Killjoy

by D.J. James

Jacob and Mason are heading to a summer camp to work. They are newly graduated from college and are just looking for something fun to do while also making some cash. The camp has been closed down for a while, having gone into bankruptcy a decade before, and is being brought back to life in the hopes to bring the town of Hollow Creek, Ohio some buisness. However, a woman nicknamed Killjoy has escaped from a prison van, killing the guards. She knows she will be caught again, but before that happens, she wants to commit another massacre to satiate her blood lust. She finds herself in Hollow Creek, and stalks the camp while the counselors are busy cleaning and fixing it up. While there, she decides its the perfect place to commit her next act of violence and depravity.

Genres: Horror

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2023

About the author

A writer of the weird and horrible. Author of the black comedy horror novel "Bath Salt Raccoon" and others.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok ok ok…let’s talk about this book. I know that I tend to drone on and on in my reviews about wanting to see authors take risks, try new things, and elevate the horror genre to new heights. What can I say, I have moments where I’m optimistic. But this was a very standard camp grounds slasher story. Nothing new or innovative, aside from having a final guy instead of a final girl, and just a straight up Friday the 13th type premise. Killjoy is an escaped psychopath who actually had some really good narrative early on. Usually the killers are just faceless monsters, but here we had this petite, attractive woman who could skin a goat without blinking. So that was quite enjoyable. The counselors/teen…glorified meat…whatever have you…they were entertaining and served their purpose. So, going back to my original statement, sometimes it’s nice to just read some standard horror fare. Sort of like revisiting the basics. And this was a solid experience. Dumb, sexy teens getting sloppy with each other while an escaped killer hunts them one by one like cattle. What more could you need on a Wednesday? Hump day!!!

[Horror Haus Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some authors you absolutely can not get enough of, DJ James is one of those authors for me.

He’s hit the mark with every book I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far by him and this one did not disappoint.

I’m a sucker for a good slasher but man-oh-man do we need more WOMEN serial killers. Enough with the final girls. Give me a crazed woman out slashing victims left and right. Welp. That’s exactly what I got with this book. FINALLY.

It’s fast paced and filled with blood and gore. Absolute perfection.

[⚕️NurseNan⚕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many slasher/summer camp murder movies or books have you come across that feature a woman as the killer (besides "Sleepaway Camp")? It seems like this genre is dominated by male characters. "Killjoy" is a welcomed departure from that demonstrating a brutality usually reserved for masked psycho killers of the male persuasion.

Set a an inconspicuous summer camp, the atmosphere is ripe for a classic slasher novel. Horny teenage counselors, remote location, recently escaped serial killer. It checks all the boxes. No one is spared. It is gorey, it is gruesome, it is carnage for the sake of carnage.

Check this one out if you are looking for a quick, campy (hahaha) read.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very chilling and filled with lots of gore. Very scary and unpredictable

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVEEEE a good summer camp slasher and I think I've said/shown that multiple times with my reviews and books. This one was just what I love-a group of counselors at a summer camp getting picked off one by one by a psycho maniac. A lot of people want different spins on the trope, but I kind of prefer just your typical Friday the 13th type summer camp slasher. The only thing different for this one was that it was a girl serial killer, which is not done very often. My only real complaint with this book is that it just wasn't long enough. It's a very quick read, at 175 pages. I'm very glad I came across this book because sadly, when I look for new summer camp horror books, I never see this one mentioned when it was definitely a solid slasher book. If you like slashers or summer camp horror, definitely give this one a shot!

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 stars

I decided to read this because I'm trying to get into extreme horror and because I enjoy "Bath Salt Racoon". Let me tell you, this book is the ultimate slasher book!

The characters and antagonist were so well made and interesting. I was able to connect with these characters which made the whole story better. I'd still like a deeper exploration of "Killjoy" but it was still good with the context given at the beginning.

The storytelling was perfect! The author's talent really shined through in the book. Such a fun short read! This book deserves more recognition!