What I Liked
- High-stakes, fast-paced horror – from page one, it's full-throttle tension.
- The boy’s fear-based manifestations – flying masks, cartoon nightmares, pure childhood terror turned real.
- Jess is messy, complicated, and real– struggling with her own demons while trying to survive.
- The wolf monster – an ever-present, looming threat that keeps the tension high.
- The sense of dread never lets up – even in moments of "safety," something is always lurking.
- Cabin in the woods - false security, pure chaos when the horror catches up.

What Didn’t Work for Me
- Some emotional beats didn’t fully land– I wanted more depth in certain moments. Or the emotional parts felt so out of place it was more awkward that they were there.

Not 100% worked for me but it was definitely unique and worth the read.

I knew when I read Mary that I needed to keep an eye out for this author. Boy was I right. This man has yet to disappoint and When The Wolf Comes Home is no exception.

The amount of times I had to swallow a lump in my throat whilst reading this story….I felt for the kid, I felt for Jess, I even felt for the dad and Santos…Fuckin Santos..Jesus!

This book was a wild ride and that phrase couldn’t be more appropriate here because this is a “chase novel” as the author himself puts it. It’s action packed, violent, scary, emotional, and the character development– *chefs kiss.

Nat Cassidy really struck a chord with me in a particular scene in the book. I don’t want to give too much away but let me just say that the very first film I saw in theaters when I was a child was Who Framed Roger Rabbit and it scared the hell out of me. If you saw it as a kid you would know what I’m talking about. The scene in question brought me back to that moment as a child in the theater when I wanted to get the hell out of there.

So far I’ve read close to 30 books this year and When The Wolf Comes Home is easily in the top 3. Thanks Net Galley for the advanced reading copy. Can’t wait to have the physical on my shelf–Available April 22nd!

When struggling actress Jess discovers a runaway child outside her apartment, a violent clash with his father forces them into a desperate escape. As gruesome carnage follows in their wake, Jess realizes the terror stalking them is far beyond her worst fears—because when the wolf comes home, no one is safe.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. At first, I struggled with the supernatural elements—they felt almost too absurd—but as the story progressed, it became clear that the real horror isn’t just in the supernatural events but in the raw, human desperation woven throughout. Jess is an incredibly well-written character, someone who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that makes her journey all the more compelling.

The way the story shifts from being a frantic escape thriller to something deeper is masterfully done. The tension is relentless, the violence is shocking and gruesome, and the sense of inevitability keeps you hooked. It’s brutal, but it’s also thought-provoking. This is a horror novel that lingers long after you’ve finished it.

There is also a very personal Afterword written by the author, that is equally as worth the read. Thank you for sharing your story with us! I'll be recommending this book to anyone who will listen!

This is my first (but not last) Nat Cassidy book. There is a gritty, visceral quality to his writing that I absolutely loved, to the point that I was reading one particularly graphic part and just reading it over and over because it was so damn good.

A young boy is terrified of his father, who can shapeshift and cause harm and destruction - when the boy flees, he takes a struggling actress along for the ride. Jess is a server in a crappy diner, hoping for her big break, but she quickly realizes that she needs to get this terrified boy and run. What follows is a road trip full of fear and blood, where the father, a sort of super soldier who has been experimented on, is ever closer to reclaiming his son, no matter what it takes.

But something - or someone - is not quite as they seem at the beginning of the book, and amidst gas station stops and conversations with government agents, we figure out what is happening. There is fear and despair, but there is also love in this story, and I'm now getting ready to start Nat's backlist because I absolutely must.

I really struggled with putting this book down and making myself go to bed at night. I really wanted to savor it. Cassidy takes you on a wild ride. There are a lot of ‘what the f’ moments, and me trying to piece all the clues together [and when I did figure something out in my head, it was like a yeah there’s no way that can be --- and then a chapter later it’s confirmed]. The story is gripping, terrifying, and also has warmth and may bring you to tears at times (I was NOT expecting that). I really felt like I was watching one of those old early 90s/late 80s made for tv Stephen King movies that had no rules. I felt like a kid again. Brilliant.

I know it's only March, but holy fuck! When The Wolf Comes Home is one of the best books of the year for sure!
it's horrifying, gory, violent,action packed and heartfelt.
Who knew a book that turned my stomach would also make me cry?!

vibes are: X-Men but as kids, war fucking people up, Roger rabbit, neglectful, but well meaning parents, daddy issues, improv comedy and gore galore!

I don't want to say more because that's already too much. READ THIS FUCKING BOOK!

AND read the afterward because damn does Nat Cassidy bare his soul and make you feel hope in this hellscape.

Full Review & Interview Coming to Cemetery Dance Online

Nat Cassidy does it again with a horror story that takes you through an emotional whirlwind. I went into When The Wolf Comes Home expecting a classic werewolf story. Instead, Cassidy gives readers a unique blend of fairytale terror, the anxiety of adulthood, and palpable grief. Like Cassidy's other titles that I've read, Rest Stop and Mary, When The Wolf Comes Home is unputdownable. Readers will fly through this one!

Nat Cassidy also toys with a playful narrative style and kooky kills that adds a great dose of hilarity to balance out the heavier themes of the book.

If you like Rachel Harrison, Clay McLeod Chapman, or Grady Hendrix, you have to pick up a copy of When The Wolf Comes Home.

Nat Cassidy never fails when it comes to horror.

Like all his books this started out on a fast pace and doesn't let up till the end. His writing is vivid and the characters are likeable and easy for anyone to connect too.

It's a short but good read and one that you can read in one setting.
If you want family trauma, to feel fear and anxiety, and a supernatural thriller then this is the book for you!

This book ground my soul to a pulp, gulped it down, and then spit it back out at me. In the best way. As someone with their own seriously concerning father issues I found the relevance this book had in relation to my own life rather alarming. This book therapized me in all its horror. The nature of its abloution is in the sweet, tender, and aching moments simmering within the chaos of the scifi/fantasy elements of the story. I truly commend Nat Cassidy for being able to weave the surreal and hysterical and parodical into such deeply emotional themes around familial trauma. I am a huge fan of his body of work. A true master of the Horror genre. Thank you for always delivering such honest portrayals of the darker aspests of humanity, and the tenderness that dwells within the monters.

*Blurb from the back of the book below*

One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.

As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, horrifying incidents of butchery follow them. At first, Jess thinks she understands what they're up against, but she's about to learn there's more to these surreal and grisly events than she could've ever imagined.

And that when the wolf finally comes home, none will be spared.

A wonderful horror that's both a monster story and a very real look into grief, loss, and fear.

Nat Cassidy writes very introspective horror and this was no exception. Jess finds herself having a particularly bad night and it ends with her fighting off a wolf-creature-thing and on an unplanned road trip with a 5 year old with no name. The unreal seems to follow them until she makes some connections that change everything.

This was heart-breaking, heart-wrenching, heart-pulverizing. Creepy, fast-paced, and horrific - this is a horror you're not going to want to miss.

What a fantastic read! The story was very good but also deep and thought provoking. I was very shocked about how emotional this book made me and loved the atmosphere.

🦇 ᴅᴀᴅᴅʏ’ꜱ ꜱʜᴏᴇꜱ 🏚️
“...and look what you did.”

Well this crept into my heart and I went, ahhh what the fuck, and now MY HEART IS BROKEN. Broken, “as unquestionable as gravity.”
I love the afterword so much.
Far too relatable a book, which is ironic because of what the story is about. Go in blind and just enjoy the ride.
Scary! Tears! That’s it. That’s the review.
🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

Thank you so much to @tornightfire and @netgalley for the ARC! #WhenTheWolfComesHome comes out on April 22nd!

I absolutely devoured this book. I recommend all readers to read the summary and then I am sure they will want to read it right away. It has all the thrills, pop-culture references and so many surprises. The whole book felt surprising as I did not think I would enjoy this genre much. It was such a wild ride! Beware of the gory stuff but that is sort of expected in this genre!

Nat Cassidy has quickly risen to the top of my favorite author list. His ability to blend horror with deeply emotional circumstances is masterful. His afterwards are truly the icing on the nightmare-inducing cake. When the Wolf Comes Home was utterly un-put-down-able.

There are so many layers Nat Cassidy packs into this story, it's difficult to begin. In the midst of deeply emotional relationships between the main characters developing, Cassidy packs punch after punch of thrills, chills and plenty of pop-culture references, even throwing in some sci-fi. I truly never knew where the story would go, and the ending absolutely did not disappoint. This book is best going into blind, of course checking trigger warnings first should you need to. The story this book tells, is truly one I think can resonate with everyone. All the stars and I cannot wait to own a copy for myself to read over again.

As one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, thank you so much to Tor Nightfire Publishing and Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Nat Cassidy, you lovely thing!! I will devour everything you write. Like The Nestling, this made me chuckle, squirm and cheer for its likable characters. I was surprised and charmed over and over again. Live weasels with chainsaws was the icing on this cake— perfect touch and absolutely terrifying.

I have never read anythink like this, not only in what I expected to be in some sort of werewolf genre but in any horror trope full stop. It's really hard to explain this one without spoiling the suprises as Cassidy's premises leaves the the door wide open for limitless possibilities. Suffice it to say that it is gripping throughout, at times hilarious, poignant and with plenty of gnarly but unusualy visceral moments too.

I cannot even begin to express how much I loved this book. Not only is it a wild and terrifying ride, but it's also a deeply emotional and difficult read.

The psychological horror, the violence, the terror... and then you add in the underlying elements of fear and how it effects you and the genuine worry that comes from raising a child and how you can mess that up, even unintentionally... wow. Just wow.

I loved these characters. Jess and Kiddo. Their pain and fear was visceral. It jumped off the page and straight into my heart. I spent moments of this book in shock and genuine fear and then more than a few in desperate, heart broken sobs.

I won't be forgetting this book. It's a story I will continue to remember and think about for years to come I'm sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really sad to say this wasn't a new favorite from NC.

I'm conflicted about how to rate this. Parts of it really worked for me, the horror, THE BODY HORROR!!, the road movie energy and relationship between Jess and the kid. I think I'm not a fan horror with a ton of action In it, I prefer my horror to be more slow moving, creeping a lot, while also being horrific and deep (Mary, Nestlings)
Without spoiling anything about the main part of this plot- it just got a little too goofy for me. Some chapters were short and snippy, to the point while others felt long winded and overdone and the ending wasn't my favorite it felt underdeveloped, so it may be different in the final product vs this E-ARC.

I did love his authors note a ton, made me tear up!!

I will still pick up anything NC writes, just wish I had loved this more!!

When the Wolf Comes Home is the kind of horror that doesn’t just scare you, it consumes you. I could not put this one down. It is BRUTAL, and it drags you into a terrifying game of survival.

Jess thinks she’s just helping a lost little boy. But when an encounter with his father turns deadly, she realizes she’s stepped into something far worse than she could have imagined.

This book is wild, blood soaked and packed with tension. Cassidy doesn’t hold back and gives us action, heart and pure terror. This is not one to miss.

Everything nat Cassidy does is perfect. I’ve never been disappointed and his work just gets better and better. Nothing bad to say at all.