“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.