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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I have a soft spot for slashers and after loving "Candy Cain Kills" Brian is back with another killer (pun intended). Gory, twisty and blurring the lines between reality and madness. Not only did we get a fun slasher character that would be perfect on screen, we got a FMC with depth and a history of trauma that adds in to the current delusion.
I read this as an ARC and it comes out 9/2/25.
I read this as an ARC and it comes out 9/2/25.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know what I expected with this story, but what I read.....not what I expected. The twists in the story will have you stopping to think. Who did it? Are they sure? I wasn't a fan of the MC, Hannah. She annoyed me. I wanted to jump in the book just to push her down. But I think that was the point. In the end, this was a great, very enjoyable story.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoy watching a good slasher movie (Scream 1 & 2 being my favourites). Turns out the movie franchise is a favourite of the author as well, one that started his love affair with the sub-genre and eventually got him to write his own slasher books.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fun and fast paced slasher novel combining the 'popularity' of off the radar, rustic wellness retreats, a scary urban legend and the gory mayhem of a sadistic killer.
A good slasher requires inventive killing methods and the killings in this book are quick and pretty gruesome. I would have liked more of a backstory to Hannah and her dead fiancé's relationship but overall this was an enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and the author Brian McAuley for the digital ARC of the book.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is my pick for the #CampNetgalley 2025 challenge.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fun and fast paced slasher novel combining the 'popularity' of off the radar, rustic wellness retreats, a scary urban legend and the gory mayhem of a sadistic killer.
A good slasher requires inventive killing methods and the killings in this book are quick and pretty gruesome. I would have liked more of a backstory to Hannah and her dead fiancé's relationship but overall this was an enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and the author Brian McAuley for the digital ARC of the book.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is my pick for the #CampNetgalley 2025 challenge.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A grieving and traumatized Hannah is convinced by her friends to attend a wellness retreat in the middle of the dessert. Everything goes sideways! I wanted a blood-soaked slasher for the summer, and this delivered! Some fun red herrings and an enjoyable payoff at the end! I was initially disappointed about one thing that is revealed later in the book, but as I’ve sat with it, I think it makes a lot of sense and actually makes the book hold together well! There is also some heavy content in this book around suicidal ideation, grief, and medical malpractice, so while it’s a fun gorey slasher, do proceed with care for yourself!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley and Poison Pen press for this ARC read.
4.5 ⭐️
This book follows Hannah a Medical intern who just recently lost her fiancée but no one knows the details to the tragic hiking story. During her recovery period she get put on leave at the hospital and goes to a very exclusive spiritual retreat with her friends near Joshua tree, what could possibly go wrong in the middle of the desert with no out side communication.
This book is perfect for any thriller fan and slasher fan a must add for your spooky season reads this season.
4.5 ⭐️
This book follows Hannah a Medical intern who just recently lost her fiancée but no one knows the details to the tragic hiking story. During her recovery period she get put on leave at the hospital and goes to a very exclusive spiritual retreat with her friends near Joshua tree, what could possibly go wrong in the middle of the desert with no out side communication.
This book is perfect for any thriller fan and slasher fan a must add for your spooky season reads this season.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
CALIFORNIA. AVIDYA HEALING RETREAT. Five friends find themselves spending a weekend under the teachings of Guru Pax in search of spiritual restoration. Hannah is very much looking forward to starting over with a clean slate after her fiancé’s death. And nothing screams “fresh new start” than a wellness retreat in the middle of nowhere.
Hannah cannot seem to get rid of his fiancé. After he died during an outing in Northern California’s wilderness, the events of the tragic accident that took his life keep haunting her. Even during her shifts as a medical intern, she still feels followed by him in a very vivid way. The torment of his memory is so loud and persistent that it ends up affecting her work and consequently results in her being placed on indefinite leave. That’s when her best friend Tess invites her and a few of her former college friends to an exclusive retreat in Joshua Tree. Avidya, a place with no online presence and only known by word of mouth.
On the way to the retreat, the group stops by the town of Joshua Tree and Hannah stumbles upon a museum. She learns about the legend of Waylon Barlow from the gold-mining days in the 1890s. There used to even be a nursery rhyme that would warn the kids to stay away from Dead Man’s Due Mine. Coincidentally, that is the direction towards the retreat, north of the valley, on Dead Man’s Due Road.
This place is not what you think it is.
The way I was losing my mind whenever I thought I was sure about this whodunit mystery. And then I was completely wrong! The thrill of thinking you’re close to finding out and the whiplash you get when you’re far from knowing who the creepy killer is. Amazing! I had so much fun reading this slasher story. Gosh, I really do love complex, badass, final girls.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.