this book has been on my anticipated releases list since i heard about it being released and so i’m thrilled that i was accepted to receive a copy of the @netgalley arc! i literally have just finished reading this book and wanted to tell you all my thoughts asap because there are a lot🤯

synopsis: when an American-style residential camp is set up in the grounds of an English stately home, the teenage camp counsellors are looking forward to a fun summer of activities. but right from the outset, things don't feel quite right at Camp Miller..🫣

cynthia murphy is clearly a very talented thriller/mystery/crime writer and this book just shows that even more! this book is aimed at ages 12+ so it is a really accessible read but also does not lack the creepiness and atmosphere of cynthia’s other work! despite being aimed at a younger audience, i thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it!💜

i really liked the setting of this book and found it to be an engaging and twisty read. i finished this one in under twenty four hours as it is super short but fits a lot into it! i would highly recommend reading it when it is released on 7th september 2023!⛺️

*thank you to netgalley, cynthiamurphyya and barringtonstoke for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. despite being gifted an arc of this book all opinions in this review are my own.

A short but thrilling book to keep you on your feet at all times. The ending was pure perfection with all the twists and turns.
A read if you need to be saved from a reading slump or need more horror in your life.
4.5 stars.

I don't read blurbs much so I didn't realize how short this was, it"s a little over 100 pages but it's a fantastic short murder mystery book set at a camp, part ghost story too!

I really enjoyed this, thought it was a good quick read that takes about an hour or less, I can't remember if I've ever read anything by this author before but I definitely will again!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fast read but I wish it were longer and more fleshed out so I could appreciate who the killer was, and feel more for some of the deaths! I love camp slashers and this felt a bit like a bareboned outline of a book that I’d really enjoy.

A new take on the summer camp gone wrong. Teen counselors at a summer camp in England start to realize they might have to use their survival skills to actually survive with their lives.

This one is a quick read but it was just ok for me. I think sometimes authors make YA too simplistic in terms of writing, and that is what I was getting here. That might just be my person preference though! I’ve also read a few other summer camp gone wrong books recently so this one fell short of those.

⭐⭐⭐.5
Short YA horror/thriller.

This book really racked up the tension and suspense early on and had me hooked pretty quickly.
It continued to be fast paced but I didn't feel that it lost any plot or character development due to the pace. I got a feel for who the characters were and their personalities.

I would have loved this book when I was a young teenager and it will be a great, creepy, read for the YA population.

Welcome to Camp Killer follows a group of teenage camp leaders as they are haunted by what seems to be the ghost of the old house that is now Camp Miller. When mysterious incidents begin to occur and things become serious, they all question the old myth and each other.

A quick, easy read that was a fun spooky summer story. As an adult I found it to be lacking in depth and detail, however it is much to short to include anything more than what was included.

Welcome to Camp Miller would be an excellent read for pre and early teens, or an easy palate cleanser for adults.

2.5/5 (if I read this when I was 12 it would have been a 4/5)

Although I didn't find it as exciting as the author's other books, this is a great quick read for any reluctant reader out there that is looking for a murder mystery story. A group of youngster volunteer to help at Camp Miller but it doesn't take long for things to take a sinister turn. There's lot packed into the quick read.

This young adult novella follows a group of teenagers who have volunteered to help at a camp, but no ordinary camp. After one of them telling a ghost story, the others begin to notice strange events happening and then things take a turn for the worst. One by one, the camp counsellors meet their tragic end and they begin to question: who is accountable for this?

This novella was a very quick, easy read and had me on the edge of my seat! From the very beginning, I warmed to the characters, particularly Holly, and I really was rooting for them to make the children's summers the best they could be.

As the plot continued, and when the first death occurred, I was genuinely in shock. With the characters predicting a ghost was up to no good, I simply went along with it. However, I was so shocked by the ending and was so satisfied with how the whole narrative was wrapped up at the end.

I honestly was not expecting it to be anywhere near as chilling as it was, I may be easily spooked, but this really had me worried at some points, which definitely made me engage in the book even more.

Welcome to Camp Killer is a spooky story of revenge, deceit and death!

A short, fast paced tale that had me gripped the entire time. This book starts with a ghost story around the camp fire and quickly turns dark. When a character in a thriller novel says "Tomorrow will be a better day" you know things are going to get messy!

Cynthia Murphy has yet again created an atmospheric tale, with believable characters and a plot twist you won't see coming. (Seriously, Cynthia is the QUEEN of plot twists) This is a super fun, thriller that is sure to keep you gripped.

(3.5 stars!)

This book was a good read for when you want something short and exciting. I was hooked from the get go and even though it may appear to be rushed to some it was just the right pacing for me, especially for a short story I can't really guess what more people would want! I enjoyed it and I enjoyed the twist too. Very well done

4.5 stars

WELC0ME TO CAMP KILLER is such a creepy, blood-soaked horror about a summer camp gone horribly wrong.

This book is the worst possible experience someone could have of a summer camp as a ghost story comes to life as accidents and near misses become fatal. A camp I'm very glad I'm not on! It escalates across the book, tension rising as first little things seem off and then it's descends into all out murder - and plenty of it in a variety of gruesome ways.

Cynthia Murphy brings her customary spookiness and body count to this book making it a creepy delight I raced through not certain who was going to survive - and if it was a ghost or someone using it as a convenient smokescreen for something else. It's a lot of fun, packing a lot of death and character into a short space. I think this takes the prize for most deaths in so few pages!

This is a Barrington Stoke book, meaning it is written to be dyslexic friendly and accessible for reluctant readers. The font and size are specially chosen to be as easy to read as possible and the language too. I love this publisher and their mission so much, and to see authors whose books I love join in with the vision is so nice!

Like some others have said, I didn't realize this was a short story before starting it which kinda threw me off. It reads like a ghost story you'd hear while sitting around a camp fire which is, coincidentally, how the book begins. And, like most ghost stories, there are some gaps in the plot that make it pretty unbelievable if you care to poke too hard. But, if you take it for what it's worth, it's a fun read.

I really would like to see this concept built out into a full length novel, though. I'd totally read it!

Welcome to Camp Killer follows an American type summer camp set in the UK. The camp ground is said to be haunted and things start going horribly wrong when camp counselors start ending up dead.

This book was very short (about 100 pages) and fast-paced. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. Since it was so short, I did not care about the characters at all. We never got to know anyone and I didn't really care when they starting dying off. Also, this book had every campsite cliché in the book. It was like every slasher movie at a summer camp ever made. I think the author could have done something fun since it was in the UK but it was honestly just the same as American ones.

I think the concept was fun but I wish it was a bit longer and more original. Thanks so much to netgalley and Barrington Stoke for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I read this book during a really bad storm while I was kept awake. This book is on the shorter side as it took me about an hour to read. I wanted more from the book.
This book takes place over I believe about 24 hours? Just when the action gets going everything is sped up and we get our conclusion on what is happening around camp. Concept was really interesting. If you’re looking for a quick read, I recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

A short review for a short book. This was a fun ghost story inspired thriller. Perfect for younger audiences and only about 100 pages. It was a very quick read but did get my heart rate up. A summer camp turned horror story is always a good plot. This one has quite a bit of action in only a few pages! I actually didn’t guess the ending although it did remind me a bit of one of my husbands video games. Would recommend to middle school aged kids looking for a little scare!

I didn't realise this was Barrington Stoke when i started reading, though from the pacing I could sort of guess it was. I'll admit I didn't love how it was jumping so quickly and everything was happening without a pause but the last 15 minutes or so had me hooked and it was probably my favourite BS book I've read so far.
I think this premise would make for a very good full length novel and I did find myself wishing it had been that - it almost felt like it was supposed to be but all the meaty, atmospheric parts with just experiencing the camp and building on backstory were cut out to make it a quicker read for reluctant readers rather than like it had been written to be short and that's why it lost a star for me.
Definitely interested in more from this author.

Overall, a fun fast horror read! Spooky summer camp vibes are on point in this story, but the character development just wasn’t there for me…wish it were longer with more fleshing out of the kids. If you want a fast camp horror story to read by a fire-this will scratch that itch!

I received this book as an e-arc by NetGalley and Barrington Stoke in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

« Who wants to hear a ghost story? »

Rating: 4⭐️
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, YA
Pages: 128
Series: Standalone

Cynthia Murphy is an instant read for me. I read Midnight Game and I fell in love with the book and her writing. This had similar feels and a similar storyline. Since I had read that book previously, I instantly started going to that plot twist and storyline. This one was actually quite similar so I guessed what would happen but not quite who.

The one thing I didn’t like about this book is the length. It's 128 pages and it is more like a short story than an actual book. I felt everything was a bit fast, not in a bad way, just everything was fast and not as detailed or drawn out. The main ending happened so fast that I wish there was a bit more to it. This book is definitely more YA than I normally read but since it's Cynthia Murphy, I had to read it.

If you are looking for a quick short high school thriller book, this is perfect for you!

“Welcome to Camp Killer” by Cynthia Murphy is a fun, murder mystery set at a summer camp and written for kids.

As an adult not exactly in the target audience, I enjoyed every minute of the book. It made me feel like a kid again. I was able to just get fully engrossed in the story. It was definitely a quick read and I will be recommending it to my young nephew.

Thank you NetGalley, Cynthia Murphy, and Barrington Stoke for the ARC. It was a lot of fun!