"This book hits like a summer squall and never lets up, a real-time, one-location doom machine that earns its place beside The Mist."
Daniel Kraus, author of Whalefall
"Seamlessly blending horror, speculative fiction, and urgent domestic drama, Downpour offers a fast-paced thriller fueled by themes of family discourse, childhood traumas, and a gripping and original environmental danger worthy of The Birds. This is a propulsive horror story, suspenseful throughout, and readers who enjoy genre-blending thrillers will tear through the pages."
Booklife (Editor's Pick)
"This weatherman is forecasting nightmares coming in from the North. Not since Stephen King's "The Mist" has a shift in meteorology felt this terrifying, but it's the human drama playing out under these cosmic storm conditions that truly elevates Christopher Hawkins' novel."
Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters
“DOWNPOUR delivers tension and dread with excellent prose, but it’s the complex dynamics of modern family structures that will ultimately haunt the reader.
“Like much of the best speculative fiction, Christopher Hawkins’s DOWNPOUR transmutes social and cultural anxieties into a compellingly-visceral conflict with forces that defy understanding.”
IndieReader (Starred Review)
“Downpour is a frickin' beautiful, gorgeous little novel. Love seeps out of every page just as the 'relentless and unnatural' rain seeps into the lives of the characters.”
HorrorTree
"Dread descends in unrelenting sheets throughout Downpour. The moment you think the skies will clear, a roar of thunder cracks the walls of reality, and you fall into darkness."
Alan Lastufka, author of Face the Night
"Downpour hammers out a harrowing, heart-wrenching tale of loss of control. A stellar setup that absolutely delivers when the violence and chaos come to collect. A thrilling ride from start to finish."
Lauren Bolger, author of Kill Radio
"Gripping… Riveting… As the tension and violence effectively build, readers will keep anticipating how events are going to play out."
Kirkus Reviews
A sudden storm appears above an isolated farmhouse in rural Illinois, bringing with it a relentless and unnatural rain. A rain that eats away at everything it touches. A rain that turns people into monsters.
Trapped inside his crumbling home, a father must do everything he can to keep his family from falling apart. But the rain calls to them, and not everyone wants to stay inside.
Haunted by memories of loss, he must put aside his painful past and find a way to keep them all safe. But the rain shows no signs of stopping, and time is running out.
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Paperback - $19.99 USD
(Standard bookseller discount, fulfilled by Ingram)
246 pages
ISBN: 978-1-937346-14-0
EBOOK - $9.99 USD
ISBN: 978-1-937346-15-7
For more information, editorial opportunities, interview requests or review copies please contact: media@coronispublishing.com
"There were twists and turns and an emotional depth to this story that I did not expect. The blend of horror and science fiction had a touch of Jordan Peele's type of magic blending of the genres. If you are interested in all of the above, I would recommend picking this book up and giving it a read."
Amazon Review
"True horror draws you in slowly. In Downpour, you feel Scott’s sense of failure. You see the weathered, peeling floorboards and the old, yellowed pictures hanging on the staircase wall. You see his son Jacob on the cusp of manhood and you hear his daughter Tallie crying for her mother and dog. You don’t feel the rain. That’s a good thing."
NetGalley Review
"Downpour is a dark Horror/Thriller that will keep you glued to each chapter, it was impossible for me to put down so I had to finished the same day. Everything from the characters, to the setting to the pulsing creepy atmosphere and events were so well written. I definitely recommend this book and will be on the lookout for this Author's next projects."
NetGalley Review
"Downpour gets to the action quickly... This book grabs and doesn’t let go. It does not protect you from pain the characters go through. At times you wish it would. Don’t expect a happy conclusion. This one stuck with me."
NetGalley Review
I was extremely impressed with the way the author fed in details that kept my heart pounding and my attention searching for more. Hawkins writing style is fantastic and the way that he is able to make me part of this story and care deeply for these characters in such a short time is impressive.
NetGalley Review
A creepily dark horror that slowly draws you in and although this is short it stuck with me after reading. This is pretty fast paced but the creepy atmosphere is perfectly fleshed out and everything is so creepy even though you're not 100% what is truly happening or going to happen next. I can see this being a hit for any horror lovers.
NetGalley Review
Born and raised near the shores of Lake Michigan, Christopher Hawkins has been writing and telling stories for as long as he can remember. A dyed-in-the-wool geek, he is an avid collector of books, roleplaying games and curiosities. When he's not writing, he spends his time exploring old cemeteries, lurking in museums, and searching for a decent cup of tea.
Christopher is an award-winning author and the former editor of the One Buck Horror anthology series. His works of short fiction have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Cosmic Horror Monthly, Fusion Fragment, Underland Arcana and The Big Book of New Short Horror. He is a member of the Chicago Writers Association and the Chicagoland chapter of the Horror Writers Association.
An expatriate Hoosier, Christopher currently lives in a suburb of Chicago with his wife and two sons.