Not exactly what I was expecting from Murr from Impractical Jokers.
The story was very intriguing and had a saw type feel to it.
The characters were interesting and had great backgrounds. The whole abandoned town feel was great. Listening to the audiobook was kinda like watching a reality type gameshow like survivor waiting to see who was gonna be next.
Definitely a fun listen.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy.

3.5 ⭐️ This was the perfect locked room mystery and palate cleanser I needed from a string a bad books. This was a fun Christmas time horror/thriller, that was short, face paced and has an interesting plot. It isn’t new though, it is closely related to the Saw and Escape Room genre (re: formulaic in execution). If you’ve seen a lot of those types of movies the twists are not all surprising, nor is the ending but I enjoyed it anyways as I love that genre. I loved the Christmas theme but reading it during Halloween time was perfection, it reminded me of any of those A24 or Krampus type movies where it just feels like dread around every corner but in a fun way, does that make me deranged? Maybe. I do wish it was a bit more original but I was working on a craft project as I listened and I was OK with the simplistic nature of the story.

I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend, the narrator does a great job at telling the story and kept me engaged. The POVs constantly shifted from character to character and I never got confused as to who is who, which sometimes can happen for me.

Quick Synopsis: This follows Jessica Kane as she wakes up in a deserted town with 5 other strangers who were also kidnapped with phones/wallets taken. They aren’t sure why they were taken or where they are but they know someone is watching them and they must work together to find a way out. This becomes nearly impossible when it seems someone is orchestrating their deaths one by one, wondering who will be next.

Read this if you like or are OK with:
* Locked room mysteries
* Fan of the Saw movies - slasher books
* You’re OK with lots of gore
* Fast paced stories with not a lot of depth
* Christmas themed horror

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. The book is out now! #macaudio2024

I thoroughly enjoyed this lock door, serial killer thriller! This is a super quick read with a unique plot twist. Every year at Christmas for the past 14 years, a half a dozen people have gone missing in Old Forge, New York. Sounds like we have a serial killer in the area. Each of the 100 victims have one thing in common, they are all criminals. Who has decided to take justice into their own hands and punish these criminals? You better read this and find out. 🔪🎄Thank you @macaudio

Jessica wakes up to find herself in a deserted town with several other strangers. All the strangers seemed to have been dropped in a similar fashion. The strangers decide to work together to get out, but then they start dying one after another.

This was a fast paced thriller with not much Christmas theme except that it occurs right at Christmas. I was shocked when the killer was revealed. Be prepared for some gruesome descriptions! I’m not sure I was a very big fan of the ending.

Thank you to James Murray, Darren Wearmouth, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You Better Watch Out
A Thriller
by James S. Murray; Darren Wearmouth
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

I was first interested in You Better Watch Out because of Murr from Impractical Jokers, which I've been a longtime fan of. I LOVE a good thriller/horror story, and the summary just sounded fun. Well, it was! A group of strangers wake up in a weird location-almost an abandoned town, with no memory of how they got there. They quickly realize that they're in the middle of a hunt, and they're the prey. Now, yes, this has been done before, but it's written in a fast-paced, entertaining way that kept me listening to this whole book in one day. There's something that ties everyone together, and once they realize what it is, their predicament takes on a whole new meaning. There's a fabulous twist in the story that I wasn't expecting that really made this an entertaining, fast-paced, quick listen. I can't wait to see what the authors come up with next!

The narration was great and added personality to the characters. Overall, it was just a really enjoyable listen. Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen and review this ARC!

This was entertaining and unexpected. The twists were well done and I did not see some things coming. I liked that there were multiple POVs in the story. I would read the author again.

Narrator - I enjoyed the narration and thought she did a great job.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC

Thank you to Macmillan audio for my complimentary ALC! I honestly jumped on requesting this book based on the cute red and white polka dots and holiday theme. I was expecting thrills, but this haunting listen delivers spine-tingling horror. The action begins in the first chapter and really doesn’t stop for the duration of the listen. Strangers awaken in a deserted ‘fake town’ to discover they have been abducted and are being slowly picked off by a serial killer while the abductors film everything. This book has more gore than I typically gravitate towards when reading thrillers, but I found I couldn’t stop listening!! The book was tightly plotted with a few flashbacks to learn more about each abducted character, but mostly it was a race for survival until the final shocking twist. I’m pretty sure I will never be able to think of certain holiday songs in the same manner, and this book definitely delivers on the creep factor. Propulsive, dark, with morally bankrupt characters, this slasher will entertain readers of the genre! Narrator, Barrie Kreinik, did a great job bringing the terror, angst, and thrills alive with their narrative performance.

4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5

Barrie Kreinik narrates and has become one of my favorite narrators. Once again, she has done a great job catching characters and moments of tension. Five stars to the narration.

The title implies a sweet christmas cozy mystery. WRONG. Be prepared for a seasonal take of a slasher/thriller. A bit more slasher than I am comfortable with and certainly didn't see coming. But the portion where the newest batch of victims are running for their lives is certainly of the thriller genre.

Without giving away details, 6 people find themselves transported to a unknown location with someone trying to pick them off both systematically and brutally. It is their job to make it to Christmas alive to be set free. That ending!

The audiobook comes in around 5 1/2 hours which feeds into the quick pacing which I enjoy best in a thriller. There is nearly an additional hour of the author, James Murray, otherwise known for his show Impractical Jokers, reading a chapter while sitting on top of a moving vehicle. I know. Unnecessary.

You Better Watch Out will appeal to those that like to maintain their horror/thriller genres even during the holidays. It also works perfectly for Spooktober.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 10/15
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You Better Watch Out is a phenomenal Christmas horror following a group of people locked in a makeshift town with one goal - make it until Christmas and you are let free. Think Saw but Christmas. Do I have your attention now?
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Right from the start this one will suck you in and not let your attention go. Even long after you will be thinking of this one. There is a small group of characters, some are likable, others not so much, and throughout the story you find out why they were chosen to partake in such a horrific situation.
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This one had the guts, the gore, the blood and the thrills. I devoured this book in just one sitting. I loved this book so much. It’s super fast paced and will have you shocked at the twists this one takes. The ending had my jaw on the floor, I never saw that coming - it was *chefs kiss*. Even if I did, it wouldn’t have mattered, this book is one wild ride -; such a great Christmas slasher. This is the perfect book for all the Christmas girlies trying to embrace spooky season - AKA its me, hi I’m the Christmas girlie.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and Barrie Kreinik was perfect for this role. I love how eerie he made the entire story feel. I highly highly highly recommend the audiobook.
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Overall, phenomenal read. Highly recommend to all of my thriller / horror / slasher friends. Huge thank you to NetGalley, James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

You better watch out. This book gave under the dome vibes. A. Group of people who seem to be getting away with there crimes are taken to a walled in fake town to try to stay alive from tests and challenges

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"He's making a list, checking it twice.
Going to find out who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town...
Oh You Better Watch Out!"

I will never hear that song the same after listening to the mind blowing, WTF just happened, You Better Watch Out, by bestselling thriller authors, James S. Murray (from TV's Impractical Jokers) and Darren Wearmouth.

Let's set the scene.The day is done. Headphones are on and I press play ready for a gory Christmas theme thriller, and I get it. Two days before Christmas, six people are knocked out and wake up in a picturesque small town decorated to the extreme for the holiday. Colored lights everywhere, trees glittering, and all the usual merry songs playing from somewhere. But where exactly? Where are they? As the deep forest comes into view, the frightening sounds begin...is that a grizzly bear roaring?! Wait is that an electric fence?!

Soon, our six are down to five, then four and so on, as each experiences a gruesome unique death. It's like a Twilight Zone episode. This make-believe town holds many secrets. Some I knew. Then just before I thought it was ending...I literally shrieked...then screamed...then gasped...and was left speechless. I never expected this twist. I haven't been so shocked since watching The Sixth Sense. It's that surprising an ending. Those who say they knew this reveal was coming are probably liars. Just kidding...sort of!

Voice actress Barrie Kreinik brilliantly delivered this iconic ending twist. The fear was heart pounding, the tension nail biting, the killer's POV chillingly real.

These writers have a new fan and I will be watching out for their next WTF surprise.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Whew, this book was a doozy. If you're into horror movies, SAW, gore, & shocking twists-- you'll absolutely love this!

Imagine waking up in an abandoned town with strangers & not being able to find a way out, all while being hunted down in serial killer's playground at Christmas. It's definitely NOT the most wonderful time of the year for this random group.

I love all things scary movies & books but I am not a fan of over the top gore. Movies like Saw or Halloween directed by Rob Zombie, not my thing. With that being said-- I still really enjoyed this book. It was definitely graphic & full of gore, but it was also suspenseful & terrifying.

PERFECT for spooky season, when you're looking for a holiday thriller, or honestly anytime of the year!

I listened to the audiobook and liked the narrator. This was super fast paced and held my interest the entire time. Loved the dialogue and storyline. Highly recommend this one!

I didn't know what to expect, but I saw that the author is one of the Impractical Jokers so I thought this would be a humorous holiday book. It isn't full of humor, but still an enjoyable listen. I haven't read anything like this before so I am always open to new sub genres!

This was an interesting, quick, holiday thriller. I will say I loved the premise quite a bit. I was even ok with the twist, but overall I wanted this book to either be a bit more serious and realistic or to embrace the ridiculous as truly awesome, campy horror does and it fell somewhere between the two which disappointed me. The ending fell short because of this falling between. But that being said it was still interesting and quite gruesome which I did enjoy. Right before Christmas a handful of strangers wake up disoriented after being kidnapped in a fake old historical town decorated to the 9’s for Christmas. They aren’t sure why or how they got there but it becomes quickly apparent someone doesn’t plan for them to leave. As they struggle to get their bearings and try to escape they are slowly picked off one by one.

It’s just a couple of days until Christmas and six strangers wake up in a strange town in the middle of a blizzard with no id, no phone, no vehicle, no idea how they got there, and no way out. Worse, they discover that almost everything about the town is fake except the woods surrounding it. And then they start dying, one by one.

You Better Watch Out by James S Murray and Darren Wearmouth is one wild, fast-paced roller coaster ride of a thriller. It’s sort of a cross between Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and Then There Were None by Agatha Christie only with more gruesome methods of murder and it grabbed me from the beginning and kept me glued to the page and guessing right to the big reveal at the end. I read an e-Arc from St. Martin’s Press while listening to an audiobook from Macmillan Audio narrated by Barrie Kreinik who does an amazing job of keeping the tension and suspense ramped up to fever pitch. There is also a little extra at the end of the audiobook to add to the fun.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

Imagine waking up, unsure where you are and only feeling residual pain from a distant memory of being hit over the head? This is the fate of six strangers just a few nights away from Christmas. They discover they are in a fake town in the woods, being picked off one-by-one by their captors. Soon, they will discover there is a common reason why they are all there - but will it be too late?

This book was definitely thrilling! The end especially, was more horror than I was expecting from Murr from Impractical Jokers (this is how I found out he’s an author too!). Some of the final chapters gave me chills and the twist at the end was not predictable. I don’t think I had a suspicion until only a few moments before its reveal. Definitely a fun and quick listen! Less than 6 hours and the narrator made it easy! They were great.

⚠️Trigger⚠️: gore, addiction, murder

Well that was a wild ride. You guys really did a great job and your selection of the audio narrator was perfect too.

If you like slasher flicks, gore, thrillers, suspense and horror you’ll like this one. I have a pretty strong stomach but even I was like OMG 😱 sometimes. 🤢

I figured the ending out right as it was about to happen which is exactly what I want when I’m reading a horror/thriller/suspense novel. I don’t necessarily wanna be blindsided but I also don’t wanna figure out the whole thing too quickly either. Hence the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄...

The Butcher & The Wren
The Saw Series (like I said…𝙂𝙊𝙍𝙀 + 𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖)
Crazy and inventive ways to ☠️😵🪦 Oooof
Horror / Slashers
Wayward Pines Vibes
Christmas 🎄

The ending of this book was left a little open ended so I’m really hopeful that we get a sequel.

Murr, how you gonna go from making us laugh to giving us nightmares?!! I had no idea you had this in you!

I absolutely recommend this one!

This was a nice, enclosed slasher adventure. I actually tend to like horror movies and books that are very contained and there is a need to solve the mystery of how to escape. I also like to read books that take place in upstate NY, don't forget about us up here!

I watch a lot of horror movies, so I did figure out the twist pretty early on, but I still enjoyed the ride. I'd say it's on the horror side more than thriller. The Christmas aspect of it was an interesting concept and the weather did add a level of danger to the characters in the book. It was used to create very easily visualized scenes.

It wasn't a groundbreaking novel, but I like familiar territory. This is my version of a cozy mystery. It hit all the right notes and kept me well entertained.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

You Better Watch Out was such a great holiday murder mystery! Days before Christmas, a group of strangers are kidnapped and left in a fake town eerily decked out for the holidays. They soon realize they share criminal pasts. There are traps, and they begin to die one by one. So, as the Christmas song goes, they "better watch out."

The killer and motives offer a major twist you won't see coming, and the vibes are eerie, spooky, and ominous throughout. This is a "fun" horror story that doesn't take itself too seriously and carries the aesthetic of fall into the holiday season for fans of slashers.