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Carnival Kills: A Novel

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🎡🔪 📖 "Perfect for fans of Texas Chainsaw, Clown in a Cornfield, and Saw, this retro slasher thriller delivers nonstop suspense, gruesome kills, and ‘80s horror nostalgia."

🔒💀 Now includes the chilling Lost Chapter — a never-before-seen sequence that reveals the fate of the killers and teases the horrors to come in — the next part of the Carnival Kills Sequel!


In 1965, the infamous Red Hook Jack turned a small-town carnival into a blood-soaked nightmare, leaving behind a legacy of terror. His name became legend in Hollow Creek.

Now, nearly twenty years later—Spring Break, 1986—Maddie and her friends set out for a lakeside getaway, for a weekend of fun. However, on the last night of the trip, their dream vacation is turned into a waking nightmare when they visit the local run-down park, Hollow Creek's Carnival.

A copycat killer has emerged, reviving Red Hook Jack’s reign of terror. Trapped in a twisted carnival of death, Maddie and her friends find themselves unwilling players in a sinister game—one where every attraction hides a gruesome fate, and every game comes with deadly stakes.

As the body count rises and the carnival transforms into a slaughterhouse, Maddie must confront a horrifying truth: this isn’t just a random massacre. The motive? Revenge. And she’s stuck at the heart of it.

🎪 Step right up… if you dare. Welcome to Hollow Creek's Carnivalif the rides don’t kill you, the killers will.

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2025

148 people are currently reading
775 people want to read

About the author

Caesar Daniels

4 books10 followers
Creative director and fantasy-epic writer. Floridian living in California. Lover of sci-fi/fantasy, greek epics and slashers, Lovecraft and vampires.

Caesar Daniels' career as a writer and VFX supervisor spans for nearly a decade––blessed with the opportunity to collaborate alongside many talented artists in the entertainment industry. Yet at heart, he is mostly a huge pop culture nerd and film enthusiast.

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5 stars
98 (12%)
4 stars
187 (24%)
3 stars
290 (38%)
2 stars
140 (18%)
1 star
46 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
Profile Image for Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚.
523 reviews28 followers
September 18, 2025
Texas Chainsaw Massacre plus a night at the carnival meets Saw. If there ever was a book that makes you not want to avoid carnivals this one is it. I listened to this book via audiobook and the story pulls you in.

The year is 1986 the book is about a group a friends that decide they want to enjoy spring break. At first it was all fun and they’re having a good time then things turn dark. It doesn’t help they get a flat tire and haven’t see a car for miles. Then three people out of the group walk to town and find the people very weird. There are tales of The Red Hook Jack murders which has plagued the town and left a black cloud after its wake.

On their way leaving the town they see a carnival and decide to have one last night of fun. But what is supposed to be a night of fun turns into a night of terror and survival.

This is definitely one of those books that makes you look at everything twice. This book is more on the slasher side but very gruesome nonetheless. Definitely a good read. The lost chapter definitely put a spin on the hook.
Profile Image for Stitching Ghost.
1,515 reviews391 followers
August 10, 2025
If I’m entirely honest, I should have DNFed this one when the timeline started feeling a little wonky, which was in the first chapter. This book read like an unedited first draft of a story that wanted to be too many things complete with the misused words and anachronisms.

Now, I don’t expect a slasher to be super intelligent especially when you promise me nostalgia, which I didn’t really get either, and if the kills are well executed, I can still find something to enjoy. Alas, the kills here were rather unceremonious and generally rather boring. If you’re going to tell me a story is whatever meets Saw I’m going to expect the kills to be original and visceral and when I put this book next to the utterly unserious Genital Rot (which I was reading at the same time I was reading this one) the kills become all the more boring and obviously lacking in creativity.

If you’re in the market for a generic, somewhat clumsy, slasher with moderate use of circusy imagery this one might be for you more than it was for me.
Profile Image for Summer R Jones.
319 reviews10 followers
May 9, 2025
Thank you, BookSiren, for the ARC, and thank you to the writer and publishers for all your hard work. This review is voluntary and happily left!

I have always loved books dealing with Carnivals. What's even better? It's also a slasher! Books like these are very nostalgic for me, and it takes no time for me at all to finish them. Enjoy blood and death? Then this is definitely for you. It's gor creepy characters and, of course, characters that you'll get attached to. All you want is for them to escape and them to beat the bad guy. I just enjoy the fact that the atmosphere has you wondering what's going to happen and by the end of it, it's a scream!

A group of friends on spring break now it's time to head home, but on the way, they see a Carnival. What's wrong with making one last stop? A copycat killer is out and about, and the body count is rising steadily through the night. Soon, the friends are in for a deadly game. Will they make it through the end, or will they all end up dead?

Like I said before, I absolutely love books like these. Every time I see one, I immediately must have it! They make me happy and it just relaxes me. I know that sounds a bit morbid, but oh well. Everyone has their things, and this is mine.
Profile Image for Niki.
64 reviews4 followers
June 26, 2025
The pacing is a little off, but this was fun! It felt like an early 00’s horror movie. Slight mix of Wax House and Texas Chainsaw Massacre… really enjoyed!
Profile Image for Courtney Moore.
35 reviews2 followers
May 10, 2025
Holy guacamole! This book draws you in from the first chapter! If you’re looking for a quick read with murder or needing to add another book to your monthly reading goals and running out of time, this is the one!

There are some grammar and spelling mistakes throughout like “Lana let out a haunting screamed” and “the gears stoped” but overall I think this was a great book from a new author!

I would love to read more if there is another coming out because I do have so many questions!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily, these are my honest opinions!
Profile Image for Trevor Ortez.
36 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2025
I really enjoyed Carnival Kills. From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the unique concept and gripping tone. The story blends horror with a gritty, almost cinematic intensity that pulled me in and kept me turning the pages.

The characters stood out the most for me—they weren’t just bodies moving through a plot. Each one felt fleshed out with distinct voices, personalities, and motivations. I found myself caring about them, which made the horror hit even harder when things took a dark turn. The dialogue felt authentic and gave insight into each character, helping to build tension in all the right places.

The setting was incredibly vivid. There’s one scene in particular—under the blazing sun—that was written so well I could feel it. I could practically taste the dust in the air, feel the sweat dripping down my back, and smell the heat rising off the ground. It’s rare to find a book that immerses you that completely.

The twists were sharp and well-timed. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it surprised me in the best way. I also appreciated that the ending didn’t rely on cheap shock—it felt earned and satisfying, which is something I always look for in horror.

Overall, Carnival Kills was a thrilling, atmospheric ride. I’m already planning to read it again just to catch all the little details I might have missed the first time. I highly recommend this book to fans of gritty, character-driven horror—especially if you enjoy stories like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or American Horror Story. Caesar Daniels is definitely a horror author to keep an eye on.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Diana  | Indie Book Addict.
543 reviews24 followers
June 7, 2025
When this book mentioned slashers and a carnival, I wanted to check it out because I’m a sucker for slashers. A group of college kids on spring break stumbling into a small-town carnival? That's great slasher material.

The book had some good suspense that kept me interested. The concept was great. A creepy small town, a mysterious carnival, and some questionable people lurking about. There were a few things that just didn’t play out well for me. The tension between some characters started out good but fizzled without much payoff. The characters were a bit flat. We didn’t really get to know them, so there was no real impact on what happened to them.

As for the ending, it was also a bit flat. I was hoping for a final twist or something, but instead it was underwhelming to me. The book did have some potential and suspenseful moments, but I needed more from the characters and the ending to make this a win for me. If you’re into carnival horror and slashers, this could still be something you’d enjoy.
Profile Image for Angela.
260 reviews4 followers
September 7, 2025
This was such a crazy read. Graphic, twisted ending, I loved it. Very graphic so be forewarned.
Profile Image for Jordan.
18 reviews
September 22, 2025
I would give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. This book was a fun quick read, it had a young adult feel to it but definitely didn't hold back on the gore or with some of the more intimate scenes the characters find themselves in. They're living the fast times lifestyle of teenagers and it's to be expected, they're still navigating their way through all the angst and chaos that comes along with young love and finding out who they are and where they are going. The book reminded me a bit of the feel of some recent movies like the remakes of House of Wax and Friday the 13th. The story was pretty straightforward without being too cliche and the pacing kept the chapters moving at a swift speed without dwelling too long on one certain character or situation. I've never heard of this author before but the premise of this book sounded promising and it didn't disappoint. I'll be checking out what more they might have already written and for when they're next novel is coming out. I dug this book and was glad I gave it a chance. Halloween is right around the corner and this story definitely set the mood for next month and got me in the swing of things with a nostalgic B horror movie throwback that cut straight to the bone just the way I like it.
Profile Image for bookmarksandbarbells.
270 reviews7 followers
January 23, 2026
This fell flat for me.
I love a slasher but once you read and watch so many, there’s definitely a difference between a well thought out slasher with some depth and just gore thrown together. This was a bit of the latter.
Profile Image for Candace Joy Watson.
96 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2025
Took a chance…hooked from the prologue

This book was very graphic and affected my dreams! What a great journey and a setup for a good series. I could not put this book down.
Profile Image for Lychee.
379 reviews31 followers
October 30, 2025
The kills were fun.

My issue with this book came mostly from the writing and the characters and how the story progresses. The writing felt like this was someone’s story they wrote in high school. The characters felt like overdone horror cliches, like this friend group felt extremely forced. Maybe that’s part of the nostalgia nod bc of all the horror movies with friend groups w the cheerleader, and the jock, and the nerd, and the hippie, and the
But it didn’t work here for me. They were so insufferable and no one had a backbone. If someone really sketchy told me to do something I didn’t want to do, I wouldn’t just do it and be like “that man was fucking creepy”
Profile Image for aly✨.
101 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2025
This wasn't for me. And usually I love horror. It was like a bad mix of Saw, The Terrifier, and The Hill Have Eyes.

I felt so confused reading it, too. Like one moment we are swimming in a lake and the next it's so cold that you need boots and a coat? An axe handle was swaying in the wind? Almost no mention of how these college kids are paying for anything and it didn't feel very 80s. Just a very generic timeline.

Also, hey, why was it necessarily to mention that a character we meet/see ONE TIME has a swatiska tattoo? We learned about it TWICE for a character that literally did not matter!!!!!! Like you have to be absolutely joking with me.

This isn't a huge thing, but I thought about it so I am going to share it with the masses. I could not tell you what any character looked like or dressed like. Nothing. I know nothing. Shoutout to BookSirens for allowing me to read this (I guess?).
Profile Image for Lydia Morris.
337 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2025
whoever told me this was “giving” texas chainsaw massacre is a liar and i hope they have a bad day.
Profile Image for Emma Jean.
57 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2025
This was fine. If you're not super into or experienced with horror books, could be an easy one to pick up to dip your toes into the genre.
The writing felt very unpolished. It read more like a first draft than a fully fledged novel. The overall story was full of typical stereotypes you see in a slasher, but it had potential. If the author would have just sat with it a little longer, everything would've felt more cohesive and expansive.
Everything felt really generic and just kind of run of the mill.
Profile Image for Ashlee Rydecki.
23 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2025
easy read!

This is so Texas Chainsaw Massacre / House of Wax and I loved it! It was a quick, easy read
Profile Image for Crystal.
15 reviews
June 28, 2025
No.

* Timeline jumps from 10:15 to almost midnight. How long is that circus show?
* Inconsistent setting: they have the place to themselves or they're fighting crowds, which is it?
* bf cheats, blames gf, resolved with a quarter plastic ring from a vending machine... okay....
* Parents are weirdly calm after their daughter is almost killed and say they'll just come get her tomorrow...hmm
* Hides in a house of mirrors—makes no sense
* Kate runs ahead...a few paragraphs later, Kate comes up from behind, which is it?
* Final girl’s psychotic backstory revealed in the epilogue...why bother

A short book doesn't excuse lack of cohesive storytelling, dude.

Only positive: murder scenes were gruesome and mildly entertaining—but poor storytelling ruined the impact
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather.
90 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just finished Carnival Kills. It was just okay to me. There were too many gaps and bouncing around without details. I gave it three stars because the gore and horror genre is one I like but I really struggled to finish it.
Profile Image for Laci.
495 reviews5 followers
October 28, 2025
A bloody, nostalgic slasher ride!
If you love slashers as much as I do, you’ll definitely enjoy Carnival Kills by Caesar Daniels! Set during spring break in 1986, a group of friends ends up trapped in a creepy carnival, and a copycat killer starts picking them off one by one. The suspense is nonstop, the kills are satisfyingly gruesome, and the carnival setting gives the story an extra creepy, chaotic vibe. Fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will feel right at home here. The characters are fun and the pacing keeps you turning pages, making it a quick, addictive read that’s perfect for this Halloween season. If you want a nostalgic slasher story that’s gory and fast, this is it!
Profile Image for Amanda  Lee.
1,258 reviews43 followers
October 14, 2025
I'm a huge slasher fan and this 100% gave me classic B horror slasher vibes.

The timeline felt a little off and there were some minor errors but overall I really enjoyed it. It was a fast read that kept me hooked. I'd love to see a second book.
Profile Image for tina.
30 reviews
July 13, 2025
carnival popcorn slasher think wrong turn at a carnival!
ending couldve been better but overall fast summer read 🔪🎡
Profile Image for Heavinlei.
188 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2025
If Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a baby with Saw.
1 review
September 11, 2025
JAW DROPPING!!!!

This book is amazing! If I actually had the time to curl up in a corner and read with no interruptions I would’ve read this book in 2 hours! I love a good horror novel! Absolutely loved!
Profile Image for Taylor Evans.
58 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2025
3.5! fast read but kind of corny. but the vibes were immaculately horrifying. gave me the ick in the best way!
Profile Image for Paulina Gachuz.
34 reviews
June 2, 2025
I got an arc for this book from booksirens.
I absolutely loved this!!
4 stars.
It was an insane read. The synopsis reads that this is a book for fans of Texas Chainsaw and Saw. Two of my favorite horror movies. The book really is like that.
It's a great slasher set in a carnival during the last day of spring break, I really love anything horror thats set in like a circus setting. The ambience is greatly done, the carnivals structure, the town, the garage, it's all detailed to perfection. I felt like I was watching a movie. With that being said I feel like this book should be turned into a movie. It would make a great slasher.
I loved how in the end when some of the characters are trapped they have to play certain games in order to survive or save their friends.

The characters really fit into the horror movie stereotypes.
Arnie is your typical stonehead (just like shaggy from Scooby Doo, he even says"like" for everything).
Lana and Tyler are the sex obsessed couple.
Maddie is your typical final girl with a dark past.
Jake is the self-obsessed cheating boyfriend.
Becca is the nerdy one of the group that almost makes it (she's the one that ulimately makes a stupid decision that costs her her life).

The side characters are great as well. Having the children of the original killer was a great choice, Ed being the weird garage guy was also a great choice. In the end you don't really get a clear understanding of wether he was part of the killing spree or just really creepy.

The ending was, in my opinion, bitter. Although I like that the final girl doesn't get sort of happy ending. In this case Maddie is a suspect of the carnival massacre because of two things.
1. Her dark past
2. The bodies of the Grimm brothers were never found.
I really liked that and it sets the story for a potential sequel.

4 ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
12 reviews
November 12, 2025
Was looking for a spooky treat and I found it. There is a carnival and there is killing. The title says it all. Definitely slasher vibes if I’ve ever seen it. Was a sweet short novel. DEF recommended if you need a little violence in your life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews

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