Title: The Retirement
Author: Keith Minnion
Publisher: White Noise Press
Publication Date: January 4, 2021
Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: 9 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 3 Stars
Blurb:
Charles Midwich, a recent retiree, decides to move to a new state, a new town, an entirely new life and lifestyle. What he finds once he gets there, and settles in, is nothing like what he ever expected.
Review:
What is your idea of the perfect retirement plan?
Mr. Minnion’s beautiful writing style sucked me into the plot immediately. He knew exactly when to describe one moment in detail and when to leave other details up to the reader’s imagination. I enjoyed switching between his descriptions of the scenes and characters and coming up with my own theories about the things he only mentioned briefly.
Unfortunately, the author gave far too many clues about what was happening to Charles as this character adjusted to retirement. I had a hunch about the ending from reading the blurb, and I was certain I was right by the time I finished the first scene. It would have been nice to be challenged more here.
With that being said, there was something about Charles I really liked. He was a conscientious man who thought through every decision he made carefully. I also appreciated how calm and polite he was no matter if he was ordering honey fig scones at the local bakery or taking a quiet stroll through the cemetery. This was one character I’d love to eat scones with, so don’t be frightened off by the horror tag if this isn’t a genre you normally read.
The Retirement was short, thoughtful, and worth checking out.
It seems like he has packed a lot into a few pages — and the premise definitely piques my interest. I like that even though the author might have given too much away, there was enough to keep you going.
Yes, he sure did! I think you’d like this one if you choose to read it.