CARNIVAL KILLS Book Review

Carnival Kills by Caesar Daniels, eBook, 146 pages Synopsis from GoodReads: In 1965, the infamous Red Hook Jack turned a small-town carnival into a blood-soaked nightmare, leaving behind a legacy of terror. His name became legend in Hollow Creek.

Now, nearly twenty years later—Spring Break, 1986—Maddie and her friends set out for a lakeside getaway, for a weekend of fun. However, on the last night of the trip, their dream vacation is turned into a waking nightmare when they visit the local run-down park, Hollow Creek's Carnival. A copycat killer has emerged, reviving Red Hook Jack’s reign of terror.

Trapped in a twisted carnival of death, Maddie and her friends find themselves unwilling players in a sinister game—one where every attraction hides a gruesome fate, and every game comes with deadly stakes. As the body count rises and the carnival transforms into a slaughterhouse, Maddie must confront a horrifying truth: this isn’t just a random massacre. The motive? Revenge. And she’s stuck at the heart of it.

Step right up…if you dare. Welcome to Hollow Creek's Carnival—if the rides don’t kill you, the killers will.

BOOK REVIEW: Have you ever found yourself, while watching a scary movie, leaning forward in your seat like you have to get closer to really see what happens? The kind of movie that is so full of gore and suspense that you just cannot sit still to save your life? And you like that? Well, not only should we be friends but that is exactly how I felt while reading this short novel. I couldn't sit still. I was constantly shifting around because it was that good! And y'all...my daughter was practicing her stealthy ninja approaches and while reading a particularly creepy sentence, she appears next to me and I almost peed my pants! I don't think I screamed or yelled out but I did suck in a very deep breath and that scared her as well!

This has all the classic traits of a great classic slasher movie. There's the creepy mechanic. A practically abandoned town. A vehicle that shockingly breaks down in the middle of nowhere leading to a several mile walk to the next town. I missed the part that this was set in the mid 80s but now some scenes make a little more sense. Then there's the bloodbath that is just quintessential classic slasher! I loved every minute of this book.

Obviously this is a 5 star. I don't know the last time I read a good slasher book but this is definitely a favorite of mine now! The author does an amazing job story telling as well as helping us get to know the characters. From the get go we are getting the horror and I loved it. To have the carnival in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a corn field is just another thing to add to my nightmares. Side note and totally unrelated to this story but I was driving through Ohio several years ago and had my sister on the phone and told her she needed to stay on the phone because my GPS had me driving through dirt roads and corn fields to get to my hotel and totally thought I was going to hear a voice over the radio say Candy Cane (IYKYK). Any who. I definitely recommend getting your hands on this ASAP! As of 8.7.25 this book is part of the KU library so what are you waiting for? Go read it now!

5/5 Stars

2025 Reading Challenge: 50/50 complete