Talk About a Bad Vacation Choice!

 

TITLE: Small Town Slasher

AUTHOR: Stephanie Rose

PUBLISHER: Death by TBR Books

PUBLISHING DATE: August 4, 2026

PAGES: 276   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Jenna is a spunky, disabled, horror fanatic who comes to rural Montana for a stay at a horror themed rental cabin. Jenna has struggled with severe anxiety for years, hardly ever leaving her house. This vacation will test her limits and, she hopes, open her back up to the world. But her dream vacation is built on a nightmare. 

25 years ago, the Bitter Butcher massacred 11 people in the small town of Marion, culminating his slaughter on the land where Jenna's vacation cabin now sits. Her arrival coincides with the beginning of a new massacre as a body is discovered outside town, the morning before her arrival. It quickly becomes clear that this is no isolated incident, as new killings occur, each with their own connection to the original massacre. 

Jenna starts seeing slashers around every corner and must team up with locals Erica and Jamie. Together they will struggle to survive this killing spree while unearthing secrets connecting the town's shameful history to the slashers, past and present. 

MY THOUGHTS: I hadn't meant to review this one so early, but Netgalley had today as the release date as today, so I don't know what happened or when it got pushed back.  Both Amazon and Goodreads are showing the above date to if this is something you are interested in, sorry you will have a bit of a wait. 

Jenna suffers from extreme anxiety as well as some other issues and hasn't really left her home in three years.  She decides to take the plunge and books a night in a horror themed cabin in Montana.  When she arrives, not only was she not aware that 25 years ago, the small town was the sight of a local infamous serial killer, but she learned that two murders have recently occurred and the two instances may be linked.  Jenna actually is befriended by her rideshare driver, Erica, and several other townies.  Can they figure out what is going on before more people end up dead.

This book has so many of my favorite horror elements.  Jenna is a horror freak and is always referencing movies and books, many of the same ones I know and love.  Also, the author definitely is a fan as well because each chapter opens up with a quote from a famous horror movie or novel.  I loved that extra touch, and it was a lot of fun. The story also takes place a few weeks before Christmas, so the reader is thrust not only into basically non-stop action, but a Montana snowstorm as well. All the characters were engaging, and I flew through this book, in part because of the short chapters but also because the entire thing happens over the course of 24 hours or less.

My only real issue is that the characters come across a lot younger than they actually are.  It doesn't affect the book or plot any and maybe it was just something I had in my head, but I kept thinking the main characters were teens when they actually were adults in their late 20s or early 30s.  When one character referenced their 40-year-old boyfriend, I know my chin had to drop.

Goodreads is now listed this as Woods Bay #1 so I'm assuming there is a sequel in the works.  Sign me up because I'd love to read more from this author and am definitely interested to see what becomes of Jenna and the rest of the survivors. 

MY RATING: 4 PAWS