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!!

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!

𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆, 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓, 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈.

An absolute must-read for slasher fans, BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT was campy, nostalgic, creepy, with some truly perceptive insights into human nature.

Hannah has suffered a truly traumatic event. She and her fiancé Ben went on a wilderness trip, but only Hannah came back. Only Hannah knows what happened the day Ben died, and she won't talk about it even with her close friends. Also, no one knows that Ben has been haunting her ever since through horrific waking nightmares replete with imagery; the crunch of snow, the bright sheen of blood, and the accusing look in Ben's eyes.

After being placed on leave at work, Hannah is adrift with too much free time. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees, determined to put the past behind her.

Right away, we have all the ingredients for a grade-A slasher...a remote location, a charismatic yet mysterious guru, and a journey to 'self-discovery' that quickly descends into hell on Earth when an unnamed killer begins targeting the group and killing them one by one, each kill grislier than the one before.

I didn't figure out the identity of the slasher until right before the big reveal because I was so caught up in the story. This one is completely immersive and pulls you in to Hannah's world right away. For me, Ben's death speaks to the guilt we often feel when we take on burdens that aren't ours to carry.

The author's notes are NOT to be missed! Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy. This title is expected to publish September 2, 2025.

Oh man, this author writes slashers in a unique way that I absolutely love. I thought Curse Of The Reaper was amazing and Candy Cain Kills was kick ass. But with this one, he raises the bar on what a slasher novel should be.

A woman who's suffered a horrific event while hiking with her boyfriend has separated herself from her friends. She has nightmares about that day and even waking hallucinations as if her dead boyfriend is stalking her.

One day her best friend insists that she, along with a group of other friends, go to a weekend spiritual retreat deep in the desert. This exclusive invite only retreat features meditation, yoga, organic raw meals, crystals...all of that woo woo new age stuff.

She reluctantly agrees to it. This retreat is basic, has no modern conveniences and is run by a white guy who goes by the name Guru Pax. But, oddly, she starts feeling better about herself. She's been addicted to Xanax and thinks, perhaps, this retreat might be life changing for her despite the cheesiness of it all.

Of course, when her friends start being slaughtered one by one, this retreat becomes a race for survival. As the bloody rampage continues it becomes obvious they've been targeted. But by whom?

This novel reminds me, happily, of Scream. There's several possible killers and your mind will run wild as the book points towards certain characters with a suspicious eye. Of course it will be revealed at the end and it's a complete mind fuck! Never saw that coming.

You've got a whole group of great characters, a twisty narrative which always keeps you guessing, and the desert atmosphere is perfectly defined and puts you right in that environment.

It's also a lot of fun! I always love a good slasher book and this one will be at the top of your list. A brutal, bloody, high octane read. I highly recommend it.