Slice

by Angie Caedis

It was supposed to be a vacation.

Now, she'll be lucky to make it through the weekend.

Bec is about to celebrate her birthday—the big ole' dirty thirty. And while she'd have been fine spending it with her best friend and a bottle of tequila, her boyfriend had other plans.

Nicaragua. A private island. Six of their closest friends.

What might have been the perfect way to ring in her 30th birthday quickly turns deadly as sins from the past linger in paradise. Everybody has secrets, but will Bec's get her killed?

Follow along as the trip of a lifetime quickly turns into a fight for survival as the bodies begin to drop and Bec is forced to learn that you can run from your past—but you can’t always hide.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

508 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2023

About the author

Hi, I'm Angie—

Above all things, I am a mood writer. I love jumping from genre to genre, trying out different tenses and POVs, and pushing my writing outside of my comfort zone.

After self-publishing my debut novel SLICE in 2023 (a horror/thriller), I knew I wanted to write full-time. So, I opened up my laptop and got to work. The only problem? I was stuck between two ideas: a new horror novel, and the fantasy novel I couldn't get out of my head. So, I figured—why not write both?

Thus, my life as a mood writer was born.

My goal for writing is the same reason that I read: to feel. Whether you’re internally screaming at a character’s stupidity, gasping at a plot twist, or blushing at steamy banter, I want it all. Fall into a story and let it consume you. Rediscover parts of yourself through characters. Stay up all night to escape the world for a bit. If I can achieve that (and maybe sell a few books along the way), I’ll have lived a good life.

When I'm not writing until dawn, I enjoy watching horror movies, solo traveling, wandering around art museums, hiking, and shopping at local bookstores.

Reviews

[Jess ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc. ❤️

[Karen Gildemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SO impressed that this is the authors first novel!! She had me hooked from the very beginning. I love that she made sure you knew the personalities (or so you think you do) of the characters in great detail. I also loved that she created a phenomenal plot from the very beginning that had you intrigued the entire book. There were many moments where I audibly gasped and yelled “no way!”, “shut up you’re kidding”. I 100% believe this book could be turned into a successful thriller movie. I’d pay to see it. 10/10 recommend.

[Jennifer DeYoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t read thrillers, but this was our book club pick for the month and OMG, I couldn’t put it down! I’m very impressed that this is the author’s debut novel!

Bec is the main character and she is whisked away to a private island to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend and friends. Almost right out of the gate we are introduced to secrets, Bec is holding something back, but what is it? You’re going to have to read to find out!

The author does a great job of giving you a little insight at a time to keep you guessing!

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up - Pretty good! I figured everything out a little bit before it was revealed but it was still an entertaining read. It was quite long but it didn’t feel long because I was invested in the story and the outcome.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Murder your darlings.” - Arthur Quiller-Couch

“In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” - William Faulkner

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings.” - Stephen King

This book is WAY overwritten. It could’ve been sliced in half and the story would’ve been the same.

At about the half-way point, I started to skim the prose (skipping the adverbs altogether), but read all the dialogue. It was a much more pleasant reading experience and made the slasher vibe really stand out.

There’s just so many times when the same things (emotions, mannerisms, memories of events, etc.) are repeated unnecessarily by various characters. I could understand if these things were used as red herrings, but it didn’t really come off that way.

I gave an extra star because at its core, I like the story. It reminds me of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. And I love a good slasher. But… the prose needed to be slashed first.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised that this was a really good book. It was supposed to be a vacation. Now, she'll be lucky to make it through the weekend. A private island. Six of their closest friends, if you like a thriller you will love this book. This is Angie Caedis first book and a very good book. I received this book from Goodreads giveaway and the Author

[kelciemadison · Rating 3 out of 5]

god damn this was way too long for what it was… the storyline definitely drew me in and was a good read but the fact this was over 300 pages??? unnecessary so have to rate a 3 purely because it was about 200 pages longer than needed

[Desiree Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh okay. I loved this book. This is a debut book for this author and I personally think she knocked it out of the park. I stumbled across this on TikTok and totally bought it because I liked the cover and it was so worth it.

It’s about a girl named Bec who is swept away by her boyfriend Tyler to a private island near Nicaragua to celebrate her 30th birthday. Once they get there she discovers is not just the two of them but their entire friend group is there. The only problem is that every single one of them is hiding something. And some of their secrets are deadly.

The second full night there, while playing a game of Never Have I Ever, secrets that no one wanted out come to the surface and the whole trip starts to implode. And that’s also the night the first person mysteriously is murdered.

One by one her friends start to die and the whole thing is like a giant game of clue, and slowly they all start to turn on each other and honestly. None of them can be trusted. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror that’s a little campy.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice had me hooked from start to finish! This was the birthday trip from hell — everyone’s secrets in this messed-up friend group get exposed. Relationships are tested and everyone starts to show their true colors. Bodies start dropping and everyone kicks into survival mode. This was a really fun read!

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why this is so long. It’s a riff on Scream, not War and Peace. It’s not that it’s padded, it’s more that it’s over written with paragraphs that could be paired down to a single sentence. A good editor could’ve sliced this down 100 pages or more without affecting the story one bit. it’s also a little tedious to read, overly arch dialogue, red herrings left and right, and the author going at great lengths to introduce an element without explaining what it is to the reader. People will find some evidence and be shocked by the meaning of it, but the reader won’t get to know what that evidence is till much later. It can work in a film but it is hard to pull off in text. Indeed, much of this would work better in film where a two second glance would replace pages and pages of prose.

[✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧ Bini's Era ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good & all . . I just don’t get how a person (*let alone a SERIAL-MURDERING STALKER 👀*) can be right under someone’s nose FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS!! Like seriously !! 😒

then on top of THAT, you go and CHEAT on your boyfriend - and not just ANY OL’ boyfriend,but MR. TYLER, AKA RICH HOTTIE 🤑😍 - WITH the guy !! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE !?

Anywho, at least Amelia (or Bec) survived ! Which is more than I could say about MILES (I mean Niko) !!!

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been half as long and may have been a decent read.
Strike 1- Every single person in the book was awful. There wasn’t a single person to root for.

Strike 2- The killer was OBVIOUS from about halfway through the book, but you were still expected to slog through hundreds more pages on and on and on.

Strike 3- This was a slasher book, it didn’t need to be so looooooong.

I gave it 1 extra star because it really did hook me in the beginning.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was gripped the entire time - even when I figured out the ending, I couldn’t stop reading.
the ending was very unsatisfying but it’s a horror book, so I think it worked and I still liked it?
I’d def recommend

[Dianna Merideth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic murder mystery thriller.
Multiple POV.
90s horror/slasher movie vibes where these idiots broke every single rule to surviving a horror/thriller read and I enjoyed every single page.

[Mimsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like thrillers. This isn't my genre, and I'm not even sure that I'm well equipped to give it a rating. I reminded myself of these facts when I entered the Goodreads giveaway but I told myself that I probably wouldn't even get it and I've been trying to expand my horizons. I got an email that I won the copy and then I told myself that I probably wouldn't like it but I should still give it a try.

I saw people saying that at 500 pages, this book could be 200 pages shorter and it would be infinitely better, and I went into the book expecting that it would be slow and dry but still having earned over a four-star rating despite that. I injured my hand a couple days ago and I've been really distracted and unable to focus since then so as I was slowly making my way through the first third of the book, I decided that maybe those reviewers were right.

And then I finally had a day where I felt like I could devote a couple hours to a good book and I picked Slice back up. There were so many complex overlapping layers and narratives in this story, but they were all so easy to keep straight because of how organic they seemed and how well they played out amongst all the interactions. I had various theories about the killer until the last hour of the book and even though I ended up right with my latest guess and I suspected this person sooner, there was never a time when I was certain until only a chapter or two before the reveal. I really enjoyed this book, and that's coming from someone who doesn't like the twisty anxious feeling of digging into a thriller.

Despite all odds, I really really enjoyed this book. I am so glad that I gave it a chance and so grateful to the author for offering copies of it in a giveaway.

[Yusuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
I’m really torn between giving this a 3.5 or a 4.
On one hand, it takes quite a while for the horror to start. The 1st 35% of the novel introduces this friend group and the drama between them all. It isn’t until the 36% mark that anything even considered horrific even happens.

But on the other hand, what I really liked about this novel was how compelling it was— even when nothing ‘exciting’ happened, the dynamic between the friends was so fun to read about. I liked each of the characters in turn and there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming. It definitely delivers the thrills.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
I started this back in February and then got caught up in life and didn’t pick it back up until a week ago. It was a really good book! The only reason I rated it what I did was because I was able to predict a lot of what was happening.

[Carlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too long

[Britney Grossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I read the same book as everyone else? This book was WAY too long and really lacked in action and suspense. I was bored.

[Payton R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This!!!!! THIS FREAKING BOOK!!!!

Sooooooo fucking good! It really makes you think about who the killer is!! Honestly all my guesses were all over the place but when I found out who the killer was….. I was shocked!!!!!! There’s so many twists and turns that it truly keeps you thinking! One moment I thought it was a Jekyll and Hyde moment.

The way this book is written, the details, character building, the emotions, world building for this island, each persons mind… I could keep going it was just freaking fantastic!!!!!

Angie has written a gorgeous thriller book and I swear my heart was racing a lot half way towards the! I would highly recommend reading!!

[Annie Pettersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this book down! It had my heart racing, my jaw dropping and wanting more! Great character development, plot twists and intense suspense! A must read if you like murder mystery thrilling horror novels!

[Logan Kedzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This ought to have been a screenplay.

This story, as a movie, would solve its most grievous fault, which is the interiority of the characters. It is not necessarily bad to show so much of what the characters are thinking (see Frank Herbert) but here the thoughts rarely provide new information: once Bob has thought "I hate Taco Bell," the reader does not need to keep reading about Bob's thoughts on his fast food antipathy, at least until it somehow matters or changes. We get it. Here, it also adds a lot of unnecessary words.

A movie would also make the Horror Movie Logic of the characters more bearable. It can still be there (willing suspension of disbelief: it's not just a good idea, it's the law), but a more external perception of the characters means that you're not thinking "why is Bob going on about about the chalupa supreme(tm) when there is a werewolf?".

It would also mean that how the book treats information would work better. There are frequent visual teasers about information, like with a character looking in a Taco Bell bag and closing it quickly, and two chapters later it is revealed it contained their dead manager's nametag. Honestly, the book's relationship with information is pretty screwball. It creates a pacing issue, or I feel like I did not understand what the author chose to reveal, to tease, and to mention without elaboration - it was not the facts themselves that failed to create suspense, but the manner in which they were deployed.

I really want to round up the rating. It is a first novel and I think that there is a lot to the concept, both in the core idea and in the sort of 'it's Edward Albee's Friday the 13th,' way, a twist-up on the horror rom-com to a fraught domestic drama with people's secrets coming out, but there's a giant shark or whatever - and yes, I get how horror stories are often about the real monsters are us, but here it is less about man's inhumanity to man and more about being in your late twenties and dating. However, the ending is a big oof. I get it, it is horror, I am willing to go along with the tropes of the genre (see comment two paragraphs back), but if ever there was a book that demanded a sort of villain monologue, it is this. Crazed maniac lowers the bar for what constitutes a rational thought, not removes it, and I wanted something that made the plan of what was going on...fill in some of the gaps for me. Maybe I am missing the obvious here, but I feel like it generates a lot of drag on the read.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHY WAS THIS SO LONG, FIRST OF ALL.

second, every action/emotion done by the main character Bec was her biting the inside of her cheek, whether it be because she's scared, upset, angry, turned on, drunk, fighting for her life from a madman.

Back to my first point, this really did not to be 498 pages, the story would have worked fine at 297..MAYBE 320 pages? I will admit, the first chapter drew me in and I got sucked into the story before I realized about 76 pages had gone by and we were still getting to the know the characters. I expect this from some fantasy novel regarding character development but not from a slasher/thriller book. I hated almost every character in this (not a bad thing, we love good villains).

Third, did we not realize who the person was from like the halfway point? I was hoping I was wrong and it was a distraction (or some kind of Scream scenario) but alas, it was not.

I think I kept going because like I said, the story did draw me in with the randomly dropped clues about shady pasts and secrets. However, by page 200 I just wanted to see some of these a-holes get what was coming to them so I stuck around.

Not a fave but not terrible for a slasher type book. 3.5 stars.

[Britt Nowak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot say I’ve ever read a story quite like this before. Now let me get into it, before I bore you with the whole ‘I’ve got kids so it took me a week to finish’ excuse. But seriously, it did. And yeah I have two kids under two years of age. BUT, I stayed awake most nights and prayed these kids would nap during the day because I HAD to read more of this book. Oh my goodness.

First of all - I love the author’s attention to detail. Angie Caedis is someone who clearly takes the time to create her characters. There are several points of view, all whom the reader needs to know about. In the almost 500 pages of this book, we discover that every character has a purpose and a part in this story. And when I mention detail - I want to say that when I started the book the first thought I had in my head was wow, this author is really, really good with details. Like, she took the time and sat there and truly, deeply, thought exactly how she wanted her readers to picture what was happening. As I read, I felt like I was watching a movie play in my head. The connections between characters, their back stories and situations that led them to where they are, and the secrets and betrayals we discover that each person is hiding that force the question: who can truly be trusted?

The main character, Bec, is whisked away by her boyfriend on a surprise birthday trip to a secluded island in Nicaragua with a few of her friends. We soon learn however, that this is far from the trip of a lifetime. Over the span of four days it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems, and furthermore, that we are going to witness how obsession and murder go hand in hand. I really enjoyed this book for various reasons. One, it had me guessing and going back and forth trying to figure out who was killing everyone. Two, the build up of secrets being revealed had me feeling like I was in the same room and wishing I wasn’t. Three, it brings up the realization that you can’t trust anyone, and to be careful who you share private information with. And four, the various points of view always make for good storytelling.

So happy to have won this book from the author. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

[Tanya Smeeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only mild spoilers I try to not blow someone’s personal experience completely!
It reminds me of one of the movies where you feel like everyone is going to get killed cause they are dumb- then there was a line where Stevie actually thinks that, I chuckled and was like “yeah that’s what I’m thinking” . Young adults in a situation and you go “No you dummy … you need to stick together.”
For the first 75 or so pages I struggled to keep going because I got burnt out on the stagnant focus on “Bec”- just me. It seemed like watching a video every day of someone doing the exact same thing - it didn’t move. But yet I knew something was going to have to happen eventually so I kept reading.
The plot twists are real and the ending I was very happy with. I started to do 3 stars but really I wasn’t that disappointed in the story itself. Of course the personal challenge is to guess who the murderer is, right? The author did a real good job here. I suspected the guilty party but then I was made to doubt myself - then I knew- but I wasn’t sure again. That’s why the 4 stars.
Spoiler!!!! Don’t read this if you want it to completely unfold in front of you.
Left with questions- ****if Tyler’s parents owned it and he asked for the background checks, why was there one on him and if they did a background check on Miles how did they not have the “link”. It was such a huge piece of the story and not a bad one. I’m a realist thinker though and as it unfolded I questioned this.
I also wonder why the author didn’t incorporate some extra in the beginning to add to the interest of “Bec”. Knowing there was possibly a 3rd person of interest in her head could have been divulged earlier and not ruined it.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you I am BLOWN AWAY that this is a debut!!!!
Angie writes with a style far more experienced and refined than many of her contemporaries signed to major publishers. This book is a masterpiece of slasher fiction. It manages to satisfy your hunger for a good murder mystery while also pulling you in with a compelling and well-planned plot line. Every character is unlikeable, every character has secrets and lies, every character is at risk, and you, the reader, have no idea what's going to happen next. If you're looking for a book where you'll find the answers to the major questions before the characters do, this book is not for you. Angie captures the trademark suspense of the genre by revealing secrets to the reader at the same time as the characters. More than a whodunnit, Slice is a masterful depiction of the downfalls of modern society, and the animalistic nature of man.

Update;
I’ve finished it! The ending!! Not only do we get a full circle moment with the book starting and ending with Bec and Tyler- I love that Angie left two alive. They can corroborate each others insane story to avoid having everything pinned on them. Also- having the final chapter be from the perspective of Marta, who we have never read from before, and watching her watch Amelia drop the screwdriver in the ocean? Full. Body. Chills. THAT is how you end a slasher thriller.

Also, does it make me kinda fucked up that I still wanted Amelia to be with Niko?

[eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that this is a debut novel is completely mind blowing to me. Absolutely insane. Cannot wrap my head around it. Such a solid thriller, I really enjoyed it a lot.

The story was so interesting and engaging I couldn’t put it down, I was eager to know what was going on and figure out who was behind it all. The first time it switched POV was an interesting surprise, and I think it added so much more the story, as secrets spilled from everyone leaving you to understand what actually had something to do with what was going on.

Whether I liked them or not, all the characters were so fascinating in their own way, and it was great to be in their mind. I think I was about 20% in when I started questioning whether they even liked each other and it made for such an interesting dynamic.

I did think it was maybe a bit too long, and I did find myself skimming over some parts every now and then, but overall I really did have a good time with this one. It had everything you’d want from a thriller. So good. Still absolutely amazed by it being a debut, truly incredible.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to win this book through a giveaway, I’ve always enjoyed slasher thrillers and this book didn’t disappoint me.
The plot is very engaging and most of the characters are awful and full of secrets with the exception of two. I was able to figure out the identity of the killer quite early but I’ve still enjoyed the book a lot and couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to end.
If I had to underline one of the few flaws of the book I would say that the writing in some parts is a bit repetitive; if I had to take a shot every time the main character chewed the inside of her cheek I would probably ended up in the hospital for alcohol intoxication.
Overall a very good debut book, I think I will probably read the author’s next works.

[Kayla Julius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid debut novel by Caedis. I enjoyed the writing and how Caedis presented information via multiple POVs. While I feel like I knew things before they were revealed, I liked the writing style not allowing you to “solve the mystery” right away, as only bits and pieces of info were teased at a time.

My initial reaction is to agree it felt a little long, but I honestly never caught myself wondering when it would end, I stayed engaged the entire time. It was a good mix of puzzling and creepy! Would recommend and hope to read more by the author in the future.

Full disclosure, I did receive a free copy via the author through a giveaway, but my opinion was not impacted and I was not required to review.

[Deishima · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to thank Goodreads for blessing me with this Kindle book win from a Giveaway. This book was so exciting. As I was reading it, I felt like a horror movie was playing in my mind. I had moments of awe and fear. As I got closer to the ending, I did figure out who the killer was but disappointed because I really liked the character. I couldn’t believe how that character could be so freaking evil. Ugh!
The author did a great job describing the feelings of the characters even body motions and sounds. 5 star in my eyes.