Howard Browning is being haunted. By a villain known as the Reaper. A character he created throughout eight horror films. He used to be the Reaper, but now he's been regulated to signing autographs at small conventions. However, the studio is beginning to film a new movie without casting Howard as the Reaper and chosing actor Trevor Mane to act in place. The Reaper wants revenge and plans to have Howard star one more time.

This book made for a fun read. The blurb is spot on when it promises The Shining meets Scream.

The story is told from two perspectives: Howard, an elderly gentleman who is being haunted by a supernatural force of the Reaper. Trevor, an addict who is slated to be the New Reaper. The changing perspectives as well as the old movie scripts are the end of each section made this a quick read. It reads almost as a horror film in its own right.

If you're looking for this to be an average slasher, however, you might be disappointed in how long it takes to deliver. You will find the slasher parts, but only after a slow buildup.

What you'll find instead is a story about aging and hauntings. A story of addiction and the power of love to fuel a desire to change. All with the sounds and sights of the Reaper as he makes his way into the conscious of two men slated to play him.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommended it to fans of supernatural, low key horror and horror movie fans. I plan to purchase a copy as soon as it comes out.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC for an honest review

Where are my 80s slasher fans?

Howard Browning is in the Reaper franchise. The role has consumed his life. Although not acting now, he attends horror conventions and signs autographs. The franchise plans a reboot, and it surprised Howard to discover he is being replaced by Trevor, a controversial teen actor. Both characters are tragic. I loved seeing the interactions between them.

Howard and Trevor were believable. “Curse of the Reaper” dives into Howard’s intense method acting. Although Trevor is along for the ride, he is battling his demons. The novel takes the reader on a journey into the damaged minds of these characters.

“Curse of the Reaper” is psychological horror with the pacing and feel of a 80s slasher flick. Aside from the filmmaking and franchise commentary, the book is about how the horror and violence can seep into someone’s psyche and take over.

“Curse of the Reaper” walks the fine line between the slasher movies we love and how it influences the people behind the scenes. Fans of John Carpenter movies or the Halloween franchise should check this out.

At its core, the story is a mad patchwork of familiar tropes (possession, the undying monster in human form, the costs of fame), but Curse of the Reaper is a wholly original novel that will delight and (gleefully) horrify readers. Fans of classic horror writers such as Straub and Barker will find much to love here, as will fans of contemporary authors such as Ronald Malfi, Tim Waggoner, and Stephen Graham Jones.

The novel is highly recommended for anyone looking for an old-school slasher combined with dollops of dark humor and an ever-expanding immersion of psychological suspense.

[FULL REVIEW COMING FROM INTERZONE MAGAZINE]

80s horror is packed with scream queens, final girls and supernaturally unslayable murderers who lurk through summer camps and subdivisions. Their serialized killing sprees pumped out in celluloid every few years to the delight of horror fans and horny teens.

We know the costumes, the weapons, the names. But eventually the movies stop coming and the man behind the mask is relegated to signing head shots at every genre convention that will take him.

Curse of the Reaper is a fun and campy slasher that deserves a spot on the shelf next to The Remaking and Camp Ghoul Mountain Part VI.

This is a slasher about slashers. An homage to the ins and outs of the remake cycle and the spirit of the monster who lives beyond the script.

I was impressed with the variety of kills, and The Reaper’s dialogue reminded me so much of The Crypt Keeper with his endless death puns.

If you’re looking to add a brisk one to your October TBR, I think you should check this one out. Thanks to Brian McAuley for reaching out about reading your book, and to Simon and Schuster + Skyhorse Publishing for an ARC of this title. Curse of the Reaper comes out October 4th.

Everything you love about 80s slashers, rolled into one fun book! Curse of the Reaper lives up to its Scream meets The Shinning tag line. What it really gave me however was New Nightmare and honeslty I love it. This was such a fun book, a little slow in the begining, but once we got into the disembodied voices and slashing, I couldnt put the book down.

I personally really loved Howards character and his interactions with Trevor. I also really really loved the fans, Brian McAuley did a really great job of creating a character out of a large group of no named people. I saw all of us horror fans in there, the good and the bad. Special mention to the shitty producer too, we all know those horrible remakes he was trying to make ( looking at you Rob Zombie).

I recevied this as an ARC from Simon and Schuster for an unbaised review
I will probably purchase my own copy for my shelf as well.

Howard Browning spent years playing the horror villain, the Reaper. The movies stopped a while ago and he spends his time on the convention circuit. When a reboot is announced with a new younger actor as the Reaper, Howard starts to hear the reaper in his mind. And soon, he cannot control all his actions anymore.

I thought this book was going to be a lot more like a slasher movie in book form than it was. I found it a lot more tame and missing that suspense I craved. I think the buildup took too long so I was ready for it to be done by the time the action actually started really.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of 80s slashers will be thrilled to get their hands on Curse of the Reaper - a true homage. Howard Browning played the Reaper in an 80s horror franchise. Now, in 2022, he's resorted to autographs at conventions. When he hears the franchise he made famous is getting a reboot, he's devastated to learn they are recasting his role. What happens when the Reaper isn't ready to let Howard go? Curse of the Reaper is a thrill of a ride from start to finish. If you love slasher films, you cannot miss out on Curse of the Reaper. Be sure to check it out today!

A homage to 80's slasher movies. Good characters and plotting loved the novel a must read for horror fans.
I received this book from Skyhorse publishing and Netgalley for a review.

Howard Browning played the titular character in a long-running series of Reaper horror movies. Those glory days are over and he ekes out a living at conventions. Then he hears that the series is being rebooted, but his role is going to Trevor, a former child actor and addict on the comeback trail, looking to remake his image. The novel alternates between Howard and Trevor’s POV’s. Both are tortured souls in their own ways. Howard cannot let go of the character he brought to life. It’s unclear whether Howard is suffering from mental illness, from symptoms of Alzheimer’s, or from supernatural possession. This was a good homage to classic slasher films, especially the snippets from the fictional movies, but isn’t as campy and wink-wink as the blurb’s reference to Scream led me to expect.

Howard Browning, an aging actor who played slasher movie villain The Reaper in the 80’s, is tired of his new life of signing autographs for the very few fans that still show up to events to see him. But when the studio announces a reboot of the franchise, Howard is disappointed to hear that he has been replaced by Trevor Mane, a former child star fresh out of rehab who’s looking for a fresh start. Howard tries to accept this as a way for him to let go of his past life, however, The Reaper has gotten into his head. He needs more blood, and he will make Howard do anything to get it.

This book started off very strong for me. I found the writing to be very engrossing from the start. My favorite part about it were the script scenes, in which we get a snippet of the killings from the infamous slasher franchise that the book is about. I was always excited when I got to one of those scenes! I also really enjoyed Howard and The Reaper as characters. They were equally interesting and I needed to know what was next for them throughout the book.

But, speaking of characters, I couldn’t stand Trevor. This book is dual pov and although, after reading the whole book, I do see why we needed Trevor’s point of view, while reading it felt superfluous and boring. He wasn’t an interesting character, he didn’t add much to the story, he was just there. He should not have had an equal amount of chapters with Howard. I feel like I could’ve skipped almost every chapter from Trevor’s point of view, and missed nothing until the end. I would’ve enjoyed the book much more without so much of him in it. Also, I thought the story dragged a little bit from about 50% to 80% in. I feel like the book could’ve been a little shorter. I almost didn’t finish the book at 73%, but I’m glad that I stuck with it because the ending was great and very satisfying! The ending was what I was expecting for most of the book, more action!

Although I had some complaints, I still enjoyed this book! If you’re looking for a full out slasher novel, like I was going in, this isn’t that, but it was a great homage to slasher films of the 80’s and it was such an interesting concept.

Thank you Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: addiction, drug use, animal death, suicide attempt, use of the r word, miscarriage and child abuse mentioned

This was an interesting concept for sure and I was really looking forward to it.

I don’t think the execution was as good as it could have been. You have some potential here but I don’t feel like it was properly executed.

Great concept. Great writing. Just okay in the plotting department.

Howard Browning has played the Reaper for eight movies (think Robert Englund to A Nightmare on Elm Street), and now that he’s old, they want to cast a troubled hotshot, Trevor Mane, as the new reaper in the reboot. Well, Howard’s incoming dementia and the Reaper inside have other plans. The story follows Howard and Trevor.

This is the perfect book for horror movie fans, especially those who love slasher franchises. The story is a fresh take on psychological horror while following the structure and pacing of a horror movie. I liked the tragic characters and how their personal demons haunted them. Addiction, mental illness and how they affect stardom are major themes that push the story forward and plague the dual-narrators. While this book may sound sad, it was actually a ton of fun to read and well executed. It captured the essence of the popular horror franchises. I can’t wait to read more of Brian’s work in the future; truly a writer who understands horror and Hollywood.

Awesome concept! Do you love a good slasher film? Do you miss the 80's scary fun? So does Howard Browning who played the infamous Reaper in many slasher films. Classically trained, Howard seems immune to the dialogue and plots and took his role VERY seriously. It's 2022 now however, and his only role is to sign autographs at poorly attended horror conventions. When he hears from his agent that the role will be reprised he thinks his future is looking up. When he finds out that a controversial teen actor will be playing the Reaper he is almost inconsolable. Fortunately, the real Reaper isn't ready to let him go! If you like a creepy curse, stories about movies and actors and of course, miss the 80's, Curse of the Reaper is for you! #Skyhorsepublishing #Skyhorse #Curseofthereaper #BrianMcAuley

A fun and twisted 80s inspired horror read focusing on more than just the final girl!

Howard Browning plays The Reaper in a cult classic set of horror films and as the hype has faded over the years, he's settled into a mundane existence with appearances at comic-cons/horror cons now and again. When Howard finds out that the studio is rebooting the franchise with a new actor as The Reaper, sinister forces come out to play. The Reaper was his creation - his character - Howard IS The Reaper.

To put it quite simply, I loved this read. The foray into madness was a fun ride and I loved how the author explored taking method acting to a new level while also incorporating the supernatural element. In true slasher film fashion, The Reaper's "rebirth" was thrilling and entertaining. 5 twisted stars.

This was such a fun read. Any fans of slasher '80s and '90s horror films will love this. Howard played the infamous Reaper in all eight films but now faces a reboot in which he's being replaced. The plot was predictable but no less fun to watch unfold. I do wish the first half hadn't dragged as much as it did--one part untrue to the genre--but instead kept the suspenseful pace it gained in the second half.

Pitching this book as Scream meets The Shining is really setting it up for failure. This set my expectations HIGH.

Howard Browning plays the titular role in the film franchise, The Reaper. It is his greatest role, and over the years it has consumed his entire life. Now he works the horror con circuit slapping together whatever money he can grasp. When it’s announced that The Reaper franchise is getting a reboot, and he is being replaced, Howard completely spirals. Are his hallucinations and the voices he is hearing a part of his recently diagnosed early onset Alzheimer’s? Or does The Reaper truly exist deep within his soul? Will the same fate befall his replacement, Trevor Mane the Hollywood dug addict on his last chance?

It felt like a slower burn than it needed to be, but once it picks up in the last 20% or so, it slams it’s foot on the gas. The ending lived up to the hype. It just took a while to get there.

This started out with a lot of potential: competently written with realistic, fleshed out characters and a concept clearly influenced by the likes of Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, I enjoyed the first third. But the weakness of this book is its faithfulness to its genre, specifically the horror genre in literature. There is a reason why the above films never dove into the psychology of its killers. It's boring.

It's also cliche. I honestly wish this had been an indie drama about two actors learning from each other instead of a padded out slasher. The characters became so much less interesting as the author leaned more on the staples of the horror slasher genre (or maybe I'm just sick of people succumbing to their demons instead of fighting them and automatically find the former less interesting). While I understood the logic behind the two POV's, it annoyed me as the book went on and in my opinion weakened it. Despite the increase in tension and stakes, the pacing also slowed down a lot: you knew exactly what was going to happen and where they would end up, but some odd choices prolonged the story unnecessarily to the point where I just started skimming chapters (Part 6: Revelation is the worst offender). Again, there's a reason why slasher movies are usually pretty short.

Overall, this started out as an enjoyable commentary on Hollywood and the horror movies it was so clearly inspired by, it was ultimately weighed down by its genre. That said, I do think this would work a lot better as a film, and sort of wondered if that was it was originally intended as. I also think the author has promise and would interested to see what he does next, especially if it's a bit more subversive.

Thank you net galley for providing me with a free copy of the curse of the reaper in exchange for a honest review!


I honestly had some fun reading this. The book gave the 80's horror movie vibes I wanted it to give, and the only thing keeping me from rating it higher was the underwhelming at times writing which became a bit annoying at times considering the length of the book, which could be shorter. I really enjoyed however the character development and it's clear that McAuley is talented when it comes to writing more complex characters.

*First I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC for an honest review*

I really wanted to get into this novel. I am a huge horror fan, and I really liked the summary. The aged actor Howard Browning is making the rounds at horror conventions to make money where he finds out the film series that has made him famous is going to be remade. I couldn't get into the story, and I don't blame the writing because McAuley's prose flows well and has that realistic aspect that can be difficult to achieve.

I will probably try to reread this closer to the publication date. Maybe I need an autumnal feel to get in the mood for this story. I hope the next time I read it I can get deeper.

Reading Curse of the Reaper felt like settling in to binge your favorite slasher movies from the 80s. It was campy, scary, and a little outlandish - and that’s exactly what I wanted from it!

The book follows two POVs. The first is Howard, an older actor whose entire career was devoted to playing cult horror icon, the Reaper. The second is Trevor, a recovering addict and child star who has just been cast in a remake of the Reaper films, essentially replacing Howard. What follows is a deep dive into Howard’s tormented kind of method acting, with Trevor unknowingly along for the ride as he battles his own inner demons. Is it supernatural? Is it a descent into madness? Is it paranoia? Is it demonic possession? Simple answer: yes.

The writing is a little clunky at points, and the dialogue isn’t consistently strong, but once the action started I couldn’t put this down. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys those old school slasher films - that’s exactly what this is, in book form. It’s a fun read if you like light horror.

Curse of the Reaper will be published October 4th of this year, just in time for spooky season!