⭐⭐✨
Rep : Achillean MC

🍀Set in Ireland
🎃Near Halloween
😮Cult Horror

What I Liked
1) I love that the MC is a forensic psychologist since its the career path I want to go into

2) It was entertaining enough but it was so surface level. It sort of feel like the first 100 pages in a full novel setting up stuff but then immediately skips to the climax. The pacing was really off I wish more time was spent learning about the cult as personally the cult vibes are why I was interested in this.

What I Disliked
1) I hated that the main focus of this book was the MC being cheated on because it just took up way too much of what is meant to be a horror.

2) I'm usually not bothered by pop culture references but there was a lot and it just took me out of the atmosphere.

3) To say he is meant to be a forensic psychologist he does not take all of the signs that some shit was going on serious enough.

4) Declan was sooo dumb it was frustrating to read. Their actions and reactions to stuff don't make logical sense its like they don't have a sense of danger.

Thank you to Netgalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and R.N. Cogley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

"I don't care where I end up, as long as it's as far away from Killimercy as possible."
We have a prologue that helps explains a little bit of the story. From there we jump into twins, Declan and Tadgh, going on a weekend cabin trip in midland Ireland to relax. Along with them is Declan's girlfriend Katie. As they head out into a desolate area and come across a suspicious gas station, red flags pop up more than once that they should turn around and go home. From weird noises, strange symbols, and an unexpected guest arriving will they finally decide to leave or stay and figure out the weird mysteries of Killimercy?
I'll rate this book 3.5/5. This is a very short story. No compelling characters. It reminded me of a few not so good horror movies but you still watch it because it's nothing else on. No action until more than halfway through the book. It wasn't boring but it could have given more background on Killimercy's town and residents.

I honestly don't know how I feel right now. This book had many of the things I enjoy about horror and emulated M. Night Shyamalan in all the best ways. I was fully pulled into the environment and felt for all the characters visiting this cabin in an Irish forest. It was also one of those books that once you reach the half-way mark, that you have no choice but to finish the rest in one sitting because you cannot breathe otherwise. That being said, I wanted more. I wanted more context, more history and explanation, more investigation especially after the prologue, and definitely a more thorough ending. In horror movies, this feel of lack is to be expected because it's all about the visual thrill, but I always expect or at least hope for more in novels. I think this book could have easily been longer, a more full-length novel as opposed to a novella, and I would have loved it more and given it a 5. Due to the brevity and focus on only one aspect of the plot, I can only give it a 3.5 but will round up to a 4 where needed. I also found it interesting, that although this was in Ireland, their music choices were American as opposed to like Enya. I did really enjoy this book and am glad it read, I just feel a little let down. I will be looking into other books by this author though since this was the first one I have read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked this enough. It has the fun horror tropes like the creepy run down gas station and the guy telling them not to go on any further. It has the weird cult stuff too. I like that.
This was okay. I will definitely read more by this author.

A fast paced and gruesome horror story that builds slowly, instilling a sense of dread and a fearful foreboding of what’s certain to come.
Easily read in one sitting and deliciously frightful.
Scary enough to ensure that I will, without doubt, check the reviews on anything I may book for a peaceful getaway !
Forget a lovely rural retreat as this is more chilling than chilled.
Bravo.

Okay now this was decent but left me wanting more like it was right there but I felt like it was just missing something. I did enjoy the story and I like the culty vibe that was coming off the little village. And I loved that the book wasn’t solely focused on capture the cult, it’s always more enjoyable for me when I get to see things through the victims perspective. Also can we please talk about Declan and Katie completely disregarding the warnings???? Like it was right in front of their faces!!!


*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

An Ireland getaway takes a brutal turn as Tadhg, his twin brother and his brother's girlfriend get caught in the middle of an intense "tradition." I don't want to give too much of the plot away, so I'll keep it briefly at this.

The characters I found to be slightly infuriating and a bit ridiculous. Their explanations and denials of all the weird circumstances surrounding their stay had me frustrated. "The wind" being one of the worst excuses. Not only that, but their determination to disregard warnings blew my mind. I would've immediately been gone!

I think this story would've benefited from some more background and explanation of the village. I was interested in the lore surrounding their village and I don't feel that we really received any details. Once the horrors started to unfold, I found this story much better. Unfortunately, I felt that the story revolved too much around the dramatics of Tadhg's failed relationship. With this being such a short book, I would've liked to see a bit more balance.

It was a very quick and easy read. The drama kept me motivated to keep reading, but as I said, I wish I had received more history regarding the Celtic symbols and the village.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

TW: murder, death, gore, blood, fire injury, injury detail, grief, kidnapping, physical abuse, emotional abuse, infidelity, violence

40/100 or 2.0 stars


I was so excited going into this because based on the description and the cover, I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, this did not work for me. I genuinely did like the writing, so I would try another book by Cogley. The writing was what gave this two stars and what kept me going. It is also a quick read so I kept going for that reason too. It was boring. I know that sounds mean, but I have to be honest in these reviews, and that's how I felt about it. The potential was there, but it all fell flat for me. I also think this could have done better as a short story. The beginning is so promising, as the first chapter was engaging.

This was not bad, but it didn't work for me.

R. N. Cogley delivers a bone-chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller in Gruesome Getaway, a suspenseful horror novel with echoes of Wrong Turn that grips readers from start to finish. Packed with tension, eerie twists, and a creeping sense of dread, this story is a masterclass in building suspense.

The plot follows twin siblings and their partners as they embark on a much-anticipated getaway that quickly turns nightmarish. From the outset, things are rocky—one of the twins has just discovered their partner’s infidelity—but the group decides to proceed with the trip. What begins as an awkward outing soon spirals into a fight for survival as strange occurrences at their destination escalate into a living nightmare.

Cogley’s pacing is impeccable, layering moments of quiet unease with sudden bursts of terror. The remote setting is vividly described, immersing readers in an atmosphere of isolation and danger. The characters, especially the twins, are well-drawn and relatable, making their growing fears and desperate decisions all the more compelling.

What truly makes Gruesome Getaway stand out is its ability to balance psychological tension with visceral horror. The mystery of what’s happening keeps readers guessing, while the relentless sense of foreboding ensures they can’t look away.

For fans of gripping horror with plenty of twists and turns, Gruesome Getaway is an unmissable read. R. N. Cogley crafts a story that’s as terrifying as it is addictive, leaving readers breathless until the very last page.

I liked this book and it actually scared me!! I had to stop reading it multiple times because I was really freaked out. I thought that it was written well and I liked Tadhg's character a lot!

Definitely check trigger warnings because this was DARK!

-Irish setting
-Gay Relationship

What is meant to be a relaxing getaway with this brother and friend takes a dark turn in this exciting novella from RN Cogley.

I initially requested this book (thank you to Cranthorpe Millner Publishing and NetGalley!) because I've always been fascinated by Celtic legends and mythology. That being said, I think the rural, Irish setting was quite nice. The remoteness of the town really added to the creepy ambiance of the story. Speaking of, I liked the story that was being told for the most part, but I do wish that the author went into a bit more detail on the reason the antagonists were doing what they were doing (keeping in vague to avoid spoilers). While it was certainly creepy, I found myself a little confused on their intentions.

I'd be happy to pick up another book by the author, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this book.

3.25 stars

Smarting from a rough breakup, Tadhg insists he's still good to go on a Halloween getaway with his twin brother and his brother's girlfriend, even if he feels a little like the third wheel. Far off the beaten track, Killimercy is an eerie village with an abandoned feel. The locals are thin on the ground, surly and unwelcoming. While the holiday cabin is fitted out with all the mod cons, the forest surrounding them feels oppressive to Tadhg. He gets a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something isn't right. Unsettling occurrences start to mount until it might just be too late to leave.

This is a fun little folk horror set in rural Ireland. Following in the footsteps of The Children of the Corn and The Wicker Man, this hits all the high points if you enjoy a good ol' pagan ritual for the crops kind of story. It doesn't have a lot of depth - perhaps because of the short page count - but it felt like a satisfyingly complete story.

My biggest critique is that the pacing is a little off - there's a lot of focus on relationship issues that ultimately don't have much affect on the story.

Thank you Cranthorpe Miller Publications and NetGalley for the e-ARC!!

"Gruesome Getaway" is a horror tale centered around twin brothers who invite their partners for a retreat at a secluded cabin in the woods. Unbeknownst to them, this escape is destined to take a dark turn. I particularly appreciated the character development and the psychological depth woven into the narrative.

I did enjoy reading this very much. I am not sure i am the demographic that this book was targeting, but I found the writing flowed smoothly and the storyline kept me engaged. I will say that I didn't love the ending as it felt unfinished to me, but also I see this as maybe a way to leave it open for a second book. Overall it was a great read.

A very fast paced short story. I would’ve loved some more detailed on how this all got started and more about Amy and how they kept her, I also would’ve liked to see how things were after everything happened.
3* for me !

A book that feels like watching a cult classic slasher. This book was fun and entertaining in all the right ways, with multiple points where you want to grab and shake the protagonists for being so stupid. This was a short entertaining read that I think anyone who is a fan of the kinds of thrillers and slashers where it would be so easy for no one to die at the end, but we enjoy anyway because if they were smart then there wouldn’t be a story to tell.

I enjoyed the buildup to the suspense, and despite knowing how everything would eventually go down, I found myself extremely tense at times. There were a few times where things would happen that I found myself legitimately anxious, and at no point was I certain who - if anyone - would survive until the end.

I also liked how there was a bit of worldbuilding teased at the beginning and the end, but we only get a glimpse of both the reality of the cult as well as how it operates. We, as the reader, are only given the same amount of information the main characters can desperately discover, and I felt that added to the suspense. In many ways for stories like these, less is more - where the unknown and not understanding why something is happening is many times scarier than having all the information.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and [publisher] for providing this e-ARC.

his part is a spoiler so I’m only including it here at the end, and feel free to ignore.

–

The fact that the main character’s boyfriend had cheated on him didn’t seem to have any impact or affect on the story at all, and I kind of felt like it was an unnecessary inclusion. There is no reason for him to have cheated, and since he shows up to the cabin anyway, so him being excluded doesn't impact the story in any way. I was really surprised that the twist wasn’t that - since he had been the one to rent the cabin - that he had known about the cult and was setting his boyfriend and his brother and girlfriend up to be sacrificed - and that being the reason he had cheated (he didn’t actually care about him) as well as the constant need to contact him (potentially changing his mind). I thought him showing up to the cabin would result in him trying to save them from the fate he’d given them, or with a potential heel-turn where he betrayed them again. Since neither of these things happened, this part of the story was my biggest issue since I was expecting this to impact the story in a significant way.

A small town in the Irish countryside that has nothing but horror to offer. This book was a short fast-paced read, I would have really liked it if it had a bit more on the history of the town; I enjoyed the eerie atmosphere.

I did have a little difficulty caring for the main characters, they were given so many warnings and while no it wouldn’t be much of a story if they left… it was still annoying.

I gravitate toward queer horror, but this one was a bit disappointing. There was a lot of focus on mundane descriptions and a breakup that was overall unnecessary to the story, while there was very little information on the more interesting/horror-related elements of the story. It does get quite gory and fast paced in the last 20ish pages, though. I wish we'd spent more time learning anything about the village. I also didn't really care for the main character who is the only POV we get.

The makings of a good story were there, and I wouldn't be opposed to picking up more of this author's work in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC: a well-written, tragic horror. For a novella, there was a fairly decent amount of characterisation, and it definitely felt scary in parts. I didn't feel surprised by anything, and for me, once the horror came to light, everything went a little bit too quickly to wrap it up.

I ADORED this. My favorite genre is MLM horror and there are so few books that fit it, nonetheless so few that fit it and are good. This is one of the few mlm horror novels I’ve read that were actually horrific and I LOVED IT. I was so engaged and curious as to what would happen next, I read 40 pages one night and the rest of the book the next night in one sitting. I loved all of the red herrings/narrative ‘tricks’ to make you think it will go one way, but it actually goes another. They were brilliantly done and completely threw me off multiple times. The horror of feeling as if you’re going crazy because no one can see the situation as you do is such a good trope imo and this book did it excellently.

Not only was the horror itself phenomenal, but the characters were brilliantly written. You could truly get a sense for who they were and how relationship dynamics worked between everyone. It was so interesting seeing the familial vs. romantic dynamics between everyone, and how it affected their actions in regards to the town. This was brilliantly written and hands down one of my favorite horror books I’ve read in a while. A perfect length as well, not too short or too long. Great for fans of The Ritual, The Ruins, Midsommar, and/or Last Days