Dread and a feeling of darkness is the main thing I took with me from this book. I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

"Sing Me A Death Song" by Robert Essig" is my first experience with the Splatter Western genre, and it’s perfect for Halloween reading!

The story centres on three haunting musicians whose eerie death songs have sent shivers through a local community. As fear spreads, some townsfolk try to flee, hoping to escape the deadly melodies, while others stay behind, clinging to pride or holding onto the belief that they might survive. Essig’s mix of horror and dark humour stands out, especially against the harsh and unforgiving landscapes of the American West, where bizarre and gruesome events unfold.

I found myself drawn into the themes of mortality, the ways people react under pressure, and the intense psychological toll of fear. The writing is captivating, and the story flows well, making it hard to put down. For my first foray into the Splatter Western genre, it’s an intense, unforgettable read!

The eerie coverage is indeed haunting!!!!!

Finally found a splatter western that I LOVED!!! Yay!!

This genre is so hard for me; I seem to have a love/hate relationship with most books that fall into this category.

Essig’s novel was brilliant though, full of supernatural events, gunfights, bounty hunters, and brutal murders.

“His screams came in ear-bleeding pitch, high and dripping with terror and pain.”

Blue’s received word that a band of marauders have taken over his mother’s ranch. As he sets out to get their land back, he finds the nearby town of La Plateau has its own troubles; a cursed band has taken up residence and brought a dark magic with them.

“News travels slow across countless miles of dusty plateaus and desolate hills.
Travels about as fast as a stagecoach can ride or a horse can gallop, that is if the rider doesn’t run into trouble on the way.
News dies then.”

Grab this book for its spectacular plot, imaginative and unique characters, and its captivating cover (by Luke Spooner).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Dead Sky Publishing/Death’s Head Press for a copy.

Blue Covington, an established bounty hunter has caught wind that his family's ranch has been taken over in La Plateau.
A trio of musicians have been terrorizing the inhabitants of La Plateau with their death songs.
Blue returns to his hometown to settle things, with the help of his old lover Louise, who can read palms.

Fantastic read, and my first from Robert Essig. Won't be the last. Fast paced, violent and imaginative- all that I could want from a splatter western. Will be purchasing this book to add to my physical collection when it comes out.

Saddle up partners for this fantastic western horror novella which features gruesomely bloody kills, a revenge story, and black magic.

Blue is a bounty hunter with a reputation. When he finds out his momma's ranch has been taken over, he heads back home to reclaim it.

But his town has another problem. A group of traveling musicians with supernatural powers sing death songs each night. Whomever they sing it to is brutally killed in the night and it appears they can't die.

With a psychopathic group holed up at the ranch waiting to kill Blue, and this group of murderous musicians, Blue is headed back to more than he bargained for.

This story is going to place all these elements together and creates a horrifying, bloody, and (at times) heartfelt narrative which will keep you reading until the end.

The characters are ones you'll love and loathe and there's a palm reader who will play her part and really rounds this novella out wonderfully.

Filled with wild west vibes and teeming with atmosphere and dread, I can highly recommend this western horror.

I got this arc for review on netgally.
Might be 4.5 stars but definitely more of a 5 stars then a 4 stars.
I was intrigued with the synopsis and very quickly got invested in the story and it's characters even if a lot of them weren'tvery lukeable. It was gruesome in parts and the death songs very terrifying to think about. I really liked the book.