Welcome to Camp Killer

by Cynthia Murphy

When an American-style residential camp is set up in the grounds of an English stately home, the teenage instructors are looking forward to a summer of fun activities. But right from the start, things don’t feel quite right at Camp Miller.

There are rumours of a tragedy that took place in the grounds and unexplained sightings of a ghostly presence. Then the incidents begin – a near-drowning out on the lake, a fatal fall from a cliff-face … Are these tragic accidents or is there something more sinister going on at Camp Killer ...?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Murder Mystery, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2023

About the author

Cynthia Murphy is the bestselling author of a number of YA thrillers, including the BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die.

She has a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors before graduating to Stephen King in her misguided teens. Studying for a degree in Art History and Archaeology meant that she developed a thirst for anything old, beautiful and very often dead. She tries to combine this with contemporary settings in her writing to make unique and chilling modern stories.

Cynthia lives in her hometown of Manchester with her husband and their rescue dog, Loli, who you will see a lot of on TikTok and Instagram @CynthiaMurphyYA

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short, thrilling tale hooks you right from the start. It's quick, easy to read, and perfect for a night when you're in the mood for a quick thriller. The story unfolds with friends sharing creepy stories, but then - bam! - the horror jumps off the pages and into their reality.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, pseudo-creepy short story with an emphasis on short. I was kind of surprised how quickly it was moving and I think it would have been a little better if the characters had gotten to be a little fleshed out and the story was a little bit longer. I didn’t think the big reveal of the killer’s reasoning was super great. Overall I found the story to be fun and loved how the ghost stories tied in. This book felt more middle grade than young adult to me and reminded me quite a bit of the Goosebumps books I loved as a kid. Chad loved his experience working in summer camps in America with his other friends from England so he decided to open up an American style summer camp in England and invited the children of his friends to be counselors. The night before the kids come the counselors tell ghost stories and when things from the story appear too be happening none of them know what kind of a nightmare they have walked into.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Welcome to Camp Killer is a short, fast-paced read perfect for teens who want to get into thrillers and horror. This book reminded me a little of point horror books from my own teen years but a milder and quicker version.
Chad has set up a summer camp in the UK and has hired the teenage children of his former camp friends from his own youth. The story begins the night before the summer camp starts and the children arrive and the camp counsellors are gathered at the fire for a spooky story linked to the tragedy that happened at the house the camp is set next to. The next day, strange things begin happening to the camp councillors and get more and more dangerous each time. Is it bad luck, is someone trying to intentionally hurt them, or is there a ghost hellbent on revenge?
I enjoyed the story coming together towards the end and how the survivors supported each other despite their distrust midway through. This would be perfect for young teens who don't want anything too scary or gorey.

[His Ghoul Friday (Julia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to Camp Killer was a fun short horror story for kids that's got the perfect summer vibe. It's about a summer camp that's on the grounds of an old English house with a tragic past, and as the camp counselors get ready for the summer weird things start to happen.

It was a really fast-paced story that was easy and entertaining to read. It reminded me of the Goosebumps series I used to devour as a kid. It had a creepy (but not too creepy for kids) atmosphere, which I always love in a good ghost story. I do however wish the book was longer as I felt the characters were pretty flat.

Overall, Welcome to Camp Killer is a cute horror story that's perfect to read around the campfire during the summer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American-style camp is set up on the grounds of an English estate and the teenage camp counselors are all excited for a fun summer. But something doesn't feel right at Camp Miller. A deadly tale is going around about what happened on the campgrounds before it became a camp and people are experiencing unexplained sightings of the ghostly kind and tragic accidents start to occur.

Welcome to Camp Killer was a fun spooky summer read. It was fast and a real page turner. It starts off with the spooky legend of the campgrounds which sets the book up nicely. When the accidents start to happen it has you questioning whether or not the accidents are linked to what happened all those years ago or if they are all just tragic coincidences. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this one and it wasn't very long which means you can easily get through it if you're limited on reading time.

Thank you NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

[Horror Sickness · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short and fun slasher perfect for summer.

We are in Camp Miller. Chad, the owner, has years of experience in summer camps in the US and decides to bring that same concept to the UK.

With a new camp, 8 counselors and 32 kids, the camp is ready to open its doors.

On the first night, the counselors tell each other ghost stories by the firepit. One of those stories is related to the history of this very same camp.

Pranks turn deadly and someone or something is out to kill them all.

I had a lot of fun with this novella and it includes many of the horror tropes we all love but done right.

Of course I wish it would have been longer because we did not get the chance to see much character development and the ending/reveal did feel a bit abrupt and rushed.

But I love Cynthia’s writing and this was a quick fun read I would definitely recommend to fans of slashers.

[ᛚᚨᚱᚲᚨ × ᚠᛖᚾᚱᛁᚱ (Semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

September 29, 2024

I picked this book up as a "palate-cleansing" at my library - short and easy, but interesting. And boy, was it! I got into it not expecting much, but the plot and the conclusion were surprising and engaging. I'd probably read another book of this author.

--------------------------
June 25, 2024

Well, don't go camping I guess? 🤷

And don't be an a$$hole 🌈

RTC

[Barbara Behring · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast paced short story about a killer running loose at a summer camp. It was pretty predictable but I had a fun time reading the book.

[Lenaasty · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

A very quick read, fun summer camp vibes, it honestly reminded me of the game the Quarry if the Quarry was made properly.

I liked that it kept the suspense around who's the killer by giving each of the characters suspicious reactions, alibis etc.

I wish there was more physical description though, bc by the end of it I still couldn't picture a single hair color (it really does help picture the characters :( )

And finally, about the final reveal, I won't include any spoilers and will refer to the killer as "they", but as there is a non binary character I'd like to insist that when I say "they did this" I don't mean the character with they/them pronouns, just the killer who I won't name. I did see the plot twist coming but it was a good idea.

It all felt a bit cliché, for example the "villain talk" as you find in so many thrillers or movies. The killer just goes ahead and explains all of their plan, their motives etc, and here the person wasn't even asked?? like ok??? also, their motive was pretty weak, it didn't feel like a big enough reason to do all of it and go to that extent. I thought it was gonna be another character with a different motive, and honestly I wish I'd been right.

Anywayz it's super short so it's really not that serious, it was a fun slasher read (eventhough it wasn't as gore and slasher-like as I'd hoped) with cool summer camp vibes.

[ARC read, honest opinion]

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

A fun and easy read, suitable for tween horror lovers.
Cynthia Murphy’s writing is reminiscent of 90s RL Stine and I’m here for it.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start before the bodies start stacking up and an obvious ending!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to Camp Killer is a fast-paced story that hits many familiar tropes of horror stories set within a summer camp. The setting of the story Camp Miller is an American-styled summer camp built upon the grounds of an English manor. Although it does-supposedly-possess a story of an eerie ghost, I do wish the location and history had been better utilized for a more unique story.

The main characters are a group of camp counselors, their adult mentor and a very brief group of children campers. Due to the short nature of the story, the counselors are not overly developed beyond a few specific traits, which made it slightly more difficult to feel sorrowful once “accidents” began happening and bodies start to drop. Nevertheless, the events are gory without being gratuitous and the fiery finale does serve to wrap things up in a slightly predictable fashion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stroke for providing me an arc of this novella in exchange for my honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

picked this up as a quick and easy read. wanting a summer camp slasher vibe, i was like hell yeah

only to be met with the worst writing i think ive ever read. 120 pages of awful

i hated the characters. i hated the way the storyline evolved. it was all happening with no explanation.

it was choppy and sloppy. nothing flowed. it was like a whole bunch of random scenes mashed together.

also felt like the most stupid deaths you could think of and they happened. also what was that ending. AWFUL

[Franko · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a movie slasher fan, I found this to be incredibly dull.

[CheyAnn Robin ·ᴥ· · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't agree with my views pls don't spread hate. I will delete your comment if you spread hate! This is my review and my opinions. Kindly move along if you don't agree with me.


This book was my least favorite of hers, felt like it should have been longer. You hardly got to know the characters and the story felt flat to me. The ending was a disappointment ( Spoilers ahed you've been ⚠️ ) t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶v̶e̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶r̶o̶p̶e̶ has been used way too many times. Also wasn't fan of the author having a they/them character just seemed unnecessary, especially how in the first book I read of her she had no LGBT characters.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of Camp Killer. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this YA horror/thriller romp, it was very much reminiscent of the Goosebumps franchise and very much took me back. I however felt there could be more action and a bit more character development. I know that it's a novella so the author is limited in how much time they can dedicate to these things but I didn't connect to the storyline in the way I should.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for providing and arc. My review is my own an reflects my honest opinion about the book.

Welcome to Camp Killer is short horror story set in an American-style residential camp in England. Just after the arrival of the kids to the camp, the counselors notice some weird incidents happening.

Horror is a genre I have not particulary explored yet, so I really apprecited the simplicity and fast pace of this book. It was very easy to get into the book and the intrigue of what was going to happen next was always present. It kind of reminded me of Fear Street II, which I love it.

The plotwist was gooood, I didn't expected it! ( i was fully convinced that the ghost was real ). I get that is a short story, but I feel like it could have been just a little longer, mostly to get to know the characters a bit better. For instance it would have been nice to have the kids around a couple of days instead of just one, to feel more the camp vibes.

I would recommend this book to those who are not used to read horror/slasher books, or to people who wants to start reading again! It is very short and entretaining to read.

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy

Thank you to @netgalley, #barringtonstoke publishing, & @cynthiamurphyya for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available for preorder now and will be published September 7.

An American style summer camp has been setup on the grounds of an old English estate. For Holly and the other counselors, it’s just the start of a summer job when they gather around the campfire for some ghost stories. One counselor shares the story of Dorothea, a wife wronged and driven mad by her husband who haunts the grounds to this day. It’s all for giggles until a counselor ends up dead. Will Holly and co unmask the killer before they strike again?

This was super fun! This is the stuff of nightmares when you’re at camp as a kid - campfire ghost stories come to life. This has the same frantic and clutch the edge of your chair energy as Four Found Dead, which I reviewed earlier this year. I highly recommend for those who enjoy YA thrillers.

TW: bullying, brutal death scenes, cheating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.5/5

[Fini (Hozier’s Version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

SO GOOD

[Sophie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

At an American style summer camp in England, ghost stories are told which is all fun and games until one counsellor ends up dead. Will the band of camp counsellors reveal who the killer is before they kill again?!

It's Camp Crystal Lake but made for children! This was a fun and fast-paced short killer story written for younger readers. As someone who adored Goosebumps as a child, I would have absolutely loved this book growing up. Pick it up if you love YA horror or have a younger reader (13+) who enjoys creepy stories, it will be published September 7!

(Netgalley review copy)

[Tom Deckers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vermakelijk kort verhaal! Jammer dat de karakters niet uitgediept waren maar het was dan ook maar 120 pagina’s. Wel een aanrader voor een kort horror verhaal in de maand oktober!

[Fny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short & thrilling YA. I love Cynthia Murphy’s writing.

[⋆georgina ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

✩ ✩
if this would’ve been longer, more time with the characters and better thought out i feel like this could’ve been so good

[Agata Kochanowska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun, short horror story which is based of slashers and other camp legends. I feel as though this could have been longer and the story much more intriguing. It was fun none the less.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, good twist, ending felt a bit rushed and lacking details sometimes.

[Lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short and fast-paced YA slasher set at a summer camp at a manor house in the UK. Camp Miller is brand new, started by an American trying to foster the same summer camp environment common in the states. But rumour has it that a woman who owned the house originally went mad and now her ghost haunts the grounds. So when a camp counsellor almost drowns and they find an old dress in the lake with them, the counsellors wonder if something supernatural is afoot. Then the murders start.

This was super short and was on the younger side of YA. There’s not a ton of depth or character-work, but what’s there is easy to grasp and moves at a good clip. Not super memorable but not a bad book by any means. It’s fun to see a slasher aimed at a much younger audience. Also, genuinely refreshing to find a YA slasher that isn’t hugely referential to other slashers.

Also, really nice casual nonbinary rep with a side character.

[Elaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really enjoy Cynthia Murphy’s writing style. Her other books are intended for YA audiences but never feel as though they have insulted the teen demographic’s intelligence by lowering the complexity. This one was such a different writing style I was shocked it was the same author. I understand that it’s more of a novella and therefore less time can be spent exploring characters and motives, but the whole thing felt very juvenile. It says YA on Goodreads but the entire time I felt as though I was reading a middle grade. The characters were pretty two dimensional and it’s difficult for the reader to be shocked or engaged with the twist when it was so simplistic. It is a very easy read and a quick way to get through your TBR goal, and I would definitely recommend checking out some of Cynthia Murphy’s other books before passing judgement if this is your only introduction to her.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leider nicht wirklich was für mich - Das Buch war zu kurz um eine wirkliche Beziehung zu den Charakteren aufzubauen und dementsprechend hat es mich nicht wirklich betroffen wer wen unter welchen Umständen umgebracht hat.

Trotz dessen ist ein easy read und vor allem für Leute etwas die wieder anfangen wollen mehr zu lesen :)

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thrill! Just over 100 pages long, Cynthia Murphy manages to craft a captivating murder mystery story. I enjoyed watching the story unravel, and wow, that plot twist - so dark and twisty.

I do wish the book was a little longer, so we got to spend more time with the characters and developing their personalities, HOWEVER I need to acknowledge that this is a novel for younger readers/for readers with a lower reading age, to allow reading to be more accessible to them. So, I am not necessarily the target audience, although I did really enjoy the book.

With keeping the purpose behind this book in mind (entertainment, bring reading to readers who have a lower reading age while providing content suitable - and interesting - to their age) I think this was very well done and accessible. Again, I'm not sure how well I can judge that being as I'm not part of that category, but I do know this is a book I'd recommend to the students that I work with if they were after a book recommendation.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Malin Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Miller, also known to some as Camp Killer, is a newly opening summer camp. Things start going wrong, and suspicious accidents make the teenage counsellors wonder if there is something wrong at Camp Miller, and if that something is one among them or something supernatural.

This Ya novel was a short and fun read, that kept me interested and entertained throughout the story. The setting of this novel is great, and the vibes were immaculate.

I felt that the ending was a bit predictable and been done a million times before, but that did not take away too much of the overall enjoyment of the story. I also think it’s worth mentioning that I’m obviously not the intended audience for this story, so that might have something to do with my feelings of predictability.

I think this would be a great read for Young Adult’s that like something a little more scary than usual, and are looking for an end of summer/fall read.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Barrington Stoke, and the author Cynthia Murphy for allowing me to read an E-Arc of this novel.