The Dead Children's Playground

by James Kaine

AT THE EDGE OF THE CEMETERY RESTS A PLACE FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY. BUT NOT ALL SOULS THAT PLAY ARE AT REST.

Nine-year-old Kylie Macklin defied the odds in conquering cancer. Now she wants nothing more than a fresh start at her new home in Huntsville. Soon, an enigmatic new friend introduces her to a playground unlike any other. Set next to Maple Hill Cemetery, the park is a sanctuary for the spirits of local children who died in the Spanish Flu and fell victim to a twisted serial killer.

Nineteen-year-old Kayla Macklin resents being uprooted from the only life she knew. Bitter about the years her parents spent focusing on Kylie’s health, she struggles to reforge a bond with her little sister while making new friends of her own. But one reckless decision will threaten her newfound happiness.

And put innocent lives at risk.

Soon, Kylie’s classmates collapse with devastating fevers while a killer thought long dead returns to stalk a community still bearing the scars of his rampage decades earlier.

With the children of Huntsville in grave danger, the sisters must race against time to learn the secrets of Maple Hill Park before they end up permanent residents of The Dead Children’s Playground.

Experience a chilling ghost story inspired by true events in this first terrifying entry in James Kaine’s American Horrors series where fear always finds its way home.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Ghosts, Thriller, Supernatural, Suspense, Audiobook

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

James Kaine is a bestselling author, publisher and filmmaker born and raised in Trenton, NJ. An active pro member of the Horror Writer’s Association, he brings readers visceral, haunting tales of terror via his Horror House Publishing imprint.

Ted Tally, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, called his book My Pet Werewolf "Twisty. Spooky. Shocking." and "Unputdownable."

BookLife by Publishers Weekly proclaimed his novel, The Dead Children’s Playground, “will chill readers to the bone.” The book, the first in his American Horrors anthology series, has been a #1 bestseller in U.S. Horror on Amazon and was the winner of the 2025 Books of Horror Indie Brawl. His works are being translated into multiple languages, bringing James’s cinematic style of scary storytelling to a global audience.

He resides in Hamilton, NJ with his wife, Jessica, their two children and an energetic Boston Terrier. When he isn’t writing he loves to read, travel, cook, watch movies and learn new skills.

For bookings, media inquiries and any other requests, send an email to james@jameskaine.com.

Reviews

[Leeanne 🥀 The Book Whor3 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting that at the end of this awesome book, I would be crying. Anyone who doesn’t feel a tug on the heartstrings, surely has a heart of steel.

I loved everything about this book, the first I have read by James Kaine, and the first book in the ‘American Horrors’ series. The title of the book, the super creepy cover, the premise, and the characters were all perfect, and there was never a dull moment.

As an extra bonus, the author added “An Afterword”, which explains, in detail, the ideas and research into urban legends, which helped him write this story. It’s a very interesting and informative piece of literature.

I’m not going to explain the premise of this book…you can read that yourself, though I do highly recommend you read this. It takes a lot to freak me out, but this book definitely has the CREEPY factor!!

Thanks to the author, and BookSirens for providing me with this free ARC, of which I gladly leave this voluntary review.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good little spooky read with an emotional ending!

[Barbara Behring · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid ghost/demon story. I really came to care about Kayla and Kylie and was totally invested in the outcome of the book. And the Epilogue just destroyed me. I need to read more from this author immediately!

[Haly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆
Kaine has written a good ghost story about a real Alabama cemetery. The tale he wove includes historical references to two pandemics and racial prejudices, but these play a small part in the overall tale.

Kaine's characters are well defined and very relatable. Kayla and Kylie's mother is described as over the top by both girls and she really is! The girls fathers character is the least developed but his role is still potrayed well. The dialog, both internal and external, is smooth and realistic, nothing seems forced or stilted.

This story has bits of Greek mythology, Hoodoo beliefs and practices, ghost children and demons. It sounds like a strange mixture but Kaine makes it all blend together to create a good chilling story.

I am excited that Kaine is working toward writing more site specific horror novels based on the folklore and legends of each site. His idea is to write one story from every state in the US based on spooky legends. It is a big undertaking and I wish him luck. I hope to be along for the ride!

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the best books I've read this year. As a parent of a child who passed away, I was nervous starting this one, given the title and not knowing much else about it. But it was amazing, and I flew through it in 3 hours. I couldn't put it down. Everything about it was just brilliant; the characters, the story itself, the fact its (loosely) based on a real local legend. I got a little worried when it appeared that all the dead children were aged 10ish, as my oldest is the same age, and I had my heart in my throat for a lot of this. But I made it to the end with no tears... Then I read the epilogue... I cried so damn hard my fella thought I'd just got some bad news.
If you love a ghost story, and don't mind getting your heart stomped on, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it enough, and I can't wait for the next book.

[Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk I expected more from this! Going off the summary it hooked me thinking it was going to be this big horror story but really it was like some religious family tension ghost story which I did read the notes from the author after the book was over which gave me more insight to the story. It’s supposed to be kinda based off true stories so that makes sense but idk it just fell flat to me. I did like the girls song about the bird that was catchy. also hey what was the epilogue?! 👀😭

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even have the words for this book. The Dead Children’s Playground was incredible. I have NEVER had a book make me cry before, but this one made me SOB. So heartbreakingly beautiful. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, hands down. I know that I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time. If this book has been on your TBR, take this as your sign to finally start it. Just wow. 🖤

[Cranky Commentary (Melinda)]

DNF at 45%. This was not listed as YA, but I believe that’s the audience that would enjoy this. I should have known by the corny cover, but the synopsis sounded good and the reviews were high. Oh well.

[Rhonda Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was stunning. It's a fabulous ghost story. I listened to the audio while cleaning, and I caught myself standing still many times listening deeply. Plan to fall deeply for the characters. James characters are extremely well written and loved. The end, ugh, what can I say... tore my heart out.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart hurts. This book was supposed to scare me, make me uncomfortable ( and it did), but it wasn't supposed to leave me in tears!

Kaine is a phenomenal author, I said it with werewolf, and I'll say it again. Dead Childrens playground has an absolutely incredible storyline. Yes, there are ghosts and a spooky cemetery, but there is so much pain among the living, too. This family has been through the ringer, and the supernatural forces are the least of their worries. This is a story worth reading, seriously.

What's even cooler than the fictional tale is the fact that this story is based around an actual urban legend. In fact, Kaine is planning to make an entire series of books based on urban legends all across America. I personally am super excited to check it out.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sophie J · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book!
I didn't expect the ending but I think it's good to not have a happy ending for every book. Just like in real life, we don't always get happy endings:/

I also did some research on Lamia and I loved how they used her story in this book too:)

RIP Abel and Eunice:( and all the other little babies

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like what the author did with this this. You pick an urban legend and you write a book incorporating an urban legend into the story line. I love urban legends and this book was right up my alley. Then at the end, the author explained how he came up with the story line and why he did what he did in the book. I find it fascination when an author explains how they came up with the story and why they wrote it like they did. I will be looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a different kind of haunting book. A playground where the ghosts of children still play, the phantom of a giant who was caretaker for the adjoining cemetery, a creepy little girl from a century earlier, Hoodoo, demons and a quarreling family. Solidly written, compelling and suitably spooky.

[Miranda | _pandathebibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the blurb I was extremely excited to read The Dead Children's Playground. Now that I've finished, I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again. Who doesn't find dead children creepy? Especially reading alone in the dark with the only light illuminating from my kindle.

Kayla and Kylie are two sisters who just moved from Florida to Alabama and are immediately met with creepy. Kylie meets a new friend right away named Emily who has a playground to show her behind her new house. It doesn't take long for Kylie to realize she doesn't really like Emily and that makes Emily mad. If Kylie won't stay to play forever, she will take the other children. Kayla being the big sister has to find out how to stop this malevolent force and save her sister and the whole town.

This first installment into the American Horrors series is based off the Urban Legend surrounding 'Dead Children's Playground' on the grounds of Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville Alabama. James Kaine did such a fascinating job writing this and I am looking forward to the next urban legend; while also hoping there will be a Michigan one soon!

If you are a lover of urban legends, creepy ghost stories, and demonic entities check out The Dead Children's Playground set to release August 20, 2024.

Thank you to BookSirens.com and James Kaine for allowing me to have access to this ARC.

[Shernina Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow…what a read this was! It was a emotional rollercoaster throughout the entire book! I have been looking for a good creepy book that literally keeps me up at night and this was that book. The book starts with an ominous feeling and it’s gets more creepy the more you read it. Add that to the creaks that happen in my house and you have a jumpy reader determined to finished a good ghost story! I love that Kaine took a piece of piece of history like the Dead Children’s Playground and gave it a plot. The plot was ongoing and the twist just kept coming. The ending tore me to pieces, and was so unexpected that I took a quick breather. I was not prepared to cry about a ghost story!
The characters were great. The tension of the Macklin family added to tension of the book. Kayla and her mom were a ticking time bomb. Once the bomb goes off, the book doesn’t slow down. Also, having an over protected child as one of the main characters was brilliant. I say this because Kylie was determined to prove she was able to do just as much as other kids even after sickness. If she hadn’t have had this attitude, we never would have gotten to meet Emily. Emily was a level of creepy that I never want to meet-Friendly creepy “Come play with me” I think the heck not. Yeesh!
Overall, I would read this again!

*Thanks Book Siren and James Kaine for allowing me to read this ARC for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta read. Release late Summer 2024

This book is so great! This is James’ first book in his American Horrors series. It’s a ghosty paranormal story based on an actual park in Alabama called Dead Children’s Playground that’s next to a cemetery. I am very familiar with this place and was thrilled to hear that James was writing this book based on the local lore associated with it. A family relocates close to this park where it’s rumored the spirits of dead children come out to play at night. This is the perfect ghost story and I highly recommend you check it out as soon as it’s released!

[Happy Goat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2025/01/0...

This is a really entertaining story that I think would appeal to a wide variety of horror fans. A few twists and turns, and great mortal peril!

[Susan Washburn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read a LOT of horror/thriller books, and this one was disappointing. The reviews were good, bit I felt both the plot and the writing was definitely more YA fiction.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have never been scared AND cried in the same horror novel.....get ready for the first time! SCARY and heartwrenching.

Newly relocated from Florida to Alabama, 9 year old Kylie, her older sister Kayla and their parents know that something is wrong with the house they live in, but have NO idea what to expect living next to the Dead Childrens Playground.

Kylie is in remission from her cancer, and her Mother is over protective when it comes to her going out side, or even to the store with her, so when Kylie asks if she can play with a new found play friend, she says no. As Kylie gets to see and hear her little 'friend' more often, she decides to go out of the house one night. And when Kayla notices that she is no longer in her room, fear kicks in. When news breaks that a local serial killer is loose and still not caught, Kayla warns Kylie that it is not safe for her escape into the night to play with her friends in this 'playground for dead kids'.
When the sisters find out that the playground is rumored to be haunted by children who had died from the Spanish Flu in the early 1900's they are both intrigued but yet highly afraid to go near.
Kayla becomes close with her new high school friends, and the stories and suspicions that they warn her of, make her realize that this could possibly be true, but should she halt Kylie from playing with the ghosts or let her 'just pretend they are real'?

With this being the first book by Kaine I have read, I was so impressed with his writing that I started to find everything by him I could find! I do not want to go into too much of the story because I want you to be as surprised as I was......but believe me, the story will scare the hell out of you, and rip your heart out when you finish it......and if it does not affect you in some way; something is wrong with you. I very HIGHLY recommend this horror filled, ghost and demon filled story from a writer that could easily become a new favorite of mine!

5 Ghosts

[Susan]

DNF at 10%

I hated the characters.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dead children’s playground is the first book in James Cane‘s American horror series it’s about the McLean family and their two daughters 19-year-old Kaylee and nine-year-old Kylie they just moved to Alabama and Kylie has just recovered from a severe illness The girls and their dad are hoping to make a new start but unfortunately their mom has brought the same old family issues with her to their new home. Kylie makes a new friend first but soon learns her new friend isn’t like other kids she eventually meets in town and when her older sister Kaylee and her new friends go to the cemetery to give her the rundown of all the folklore in town and unfortunately she seems to have brought something home with her. many strange things are happening not only in their house but local kids are getting ill and despite the families issues before it’s over they will have to pull together if they all want to make it out alive. This isn’t the best review but just know this book had great character development I thought James Kane did a great job helping older sister Kaylee find her self which was a heart warming moment in the middle of a horrific story. The story has a nice flow, characters you can love and those you absolutely can dislike but by the end you will feel bad for most of them lol! Since the first story I read by this author I knew he was my type of author and couldn’t wait for this book to come out and he certainly didn’t disappoint this is a great book for anyone who likes horror and I don’t mean just jump scares I mean creepy all out horror then you’ll definitely like this book.#James Kane, #American horrors, #the dead children’s playground,

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Kaine has outdone himself with his first "American Horrors" book, inspired by a real place, a true story, and an actual urban legend: Huntsville, Alabama; a playground next to a cemetery (yeah, WTF?); and rumors of children's ghosts haunting the playground, children who died in the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, as well as those who fell victim to a serial killer (or so an even more obscure legend goes). Kaine takes all this material and comes up with an engrossing ghost-slash-demon story grounded solidly on easily recognizable family issues, small town folklore, the practice of Hoodoo (with an "H", no it's not a typo) - with lots and lots of realistic details about same sex attraction, big C survivorship, the Covid pandemic, and 1950s racism. That said, there's a very thick YA atmosphere throughout (despite the F-bombs dropping occasionally), and a tiny difficulty in separating out the young males from the female characters (they all sounded the same to me). However, the epilogue was absolutely phenomenal, and emotionally devasting. Highly recommended!

[Jennifer Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story captivated me. As a fan of historical fiction, horror, and ghost stories, this was the perfect storm. The story covers a variety of social issues without making any judgement. It's been a long time since I had a book that I literally hated to put down . Definitely has me wanting more as it's the first in the American Horror Stories Series.

[Yakhdoor (Daios’s Version༄) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️Really liked the prologue, the epilogue, and that it was inspired by a real playground. Unfortunately, the main plot fell flat.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 The Dead Children’s Playground by James Kaine was the 2025 winner of The Books of Horror Indie Book Brawl. It is a spooky little haunting story about a playground next to a cemetery in Huntsville Alabama. Loosely based on an Urban Legend there.

Kylie is a 10 year old cancer survivor. Her family moves to a new home next to the cemetery. Her older sister Kayla is happy her sister has beat cancer but is a bit resentful of her family for neglecting her though she understands why. Kylie starts having strange experiences on the playground and is seeing ghosts. While Kayla is being filled in on the local lore. The entities want something from Kylie and they don’t seem to be innocent.

The story is enjoyable but there’s a little too much going on here. There was some fun spooky moments but then some of the plot choices didn’t really align for me. I’d read more Kaine and I’m intrigued by his series of books based on American Urban Legends of which this is the first. Not a bad ghost story but there are definitely better.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Delightfully Dark Adventure!!

The Dead Children’s Playground blew me away. Not only does this story have so much heart, its dark twists and turns disturbed me. I found myself devouring this story and I couldn’t put it down. I think readers will find a lot in this novel to enjoy. From the breezy and digestible writing style, to the disturbing gore sequences that hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.

ALL of these elements are combined with themes of grief, and overcoming adversity in ways that when I read the last chapter, I literally teared up!

Check this out!

[John Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading James Kaine. This story had an interesting premise, likable characters and a lot of heart! I loved/hated the ending which I have seen a lot of comments about. I understand it now haha!

All in all I found this to be an enjoyable read and look forward to reading more from James in the future!

[Loriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ghost/demon story. I knew nothing going into this (as I normally don't want to spoil myself) and the ending left me in tears; not something you would expect from this genre. It takes a lot for a book to get me scared and while I wasn't scared, there were parts that were creepy.

[Rhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ~

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book