Okay… this one got under my skin. The Joplin Horror is the kind of horror I love—dark, claustrophobic, completely disorienting, and just fu*king creepy.

The whole descent into the cemetery and that impossible labyrinth had me feeling trapped right along with Alexis and her crew. The deeper they went, the more everything started to feel wrong, and I loved the way the horror slowly blurred the line between what was real, what was memory, and what was something much worse.

And that sense of something lurking just beyond the light? Nope. Absolutely not. 😂

This was a seriously fun, twisted, fast-paced horror read with some great psychological scares and cosmic-horror vibes. Jason Kaleko absolutely nailed the feeling of being somewhere you should NEVER have gone—and then realizing you might not be able to get back out.

Definitely one I’d recommend to horror readers who like their scares dark, weird, and mind-bending.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the advanced copy.

This was a great psychological horror novel, it had that element that I was looking for from the first page and really enjoyed getting to read this. I enjoyed getting to learn about the characters Pan the mausoleum, It does a great job in building the world and the tension. It was everything that was promised from the description and I really enjoyed the way Jason Kaleko wrote this and was able to create something that was tense and had that element that I was looking for in a psychological novel

This book takes a fascinating concept and turns it into a genuinely creepy, unsettling, and thoroughly entertaining horror experience. From the very beginning, the story pulls you in with its intriguing premise and steadily builds an atmosphere of dread that makes you feel as though you’re trapped right alongside the characters. There’s this constant, suffocating sense that something is terribly wrong, that you’ve ventured somewhere you were never meant to go, and that escaping might not be as simple as finding the way back.

What I enjoyed most was the combination of psychological terror, eerie mystery, and cosmic horror. The story is twisted, unpredictable, and fast-paced, keeping you on your toes as the tension builds and the situation becomes increasingly disturbing. There’s something uniquely terrifying about the unknown, especially when reality itself begins to feel unreliable and the deeper you go, the less you understand what you’re dealing with. The horror doesn’t rely solely on frightening moments; it also plays with that creeping sense of helplessness and the fear of being trapped somewhere beyond your understanding.

Jason Kaleko does a fantastic job creating an atmosphere that feels claustrophobic, sinister, and deeply unsettling. He captures that horrible realization that you’ve crossed a line you can’t uncross, that you’ve entered a place you should NEVER have gone, and that whatever awaits you might be far worse than anything you could have imagined. The tension, the bizarre twists, and the overwhelming feeling of being lost in something far bigger and more terrifying than yourself make this such a fun and memorable read.

Overall, this was a seriously entertaining, twisted horror story that delivered exactly the kind of creepy, mind-bending experience I was hoping for. If you enjoy fast-paced horror with psychological scares, cosmic-horror elements, an unsettling atmosphere, and that delicious feeling of impending doom, this book is absolutely worth picking up. It’s the kind of story that makes you appreciate the safety of your own surroundings and think twice before wandering somewhere you don’t fully understand. Sometimes, the scariest thing isn’t what’s waiting for you in the darkness—it’s realizing that you may never find your way out. 👀🖤

Entertaining in a claustrophobic and deeply unsettling kind of way.

The atmosphere is the standout. You can almost feel yourself immersed in this haunting, creepy world, and it left me feeling slightly claustrophobic the whole way through.

I loved the premise. The characters are not exactly outstanding citizens, but as you learn their stories, you understand them better and start rooting for them, even though they’re likely doomed (oops).

“I died in that basement.” I’m sorry, what? That genuinely creeped me out. I loved how the lines kept blurring between what’s real, what’s the past, and what’s a hallucination.

The pacing works well too. The story never drags, and nearly every chapter ends on a small cliffhanger that kept me wondering what would happen next.

I wished for more from the ending. I was hoping for some big mystery to unravel, or a plot twist that would make me question everything, or for her to get out and do something wild instead of quietly fading away.

This fast paced experience had me holding my breath as my mind struggled to discern the mystery laid before me. I strongly recommend anyone who has a love for spooky stories that will leave your hairs standing and spine chilled.

An amazing debut novel from Jason Kaleko, I would rate this a 5 if I read the final published version, but I will have to settle for 4.75 since it’s an uncorrected copy. I have to admit I was initially drawn to this book on NetGalley for its cover, and was blown away by what I read.
The Joplin Horror starts with the eerie statement, “Remember that. There were five. Now there is just one.” We are thrown into the middle of the horror itself, with Alexis Williams, a young woman who joins a crew of grave robbers after her life goes south in her early 20s. During our first flashbacks, we get to know the original crew: Rayner, Bridgers, Carrie, Justin, and Alexis. Just before the last heist, Justin announces he’s leaving the crew and settling for a quiet life in remote Alaska, leaving Lee as his replacement for the Joplin Estate heist. Now the horrors begin.
This book felt like a rollercoaster in the best way possible; just when you think Joplin will let them leave in peace, the team gets taken deeper into the madness. The pacing was great and I just couldn’t stop reading, it kept me wanting to go back to it and read more. The characters, although your typical crew of misfits, felt realistic and I truly felt sad by their endings. One by one you really get weirdly attached to them.
I was looking for a spooky October read this month, and this truly scratched that itch, if you love supernatural horror, fast pace novels that keep you on the edge, this is the one to read next!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I am Alexis, daughter of Edmond and Janet.

This was so good! Perfect autumn read. I was invested since the very beginning and it just kept getting better. Gasped at least a few times. I lost myself between reality and inner workings of the mind. It just consumed me, what a great read. Would LOVE to see this as a movie.

Posted a review on Storygraph and Goodreads as well!

There were five. Now there is just one. My name is Alexis Williams. Daughter of Edwards Williams and Janice Blair. Remember that.

Have you ever been in a public setting and had someone decide to come up to you and start telling you their whole life story, unprompted? The Joplin Horror is narrated exactly like that, but in the best possible way - instead of politely smiling and nodding while waiting for the person speaking to you to finish and leave, you are enthralled with every word from the beginning and find yourself immersed in their tale. Our main character, Alexis, tells you this story by recounting what she remembers and what this ancient place of horror does to those trapped within. But is our narrator reliable? Are Alexis' memories accurate to what really happened?

Five down-on-their-luck adults turn to the lucrative industry of grave robbing. For a time, it is successful, and they're riding a high from their most recent haul. Their next heist takes them to the Joplin estate in Maryland, a sprawling cemetery with one mausoleum of special interest, supposedly never looted since it was first locked. Feeling invincible, they forge ahead without a care in the world, oblivious to warning signs dotting the road along the way. What happens when they finally make their descent into the mausoleum is a thrilling piece of modern horror, wherein the characters are confronted with their darkest memories as they face the unraveling of their psyches. Is Joplin and what lurks within really messing with their memories and bringing them to the places of their deepest horrors so they can relive their trauma, or is the claustrophobic environment just bringing mental illness and maladaptation to the forefront of their realities? What is reality if not collective perception?

The Joplin Horror is the debut novel of horror screenwriter Jason Kaleko, and it shows - every moment of this novel felt like it could be straight out of a movie. I was able to vividly imagine what I was reading as if I was watching a movie throughout the entire experience, which made the story itself even more compelling and engrossing. I would love to see this as a movie someday and I know it would be just as enjoyable as the source novel. This is an incredibly strong start for a first novel and I sincerely hope Kaleko will be writing more, because I would love to keep reading. The Joplin Horror is something I will highly recommend to any horror fans and a book I am looking forward to adding to my collection once it officially publishes.

This book gives you a mindf*ck in the best way possible!! I was constantly asking myself, "Is this real??" or "What is happening!?" I was hooked pretty quickly and couldn't stop until I finished the last page. I felt like I was in this claustrophobic world right along with the characters. I highly recommend this if you like your horror creepy and unsettling.


Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the advanced copy!

My heart raced with every page. I felt the tension and the claustrophobic of the characters. The loops and twists and turns are some of my favorites this year.

this was a great read, and I very much enjoyed it! I would love to see more from this author!
I was completely engrossed in this arc and tore through it in a single sitting under 24 hours! A highly entertaining, bingeable read

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Here is my honest review.

This was one of my favorite reads of the year. I felt creeped out, uneasy, and a sense of doom reading this. The Lurker?? Absolutely spooked me, I had to turn lights on to keep reading at night. This story had me on the edge of my seat at every turn of the page. I had no idea what was going on, what was real and what wasn't, and I loved every bit of it. It was so good I finished it in less than a day.

I need a physical copy for my trophy shelf immediately.

5/5 ⭐️