Member Reviews
The comparison to Ready or Not meets The Menu drew me in. I always love a revenge type story and mixed with an eat the rich trope, I was sold. This was brutal but so justified in each instance. The main character was relatable and I looked forward to seeing how she would handle the situation she fell into. Looking forward to checking out the authors other works!
I crushed through this book in one sitting and highly recommend that you do the same. Guillotine is goooey and the description of “Saw for rich people” is too accurate to not recycle from the MC in this one.
Guillotine sees Dez, fashionista and inspiring designer, traveling to a private island with a man she hates to try and get closer to his mother - an icon in the fashion industry. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she signs the NDA to stay on the island things start going south.
Guillotine is EVERYTHING and I reveled in each gory drama that unfolded against the elitist family members. Oftentimes violence and such in books will have me feeling empathetic to the victims regardless of circumstance. It’s just how I’m wired. Dawson had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat though as all manners of horrible things befell these people.
While (obviously) a bit over the top from my experiences in the service industry - Dez was such an easy character to root for as she navigated this male-dominated family. I recently had a man at work angrily throw a receipt and pen at me and I just grinned maniacally at him and told him to have a nice day. I love watching people go nuclear when I don’t cower like they expect. This entire book felt like those sick little joys.
Check this one out if you like horror, the Saw franchise (the early movies when they were still good,) body horror, and awful people getting their comeuppance.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC of this incredible title!!**
I enjoyed this. While it wasn't perfectly my cup of tea, I am always down for badass women and eating the rich. This was short, and fast paced, too. I flew through this. I was captivated by the story and compelled by the characters. Overall, I had a great time reading this and I thought that the narrative voice for the story was really well-done!
Dez, a thrifty fashionista, wants to meet Patrick Ruskin's mother, the editor-in-chief of Nouveau magazine, rather than dating him. When he invites her to his family's large Easter reunion at their lake home, she's confident she can put up with his arrogance and fend off his advances long enough to ask Marie Caulfield-Ruskin for an internship that someone with her lineage would never get through the traditional submission process. Upon arriving at the estate on an island in a Georgia lake, Dez is taken aback by the extravagant lifestyle of the 1%. But once all of the family members are on the island and the ferry has left, things turn serious.
I literally devoured this book in less than a day because of its gory premise and "eat the rich" concept. The novel started off kind of slow, but once the servants take their plan into action, that's where the excitement starts. The well-deserved retribution against the family that made their life miserable is so cathartic.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Titan Books, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is a fast, fun, and gory read that feels like an early 2000s horror flick. The writing is on point, and I zoomed through it— very entertaining! It’s perfect for horror fans who don’t mind movies like "Saw" or "Ready or Not."
I loved following Dez (she's super cool), the main character who comes from a humble background but totally owns it as she is put on a wealthy family's island during her Easter vacation. She's there to get to know the mother of her inconsequential date. Dying to secure a job in fashion, she needs to mingle with the rich and important socialites, and this seems like her one shot. But this family is crazy, and a lot of strange things have happened on their island.
I definitely recommend it if you want a short, grisly, and amusing horror read.
This book was such a captivating read, I couldn't put it down. I loved its short length as well. It's always easy to support eat the rich and feminine rage tropes.
Talk about a revenge book. While I may not have suffered half as much as some these characters and while it might be a brutal read, Guillotine is cathartic for anyone who has had to suffer at the hands and enjoyment of others. I devoured this book in one sitting because, to use perhaps a cliched analogy given the subject matter of the book it was like a trainwreck you can’t look away from.
I can’t remember the last time I was actively on the killers side so quickly and so much. I could not wait to see the whole Ruskin line, well the main ones, suffer. But before I go on and begin to question my morality. I will say that this I don’t think would be possible without two factors. One having suffered, as I said not nearly as badly, at the hands of others and two, with Dawson’s ability to capture the rage, trauma and make the characters so frighteningly human. Both the good and the bad.
The thing I think that struck me is that the Ruskin’s sins and actions were all to believable by those in power and with power over those who don’t have it. As much as I want to say and believe it couldn’t happen we live in an age with Me Too and so much more that we know just what we are capable of to each other. I don’t want to spoil the plot too much because it's so good but I will say that while Dawson was high on my favourite authors list they are now firmly an instant buy author. Dawson perfectly captures what humans are capable of and what happens when the victim is pushed too far for too long.
As always thank you to Titan Books for the copy to review. My review is always honest and truthful.
Thank you so much to Titan Books for the eARC of Guillotine!
Delilah S. Dawson has become an auto-read author & Guillotine has officially sealed that fact for me.
Guillotine was an incredibly quick read soaked with blood & gore; it’s been compared to the Saw franchise, and I’m here to say that that’s a very fair comparison; some of the kills were absolutely wild & I loved every minute of it.
& not only is this one fun in terms of the horror, but it also dives heavy into how the 1% can get away with just about anything. Very “eat the rich,” very revenge, very good. It’s beyond easy to root for those doing the killing, especially as you discover the reasoning for each murder.
I absolutely adored the ride Guillotine took me on.
If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, been abused or have a burning desire to rail against the unfairness of the world, this is the book for you. It’s like The Menu without the restaurant. It’s Saw when John Kramer wasn’t actively involved in the implementation phase of the traps. It’s the stupid money you saw in Ready or Not. It’s Miss Inch from the original The Parent Trap declaring ‘Let the punishment fit the crime.’
Dez knows how hard it is to get a foot in the door in the fashion industry. Unlike many in its ranks, Dez wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Luckily, the school of hard knocks builds resilience and resourcefulness.
“If she can't get a job in high fashion in the traditional way, she has to move sideways. That's what you do when you grew up poor: You think outside the box.”
After a chance meeting with “Patrick Ruskin Yucky Yucky Ick Ick Ick”, son of the editor-in-chief of one of the most prestigious fashion magazines, Dez finds her in. Willing to suffer through some short term compromises to make the connection of a lifetime, she’s tickled pink when she secures an invitation to the Ruskin family island. Oh, sorry, Island.
“You participate in Island life at your own risk.”
Her timing isn’t as fortuitous as she had hoped, though, because she’s not the only one looking to make a connection this Easter. The army of pink, AKA the servants, are individually and collectively hoping to connect the Ruskins with what they deserve. Like a scalpel to expose their squishy underbelly and other creative dispatches. Roses will never smell the same.
I adored this murder book. It’s revenge fantasy in all its glory. It’s levelling the playing field between the haves and the have-nots. It’s the victimised resisting those who have oppressed and abused them in spectacular form.
I only wish this book had been longer and that there were more Ruskins who needed to learn the error of their ways. If this is ever made into a movie, I will be buying a copy so I can watch it repeatedly. I definitely need to read more books by this author.
Content warnings identified by the publisher are gore, graphic depictions of injury and off-page sexual assault, incest, forced pregnancy, rape and abortion.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.
What a great concept and story! I loved the revenge they all got and the “eat the rich” tones of the text! I thought the main character fell a little flat. She could’ve maybe had a little more character development, and I would have loved to know who the father was in the end! But I loved her ending overall! They got what was deserved, and the violence and madness of it all was so well-written!
I was really looking forward to this after reading Bloom and I wasn't Disappointed
Dez starts dating Patrick to get to his mother so she can have a chance to work for her magazine. The family are filthy rich and she is invited to their own private island for the weekend. What she isn't told before she gets there is she needs to sign away and surrender all her rights and do things the Ruskins way.
Now if this was me I would have said "fuck this I'm going home" as soon as I saw the papers I was told to sign. Dez is filled with determination to meet Patrick's mother and goes along with their weird house rules as she can.
Pretty soon the situation becomes ugly and the Ruskins are fighting for their lives. Violent and shocking this one made me cringe reading the deadly scenes. Dawson definitely has some vivid imagination and I enjoyed/ felt sickened reading this. I would have given 5 stars but the ending didn't quite sit right with me.
Another enjoyable read from Dawson and thoroughly looking forward to more.
Discouraged following endless employment rejections, aspiring fashionista Dez (Desiree) Lane may have found her ticket to trendiness. While it means going out with creep Patrick Ruskin, this may allow her to crack open the door to meet Patrick’s mother – fashion icon and magazine magnate Marie Caulfield-Ruskin. After a few short weeks of dating, Dez is overjoyed to be invited to the private Ruskin Family Island just off the coast of Savannah, Georgia for Easter festivities. Upon arrival, everything feels off for Dez; the family is distant, rude to staff and generally cold to her. This feeling is only enforced as she’s promptly asked to sign an NDA before she can continue with her stay – otherwise, she’s on the first boat back to shore. Dez signs, against her better judgement, as she cannot let yet another opportunity to further her career slip through her fingers. What unfolds next is, in a word, gruesome.
Let me tell you, this was a trip to say the least. I read Dawson’s THE VIOLENCE a few years ago, so I thought I was prepared for how far she could go with the “blood and guts”, so to speak, but I feel like this one was on another level. The Ruskins are awful, awful people, so what happens throughout the story is certainly in a way, cathartic. It always seems like those with unimaginable wealth and power rarely pay the appropriate price for their horrific actions, and author Delilah Dawson has tasked herself with seeing appropriate punishment doled out here.
GUILLOTINE is a swift, merciless read that you’ll likely finish in no time; its brisk pace and small page count lent itself to the type of story Dawson told. While I found Dez to be an unremarkable protagonist overall, I thought the story around her had been fleshed out enough to make an impact, when all was said and done. GUILLOTINE will fit nicely in your spooky season stack this autumn.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!***
JEEEEE-ZUS THIS WAS VIOLENT. WHOOOOO-WEEE! WOAH.
That's saying something, as I gagged my way through the unrepentant disgusting quagmire that is "Sister, Maiden, Monster." But this was weirdly hyper-violent.
It follows the third person narrative of the impoverished but talented couture fashion designer wannabe Desirée "Dez" Margaret Lane, as she grudgingly dates the chauvinistic, über wealthy Patrick Ruskin and negotiates her way onto his family's private island, and hopefully into his fashion magazine mogul Mom, Marie Caulfield-Ruskin's, sights. (See: Anna Wintour) But, as always happens with the beat (worst...?) laid plans, they go...somewhat awry.
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
This was a fast read, a REALLY fast read. Like, almost too fast. We went from "hey, these rich assholes on this weird ass Pepto Bismal island are pretty creepy" to "PURGE 2024" in less than 100 pages. Now, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it: the foreword had me ready to fucking GO when it mentioned trigger warnings and how this was literary catharsis for Dawson, and (sadly) as a fellow sexual assault survivor, I can 100% approve.
Her ability to weave off the cuff, acerbic (and frankly, hilarious) dialog is, I feel, one of the author's strongest traits: near the end when Dez quips:"I would not hitch my wagon to that flaming sack of shit you call a son" had me giggling like a maniac. (I was in public, so you can imagine how this looked) This, perhaps more than anything, drew me to her after finishing "The Violence" last year. (Last year? Year before? Christ. I read a lot kids. I read a lot TO my kid. I can't keep track of all of it. My brain is mashed potatoes. Pity me.) She's got a way with dialog that makes traditionally cliché characters less soporific and more sophisticated, and, by extension, often giving our protagonist(s) a better/better foil(s) in which to play off of.
Patrick is one such character. He's a piece of chauvinist trash to be sure, but Dawson gives us juuuust enough in his backstory as to make him more of a human and less of the slobbering, woman-hating knuckle dragger that he actually is. The same (kind of) goes for the others in his family, even though they were all given less than a page or two each for this to be established.
However, there wasn't really "enough" story for anyone, especially Valerie and the rest of the servants. I think that perhaps that's the point...? Since the other Ruskins only really dealt with them on a "surface" level, they're relegated to the background both by the characters and the author because of this. What starts off as a genuinely witty (albeit gruseome) "Revenge Romp on Fantasy Island" swiftly turns into "The Incestuous Island of Dr. Moreau," where we are treated to a bloody bacchanal in which everything (and every one) from the polo ponies to the purposefully pink clad servants is delivered courtesy of "Eugenics 'R' Us."
(Cue "Dueling Banjoes")
And while one might assume this is just the more posh version of "Deliverance," (you wouldn't be wrong) Dawson hesitates to cast these precious pearls (Marie Caulfield-Ruskin's to be exact) before clichéd literary swine, and instead goosesteps her way into what is effectively a couture Aryan version of "Gattaca."
I would've liked there to have been at least some buildup to the inevitable dinnertime massacre, maybe another day (or three) of Dez perhaps noticing that the servants are being suspicious, understanding that the family really isn't what they seem, and more comparisons from the ponies to the kids. They entire discussion about "Ruskins only having boys" was effectively swept under the rug, as was how everyone on the island was related...? The boys are either groomed to be leaders by (any) mother available, or dismissed as servants, while the girls are drowned at birth (???) or simply raised servants as well. This and the aforementioned incest are only vaguely referred to, and we're never as readers treated to the full story on who (or what) exactly everyone is. Suffice it to say nothing is ever *completely* expound upon or even explained. This is especially irritating after Dez murders Marie with her own Louboutins. (Aka "murder heels.") But then...nothing. She just...accepts that she's going to be a murderer. Revenge aside, Dez doesn't seem like the kind of woman to do this, no matter how justified it might be.
Dawson could've added at least one more chapter so we had some more background on The Servants, which also would've served to slow the plot down so it didn't end up feeling so very rushed.
I'll definitely be continuing to consume what she writes, but this latest installment by Delilah Dawson felt a tad underdone.
Three and a half stars.
Dez is a talented ambitious woman, but without money behind her, she can't make the doors into fashion open.
She meets Patrick, whose mother is someone she looks up to as Editor in Chief of a high end fashion magazine.
So Dez doesn't like it, but she has to pretend to like Patrick, and part of this includes going to his families private island for Easter break, in an attempt to get close to his mother and prove her worth
Upon arrival, she has to sign an NDA, and she is amazed by the expanse of the family wealth.
Things seem odd right off the bat, but soon things start to get really dark.... Dez is about to see there is a whole lot of secrets in this family and some are about to come out with a bang! The rich have been getting away with too much for too long....
This was a great read that had me hooked! After reading Bloom previously by this author, I didn't read too much into the plot of this and glad I went in a bit blind as was really engrossed in the developing story.
Some squeamish bits for sure, so bear that in mind. But if you've got the stomach I'd highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the review copy, all opinions my own...out 10 Sept so get those preorders in!
To sum Guillotine up in one sentence: it is gory, creative and filled with opulence, revenge, and retribution!
“Why does it seem like everything here has such sharp teeth?”
To delve a little deeper:
Dez's dream is to work in fashion, but getting her foot in the door is proving to be no easy feat. So when fashion magazine editor-in-chief Marie Ruskin's son Patrick comes on to her, she sees her opportunity to break into the design scene - even though it means putting up with the arrogant, self-absorbed Patrick. Dez is willing to play the pliable girlfriend to manipulate Patrick into inviting her on his family holiday, to their isolated private island, earning herself an "in" to meet Marie and show her what she's worth. Upon arriving she's met with a frightening NDA, no contact with the outside world, odd staff... and the pretentious, self-important, creepy Ruskin family.
Guillotine is a gory commentary on the opulence of the upper class, and the downfall of the greedy, entitled 1%. Right down to the pearls on Marie's neck... originally owned by Marie Antoinette. If that's not predicting your own demise, I'm not sure what is.
This is a book filled with creative ends befitting the receiver's crimes. The build up is fast-paced and intriguing, and crescendos into chaos in the most satisfying way.
If you're a fan of unique uses for pearl strings, louboutins, and the phrase "eat the rich"... you'll love Guillotine.
As always, check your trigger warnings 🖤
Dez Lane doesn't want to date Patrick Ruskin, in fact he kind of repulses her, but he is the son of Marie Caulfield-Ruskin, editor-in-chief of Nouveau magazine. Having exhausted most of her options so far, and graduation looming, Dez is feeling desperate. If she could just put up with him long enough to convince Marie Caulfield-Ruskin to help her with an internship someone with her pedigree could never nab through the regular submission route. When Patrick invites her to his family's private island for Easter holiday, she knows it is now or never. Stepping off the boat she is floored by the opulence of it all. So this is how the 1% lives! After signing a particularly brutal NDA which signed away all of her rights, and left her feeling more than a little creeped out, she attempted to try to fit in with his family. But then, things started to take a dark turn. For decades, the Ruskins have made their servants sign contracts that are basically indentured servitude, and with nothing to lose, the servants have decided their only route to freedom is to get rid of the Ruskins for good…
I am a huge fan of this author's books and this one is definitely my new favorite. This was along the vein of movies like Ready or Not, Us, & Saw. It was rich people who had behaved badly for generations, and the people who had been tasked with putting up with their crap, finally couldn't take it anymore and snapped. Now, at the beginning of the book there is a long list of trigger warnings. I am not going to list them all here, because if I did, it would end up being as long or longer than my review. So, just read the list beforehand if things might trigger you, and then proceed with caution. That said, this book was gruesome, but I am a fan of horror movies and books so I was all for it. Was there a final girl at the end, or did the staff wipe everyone out? Well, you will just have to read the book to find out!
8/10
Hello again dear reader or listener, I’ve been in the mood for dark comedy and horror so now you have to deal with it.
With thanks to Titan Books for approving my eARC request, let’s get to my honest thoughts.
First of all, can we talk about how beautiful this book is, cover and design wise? I’m not even a fan of pink and this blew me away! The amount of story relevant details you catch once you’re reading is so satisfying. 10/10 presentation, chef’s kiss.
Now onto the story itself. Guillotine is presented as The Menu meets Ready or Not, two movies I found utterly amazing, so it was a no brainer that I needed this book in my life. While I have not read anything else by Dawson, I can certainly tell why she is so loved. Her writing is clean and quick, flowing expertly from the page with the economic yet evocative emphasis of a high-level storyteller.
The plot of a hardworking fashion student doing anything she possibly can for a mere chance at what the wealthy are given so freely is one that resonates with almost anybody, and the shocking violence that she finds herself in the middle of by accident, is strongly cathartic in nature for anyone that has ever worked in the service industry, or has been through any kind of abuse as the ones portrayed in the book. If I were to be dispassionately blunt, I’d characterize this as a satisfying and dark horror romp of well-deserved, gory revenge that picks up speed the moment it begins and doesn’t let up till the very end.
The social commentary is strong if angry and that is the main point. Sometimes you don’t need a long treatise on the nature of man or the inner turmoil between good and evil and the virtues of turning the other cheek. Sometimes you just want to read and/or write about horrible assholes getting what they deserve, and even then, it still might not be enough to make up for the horrors they perpetuated just because they could throw money at it and make it go away unchallenged. You do not read this book for character development – even though there is some – nor some big plot arc or the slapstick dark comedy you might expect from the Ready or Not comp. You read it because you’re having a strong Eat The Rich moment and you need your fury to go somewhere.
Dawson delivers a book that is short, brutal, and uncompromising. It’s a fast and angry story for those whose reaction to injustice and abuse is rage that can no longer be contained and needs an out. And while it may be not all that humorous, those who have been even marginally close to the horrors faced by the characters in the story will feel a bitter yet self-indulgent chuckle rise from their chest
Guillotine comes out September 10th and if anything I mentioned resonates with you dear reader, and you’re feeling gory, you’ll want to pick it up.
Until next time,
Eleni A. E.
A fun and gruesome horror novella about a woman in the fashion industry trying to make connections with a powerful family. When she gets invited to their private island, things take a sinister turn and she ends up fighting to survive. It’s got some super memorable gory moments (the grandma and the horses omg) and story wise is reminiscent of the movie Ready or Not.
Dez is desperate to be successful, and she dates a richie rich, gets invited to their private island; The Island.
Even after the invitation, Dez is required to be private about it.
Then, after page 40 (until then it drags a little), the speed picks up and we get the eat the rich and gore.
This is a quick and enjoyable read.
I adore Delilah s Dawson and she’s quickly becoming one of my fav authors. This is my third book by her.
It follows a woman called Dez who goes to stay on her rich boyfriend’s families private island. And then things kick off from there.
This is quite short so it’s very fast paced with some fun twists at the end. It got very gory with “SAW” like murders. But if you’re into gory horror then you will like this.
Writing was excellent, plot was engaging and fun, would definitely recommend.