5-STAR REVIEW: THE FALLS by Colleen McMillian

Publication Date: December 7, 2021

Every small town has secrets…

…most won’t get you killed. Maddie Decker escaped Sterling Falls just after high school and never looked back. She was sure nothing could convince her to return. Until an urgent message from her high school best friend arrives begging
Maddie to come back before he dies changes everything.

Maddie can’t refuse.

Once there, tattered relationships and long forgotten memories are pushed aside when a mysterious presence appears, Maddie uses her professional training to help discover who is killing the residents of Sterling Falls, even if no one wants her there.

Can Maddie survive the homecoming she never wanted?

This has been a phenomenal year for suspense readers, but a December title has captured a coveted spot on my keeper shelf. Author Colleen McMillan delivers a captivating combination of horror and suspense with The Falls.

From the first chapter, the author sets the stage for the story like she’s narrating from behind a camera lens. That approach provides the reader with an immersive introduction to Sterling Falls, Minnesota. The descriptive language allows the reader to sit on the sidelines and become part of the story as it unfolds.

Since the print version of the book is a whopping 570 pages, there’s obviously a lot that takes place. The author uses every word effectively, adding teasers here and there while dropping bits of background information. I found myself getting to know the characters, which was the author’s intent as part of the small-town experience where privacy is a precious commodity.

The characters themselves are incredibly diverse and packed with dysfunction. Whether it’s the deputy who practically faints at the most inconvenient times to the woman who returns to her hometown with baggage from her past, they are all people who play roles in small towns. There’s the rich man who wants to run things, the gossipy women who make up details to fit their agendas, and a smarmy newspaper guy with zero qualms about exploiting the downtrodden.

At the crux of the story is an incident with a local herd of alpacas. Given that this community had just survived last year’s encounter with a serial killer, the mood was fairly intense. When another tragedy occurs, it spins the community upside down. Who or what is responsible?

Sterling Falls appears to be hiding some secrets…and those are a big “no-no” in small communities. Sometimes the past comes roaring back into the present and must be settled before the future can be assured. The paranormal aspect of the storyline was well integrated, particularly the historical connections.

From beginning to end, The Falls kept me up reading way past my bedtime. I tried to set a limit of just one more chapter, but then there would be something new that enticed me to continue reading. McMillian pulled me into the story, leaving me ready for more.

Born and raised in Minnesota, my writing focuses on the Midwestern United States. I’ve been a writer since I could pick up a crayon, pencil, or pen; there are more than a few stories about my macabre grade school writing interests, to which I just shrug. You can’t blame a second grader for wanting to set a scary scene!

I attended the University of WI, River Falls for my undergraduate degree and completed my Master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Kent, Canterbury, in the UK. For my dissertation research and inspiration, I lived in Canterbury, Paris, and Edinburgh. Paris is my second home and favorite city, so don’t be surprised if it turns up in my work.

My two most influential authors are Stephen King and Flannery O’Connor, and my dream is to establish a Midwest Gothic tradition.

I currently live in Minnesota with my jerk of a cat, Duncan. I love living in the most beautiful state in the country, but I always feel Europe’s pull…

December 13: Sandra’s Book Club
December 13: Kit ‘N Kabookle
December 14: Rogue’s Angels
December 14: Mythical Books
December 15: Fabulous and Brunette
December 15: Literary Gold
December 16: All the Ups and Downs
December 16: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
December 17: Our Town Book Reviews
December 17: The Avid Reader
December 17: Novels Alive – review only