling characters and familiar horror tropes, that unfolds in a surprising and terrifying manner.

Here is an interview with Alison where she talks in more depth about her book.

Soon after the success of A Cold Season, Littlewood followed it up with another 2013 release, Path of Needles.  Her short stories have also been featured in numerous collections, such as the well respected Mammoth Book of Best New Horror.

Keep your eye out for more from Alison Littlewood.