Long live the slasher…

Who would have thought that a miner wielding a pick axe, donning a human face could be so scary? Oh wait, now that I wrote that down, it’s pretty obviously scary. What a great villain.

As terrifying as that is, the scariest thing about this book is the chakra stimulating, yoga posing, kambucha drinking, whole grain eating, wannabe cult leader. I mean that whole wellness retreat thing sends chills up my spine. Like in real life. Those things are freaky.

Sometimes you just need a good “don’t think too hard”, “let the fun shit rip” thriller, and that’s exactly what this book gives. I’m here for it.

3.75

Before I get to the meat of the review, I just want to say that I loved the cover design and title of this one - both are on point. I have never previously read a Brian McAuley book and have only just realised he has some good books to his name. I'll definitely be checking those out.

This book mixes a lot of new age things - complex friendships, yogi retreats, body detox, mind detox etc. They all work well for the book. When our protagonist, Hannah, experiences a deep trauma of losing someone important, she commits a mistake at her workplace. Because she is a doctor and their mistakes can be fatal, she is asked to go away for a while. This is when her best friend recommends a secluded wellness retreat. And everything that can possibly go wrong, goes wrong. I liked the way the friendships unfold in this one - it makes you sympathise less and less with the characters.

I did have a qualm about the story towards the end, the twist exists to create a shock value. I usually don't mind it because slashers need this kind of shock to absorb the attention of the audience but I wish the twist was better than what it turned out to be.

BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT by Brian McAuley- the slasher glow up I didn't know I needed!

This story follows Hannah as she tries to overcome the effects of the tragic loss of her fiancé. Faced with a suspension at work, her therapist pushes Hannah to commit to intensive treatment. Instead, Hannah and a group of friends head to a new exclusive wellness retreat located in Joshua Tree. What could go wrong?

Instead of a relaxing weekend, things quickly go off the rails. McAuley proves to be a master of misdirect as the weekend unspools. The kills are creative and had me cringing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something else would happen and I'd have to build my theory all over again.
Blood and guts aside, this story touches on some very real issues- grief, mental health, addiction, and cultural appropriation. And it's still fun as HELL!

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

It's hard to escape Brian McAuley 's clutches when you're a horror fan.
"Curse Of The Reaper" was, in addition to being one of my favorite reads of last year, a phenomenal journey through the intricacies of horror cinema, narrated with a very cinematic language and style, interspersed with an enormous knowledge of the genre.
Now, after the two installments of Candy Cain , pending in Spanish, McAuley attacks with a new literary slasher , in the vein of films like Scream and any relatively modern approach to the genre.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fast-paced, agile novel, loaded with a very fine sense of humor.
A murder worthy of the best killer .

Hannah has a complicated existence , to put it mildly.
Life in Los Angeles isn't great, her position as a resident physician hangs by a thread, and her mental health isn't the best. It doesn't help matters, either, when what happened to her fiancé, Ben, just a few months ago while they were enjoying an idyllic vacation in the snow, surrounded by nature. No one is clear about the reasons that ended with Ben's death and with Hannah returning to civilization alone and covered in blood.
Months go by, and Hannah isn't improving, so her friends, some close and others with whom she lost touch long ago, decide to intervene by inviting her to a spiritual retreat . The sanctuary, located near Joshua Tree , is coordinated by Guru Pax , a mysterious man who mixes modern scientific and pseudoscientific therapies with the most insane supernatural ideas
. The retreat is very exclusive, elitist, with no technology and no users other than Hannah and her friends, so... Who is the mysterious killer lurking, endangering the lives of Hannah and her friends?

Hannah is our protagonist, our candidate for final girl , and the main voice we'll have for much of the reading, narrated in the first person . This is one of the main points of interest of the novel and reaffirms certain concepts that were already perceived in The Reaper's Curse . Brian McAuley focuses his efforts on creating a group of believable and detailed characters, always within this kind of bubble world that is the slasher . Each and every one of the voices that appear in the book, each of the characters , have a certain development , within the standards imposed by the genre. McAuley, thus, cedes part of the pace of progress of the novel to his characters , instead of to the events.
In this character development, McAuley incorporates a multitude of current topics, modern approaches, from mental health to pseudoscientific therapies that flood social networks and fashions in big cities, the importance of healing wounds, overcoming grief, or facing toxic relationships.
And he is good, very good, in the way he addresses these ideas.
He works them on different levels, letting the characters speak , giving shape to their thoughts; sometimes in a crude, direct way, appealing to sensitivity; other times drawing on a razor-sharp sense of humor. The point is that the mix works; it resonates with you, as a reader, and helps you shape the true core of the story, based on agile, rapid-fire dialogue that keeps you reading.

Don't think there are only conversations in Breathe In, Bleed Out. It's a slasher , don't forget, and Brian McAuley integrates scenes, narrated in the third person, that add up the victims. Very cinematic murders, almost escalating in intensity, with graphic but clean , very playful violence . Graphic, visceral, and with a certain connection to the victim in question, which represents a true exercise in inventiveness on the part of the author.
Then there's the game, the murder mystery that hides the identity and motivation of our killer. Is he a frustrated soldier who resents city folk and puts aside his Call of Duty game to kill our protagonists? Does it have to do with someone from the spiritual retreat? Or perhaps the threat comes from an old mining legend in the area? Or, well, the classic: could it be one of Hannah's friends? Or part of the demons from poor Hannah's past coming back to finish her off?
Oh, damn meddling boys , there are so many options!
The resolution is there, well explained at the end of the novel. It's not going to revolutionize the genre with a tremendously surprising twist, but it works.
Hannah is an excellent addition to the list of final girls. She's not a character who's there solely as a plot thread, no. Hannah carries her own past, with the ghosts that torment her sanity and whose nightmares end up filtering into a reality that becomes increasingly strange.

But, if you like slashers , what I just told you won't be a surprise. Every good film in this genre (right now I'm putting on my Randy Meeks suit...) starts with a shocking opening scene, a calm development of characters, situations, and settings punctuated by bursts of violence, murders, and multiple suspects, which build in crescendo to a finale full of surprising revelations, crazy twists, a frenzy of blood, and a denouement that may leave certain doors open. This has been the case, more or less, since Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven reformulated the genre with Scream (1996).
Breath In, Bleed Out respects and enhances the cinematic foundations of the slasher , transferring them to the novel. A modern slasher , packed with current events and social themes (criticism of easy-fix gurus, the obsession with work and success, trauma, the social and political situation in the United States today), under McAuley's skill in turning all this into a fast-paced show, with good dialogue and a great sense of humor.
It's Scream, it's Final Destination, at times it seems like My Bloody Valentine, but in a modern style, like Sick (2022) or the recent Heart Eyes (2025).
All movies, as you can see, because it's a tremendously visual read ; it never hides, even using tools more typical of cinema than literature. An unbeatable combination from a mind that knows both worlds perfectly.

Breathe In, Bleed Out is the clearest demonstration that the slasher can work in literature. And I'm not talking about a nostalgic approach, no: a current, modern, and energetic one.
A fast-paced, engaging read that's hard to put down, and even more enjoyable if you enjoy horror films. McAuley is fully aware of this : this is a novel written and directed for horror fans, who will appreciate the humor so directed in its dialogue and references. That doesn't mean casual readers won't enjoy the book, of course. A work in the vein of contemporary authors like Grady Hendrix, a lighter version of Stephen Graham Jones, Rachel Harrison of The Return , or Adam Cesare. New slashers, new approaches.
The novel, by the way, closes with an extensive chapter ( Scream With Me).about Brian McAuley's love of slashers , almost a small essay that touches the heart.
I'd like to take this opportunity to give a standing ovation to the novel's title, which I think is marvelous.
I finish this novel very satisfied , happy amidst so much chaos with mental health gurus, a new final girl to add to the list, skillful murders, legends, and a more than entertaining psychological game.
Brian McAuley says, in the final acknowledgments, that there's a new killer in the shadows waiting for him to finish telling his story.
And I, personally, will wait on the other side of the page, patiently, without haste, but without stopping to look at the darkest corners of my room.

In Breathe In, Breathe Out, Brian McAuley takes a scalpel to the self-help industry and lays bare the rot beneath the mantras. What begins as a tale of personal redemption at an exclusive wellness retreat quickly mutates into a horror novel of startling depth—one that lingers long after the final breath is exhaled.

This book is terrifying not just because of its body count, but because the violence feels earned. McAuley roots his horror in psychological truth, exploring addiction, identity, and the quiet brutality of emotional repression. At its core, this is a novel about the consequences of silence—and the haunting power of the word “no.” That one syllable echoes throughout the story, manifesting as guilt, grief, and the slow unraveling of self. Few horror novels dare to ask what happens when your recovery becomes someone else’s weapon.

The deaths here are not arbitrary. They land with weight. They are intimate, uncomfortable, and steeped in real-life motives. The killer isn’t a faceless monster; they’re terrifying precisely because they could be someone you know. This realism grounds the horror and sharpens it into something that cuts deeper than gore—it wounds the psyche.

McAuley’s voice is also darkly funny, full of razor-wire wit and precision satire. His commentary on influencer culture, faux spirituality, and performative healing is biting and timely. The book is laced with pop culture references that are smart, subtle, and disarmingly well-placed—never gimmicky, always earned. It's the kind of humor that makes you laugh and then immediately regret it.

There’s a tension in this novel that builds like breathwork gone wrong—slow, intentional, and then suddenly suffocating. The setting is claustrophobic in the best way: a glossy retreat center with smiling cult-like facilitators and the hum of repressed violence vibrating beneath the affirmations. Every scene feels like it could implode. And eventually, it does.

Breathe In, Breathe Out is a brutal, brilliant work of horror—one that deserves to be in serious conversation for the Bram Stoker Award. And with its unflinching body horror and sharp social critique, it wouldn’t be out of place among Splatterpunk contenders either. This is a novel that doesn’t just disturb—it understands.



"McAuley delivers a smart, stylish takedown of wellness culture with the brutality of a scalpel and the precision of a killer’s gaze." - Niko Taylor

Breathe In, Bleed Out By Brian McAuley 🩸🩸
3.75 ⭐️

This book follows Hannah, who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her partner Ben after a tragic hiking incident. Haunted by guilt, she reluctantly agrees to join her friends on a wellness retreat. But soon, one by one, members of the group begin to disappear…

What I Liked:
-The wellness retreat setting paired with commentary on wealth, technology, and consumerism. These themes are very current, and the book uses them effectively to create a creeping, relatable sense of fear.
-Love a “whodunnit” and enjoyed trying to figure that out as I read on.
-Hannah was flawed and human, not a perfect protagonist, which made her more realistic and compelling.
-The conclusion and final act were very gripping - I couldn’t put the book down after the 70% mark.

What I Didn’t Like:
-Hannah’s background as a doctor is explored early on, but it didn’t feel fully justified or integrated into the larger narrative. There were some connections made, but it might have served to deepen her guilt around Ben’s death even more so.
-Justice for Miles!!
-The “unalivings” took a while to start, and when they did, they could have been more intense and gory for my taste.

Overall, a very fun slasher and I enjoyed the authors commentary at the end!

Similar Books:
💀Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
💀Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

Move over, Harry Warden, there’s a new favorite villain with a pickaxe in town. ⛏️

Breathe In, Bleed Out takes us on a trip with Hannah. Sure, her last trip ended in the death of her fiancé, but this will be different. Her friend Tess drags their friend group to a yoga/healing retreat in Joshua Tree, and for a second, Hannah thinks maybe it will be nice.

Then a killer miner starts picking off her friends one by one.

One of my favorite things about Brian’s writing is that he writes like a horror fan writing for horror fans—because he is. Breathe In, Bleed Out embodies that, putting on display his professorial knowledge of the conventions of the slasher. We are met with plenty of his trademark creative kills, with a villain who keeps us guessing about who’s behind the mask and what thematic tortures he’s going to subject his victims to next.

On top of keeping us laughing and cringing, Brian’s command of words is evident on the page, all the way down to how he caters the vocabulary of the scene to suit the character involved. Each time a new kill approaches, he begins deftly adapting the scene to the individual. He tosses in phrases like “better than a bench press” and “solid sweat sesh” when we get one-on-one with the “dumb jock” of the group, and effortlessly slips into the mean-girl-turned-yogi voice with phrases like, “flirting is just a harmless expression of loving abundance” when we follow Luna. Or perhaps my favorite example: Lance Corporal Dennings, who we’re told spends his time playing Call of Duty, but “was never called to duty” and is described as having a “PlayStation trigger finger.” We even harken back to Hannah’s past when the guru looks at her with “icepick eyes” and tells her she’s frozen. This attention to detail is what propels Brian to a horror great, and makes every sentence an adventure.

Full of the humor, gore, and artistry we’ve grown to expect (as well as a lampoon of the LA “wellness” scene), Breathe In, Bleed Out is a modern classic with a retro classic cover out from @poisonedpenpress & @brianmcwriter September 2nd!🩸

Btw, I agree: Final Destination IS a slasher.

#horrorbooks #readmorehorror #horrorreview #slashers

I think I found a new author I'll put on auto order with this book ! I definitely put Brian's other books on my TBR.

I have so much fun with this witty, gory, dark and funny slasher story!

First of all, let's be honest, I initially requested this Arc on Netgalley for the cover. I barely read the summary but give me slasher vibes and a hot 80's style horror book cover and I'm all in.

I grew up with movies like black Christmas, Scream, I know what you did last summer or Psycho. This kind of horror is definitely my cup of tea and Brian McAuley's Breathe in, Bleed out lives up to it.

The character development is good, the female characters too (something I always find tricky to root for when written as a main character by a man).

And you definitely has this slasher "campus" vibes. The meetup between old school friends who grew up mostly out of the friendship over the years and do this retreat more for old time sake even if they kind of hate each other (did they really liked each other at some point or as all school friends dynamics, just stick with the first people coming around to fit in the crowd and don't be seen as outsider ?) is part of the horror trip for me 😅.

I like how the cultural appropriation is approached here and I thought at first that was it, I got the killer and the main plot line and then it bounced from one possibility to another but still keep everything wrapped up together thighly. I loved that !

It's really solid. Great plot, great development, excellent dynamics between the characters, it's well written, witty and unapologetically gross sometimes.

Anyway, I'm always rooting for unhinge female character in horror, witty and sarcastic, who tries to keep her own head out and ends up doing all the work. I loved Hannah really much and the trio of "final girls" vibes is a good bonus.

Big thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for the arc. I love a mystery/ thriller slasher and Breathe In, Bleed Out did not disappoint! The character development is rocky at first, but worth staying and investing into their development. This is a fast paced read if you like slasher stories with a twist of humor.

A White Lotus desert slasher?! Maybe it’s because I just finished the newest season of The White Lotus so that was floating in my head, but I kept thinking as I read this, “wow this reminds me a tiny bit of if there was a slasher in a season of The White Lotus”, and how that would make the show even better. Anyway, sign me up for that!

Where do I begin with Mr. Brian McAuley? He has such a way with writing interesting characters that you are immediately drawn to and makes you sit back, strap in, and enjoy the bloody ride he’s about to take you on.

First off, I love the backstory with Hannah and Ben and slowly learning about what happened on that fateful day that changed Hannah’s life forever. The grief and trauma she is dealing with looms in the background of the entire story like a chill that keeps creeping its way back to the surface.

The group of friends going on a trip to get away from all the life bullshit is one of my favorite settings and Brian McAuley’s take is so much fun. This group of wild weirdos were so fun to be with on this journey. Hannah has closed herself off to them for the most part during the last year while she deals with her grief so this is the first time they’ve really been together in a long time. The dynamics between them was funny and even sad at times. Just imagining hanging out with them in the desert would be a real trip.

Once they’re at the spiritual retreat things just get weird and bloody and fun and scary. The kill scenes are brutal and gross and everything you want your slasher to be. The twists and turns are executed masterfully and will keep you guessing until the end.

Brian McAuley is slashing his way to the top with the greats with every bloody word he writes. Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer fans need this book on their shelf.

I really loved unhinged retreats and this book did not let me down! I found Hannah to be a very interesting character and spent most of the book wondering if she was hallucinating or really seeing what was happening. A few red herrings thrown in made for an enjoyable read.

This is @brianmcwriter’s best book. I said it. It’s true. And I love CURSE OF THE REAPER, CANDY CAIN, and CANDY CAIN KILLS AGAIN. Yet somehow Brian found a way to clear that high bar with this absolutely engrossing spa retreat slasher. Our MC is Hannah, suffering from extreme PTSD, very much haunted by the death of her fiancé Ben. She’s been drifting from her best friend, from everyone. So her best friend cooks up a trip to a trippy retreat in Joshua Tree. With the reluctant approval of her therapist, Hannah heads to the desert. And then the bodies start to drop. Not only are we fully immersed in Hannah’s journey and what happened to Ben, but we’re also in the hands of a master when it comes to the tension… and the kills. McCauley keeps you guessing all the way to the end, and gives us a fresh take on slashers. It’s extremely atmospheric, compulsive, and propulsive, and, of course, SCARY! You love to see a great writer get even greater. This one comes out in September, preorder from your fave indie!

We all love an A24 movie, but when you want to relax we all know it’s Halloween, Scream or Childs play that we are really reaching for, something Brian McAuley knows best!

McAuley can do no wrong in my eyes! Fast becoming one of the masters of the slasher genre. The way he creates comfort with the familiar tropes and beats of all our favourite flasher movies. The characters he writes have such heart that I never feel like I’m just reading a tired worn out idea. They hold your attention, they are not merely fodder in our monsters path, and this to me is what makes McAuley great. While I absolutely love the unthinking of Friday the 13th, McAuleys MC always strive for Sidney or Laurie - fully fleshed, making you back them all the more.

A fun comfort read, that you should definitely pre order!!

A brilliantly executed slasher written by an author who clearly loves and respects the genre. I wouldn't expect anything less from Brian McAuley, who never fails to disappoint.

Breathe In, Bleed Out is a sly, subversive sendup of modern influencer and pop-wellness culture centered around our final girl, Hannah, who is haunted by the death of her boyfriend. A year later she reluctantly joins her former friend group who have invited her to a spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, California. Her journey of self-discovery turns to terror when a killer starts picking off the attendees one by one.

I quickly devoured McAuley’s latest entry; tickled by the creative kills and wildly trying to guess the killer’s identity up until the final clever twist. Breathe In, Bleed Out is highly recommended for fellow slasher fans – this reads like a slick modern horror film brought to life on page. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a particular nod to Taylor Swift’s “Down Bad,” one of my recent favorites from the singer that somehow fits the mood of the book perfectly.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Everything about it. I love a getaway setting honestly, and a secluded wellness retreat was so fun!! This was a first for me, and I am craving more.

The kills were brutal, the characters gave exactly what they were meant to give, and I feel like this grief slasher (is that thing lmao) was just written so perfectly. I can not wait for people to read this book.

This book hit me really hard, not because I lost a fiancé, but because I lost my best friend.

Here are some quotes and things I loved-

"I wouldn't have listened. You know that"
-jfc f me all the way up

"I'm sorry I couldn't make you all feel better about how supportive you were being. I was in mourning, okay?"

Some part of me still yearns for the sweet relief of the big leap. The final release of giving up. Thankfully, my higher self is stronger.

it's been nothing more than a busy distraction from the void of my existence.

I know it feels like you've hit bottom, but it's not the end.

I could keep going, there were so many things I highlighted in this book.

ALSO THERE IS AN ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT REFERENCE and if you know me, you know how giddy I was to see that

Anyway, Breathe In, Bleed Out definitely needs to be added to the TOP of your TBR.

Breathe In, Bleed Out by Bryan McAuley is my latest slasher obsession. This one is pure dread and horror, the perfect read when you're after something dark and sharp.

Set against the unrelenting heat of the Californian desert, five friends head off on the ultimate wellness journey to a retreat called Avidya.

Our main character, Hannah, is running from the trauma of her past and the death of her fiancé, but what starts as healing quickly spirals into something far more dangerous.

If you’re looking for a fun, bloody time, I can’t recommend this enough. Release date is September 2nd , get it on your TBR, you don’t want to miss this one!

For me, this was a 3.5/ 3.75, but I’m rounding up to a 4 because McAuley is such an excellent writer. Breathe In, Bleed Out is an interesting slasher, and definitely not like any others I’ve read. The setting instantly put me on edge with a secluded, illusive “wellness retreat” because that honestly sounds like a legit nightmare. Literally could never be me! There’s also a couple “villains” which adds to the intrigue. There’s bound to be some tense times when you throw an unreliable character that’s been through a lot of trauma into the mix. You definitely want to keep reading to find out what exactly is going on. I know McAuley has written some Lifetime movies and I could definitely see this as one. I LOVE Lifetime movies so that is a plus for me. This one is a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it. Curse of the Reaper is still my favorite so this one just didn’t hit like Reaper did but I still enjoyed my time with this book

ARC 📖 Review: Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley
Pub Date: September 2, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was probably my favorite slasher in a while! I kept trying to guess what was going to happen next, but I couldn’t get it right. 🤣 Such a fun read; I highly recommend this one!

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌬️🪓🩸

Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way... even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start.

#slasherbooks #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #read #reader #arcreader #bookish #booklife #booknerd #horrorreads #booklover #books #horrorreader

Hannah is a big hot mess of a woman, but for perfectly good reason, and i love that her friends decided to take her to a retreat to help her get over those demons, and boy does that not end well for any of them. I loved everything about this book, from Guru Pax....super weird.....to the rattlesnake....favorite part of the whole book. I loved that when I thought I kinda figured out who it could be or who could of been in on the killer comes out slashing and it was from way left field and I thought that was great. I love slasher films and the way they can get creative with their killings and this book for sure had some crazy killings which made it all the more fantastic.

Wow!!! This book was such a wild and fun read! I literally could not put this book down!
The writing was incredible! The way I was able to paint my own movie in my head and felt like I could in-vision everything that I was reading made this book even more suspenseful!

I found that I connected with the main character in so many ways, even down to our shared nickname, Banana. 🍌

The ending left me like 🤯😱… needless to say, I was left speechless. With its gruesome twists and nonstop suspense, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and had me guessing right up until the final chapter. I love me an unpredictable ending!!

If you’re looking for a fun slasher book… this is a must read for all my horror fans!