3.5 stars rounded up. While I did enjoy this thriller, I do think it was a bit too short and left me wanting more. More Christmas, more backstory, more closure. I did read The Stowaway so the callback was a nice surprise but it clearly was gearing up for a sequel and I honestly wish it would have all been in one book. The twist most certainly got me, I DID NOT see it coming but it also almost felt out of left field. Everything felt so rushed and it went from gruesome murder to the group just casually walking around way too quickly for my liking. I went in blind and I think that is the best bet, the synopsis leaves you confused and when you read it after you've finished you realize why going in blind is recommended. Overall, it was a very quick read but again it left me wanting so much more so I don't necessarily think that was a good thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fun read Interesting thriller .
Perfect thriller for the upcoming holidays to throw in with all the seasonal reading

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for the copy of You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth. I loved the beginning of the story and the surprising reveal. The rest of the book was hard to get involved with and some of the deaths seemed improbable. This could probably be a fun mini-series if the characters were fleshed out more. I think people would love the ending! 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

2.5 out of 3*s (DNF)
I tried really hard to get into this book. I love James Murray & thought his books would be really great. This one i struggled to get through and by 30% I just couldn't go on. The writing was poor & I was very confused about who was saying what most of the time. I didn't find this story all that thrilling, however that definitely could have changed as the story went on. Overall, this just fell really flat for me & I ended up losing interest.

Making a List and Checking it Twice - Let’s hope you aren’t on it!


James S Murray & Darren Wearmouth have once again come together to generate some of the most thrilling horror that I’ve had the pleasure of reading! You Better Watch is the latest psychological holiday thriller you NEED to read this year. Following a thief who decides in the spur of his last heist, the thief finds himself waking up in a deserted city. One seemingly lost to the ages and he isn’t alone. That’s when the chaos really sets in, because those who woke up in the town are being picked off one by one.

I could not put this down. Genuinely, I had to read this in one sitting because once I started it, I had to know how it ended. The writing hit such a spot within me that it’s just exactly what I wanted to read. It’s got all of the classic moments of a greys thriller, there is an unknown killer, there is a mystery to be solved, and once everyone’s secrets start to come to light, motives abound.

The action in this is also pretty nonstop. The gore is creative and unique. Seriously there are some sequences in here that had me squeamish and looking away. However, each time this happened I knew I had to know more!

One of the best parts of this story are the twists that the authors incorporate. I had my jaw on the floor. Some of them I think are easier than others to figure out. The clues are there (which I love because it lets the reader solve the story too)!

All in all, I am so happy to see James Murray and Darren Wearmouth back to give us another excellent story and not everyone is going to make it out alive.

PS - I would be 1000% okay with a sequel here!

This story is written so well. I loved the idea of waking up after being assaulted and having the realization that you’re somewhere unknown, uninhabited, and completely unfamiliar. Finding other people in the same situation? Even better. Reminded me a bit of Saw with the deaths being orchestrated.

Christmas story? I'm here for it! Serial killer? I'm here for it! "Locked in" mystery? I'm here for it!
This was such a great quick read that I could not put down! I did not see that ending and I was certainly all in for it! This needs to be a Netflix special!

“You Better Watch Out” by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is goodt—it's written by a black man, this book is GOODT! A book set a few days before Christmas? Count me in. Serial killer? Count me in. A tense, tightly plotted book, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, this book has it all. The twists are what kept me engrossed in this holiday murder mystery. Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early copy of this book.

I 100% requested this book because of the cover and clever title! I was pleased to discover it was a “popcorn thriller,” which to me means easy reading/lots of action/hard to put down.
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The story starts off strong—small time thief Eddie wakes up in a weird abandoned town after trying to rob an older couple. He soon discovers he’s not alone and he and his band of misfits begin to wage a battle for survival. It’s a little gruesome and kind of reminded me of the Jigsaw movies. You know, “want to play a game?” 🤣🤣
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The writing is somewhat elementary, there’s not a ton of depth to the characters, and I figured out the “culprit” before the reveal. However, I still thought it was entertaining for a quick holiday slice and dicer! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc!

“You Better Watch Out” by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is a tense, holiday-themed thriller that grips you from the start. The story kicks off 48 hours before Christmas, when five people wake up in a fenced-off replica town with no memory of how they got there. As they try to uncover the mystery of their imprisonment, they are picked off one by one until the killer is revealed in a shocking climax.

Murray and Wearmouth excel at building suspense and creating an eerie atmosphere. The characters are well-developed, and the plot twists keep you guessing. Despite catching on toward the end, the book remained unputdownable, making it a perfect read for thriller fans looking for a holiday twist.

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on edge from beginning to end. Jessica Kane awakens in a deserted town, injured and surrounded by strangers who, like her, have been mysteriously targeted. While the novel starts slowly, setting up an atmosphere of suspense, it quickly picks up pace, revealing the motivations behind each character’s selection for this deadly game.

After reading this book, I would say that the story could be described as a little gruesome and very detailed. You do feel some elements of Christmas and sometimes it is hard for holiday thrillers to put that element in. The twist at the end was *chefs kiss* so well done. I did not see it coming and was a little mad at myself for not catching it but oh so good. The epilogue also opened this up for a potential sequel? Maybe!? Overall a great quick Christmas serial killer thriller.

Thank you to the authors, Netgalley and St. Martin's press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little surprised by the description of this book, as it starts off with Eddie and not Jess. It's told in third person and bounces between the characters, but Jess isn't really the focus at first so I'm surprised it's marketed as her story.

Other than that, it's pretty much exactly what it says: six strangers wake up in a strange place with no idea how they got there being killed off one by one. It's a big more gruesome than I expected, but nothing too bad.

I figured out what was going on pretty easily, but I read a lot of thrillers, so maybe a more casual reader wouldn't! It was a super quick read that only took a few hours to get through, so overall I enjoyed it! I also liked the epilogue.

Okay, this was fun. It’s a slice-and-dice holiday slasher fest and I am so here for it.

Expect the deaths to be crazy-pants, some adrenaline rush survival (or not) action, and to meet some people that you NEVER want to meet in real life.

Occasionally logic will rear its ugly head, pulling you out of the book, but you’re soon back into it and wondering how on earth someone will die next.

I will say that the Christmas feel of it is a little lighter than expected in the beginning, but you do finally get to the ho-ho-horror of it all.

Definitely enjoyed this one!

• ARC via Publisher

I wanted to read this book regardless of the reviews. Huge fan of Murr and so this one was of course on my to be read. It did not disappoint! I’m shocked with his writing skills to be honest. It was a good thriller and left you wanting to keep reading. Totally suggest!

Strangers trapped in an abandon town and murder during what should be the jolliest time of year. A quick read for thriller and horror lovers alike. However, there are a few plot holes that would help the book if filled. This book definitely reminded me of a Netflix horror that gives the right amount of jumps but leaves you needing a little more.

“You better watch out” is a brutally savage Christmas horror / thriller. A group of strangers are kidnapped seemingly at random and wake up to find themselves trapped in an abandoned town.

A case of “one by one” murder mystery occurs as they each fall prey to grizzly deaths as the remaining members race to find their escape.

This was a fast paced quick read that I really enjoyed! I was rooting for the main character despite his shady past.

I did wish for a different ending however the epilogue gave me some reprieve! I recommend this read for anyone that can stomach gruesome deaths!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, James S Murray, Darren Wearmouth and NetGalley for the EARC.

Publish date: October 15th

meh it was okay, some parts were a bit uncomfy for me. there were some plot holes and i just didn’t love it.

Two days til Christmas…..

Jessica Kane wakes up and there is blood running down her face. She’s in a lot of pain and the last thing she remembers is going on a run. Now she’s trapped in a town that she’s never seen before and that appears to be mostly deserted, other than the five strangers with her, Eddie, Trinity, Greg, Tank and a fifth person. Then people start to die. They need to find a way out.

Well, if you’re going to like this be prepared to suspend some disbelief because there are some truck-sized plot holes here. Oh, and naming a character Damien Hurst, even spelled incorrectly is just, I don’t know…odd? Did the authors really not know who he was? I don’t know. You decide. It was OK.