Book Review: Eminence Front by Rebecca Rowland

By georgelthomas on 28 Nov 2025 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I am sharing my review of Rebecca Rowland’s Eminence Front.

Eminence Front will be published in January 2026 by CLASH Books and is 200 pages long.

The Plot
An American town is struck by a snowstorm, which brings strange visions and some gory, bloody violence. The residents of one particular street are in for a rough time.

Characters
Carol
Carol is a high school history teacher who looks after her elderly mother.

Rose
Rose is Carol’s mother. Carol moves her mother in with her due to her age-related decline.

John
John is an agoraphobic whose boyfriend leaves him out of the blue, unable or unwilling to live with someone who struggles to even grab groceries from the doorstep.

Steve
Steve works at the local bar, Whistler’s. His wife left him after feeling bored, leaving him hurt and confused. He ends up having an affair with his neighbour Janet behind her husband’s (and Steve’s friend’s) back.

Jackie
Jackie is an author who has an issue with alcohol. She’s lonesome but tells herself she isn’t, and she’s content living only with her cat.

Karen and Dan
Karen and Dan are a married couple who often entertain their neighbour Steve, whose wife left him. However, Karen and Steve are having an affair.

Tom and Kim
Tom wants his wife to go to a sex club with him, and Kim, the epitome of a ‘traditional wife’, is willing to do whatever to keep him happy. After a bit of thought, however, she changes her mind and begins to feel consumed by her life.

Writing Style
Rowland’s style is very compelling. After a slow(ish) start to the story, things get intriguing very quickly. At first, I couldn’t latch on to a character—the story jumped to the next, just as I was getting comfortable, but don’t let that put you off—stick with it because I think that’s the point. This technique allows a feeling of unease set into the reader, and I must say, it’s brilliant.

One of my favourite types of story is winter horror—and I’m forever lamenting that there doesn’t seem to be enough of it to satiate my appetite. Well, consider me well-fed. This story has everything; snow, characters who suddenly act strangely, blood, more snow—and did I mention… snow?

The pacing is on point; plenty of action to keep you turning pages. In fact, I found it hard to put down, which brings me to my only gripe—some of the chapters, though by no means all—were a tad longer than I usually like. I found it incredibly challenging to put the book down to sleep.

Finally, while I admit I struggled to connect to the characters at first—I’m glad I stuck with the book because they are fully fleshed out with compelling backstories and relationships. In fact, these characters seem so real that I wonder if Rowland took inspiration from people she knows.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Eminence Front is an excellent read. If you love winter horror, the contrast of blood and snow, and the occasional gruesome offing, then this book is just what the doctor ordered.

I am giving Eminence Front a 9/10.

Do you like winter-themed horror? Let me know your favourite!

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by to read my review.

Until next time,

George