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

I enjoyed the beginning of the story. It felt like the intro to a slasher movie. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, I lost interest. It became a little messy and weird for me.

Tadhg, going through a breakup with his boyfriend, joins his twin brother and his girlfriend for a getaway in rural Ireland. However, their peaceful retreat is quickly disrupted by unsettling occurrences: a stranger watching them, a break-in, and an ominous Celtic symbol appearing everywhere. As the situation escalates, Tadhg realizes the idyllic escape he sought has become a terrifying ordeal.

A fun, quick, and gory read! I love a short book, I guess maybe this one is technically a novella?? Regardless, I had a lot of fun reading this. I really loved the relationships among the three main characters. There was a surprising amount of character backstory and development for the length of this book. A Queer MC will always win points for me too! I also loved the remote setting and eerie Celtic symbolism. Something that you will rarely hear me say is that I think this book was actually too short, and it could have benefitted from a bit more details when it came to the final act. I don't mind the cliffhanger necessarily, but would have loved some more explanation behind the "why" of what was happening, if that makes sense. Regardless, I definitely recommend this one!

Scare B&B Horror. Oh yes, I went there - and so did they.

This is the kind of book I enjoy - a group of people arriving at an isolated location. There's baggage, there's mysterious symbols, there's a cabin in an eerie place and there's all things Irish. What a heady mix.

I do love a short read at times, and this is exactly that, coming in at a concise 200 pages. We have twins, one with his girlfriend and one who's recently been cheating on by his boyfriend (who keeps trying to contact our protaganist to nake up). They venture on a break away to a deserted cabin in a super weird village and all hell breaks loose.

It's tight, it's taut, it builds nicely to a great payoff with enough of a body count for the genre. I highly recommend it as a fun, fast read!

Thank you RN Cogley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishing for the chance to read this.

I liked the premise of this book. I’m a fan of isolated cabin thrillers. That being said, I feel like this book lacked the punch. There were some parts that could have been really scary but weren’t. For example; the scary guy appearing in the window. It was anticlimactic, as was the deaths of Katie and Declan. It was a short book, so I understand not wanting to waste words, but I wasn’t as thrilled or scared as I thought I’d be.

i really enjoyed this story tadhg see a very eerie symbol every were he goes, so his brother invited him a vaction with him to forget about his cheating boyfriend, but also the stress of work. and some creepy things start to happen when they reach this village. love the creepy vibes, the charahters.

Thank you Cranthorpe Miller Publications and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will say that overall I did enjoy this one. If you're looking a for a typical cult like thriller/horror than you should give this is a go. My only gripe with the book, is that I just felt it was too short. I think if this was about 100 pages longer the author could have provided more detail on the cult, the town and the cult's leader. These were all areas that I just wanted more information for.

Expected to be published on January 28, 2025

super fun and quick. read like a horror movie and I had an amazing time. I woud recommend it as a thriller/horror novella.

This was a fantastic horror novel, it had that element that I was looking for and was engaged with the concept. I was hooked from the first page and was enjoying the characters that I was looking for. R. N. Cogley wrote this perfectly and the characters were everything that I was looking for.

“I’ve said too much already. Just get out of here before nightfall. Otherwise, you’ll end up in the bonfire like the other two.”



💭Also more like:
Be silly and stubborn so you’ll make adequate Samhain sacrifices...
A news report about two gruesome murders on the outskirts of Dublin, two missing persons...as if a warning or two is still not enough...and yet it did not stop Tadhg, his twin brother Declan and girlfriend Katie to go on a quick getaway to somewhere called 'Killimercy'.
This was ok..started promising then dragged a bit in the middle..a few 'jump scares' and the action or gruesomeness really didn't start until around 70%. If you enjoy a novella that's like a B-movie (in a good way) then give this one a go.

My thanks to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for providing an early copy. I received an arc for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Expected pub date: Jan. 28, 2025