This was a little thriller, a little mystery, a little horror and gore, but it was thoroughly entertaining.
The ending left me wanting more.

This was a very festive thriller for the Christmas season. I was sucked into the story and the mystery and I couldn’t get enough.

This book does have very descriptive gory scenes and I loved it. The more gore the better in my opinion. There were some twists I didn’t see coming that made my jaw drop.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I absolutely loved the plot of this novel it was so different from others I've read. It was a great page turner that left my jaw on the floor multiple times! Lots of great unexpected twists and turns that you will never see coming! I highly recommend this book to all thriller lovers out there!

This was fun! I enjoyed this one.

It was a gory slasher, fast paced and had an original plot which I appreciated

I liked that we got the killers POV

Would recommend this one!

James S. Murray and Darren Wearmoth's annual foray into offering their own spin on a horror trope hits high gear with the Christmas-themed You Better Watch Out.

A group of strangers are drugged and dumped in a deserted town, where someone is out to see them pay the ultimate price for their sins. Along the way, Murray and Wearmouth concoct some elaborate, gruesome, and (at times) ironic deaths for each character, based on the history and background of each person. During the story, Murray and Wearmouth sometimes ratchet the gore level up to ten by supplying just enough details to let your imagination go into overdrive and fill in the details.

Murray and Wearmouth construct characters that we quickly become invested in, even if we may not necessarily be able to root for them. The question of who is behind the town and why propels the story toward a conclusion that, quite frankly, had me absolutely thunderstruck at how solidly set up and foreshadowed it was while not using flashing signs to indicate where it was headed. This is a solid, twist-filled horror novel that doesn't pull any punches and may be one of the best stories Murray and Wearmouth have constructed so far.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

*Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Trigger Warning: sexual assault talk, talk of child death

I’ve been a fan of Murray and Wearmouth’s books thus far. I was super excited when I saw they had a new book out! And just look at this fun, festive cover. 😀 I love it.

Serial killer / slasher horror isn’t my fave. I admit I don’t read it that often. But I do love a good I-just-woke-up-and-don’t-know-how-I-got-here story! And You Better Watch Out did not let me down! The plot is a super fun one, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.

It does feel like the plot twist is perhaps too obvious. Within the first few chapters you pretty much know what will be going down. It also feels a bit obvious in what order people will die in.

The predictable plot isn’t a bad thing, though! At least for me it wasn’t bad. The story was still entertaining and fun. The kills are gloriously messed up and creative. I enjoyed the way the characters interact with each other. Like I said earlier… this book is just FUN! 🙂

This is a hard one to describe. Imagine Saw meets Black Christmas in a creepy silent village... Three strangers wake up in a weird abandoned town with no idea how they got there and no idea what secrets the others are hiding. What they do know is that they're not alone and their lives are on the line in a messed up, violently boobytrapped Christmas village. The death scenes are descriptively bloody, violent, and incredibly creative, keeping readers on their toes with what trap is going to be triggered next. My jaw dropped more than once, and I felt myself flinching a time or two, as well. The end has a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe-ish twist with a darkness I didn't see coming despite all the horror in the previous pages. The epilogue was unnecessary, though, and felt like an afterthought, not really fitting with the rest of the plot. If you're looking for a gory holiday read, this one hits the target and then some.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

You Better Watch Out is an entertaining holiday gore-fest, perfect for readers who like their halls decked with a bit (or a lot) of blood.

Five strangers wake up in a deserted town, festively decorated for Christmas but devoid of other people, with no memory of how they got there. It quickly becomes apparent that they are being hunted, and that they were specifically chosen because of something in their pasts. As they are picked off one by one in increasingly violent ways, the survivors must work together to have any chance of escape.

I thought this book would be campier and funnier than it actually was; it seemed to take itself more seriously than I expected, especially given the fact that the plot doesn't really stand up to the slightest scrutiny. Nevertheless, I still had fun with it; there are plenty of creative slasher-style murders, if you like that kind of thing (I do) and there are at least some minor attempts made at thoughtful character development. I do think there was an opportunity to incorporate more seasonal aspects into some of the murders to make this a true Christmas horror novel (I promise I'm not a psychopath). I thought the ending was pretty cool and unexpected (although, again, don't expect it to make a lot of sense). With this one you just need to suspend your disbelief and tamp down your gag reflex, because You Better Watch Out will take you for quite a ride. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the complimentary reading opportunity.

Love this book and that's it's a Christmas thriller! I was hooked from start to finish and I was not prepared for that twist or the ending

Such a gory thriller of a book it was a little slow in the beginning but once it hit the point where things were clicking, it was tough to put down. Not 100% my favorite genre but I really found myself enjoying this book.

James S. Murray (https://jamesmurrayofficial.com) and Darren Wearmouth are the authors of nearly 20 novels. You Better Watch Out was published last October. It is the 87th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

It is only a few days before Christmas when Eddie Parker stops at a small grocery in Old Forge, NY. Not to buy anything, but to see if there is an opportunity to steal. He finds an elderly couple and thinks they will be an easy mark. But the tables are turned when they drug him. When he wakes, he is in the middle of the street with snow blowing around him. He looks to be in Old Forge, but the town’s buildings look odd.

He finds his way into the only building with lights on, a bar. There he meets Trinity Jackson. She had also been drugged, and she woke up in the bar. This begins a series of encounters. Jessica Kane with a minor head wound. Then there was Gregg Fisher and Tank. And a man who had attacked Fisher, then ran when the others approached.

The Old Forge they are in is a facade with few buildings being more than a shell. An electrified wall surrounds the town preventing any from leaving. None of the group knows how they got there or why they were targeted. It is not long before the first of them dies. Then another, and another. It becomes obvious that they each were brought to this place to be punished, though they have no idea who is behind the murders.

The group searches the town but finds little they can use. They do discover that there are surveillance cameras, so they are being watched. They roam into the forest surrounding Old Forge trying to find a way out, but the result is a deadly encounter with a bear.

All of them have a secret, a crime that they committed. Will any of them survive? Kane saves Parker more than once from injury and the two connect. They each feel their best chance at survival is with each other. Will any of them be alive Christmas morning?

I enjoyed the 4.5 hours I spent reading this 232-page thriller. This novel reminds me of those written by Dean Koontz. The plot is suspenseful, with a good twist at the end. I was a little disappointed with the ending. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.9 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth was soooo good y'all! I adored the storyline and plot points. The character work and twists and turns were dynamic. I actually had to slow myself down to savor this read.

Looking for a thriller that feels like you’re watching a movie play out before your eyes? Murray and Wearmouth have you covered with You Better Watch Out!

Full disclosure, this one was really a seasonal must have for me based solely on cover and title alone. I think I read the synopsis once months before actually getting the chance to have a copy in my hands, so I basically went in blind. Highly recommend this approach!

This is one of those stories that grabs you from the start and lets the tension build and build throughout until readers are literally on the edge of their seats trying to guess if anyone will make it out alive.

You Better Watch Out was such a fun read and perfect for readers looking for something murdery on their holiday TBR list!

🫣 T W I S T E D T U E S D A Y review 🫣 featuring “You Better Watch Out” by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

The countdown to Christmas is at the 48 hour mark and a group of complete strangers wake up in a deserted fenced in town that is fully decked out for Christmas 🎅!

It seems as though they were all kidnapped and taken to this location … but why? Each person has a secret … and now the race is on to escape literal Hell before their secrets get revealed and/or they end up DEAD!

This book gave me total SAW vibes: a creepy controlled location, relentless taunting from a serial killer, victim self reflection, sinister punishment and menacing stalking!

This twisted tale is IN YOUR FACE chaos that is gruesome, fast paced, shameless and perfect for SLASHER fans 🔪

Thank you kindly to @therealmurr @darrenwearmouth @stmartinspress @netgalley for my #gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!

Would recommend for fans of…
🎁 Saw
🎁 Escape Room
🎁 The Cabin in the Woods

Holiday books often fall into the romance genre, which can make it easy to burn out on these stories during the holiday season. This is exactly why I’ve been excited to see more holiday mysteries and horror novels in the mix this year, as the variety of genres really helps to keep things exciting.

You Better Watch Out is the latest entry in the holiday horror space. It follows a group of people who wake up in a replica town with no memory of how they got there, only to realize that someone (or something) is hunting them. The story shares a lot of similarities with horror franchises like Saw and Escape Room, so use that as a guide to determine if this book will work for you, but it moves quickly and has some surprises along the way. At first, I couldn’t figure out why this was being marketed as a holiday book, but everything comes together in the end in a pretty satisfying (albeit open-ended) way.

Is this book perfect? Absolutely not. The line-level writing leaves a lot to be desired, and characters and their backstories could use some additional depth, but I was entertained and enjoyed the reading experience, which is all you can ask for when picking up a book. If you enjoy horror, and are looking for a palette cleanser between holiday romances, I’d definitely recommend picking up You Better Watch Out.

You Better Watch Out is available now. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞: 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.”

I called James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth’s 2021 release The Stowaway a “graphic Woman in Cabin 10 on steroids,” and when I saw that they had a holiday-themed horror release, I knew I had to read it.

I didn’t know a ton about the plot going into the book, and I think that was beneficial, as it added to a heightened sense of confusion that I could feel alongside the characters as they wake up in a half-constructed town filled with booby traps, like something out of a deadly movie set. The setting added to the feeling of dread that enveloped the narrative, and honestly I will never listen to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town again the same way. Much like The Stowaway, this is an extremely quick read, with well-paced chapters that had me flying through the pages. One part isolated-setting mystery, one part slasher thrill-ride, some of the deaths and traps feel And Then There Were None-inspired (the first victim with a poisoned drink, alongside murder weapons of an axe and a grizzly bear, both of which play into Christie’s classic). The kills were inventive and gory, and while the characters were definitely unlikeable, I still found myself rooting for a couple in particular. I had guessed a bit of the who right towards the end, but the why had me shook, even if you have to suspend some belief (which is part of the fun). I also loved the epilogue, which had me wondering if this story is truly completed?!

You Better Watch Out is a story of trust, power, retribution, and survival. It’s another solid slasher thrill ride from Murray and Wearmouth that has me anticipating their next. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fast fun one by one read. I wish it had been a tad more Christmasy but I get why it was the way it was. The characters aren't likeable, yet I kept wanting ot know what happens. The sexual stuff mentioned in the watcher wasn't my fav and didn't seem necessary. In the end the pacing was slower than I expected it to be and I wish it had moved faster.

"Is Christmas really the best time of the year?"
You Better Watch Out is the Christmas thriller that you do not want to miss! This book drew me in by the cover and had me turning pages until the end. I was captivated from the beginning and I enjoyed all of the twist and turns. This was written really well and the ending was so well done. All of the characters in this were interesting. Overall, this was such a fun and easy read that I loved a lot. I would recommend this one to any reader especially if you love a good thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this amazing read in exchange of my honest review of You Better Watch Out.

🔪 You Better Watch Out - James Murray, Darren Wearmouth

3.5 ⭐️- Where are my impractical joker fans?! This one’s written by our very own Murr! I love Christmas, thrillers, and the ADKs and this one had all 3! This is definitely filled with blood and guts so if that’s not your thing, find yourself another Christmas thriller.

This is short and easy to binge. The audiobook is about 6 hours long and really well done. I wish there was less characters because at times, I did confuse them, but I eventually got the hang of it. I needed a Christmas thriller to mix up with all the romance that comes with holiday books. This was thrilling with twists and turns and deaths I didn’t see coming. Definitely recommend for thriller fans looking for something a little different. Also for fans of “No Exit” by Taylor Adams!

this was a fine, fast-paced thriller. it’s a short book which makes for a quick read. it serves its purpose but it’s being marketed as a holiday themed thriller but the story has nothing to do with the holidays at all except that it’s set at Christmas time.