What do you think?
Rate this book
Small Town Slasher
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26A small town, a dark past. Jenna Willcot is a spunky, disabled, horror fanatic who visits rural Montana for a stay at a horror-themed rental cabin. Jenna has struggled with severe anxiety for years, hardly ever leaving the house. This vacation will test her limits, and, she hopes, open her back up to the world. But she is about to find out her dream vacation is built on a nightmare.
25 years earlier, the Bitter Butcher massacred 11 people in the small town of Marion, on the land where Jenna’s vacation cabin now sits. Her arrival coincides with the beginning of a new massacre as a body is discovered outside town. It quickly becomes clear that this is no isolated incident, as further killings occur, each with their own connection to the original massacre.
Jenna starts seeing slashers around every corner and must team up with locals Erica and Jamie. Together, they will struggle to survive this killing spree while unearthing secrets connecting the town’s shameful history to slashers past and present.
25 years earlier, the Bitter Butcher massacred 11 people in the small town of Marion, on the land where Jenna’s vacation cabin now sits. Her arrival coincides with the beginning of a new massacre as a body is discovered outside town. It quickly becomes clear that this is no isolated incident, as further killings occur, each with their own connection to the original massacre.
Jenna starts seeing slashers around every corner and must team up with locals Erica and Jamie. Together, they will struggle to survive this killing spree while unearthing secrets connecting the town’s shameful history to slashers past and present.
276 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 4, 2026
11 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Rose
4 books149 followersStephanie Rose is a disabled, neurodivergent, and queer horror writer and editor who finds
comfort in the dark corners of storytelling. She is the author of Hiding Lies, Small Town Slasher, and Plastic Fangs: Essays, and serves as editor of the Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night anthology series.
A lifelong Halloween devotee and unapologetic house goblin, she thrives on horror, true crime, and the delicious unease of the macabre. Music, especially dance and karaoke, keeps her heart beating just long enough to write another story. She lives in Washington with her partner and four cats.
comfort in the dark corners of storytelling. She is the author of Hiding Lies, Small Town Slasher, and Plastic Fangs: Essays, and serves as editor of the Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night anthology series.
A lifelong Halloween devotee and unapologetic house goblin, she thrives on horror, true crime, and the delicious unease of the macabre. Music, especially dance and karaoke, keeps her heart beating just long enough to write another story. She lives in Washington with her partner and four cats.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
September 22, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
I can’t resist a horror-themed adventure either. I would definitely be fooled into taking a trip to a small town in the middle of an active serial killing spree by too. Just know that if you want to get me to do literally anything for you, all you have to do is dangle a haunted Halloween, horror extravaganza experience in front of my face, and I’ll follow you blindly. My horror obsession is my sliced Achilles heel.
This is a neat little ode to the classic slasher. It is self-aware of its dependence on tropes. The slasher is literally called The Slasher after all. It leans into its sardonic usage of tried and true formulas. It taps into my propensity to fully relate to the anxious, neurotic, horror obsessed protagonist. Even though it is predictable and formulaic, it somehow feels nostalgically refreshing.
I did know who the killer was before we reached the halfway point, which is rare for me, but again, this book is nothing if not purposefully foreseeable.
If not for vines, this book would be boring and culturally redundant, but it does a very good job at tapping into nostalgia and bringing to life something that feels hauntingly cozy…
I can’t resist a horror-themed adventure either. I would definitely be fooled into taking a trip to a small town in the middle of an active serial killing spree by too. Just know that if you want to get me to do literally anything for you, all you have to do is dangle a haunted Halloween, horror extravaganza experience in front of my face, and I’ll follow you blindly. My horror obsession is my sliced Achilles heel.
This is a neat little ode to the classic slasher. It is self-aware of its dependence on tropes. The slasher is literally called The Slasher after all. It leans into its sardonic usage of tried and true formulas. It taps into my propensity to fully relate to the anxious, neurotic, horror obsessed protagonist. Even though it is predictable and formulaic, it somehow feels nostalgically refreshing.
I did know who the killer was before we reached the halfway point, which is rare for me, but again, this book is nothing if not purposefully foreseeable.
If not for vines, this book would be boring and culturally redundant, but it does a very good job at tapping into nostalgia and bringing to life something that feels hauntingly cozy…
September 28, 2025
I'm always in the mood for a slasher but I felt a bit disappointed by this one.
It has very good moments, a lot of tension, and many kills. The setting of the small town with a dark past works perfectly.
But the timeline and the characters didn't work for me.
The events are supposed to take place in a single day, with the main character / final girl arriving in the town in the morning just before the big massacre. She was supposed to spend just the night there, but who flies several hours just to spend one night away?
And as a result, she meets the locals only for a few hours before the events unfold, so none of them are properly developed as characters and they felt pretty flat.
Overall it's okay, but I expected more.
Thank you Death by TBR Books for this ARC.
It has very good moments, a lot of tension, and many kills. The setting of the small town with a dark past works perfectly.
But the timeline and the characters didn't work for me.
The events are supposed to take place in a single day, with the main character / final girl arriving in the town in the morning just before the big massacre. She was supposed to spend just the night there, but who flies several hours just to spend one night away?
And as a result, she meets the locals only for a few hours before the events unfold, so none of them are properly developed as characters and they felt pretty flat.
Overall it's okay, but I expected more.
Thank you Death by TBR Books for this ARC.
December 12, 2025
I love a good 80's slasher. In fact, a lot of my favorite movies are slashers or slasher adjacent so anytime I stumble across a slasher book i'm going to give it a try & let's just say this was...disappointing. To be honest it's just really not good. This did not work for me in any way, shape or form. The writing is really repetitive, pretty basic & it overall felt like I was reading something off of wattpad or tumblr.
The dialogue between characters felt awkward & if you consume a lot of horror/slasher media you can guess who the killer is pretty early on which takes out any & all suspense or fun in trying to figure out who it is. Also, could we really not come up with a better name for the killer? Like was the Slasher the best we could do, really?
Our mc, Jenna, is a walking contradiction...we are told like 16 times that Jenna has debilitating/crippling anxiety & a panic disorder & you simply could not pay me to believe any of that. I myself deal with anxiety & I never would've hopped on a plane by myself to go to a secluded cabin, called an uber & immediately become bff's with them & start running errands around town together & I definitely would not be inviting a whole group of people I haven't even met before to stay at the cabin with me after finding out a KILLER IS ON THE LOOSE.. (Respectfully, take my ass back to the airport so I can go home, where you'll find me on my couch, watching American Mary sipping on my CBD tea) This is not how anxiety works babe, at least not in my own personal experience. The representation of anxiety & panic disorders is just so unbelievable, it's almost comical.
There's too much filler. A lot of things don't make sense, plot holes on top of plot holes. I did like the setting of a secluded cabin & that it takes place on Friday the 13th but this did not deliver at all. Some of the kills were decent but this really adds nothing new to the genre/trope. It's the same rinse & repeat slasher book that keeps coming out.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
The dialogue between characters felt awkward & if you consume a lot of horror/slasher media you can guess who the killer is pretty early on which takes out any & all suspense or fun in trying to figure out who it is. Also, could we really not come up with a better name for the killer? Like was the Slasher the best we could do, really?
Our mc, Jenna, is a walking contradiction...we are told like 16 times that Jenna has debilitating/crippling anxiety & a panic disorder & you simply could not pay me to believe any of that. I myself deal with anxiety & I never would've hopped on a plane by myself to go to a secluded cabin, called an uber & immediately become bff's with them & start running errands around town together & I definitely would not be inviting a whole group of people I haven't even met before to stay at the cabin with me after finding out a KILLER IS ON THE LOOSE.. (Respectfully, take my ass back to the airport so I can go home, where you'll find me on my couch, watching American Mary sipping on my CBD tea) This is not how anxiety works babe, at least not in my own personal experience. The representation of anxiety & panic disorders is just so unbelievable, it's almost comical.
There's too much filler. A lot of things don't make sense, plot holes on top of plot holes. I did like the setting of a secluded cabin & that it takes place on Friday the 13th but this did not deliver at all. Some of the kills were decent but this really adds nothing new to the genre/trope. It's the same rinse & repeat slasher book that keeps coming out.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
September 23, 2025
As much as I liked it (a tribute to all Slasher movies, you'll get plenty of references to the good ol’ films, kind of a copy of Scream, including the 1st season of the series; especially that one), I really hoped for something a bit more original and not just the same story retold with different characters and a different setting.
‘Small Town Slasher’ gets straight into the chase and we have a killer after their victim through the woods. Tall, hooded, masked, leather gloves, hunting knife and a sick tenderness right before he steals your life. With this intro I believe I had my expectations pinned on something else.
We got small town vibes, a creepy cabin in the woods with a dark past still haunting the present and beautiful snowy landscape to match the serene, yet mysterious, setting.
Without much delay, we're introduced to a cast of characters and victims that seem to connect to each other, a needed ingredient in any slasher book or movie. We obviously need the ‘whodunnit’ angle in there.
I always enjoyed movies/books/video games where the killer is charming and the kind of bastard you simply cannot hate, the type of sadistic arse who's toying with the victim’s mind in titillating ways. This book delivers. I was breathless, I was enthralled, I needed more and more of the chase, of the stalking, the thrill of the hunt, I simply could not put down the tablet.
The female main character, Jenna, is relatable to a certain degree, at least to me. The way she describes how she feels about horror and how fear helps her speaks to me on a deeper level. Not many people understand how one can get excitement or pleasure from such a thing, but it's too primal, too instinctual and raw to describe to those who think they revoked the hindbrain in their head. However, because she's also suffering from extreme anxiety, and seems to be an introvert, on multiple accounts she's fine with making friends, rather too easily and comfortably, which to me was far too contradictory for her personality.
The POV switches from Jenna's perspective to an omniscient narrator to describe events that happen where our protagonist isn't present. And yes, that includes we get to see things happening from the killer's perspective, albeit not fully 1st person narration probably because the author didn't want to give away who they were, but would've been great to have a 1st person POV of the killer (I'm sure it can be done without spoiling their identity).
Perhaps I've seen too many movies and read too many books, but I knew who the killer was before Jenna reached the rented cabin.
Many, many thanks to Stephanie Rose, Death by TBR Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. This is a voluntary review, reflecting solely my opinion.
‘Small Town Slasher’ gets straight into the chase and we have a killer after their victim through the woods. Tall, hooded, masked, leather gloves, hunting knife and a sick tenderness right before he steals your life. With this intro I believe I had my expectations pinned on something else.
We got small town vibes, a creepy cabin in the woods with a dark past still haunting the present and beautiful snowy landscape to match the serene, yet mysterious, setting.
Without much delay, we're introduced to a cast of characters and victims that seem to connect to each other, a needed ingredient in any slasher book or movie. We obviously need the ‘whodunnit’ angle in there.
I always enjoyed movies/books/video games where the killer is charming and the kind of bastard you simply cannot hate, the type of sadistic arse who's toying with the victim’s mind in titillating ways. This book delivers. I was breathless, I was enthralled, I needed more and more of the chase, of the stalking, the thrill of the hunt, I simply could not put down the tablet.
The female main character, Jenna, is relatable to a certain degree, at least to me. The way she describes how she feels about horror and how fear helps her speaks to me on a deeper level. Not many people understand how one can get excitement or pleasure from such a thing, but it's too primal, too instinctual and raw to describe to those who think they revoked the hindbrain in their head. However, because she's also suffering from extreme anxiety, and seems to be an introvert, on multiple accounts she's fine with making friends, rather too easily and comfortably, which to me was far too contradictory for her personality.
The POV switches from Jenna's perspective to an omniscient narrator to describe events that happen where our protagonist isn't present. And yes, that includes we get to see things happening from the killer's perspective, albeit not fully 1st person narration probably because the author didn't want to give away who they were, but would've been great to have a 1st person POV of the killer (I'm sure it can be done without spoiling their identity).
Perhaps I've seen too many movies and read too many books, but I knew who the killer was before Jenna reached the rented cabin.
Many, many thanks to Stephanie Rose, Death by TBR Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. This is a voluntary review, reflecting solely my opinion.
April 23, 2025
✨Book Review: Small Town Slasher by Stephanie Rose ✨
Are you craving a book that will make your slasher heart happy? Look no further! This book is perfect for fans of Scream and My Heart Is A Chainsaw.
Small Town Slasher takes place over the course of 24 hours. It follows Jenna, a disabled horror fanatic. She needs an escape from the state of the world and books a vacation in a horror-themed cabin. But the cabin is built on a nightmare. Twenty-Five years earlier The Butter Butcher murdered eleven people on the land where the cabin now sits. And sure enough, it’s the anniversary. Jenna finds herself thrown into the middle of a real life slasher.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a blast from start to finish. I loved the horror movie/book quotes at the start of each chapter. I also loved the anxiety/disabled representation. It was well done!
Be sure to pick this one up if you’re looking for
🔪 Slasher
🔪Fast-Paced and set over 24 hour time span
🔪Meta
🔪 Gory kills
🔪 Anxiety/Disabled Rep
🔪 Twisty Narrative
🔪 Short Chapters
Thank you so much to @stephanierosewriter for the early copy of this book! Be sure to pre-order on Stephanie’s website @deathbytbrbooks ! It comes out March 3rd, 2026!
Are you craving a book that will make your slasher heart happy? Look no further! This book is perfect for fans of Scream and My Heart Is A Chainsaw.
Small Town Slasher takes place over the course of 24 hours. It follows Jenna, a disabled horror fanatic. She needs an escape from the state of the world and books a vacation in a horror-themed cabin. But the cabin is built on a nightmare. Twenty-Five years earlier The Butter Butcher murdered eleven people on the land where the cabin now sits. And sure enough, it’s the anniversary. Jenna finds herself thrown into the middle of a real life slasher.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a blast from start to finish. I loved the horror movie/book quotes at the start of each chapter. I also loved the anxiety/disabled representation. It was well done!
Be sure to pick this one up if you’re looking for
🔪 Slasher
🔪Fast-Paced and set over 24 hour time span
🔪Meta
🔪 Gory kills
🔪 Anxiety/Disabled Rep
🔪 Twisty Narrative
🔪 Short Chapters
Thank you so much to @stephanierosewriter for the early copy of this book! Be sure to pre-order on Stephanie’s website @deathbytbrbooks ! It comes out March 3rd, 2026!
November 9, 2025
The prologue started off really strong, and I was immediately intrigued especially since I love horror movies. I also liked the movie quotes at the start of each chapter, which was such a fun touch. I really wanted to love this book, but I found it hard to follow the dialogue between the characters it just felt so forced at times. The main character, Jenna, drove me absolutely nuts I couldn’t stand her, and I didn’t feel any real connection to the characters overall. There just wasn’t much depth to them for me.
We follow Jenna Willcot, a horror fanatic with severe anxiety who books a stay at a remote, horror-themed rental cabin in rural Montana to challenge herself. When she arrives, she learns the cabin sits on the site where, 25 years earlier, a serial killer known as the “Bitter Butcher” massacred eleven people. Now, on the anniversary, more bodies are starting to pile up.
Thank you NetGalley and Death by TBR Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Publication date : Mar 3, 2026
We follow Jenna Willcot, a horror fanatic with severe anxiety who books a stay at a remote, horror-themed rental cabin in rural Montana to challenge herself. When she arrives, she learns the cabin sits on the site where, 25 years earlier, a serial killer known as the “Bitter Butcher” massacred eleven people. Now, on the anniversary, more bodies are starting to pile up.
Thank you NetGalley and Death by TBR Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Publication date : Mar 3, 2026
August 31, 2025
I absolutely love slasher books and this novel didn’t disappoint. The gore, the chase,the face when they are like OMG!😱 This book had everything including a mystery of who did it! It had me engaged the entire time
I want to thank BookSirens for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review voluntarily.
I want to thank BookSirens for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review voluntarily.
August 27, 2025
As a huge Horror fan and Slashers being my favourite subgenre I was excited to receive an arc for Small Town Slashers. (Releases March 2026)
The opening prologue delivered a solid Horror movie style opening but unfortunately I really didn't like the main character of this book so it just ruined my overall enjoyment.
I found Jenna to be quite contradictory and ott... What do you mean you have deliberating anxiety but will still willingly stay in an isolated cabin with a murderer on the loose because it's better than sitting in the airport?
In true slasher style the kills were brutal and at times the whodunnit element gave Scream vibes.
I loved that the book incorporated movie quotes at the start of each chapter as it added a nice touch and it was fun to see which movies were included. I loved the snowy small town setting and that the date was Friday the 13th as of course this is an unlucky date.
Thank you to DeathByTbrBooks for an e-arc but unfortunately this one wasn't for me.
The opening prologue delivered a solid Horror movie style opening but unfortunately I really didn't like the main character of this book so it just ruined my overall enjoyment.
I found Jenna to be quite contradictory and ott... What do you mean you have deliberating anxiety but will still willingly stay in an isolated cabin with a murderer on the loose because it's better than sitting in the airport?
In true slasher style the kills were brutal and at times the whodunnit element gave Scream vibes.
I loved that the book incorporated movie quotes at the start of each chapter as it added a nice touch and it was fun to see which movies were included. I loved the snowy small town setting and that the date was Friday the 13th as of course this is an unlucky date.
Thank you to DeathByTbrBooks for an e-arc but unfortunately this one wasn't for me.
March 17, 2025
I loved this meta slasher. The characters were relatable and fun. The murders were gloriously gory, maybe too gory for some, but perfect for me. I'm happy to see that Stephanie Rose has written a second book, I loved Hiding Lies, but Small Town Slasher is my favorite.
July 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this one. The mental health rep was fantastic and I love the idea of a horror cabin getaway. I especially love it because the main character is going on her own and she has mad, debilitating anxiety. Sounds like something I would do.
This was very formulaic as to the slashing portion of the story, but it was a fun ride and I did enjoy it. I kinda had part of the reveal picked but it didn't detract from the story at all.
I look forward to reading more of Rose's work!
This was very formulaic as to the slashing portion of the story, but it was a fun ride and I did enjoy it. I kinda had part of the reveal picked but it didn't detract from the story at all.
I look forward to reading more of Rose's work!
November 24, 2025
Much to my dismay, this was terrible. Let me tell you why without spoilers (fingers crossed)
A chronically ill, anxious woman who is obsessed with horror finds a horror themed Air BnB so she books a flight and goes. When she arrives she learns the airBnB is on the land of a famous murderer and a copycat killer has just shown up in town on the day she flies in.
Ok first off, what anxious person impulsively books a flight for a ONE night stay in another state with no time to prepare? Not this one or any one I know.
Second, this character is not just obsessed with horror. She is obsessed with true crime. Major red flag that made me side eye this character immediately. She tries to explain away that true crime "helps her not be anxious" the typical explanation someone would give about loving fictional horror. No honey, don't try that shit with true crime. Those are real people and you chuckling and heheing about death is gross.
Third, the amount of grammatical mistakes within the first 100 pages was just unacceptable. Not just spelling errors, full on incorrect sentence structure and even the wrong character name being mentioned during a conversation. On this topic, the damn POV changes. We start out in 1st person POV with our main character then every time someone is going to be killed we switch to 3rd person POV from the POV of the person who will eventually die. Spoilers much????
Now onto the story telling. Me, you and everyone else knew who the killer was from the jump. If you read or watch slashers, this was the most predictable of them all. I HAVE seen it mentioned that this was on purpose and this book is meant to be a satire. If that is the case, then this book needs to stop taking itself so seriously and it needs to eb marketed better that way. The storyline was overall very repetitive, redundant, and just down right unreasonable. What socially anxious person becomes friends with there Uber driver to a point they run a bunch of errands with them around town instead of going to your cabin destination?
By repetitive, I mean that the exact same "have you never seen a horror movie, this is how you die" speech was given by the FMC twice to 2 different characters on page. Why am I reading this twice.
I am just overall disappointed by every aspect of this book. I was really looking forward to it as the premise had such promise. It fell flat in every way a book can.
A chronically ill, anxious woman who is obsessed with horror finds a horror themed Air BnB so she books a flight and goes. When she arrives she learns the airBnB is on the land of a famous murderer and a copycat killer has just shown up in town on the day she flies in.
Ok first off, what anxious person impulsively books a flight for a ONE night stay in another state with no time to prepare? Not this one or any one I know.
Second, this character is not just obsessed with horror. She is obsessed with true crime. Major red flag that made me side eye this character immediately. She tries to explain away that true crime "helps her not be anxious" the typical explanation someone would give about loving fictional horror. No honey, don't try that shit with true crime. Those are real people and you chuckling and heheing about death is gross.
Third, the amount of grammatical mistakes within the first 100 pages was just unacceptable. Not just spelling errors, full on incorrect sentence structure and even the wrong character name being mentioned during a conversation. On this topic, the damn POV changes. We start out in 1st person POV with our main character then every time someone is going to be killed we switch to 3rd person POV from the POV of the person who will eventually die. Spoilers much????
Now onto the story telling. Me, you and everyone else knew who the killer was from the jump. If you read or watch slashers, this was the most predictable of them all. I HAVE seen it mentioned that this was on purpose and this book is meant to be a satire. If that is the case, then this book needs to stop taking itself so seriously and it needs to eb marketed better that way. The storyline was overall very repetitive, redundant, and just down right unreasonable. What socially anxious person becomes friends with there Uber driver to a point they run a bunch of errands with them around town instead of going to your cabin destination?
By repetitive, I mean that the exact same "have you never seen a horror movie, this is how you die" speech was given by the FMC twice to 2 different characters on page. Why am I reading this twice.
I am just overall disappointed by every aspect of this book. I was really looking forward to it as the premise had such promise. It fell flat in every way a book can.
October 27, 2025
first off, i'd like to thank netgalley, stephanie rose, and death by tbr books for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review!
sadly, this book didn't really do it for me. i wanted to like this book, since i am a fan of slasher novels, but the book was way too predictable in my opinion. i was able to guess the killer's identity very early on in the book, so the big "plot twist" at the end, revealing the killer, fell flat for me.
i was also heavily annoyed by the main character, jenna, the entire time. i thought maybe i'd relate/connect to the character due to also being disabled with an anxiety disorder, but found jenna to be grossly self absorbed and highly annoying: there was absolutely no character development.
i would maybe recommend this book to those who want to dip their toes into the horror/slasher genre, not for more seasoned horror readers who most likely would be able to predict the book.
(pub date for SMALL TOWN SLASHER is march 3rd 2026!)
sadly, this book didn't really do it for me. i wanted to like this book, since i am a fan of slasher novels, but the book was way too predictable in my opinion. i was able to guess the killer's identity very early on in the book, so the big "plot twist" at the end, revealing the killer, fell flat for me.
i was also heavily annoyed by the main character, jenna, the entire time. i thought maybe i'd relate/connect to the character due to also being disabled with an anxiety disorder, but found jenna to be grossly self absorbed and highly annoying: there was absolutely no character development.
i would maybe recommend this book to those who want to dip their toes into the horror/slasher genre, not for more seasoned horror readers who most likely would be able to predict the book.
(pub date for SMALL TOWN SLASHER is march 3rd 2026!)
April 17, 2025
Jenna scores her (and my) dream vacation spot, but the town the remote cabin resides in has skeletons galore. You’re in for a bloody good time with this adult slasher horror novel!
This was PERFECT! The kills are intense and creative. As someone with intense anxiety, I found myself relating with Jenna. Also, her reason for being so into horror really spoke to me as I’ve been through similar. I’m definitely going to pick up Rose’s other book.
This was PERFECT! The kills are intense and creative. As someone with intense anxiety, I found myself relating with Jenna. Also, her reason for being so into horror really spoke to me as I’ve been through similar. I’m definitely going to pick up Rose’s other book.
November 6, 2025
3.75⭐️ - This was such a fun one to read! I picked it up right before Halloween and it was the perfect spooky-season choice, but honestly, if you’re like me and love slashers year-round, this one fits any time of year.
The story takes place over just twenty-four hours and wastes no time getting straight into the action. The story follows Jenna, a horror-obsessed woman with severe anxiety who decides she needs a break from reality. She books a stay in a horror-themed cabin, not realising it’s built on the site of a massacre. Twenty-five years earlier, a killer known as the Bitter Butcher murdered 11 people on that very land. Now it’s the anniversary, and Jenna suddenly finds herself living through her own real-life slasher.
I loved how fast-paced and cinematic this story felt. It drops you right into the chaos and keeps the tension high from the very first page. There’s also that perfect mix of interconnected characters and mystery that gives it a proper whodunnit vibe. The references to classic horror films and books were such a treat.
Jenna herself is a really interesting lead. As a horror lover, I totally related to her thoughts about how fear can be thrilling and strangely comforting. It’s something not everyone understands, but Stephanie Rose captures it perfectly. I did find some of her behaviour a little at odds with her anxious, introverted nature, but she’s still a character I rooted for and enjoyed following through all the chaos.
Overall, Small Town Slasher is fast, fun, and full of slasher energy. It’s gory, self-aware, and doesn’t take long to get your heart racing.
Thank you to NetGalley, Death by TBR Books, and Stephanie Rose for the ARC!
The story takes place over just twenty-four hours and wastes no time getting straight into the action. The story follows Jenna, a horror-obsessed woman with severe anxiety who decides she needs a break from reality. She books a stay in a horror-themed cabin, not realising it’s built on the site of a massacre. Twenty-five years earlier, a killer known as the Bitter Butcher murdered 11 people on that very land. Now it’s the anniversary, and Jenna suddenly finds herself living through her own real-life slasher.
I loved how fast-paced and cinematic this story felt. It drops you right into the chaos and keeps the tension high from the very first page. There’s also that perfect mix of interconnected characters and mystery that gives it a proper whodunnit vibe. The references to classic horror films and books were such a treat.
Jenna herself is a really interesting lead. As a horror lover, I totally related to her thoughts about how fear can be thrilling and strangely comforting. It’s something not everyone understands, but Stephanie Rose captures it perfectly. I did find some of her behaviour a little at odds with her anxious, introverted nature, but she’s still a character I rooted for and enjoyed following through all the chaos.
Overall, Small Town Slasher is fast, fun, and full of slasher energy. It’s gory, self-aware, and doesn’t take long to get your heart racing.
Thank you to NetGalley, Death by TBR Books, and Stephanie Rose for the ARC!
November 26, 2025
DNF 10% ,
Usually I try to give books a solid 25% before I give up but yikes the writing is NOT good.
Usually I try to give books a solid 25% before I give up but yikes the writing is NOT good.
September 11, 2025
As a huge horror movie fan I really enjoyed this slasher read!
The main character reminded me alot of Randy from Scream with all her horror movie knowledge.
I also really loved the quotes from horror movies at the start of each chapter.
I did guess who the slasher was but I still enjoyed reading to the end to find out if I was right or not.
the haunted cabin air b&b was really cool!
Thank you to book sirens for sending me an arc copy to read and review.
The main character reminded me alot of Randy from Scream with all her horror movie knowledge.
I also really loved the quotes from horror movies at the start of each chapter.
I did guess who the slasher was but I still enjoyed reading to the end to find out if I was right or not.
the haunted cabin air b&b was really cool!
Thank you to book sirens for sending me an arc copy to read and review.
September 27, 2025
I was so excited to be approved fir this right at the beginning of spooky season. I am a huge horror movie fan, but I don't think I loved this book. It just wasn't for me. The main character drove me crazy and she was very contradictory. She suffers from crippling anxiety, but makes friends with multiple people in this new town and invites them to her cabin just a few minutes after meeting them? There was also many parts in the story I feel just didn't belong or had no reason. I also found it hard to follow along with at times, jumping from one person's perspective to another without any warning. The story didn't flow well enough together to keep me engaged or hold my interest. Unfortunately, this wasn't the Slasher read I was hoping for.
Thank you Netgalley and Death by TBR Books for the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Death by TBR Books for the ARC.
September 18, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy Small Town Slasher. The idea of a horror fan with anxiety confronting a real-life killer in a secluded cabin had real potential, and I appreciated the nods to classic slasher films throughout. Jenna’s inner monologue at times felt quite authentic, and there were a few genuinely tense moments.
However, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The pacing was uneven, with the first half feeling particularly slow and overly introspective. Much of the dialogue felt a bit forced, and I struggled to connect with the supporting characters — many of whom felt more like horror archetypes than real people. By the time the mystery began to unfold, I’d already guessed most of it, which took the edge off any suspense.
There are flashes of strong writing and a clear love for the genre here, but the story didn’t hold together well enough to keep me fully engaged. It’s not without its moments, but unfortunately it wasn’t the gripping slasher read I’d hoped for.
However, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The pacing was uneven, with the first half feeling particularly slow and overly introspective. Much of the dialogue felt a bit forced, and I struggled to connect with the supporting characters — many of whom felt more like horror archetypes than real people. By the time the mystery began to unfold, I’d already guessed most of it, which took the edge off any suspense.
There are flashes of strong writing and a clear love for the genre here, but the story didn’t hold together well enough to keep me fully engaged. It’s not without its moments, but unfortunately it wasn’t the gripping slasher read I’d hoped for.
September 20, 2025
I had to take a couple of days to think on this before I put my review. There were parts of this that I adored. I love meta horror. But these characters were just not for me. I didn’t find myself really liking any of them. I felt like some of the scenes didn’t make sense once the slashers identity was revealed. As far as the kill scenes, they were insane and definitely lived up to the slasher vibe. All in all, I don’t hate this book but I don’t love it either.
If you do like meta horror, you should definitely add this to your list. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in March of 2026.
If you do like meta horror, you should definitely add this to your list. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in March of 2026.
June 9, 2025
4.25 stars
Thank you so much to the author for an (extremely) advanced copy of Small Town Slasher, in exchange for an honest review.
What a fun slasher! I loved so much about this book - all the references to slasher horror movies and books (including some of my favorite indie authors) and the gruesome kills. I really enjoyed the slight blending of genres to include a little bit of mystery, particularly the "whodunit" aspect of who the slasher was and why they were killing people in the town. I also appreciated the representation of extreme anxiety in our FMC, her reactions felt very accurate, including all the precautions she would take while attempting to keep herself safe from predators. As I was reading, it felt like I was watching a movie unfold in my mind, and it was hard to put down.
If you loved My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and the movie Scream, you'll love this violent story, with its homage to so many classic slasher stories. It also kind of read like an RL Stine Fear Street novel, in my mind. It's nostalgic, fun, and fast-paced. Highly recommend this one!
Thank you so much to the author for an (extremely) advanced copy of Small Town Slasher, in exchange for an honest review.
What a fun slasher! I loved so much about this book - all the references to slasher horror movies and books (including some of my favorite indie authors) and the gruesome kills. I really enjoyed the slight blending of genres to include a little bit of mystery, particularly the "whodunit" aspect of who the slasher was and why they were killing people in the town. I also appreciated the representation of extreme anxiety in our FMC, her reactions felt very accurate, including all the precautions she would take while attempting to keep herself safe from predators. As I was reading, it felt like I was watching a movie unfold in my mind, and it was hard to put down.
If you loved My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and the movie Scream, you'll love this violent story, with its homage to so many classic slasher stories. It also kind of read like an RL Stine Fear Street novel, in my mind. It's nostalgic, fun, and fast-paced. Highly recommend this one!
August 3, 2025
Jenna, a young woman with a panic disorder and a horror movie buff, scores her dream vacation. She has booked a night in a horror themed cabin. What she doesn't realise is that 25 years ago, this cabin was the site of a brutal massacre. Now she finds herself in the sights of a new killer.
This was a decent slasher, filled with quotes from horror movies and books to really hit home with the nostalgia. The main few characters were likeable and relateable. The deaths were deliciously brutal and gory. I loved that it took on all the typical slasher tropes and keeps the reader guessing. My one issue was that for the first half of the book, there was a lot of repetition, I mean, there's really only so many times you can read the whole story of how Jenna came to be in their little town. I didn't think it was necessary to tell the whole story to every character she came across. I also found that the writing didn't flow well at times.
However, it was a solid attempt at a slasher and I look forward to seeing what this author does next.
This was a decent slasher, filled with quotes from horror movies and books to really hit home with the nostalgia. The main few characters were likeable and relateable. The deaths were deliciously brutal and gory. I loved that it took on all the typical slasher tropes and keeps the reader guessing. My one issue was that for the first half of the book, there was a lot of repetition, I mean, there's really only so many times you can read the whole story of how Jenna came to be in their little town. I didn't think it was necessary to tell the whole story to every character she came across. I also found that the writing didn't flow well at times.
However, it was a solid attempt at a slasher and I look forward to seeing what this author does next.
April 18, 2025
The concept of this book hooked me straight away, and it had so many things I loved. The quotes to start each chapter were fun, as were the pop culture references - but as someone who's really into horror but not a fan of Scream, I think that film was hugely overused and I got a little tired of the main character going on about it. (The best horror film is Nightmare; I will fight for this!)
I think if you're a fan of slashers, you'll guess whodunnit pretty easily, though that doesn't make you ready for the graphic descriptions some of the murders get.
I liked that the author addressed some of the controversy about true crime. I, for one, love fictional horror but totally avoid the real life stuff as I find it often glamourises people whom I believe society ought not remember. When the main character became more at ease because there'd been a murder, I felt genuinely uncomfortable by that - which is definitely a feeling you want to provoke with a book like this!
I think if you're a fan of slashers, you'll guess whodunnit pretty easily, though that doesn't make you ready for the graphic descriptions some of the murders get.
I liked that the author addressed some of the controversy about true crime. I, for one, love fictional horror but totally avoid the real life stuff as I find it often glamourises people whom I believe society ought not remember. When the main character became more at ease because there'd been a murder, I felt genuinely uncomfortable by that - which is definitely a feeling you want to provoke with a book like this!
June 1, 2025
I think slasher fans will enjoy this read and love all the references throughout. I enjoyed the movie quotes from some of my all time favorites at the beginning of each chapter. The nods to the classics were great but maybe a little too much at some points to the point where this read was losing its originality.
The kills were gruesome and well written. It didn’t take away from the story, but if slashers are your horror movie of choice, you might guess what’s going on before the end.
I love an inner monologue and it was great to get into the head of the main character. With that said, some points were made too many times and felt redundant.
I thought the concept of a horror themed cabin was cool. I loved the atmosphere of that part of the book. The jump scares inside the cabin were fun.
The author did a great job building the suspense and intensity during the last quarter. I couldn’t wait to see how this would end.
Thank you to the author for the eARC!
The kills were gruesome and well written. It didn’t take away from the story, but if slashers are your horror movie of choice, you might guess what’s going on before the end.
I love an inner monologue and it was great to get into the head of the main character. With that said, some points were made too many times and felt redundant.
I thought the concept of a horror themed cabin was cool. I loved the atmosphere of that part of the book. The jump scares inside the cabin were fun.
The author did a great job building the suspense and intensity during the last quarter. I couldn’t wait to see how this would end.
Thank you to the author for the eARC!
August 24, 2025
Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.
That being said I am new to the whole horror/ slasher genre so it could be that I am the issue here.
I just felt at times the main character was very contradictory. I myself suffer from anxiety and a chronic condition and I just did not believe in Jenna’s actions at all. Flying makes me very nervous and I would in no way deal with that by getting drunk and taking medication which would make you feel even less in control.
The premise of this book and the setting is fab. The idea of the horror rental in the woods and the “is this really happening to me” discourse would have been perfect but unfortunately I think this book tried to tick too many boxes in one go.
Again disclaimer this is not my usual genre.
Thank you so so much to the author Stephanie Rose and the publisher deathbytbrbooks for this e-arc to review. I appreciate getting the chance to read anyone’s hard work. Unfortunately on this occasion it was a mismatch.
That being said I am new to the whole horror/ slasher genre so it could be that I am the issue here.
I just felt at times the main character was very contradictory. I myself suffer from anxiety and a chronic condition and I just did not believe in Jenna’s actions at all. Flying makes me very nervous and I would in no way deal with that by getting drunk and taking medication which would make you feel even less in control.
The premise of this book and the setting is fab. The idea of the horror rental in the woods and the “is this really happening to me” discourse would have been perfect but unfortunately I think this book tried to tick too many boxes in one go.
Again disclaimer this is not my usual genre.
Thank you so so much to the author Stephanie Rose and the publisher deathbytbrbooks for this e-arc to review. I appreciate getting the chance to read anyone’s hard work. Unfortunately on this occasion it was a mismatch.
April 26, 2025
i want to take a moment to thank Stephanie for this opportunity. I am honored to have been able to receive an arc for this...
we follow jenna a young woman with crippling anxiety. She has impulsively made a choice to spend one night in Friday the 13th at a cabin in another state..it is marketed as a horror-house. Making it to Montana she quickly learns that this isn't going to be the trip that she thought. It's the 25th anniversary and there has been a murdered woman. Then another body ends up then another... Getting the name the Slasher. Jenna must flight to survive the night...I did struggle with the amount of political references in the book. Personally I do not enjoy politics in my books. So after a while it got very tedious to continue to have to have political references. For me it took away from a lot of the story...when I was wanting more of what was happening in that moment.
we follow jenna a young woman with crippling anxiety. She has impulsively made a choice to spend one night in Friday the 13th at a cabin in another state..it is marketed as a horror-house. Making it to Montana she quickly learns that this isn't going to be the trip that she thought. It's the 25th anniversary and there has been a murdered woman. Then another body ends up then another... Getting the name the Slasher. Jenna must flight to survive the night...I did struggle with the amount of political references in the book. Personally I do not enjoy politics in my books. So after a while it got very tedious to continue to have to have political references. For me it took away from a lot of the story...when I was wanting more of what was happening in that moment.
June 18, 2025
Jenna, an anxious true crime aficionado, merely tries to take a one night getaway to herself yet finds herself in the middle of a slasher’s comeback. This novel is full of heart and iconic horror pop culture references. I found Jenna and the cast of characters highly relatable and likable. There did seem to be a dependence on Jenna’s inner monologue or the characters dialogue to move the plot along versus letting it unfold naturally. I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more of the author’s work!
May 20, 2025
I loved Hiding Lies, and Small Town Slasher did not disappoint! I could not put it down! All the movie quotes were a great addition to each chapter. I loved Jenna. She was quirky and relatable. The representation of Jenna's disorder/anxiety was well done and appreciated. The kills were perfectly gory. I'm glad Jenna got to enjoy some of the murder cabin before her night got more interesting.
Such a great book from start to finish! Will definitely be watching for Stephanie Rose's next book!
Such a great book from start to finish! Will definitely be watching for Stephanie Rose's next book!
June 19, 2025
Great book for fans of the old original slasher films, such as Scream etc.. The book quotes them, and I love that. Was fast paced - set over a 24 hour period, but full of gory goodness and mystery!! (Sorry no spoilers from me) but I guarantee you will love this book 😊
An all round brilliant book.
Highly Recommended! 5 Stars ⭐️
Looking forward to reading Stephanie Rose’s next book!
An all round brilliant book.
Highly Recommended! 5 Stars ⭐️
Looking forward to reading Stephanie Rose’s next book!
June 25, 2025
I loved all the slasher movie quotes and the feel this book brought. I knew but didn't know how it was going to end, but isn't that how slasher movies are?? If you are a slasher fan then this book is a must.
August 4, 2025
This was such a great slasher. Kept me engaged the whole time. i felt jenna as a character was a very relatable character for me. It has the right amount of gore for the kills. Also kept me guessing who the slasher was. Really enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews