I loved the horror references throughout this book. It started off really strong and then kinda faded out towards the end and got a bit confusing. Overall fun campy horror

HEADS WILL ROLL – by Josh Winning

Calling All Slasher Fans! Heads literally roll in this macabre-filled, heartbreaking, horror-flick-whodunit…

‘Camp Castaway has broken its promise to us. It is no longer a safe place to switch off and disconnect. It’s a death trap.’

‘Nestled deep in upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults who are desperate to leave their mistakes behind. No real names, no phones . . . no way to call for help.’

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group), for providing me with an eBook of HEADS WILL ROLL at the request of an honest review.

I cannot be the only person who has the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzfTPp4moA">Yeah Yeah Yeahs</a> song run through their head every time they come across the words of this title. Tho as I write this review, I'm listening to the horror-movie-soundtrack oeuvre of Isabel LaRosa, while shivering slightly in the unseasonable (and thankfully temporary) chill of local weather. While I'm glad it'll warm up again soon, the weather and music combine to make the perfect atmosphere for this excellent spooky season read.

After being cancelled for an injudicious tweet -- one that's received a backlash so bad, it's cost our primary narrator her job, her fiance and her savings -- the sitcom actress most famed for her role as the perennially peppy Willow checks into Camp Castaway. The remote retreat for adults advertises itself as a place for people to unplug from all their electronics while getting back to nature and undergoing a little group therapy in the process. Attendees are encouraged to assume aliases upon arrival. Our narrator, having been too panicked and overwhelmed to read through all the promotional material her agent pressed on her before getting there, unthinkingly chooses Willow as her alter ego.

This is kind of a Freudian slip, because in many ways the actress does aspire to be more like Willow. But she's also hiding secrets that she's starting to believe might not be worth keeping buried any more. Ironically, she's in a place filled with secrets, and not just because the other campers all carry guilty burdens of their own. Camp Castaway has its own sordid history, that Willow starts to piece together after a series of unsettling events begins to befall them. Another camper vanishes after telling the rest of the group the local legend of the murderous Knock-Knock Nancy, and Willow finds a creepy doll's head in her cabin, with a threatening note tucked inside. There couldn't actually be a vengeful spirit haunting the woods around Camp Castaway, could there? But when the bodies start piling up, and the heads literally start rolling, Willow and her new friends will have to do everything in their power to defeat a ghostly killer and survive.

This book took me a minute to get into but once I was in, I was hooked! Part of the effort of suspension of disbelief for me was the whole thing about cancellation: so many people come back unscathed from far worse things than Willow said, that it felt like any half decent PR firm would have easily been able to spin her gaffe in a way that also helped free her to be true to herself -- and that was even before I knew what she'd so injudiciously tweeted! In fairness, a large part of her need to go to Camp Castaway came from the vicious emotional spiral that followed, fueled in part by her own self-loathing. And I get that. Just because you know something will blow over doesn't make it any less painful in the short term, especially when you're still coming to terms with your own past.

The narrative otherwise flows like a well-written horror movie, even if I still have Thoughts! and Feelings! over Juniper. I loved how Josh Winning kept me guessing throughout as to whodunnit and why. The way he shows how stories get twisted and tangled over time was also really thoughtful and engrossing. As with many horror films, there were a few teeny tiny plot holes, but overall this was thrilling entertainment that kept me on the edge of my seat while rooting for the good guys (RIP to the fallen!) I do not like watching slasher films at all -- reading about people dying is one thing, but watching them, even when it's fake, is quite another -- so this was the perfect scary way for me to welcome the return of fall and spooky season!

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning was published July 30 2024 by G. P. Putnam's Sons and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9780593544693">Bookshop!</a>

It turns out there are things way worse than getting cancelled on the internet - like getting stalked and potentially murdered at a wellness camp you exiled yourself to. With a single tweet, Willow blows up her whole life. Hit show? Cancelled. Fiancé? He’s not sticking around. That fat advance? Yeah, that’s gone too. Willow sends herself to Camp Castaway (aka Camp Cancelled) for a bit of a digital detox and break from social media. She doesn’t anticipate that one of her internet trolls may have followed her.

Wow was this a fun read! I’m not going to lie, it did take me a bit to become invested in the story. Once we got there? I couldn’t put it down! While I did have my suspicions about who the killer may be, this definitely kept me guessing the whole way through. Willow was a misunderstood, likeable main character and it was fun rooting for her. I thought the twists were unique, loved the secondary characters, and thought the isolated camp setting was perfect. This really was a great end of summer horror to lead into the autumn months.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for a review copy. I look forward to reading from this author again!

The perfect summer camp horror to read on a cool summer night. While I originally had some skepticism of taking on cancel culture, I loved the idea of a summer camp slasher with adult characters, and both delivered. I was happy to be wrong: cancel culture is rooted in "vengeance" which melded into a slasher story extremely well.

There's a lot of love for the genre here. Care is given to building tension and not being predictable. The characters were a tad unlikable in a lingering way that slowed things down for me. If your a reader who loves the drama of reality television and slasher movies this is winning combo.

What an awesome read!!! i love camper / slasher genre!

When Willow sends a thoughtless and tweet that isn't what she expects, her life as a television star begins to deteriorate she checks herself into Camp Castaway. This is a camp to just get away and get away from the outside world all for adults.

The Character build is great, ghost story and humor along with a little gory details. This is not fast paced but not slow paced either.

Will recommend and read more from this author. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Summer camp slasher. But without the teenage angst. This was so good! I love slashers so much and is definitely one of my new favorites!

I really enjoyed the summer vibes and horror.vibes with this one. I do wish there was a bit more.to it but overall it was a great summer horror book!

Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for letting me read an eARC of Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning. Heads Will Roll is a solid slasher that is a very brisk and fun read, in large part due to great character development. Willow is a great final girl with an interesting backstory. The backstory makes it so that as Willow goes through trying to survive, you root for her because she is also striving to become a better person. The other campers are also great and add to the intrigue as Willows tries to uncover who or what is exactly killing the campers. I highly recommend Heads Will Roll for people who love slashers but also for people who love a really cool thriller.

Move over Camp Sleepaway, and hello, Camp Castaway! What a fun, campy thriller this was! It could have easily been a five-star read for me, but there were moments when the writing leaned a bit too much into YA territory. Still, I had an absolute blast reading it!

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning offers a thrilling story of suspense. The story follows Willow, a disgraced sitcom star sent to Camp Castaway, a remote retreat meant for those escaping their past. But the camp soon turns sinister with vanishing campers and eerie threats. While the pacing can lag, the suspense and intriguing twists make it a gripping read. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a dark edge, this book is worth a look.

Willow is a celebrity who finds herself in need of a getaway after a tweet she posts goes viral and gets her cancelled. Her agent suggests the perfect place, Camp Castaway in upper New York. The camp has a strict no electronics policy—no phones, no internet. Campers are not even allowed to use their real names. This seems like the perfect place for Willow to take a step back, and decide what she wants to do next. Unfortunately Willow finds herself in danger as one by one the campers are disappearing and losing their heads, literally.

This was a great summer camp slasher story. Everyone is a suspect and there are lots of crazy characters with back stories which provide perfect motives. It had some really good moments and some good action but it tended to drag in the middle. The ending felt a little forced but overall it was a fun ride that will satisfy the slasher fan.

3 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After being canceled for a misconstrued tweet, a sitcom actor- Willow- flees to a summer camp where no phones are allowed and everyone goes by a chosen alias. Hoping that being off the grid will help her mental health, the summer takes a dark turn when a camper disappears and an urban legend seemingly comes to life. This is my second venture into Josh Winning’s catalog, and I liked this one so much better than my first foray. This is a really fun summer camp slasher, with real heart at the center and a fun, distinct full cast of characters. A collection of canceled misfits try to reckon with what brought them to camp, heal, and ultimately fight to survive. It’s bloody, it’s fast paced, and the central mystery of just who is doing all this slashing is really great. Great atmosphere throughout and a solid, compelling protagonist you root for to be the final girl make this a really great entry into the summer slasher canon!

This review will post on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub

Give me a summer camp slasher and I’m a happy gal. I loved that this camp was for adults who basically needed to hid away from society for doing something bad. I really enjoyed willow, our FMC, and her idol juniper. The middle got a bit too slow burn for my taste, but the ending more than made up for it

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Heads Will Roll. This was an excellent Summer Camp Slasher. If you want a Friday the 13th vibe minus the Teenage campers, look no further—you found it. Instead of Teenagers, we get people who have been canceled or are trying to stay off the grid for a while. Also, let's HEAR it for LGBTQ Representation. While the subplot romance is fast, it sets up a nice distraction from the mayhem.

Seriously, this would make a great movie or series on Netflix. I would love to see these characters come to life.

As the Creepy season approaches, it's the perfect time to turn off the lights, grab a blanket, light a fire, and immerse yourself in the chilling world of Heads Will Roll. Get ready for a spine-tingling experience that will keep you locked in till the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josh Winning, and Penguin Group Putnam Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC Copy of this in return for an honest review.

I can’t say I loved this read but I didn’t hate it! It was decent! I have a few friends that I would totally reccomendnthisbtoo!

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Overall this was an enjoyable 90's slasher style book. Cancel culture meets summer camp. It was just ok, nothing amazing. I did read it in 2 days so it's really fast paced and easy to read, but nothing stood out to me. I didn't really connect with Willow or any of the characters and I felt like it rushed a bit too much. I love a good summer camp goes wrong story though so all-in-all it was fun.

There is truly nothing better than a good camp slasher! Having adults be the campers and the ones to experience the terror was a nice change since most camp slashers are about high schoolers. I was sucked in right away and was kept guessing for the whole story. This is a great read for someone who wants to read more horror but doesn't want graphic details.

Neat idea of a camp for adults needing to escape the world. Definitely does a good job of providing an "I'm all alone out here" angle! This would be a cool movie.