Neon Moon

by Grace R. Reynolds

Darlene Boone is a survivor. For more than a year, she’s been bartending at the famous Teegarden Saloon, a honky tonk in the Texas Hill Country, while attempting to put her life back together in the wake of an abusive past. But when an axe-wielding maniac descends on The Teegarden during one of the bar's busiest nights of the year, Darlene, along with everyone else in the crowded establishment, will have to put down their whiskeys and take up the nearest weapon if they're to survive this unexpected night from hell. No one knows if they'll make it out alive, least of all Darlene, but one thing's for sure no matter Texans don't go down without a fight.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

122 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Grace R. Reynolds is a native of the great state of New Jersey, where she was first introduced to the eerie and strange thanks to local urban legends of a devil creeping through the Pine Barrens. Since then, her curiosity with things that go bump in the night bloomed into creative expression as a dark poet, horror, and thriller fiction writer.

When Grace is not writing she can be found dreaming up macabre scenarios inspired by the mundane realities of life. Her debut collection of poetry “Lady of The House” was released in December 2021 by Curious Corvid Publishing.

Connect with Grace at www.spillinggrace.com or follow her on Instagram @spillinggrace.

Reviews

[Sharmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, fast paced slasher novella, great for Halloween, the setting was awesome

Theres a pet opossum called Levi who wears a little cowboy hat!

[Jan Agaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Levi, the opossum with the little cowboy hat, was the main character

[Matty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neon Moon is a short, fast paced honky tonk slasher about love, friendship, and revenge. The story is primarily told from the POV of Darlene, a waitress at The Teagarden Saloon, which has a famous reputation for country music. The bloody, gruesome story takes place in a single night at the Teagarden with a few chapters that are flashbacks to the past. The writing is poetic at times, unique for a slasher story, and makes sense because reading the acknowledgment chapter you’ll see Grace writes poetry. In a short amount of time I fell in love with Darlene and the tight knit group of friends at the Teagarden, including a curious little marsupial with a cowboy hat.

Highly recommend if you are in the mood for a unique take on the slasher trope with some unexpected plot twists and a fun ending. I look forward to more from Grace Reynolds!

[unstable.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neon Moon by Grace Reynolds is a gritty, pulse-pounding story that pairs bloody action with a strong emotional sub plot. Set almost entirely within the chaos of a honky-tonk under siege, the novel thrives on claustrophobic tension. No phone reception, tensions high, shattered bottles. A bachelorette party. Oh, and a psycho with an axe. Every quick decision carries weight. In the novel, we meet Darlene Boone, a protagonist shaped by trauma, but not defined by it. Reynolds handles her past with care, allowing it to influence Darlene's instincts and resilience without reducing her. When violence erupts, Darlene's fight to survive becomes more than simply physical. It's a reclamation of control in a world that has tried to take it from her. The supporting cast adds texture and unpredictability, especially when their hidden secrets surface in the midst of utter chaos. There is a raw and almost defiant sense of place here as well. The Teegarden Saloon feels familiar, loud, and fiercely Texan, grounding the horror and bloodshed in something tangible. Balancing brutality with heart, Neon Moon delivers a tense, character-driven slasher that doesn't ask who will survive, but rather who they will be when they do. Thank you so much Grace for sending me an early copy! You can pick this up when it publishes May 05, 2026 from Dark Matter INK.

[Adam Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Reynolds has crafted a perfect, mean, gritty slasher with this horror tale set in a landmark honky tonk. Darlene is a bartender that has been through it, and she brings a don’t mess with me attitude, along with a pet possum, Levi, to her work.

But one night, with the bar filled with regulars and a bridal shower party, a brutal killer strikes, and she has to rely on all her survival skills to make it through the night.

Reynolds clearly knows her slashers, as she plays with the genre norms in fun ways while still delivering the beats we know and love. The kills in this book are honestly horrifying. They are blended with emotion as many of these characters we truly care about, and none of them are quick, easy deaths. They honestly hurt to read and that makes them so effective.

Darlene, our beautiful, smart, resilient final girl is no victim, and she is a fantastic character from beginning to shocking ending. If you are at all interested in slashers, you have to pick this one up.

[KaysHorrorTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a rootin' tootin' good time, I'll tell ya that for free!

Neon Moon is a slasher set in the Teegarden, a Honky Tonk in Texas. Honestly I love the unique slasher setting, plus points already!

Darlene is an abuse survivor, and beloved by her circle, and tonight will really test her limits as a feral killer stalks into their bar during a busy music night featuring a raucous bridal party, a bickering married country band duo, and a host of likeable supporting characters.

Reynolds does a superb job of painting the picture of the relationships of our characters so you become attached to their likable personalities quickly. When the kills start, they don't let up and we're still having fun whilst the body count increases.

There's one part where I shouted with joy and then almost immediately held my breath... There's a little side character you'll quickly come to love, I'll say no more than that.

It's a fun, short read and as is tradition for me in my slasher reviews, I'd watch the movie version of this and it'd be a fun one for sure!

[Wilde Wyvern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neon Moon is the hauntingly poetic journey of a bombshell that two-steps her way into trouble with a man. Darlene Boone is a survivor. Like any daddy with a shotgun, her usuals at the Teegarden helped keep a dark secret to protect their girl. But did they actually do her any favors? Or was the biggest hero of the story actually an opossum with a cowboy hat? Neon Moon releases in May! Check it out.



See additional reviews on my IG page @wyvernscollection

[Ashton Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ Some of the metaphors and writing style just did not make sense to me.

[Stasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got back into reading a few years gory horror novellas are what kept the train moving. Eventually they all started to feel the same with cardboard characters, sexualized violence cranked so high it’s goofy, and an afterthought of a plot. Neon Moon, the story of a bartender coming back into her own after domestic violence, subverted my expectations after initially being disappointed when I saw its length.

This truly does feel like a slasher movie in the 80s way rather than the Terrifier way. Despite only being 75 pages, Reynolds lets the story build so the deaths are more effective but still fairly brutal. The villain felt the hokiest, reminding me a lot of Leo Johnson, who I also always found hokey. The rest of the characters were well fleshed and unfortunately familiar as a Nashville resident (ugh woo girl bachelorettes).

Big props on the cover too. The raised up mass market skull covers are my fondest memory of getting into adult horror as a kid at the library. Looking forward to more from
Reynolds!

[Femke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek is maar kort, maar het had van mij veel langer mogen zijn. Karakters met backstories waar ik wel veel meer van had willen weten. Dit boek beloofde een slasher te zijn, maar was veel meer: het verhaal van een geweldadige relatie, het verhaal van wraak en mensen die heel veel voor elkaar over hebben. En het is daarnaast ook absoluut een slasher! De sfeer (en de "gore") spat van de pagina's en het is ook nog eens ontzettend goed geschreven. Smaakt naar meer.

[Bookish Barbarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neon Moon is a beautifully written, immersive story that lingers in your mind long after you close the book.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into Neon Moon, but Grace R. Reynolds absolutely blew me away with the atmosphere of this book. The title is incredibly fitting the prose practically glows with a vivid, cinematic energy that kept me turning pages.

[L.C. Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a bloody romp in a famous Texas dive bar but crave the voice of a polished storyteller? Well, welcome to NEON MOON. Reynolds deftly blends wonderfully tasty prose with an early 90s B-movie horror vibe in this truly enjoyable novella.

Is this a good time to share my disdain for country music? Why would I want to read a story about a famous dive country bar? Because, I’m thirsty for dollar beer night and if anyone can pull this off, it’s Grace Reynolds.

I needed a pallet cleanser, a brief respite from the gothic ocean I normally soak in so, I nudged Reynolds for an ARC. And this story delivered fully on her promise.

Opening the story, her talent is apparent, reminding me of why she’s my favorite poet in the horror game. But Reynolds soon pivots into full-on slasher writer, effortlessly bobbing and weaving between the depths of the two styles. Her voice never fails to reach me. This story has excellent (and often campy) characters, plenty of blood for the slasher crowd, a revenge/redemption story, a dash-o-grief, and a pitcher full of fun.

Entertainment level = high.

[summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5

this was a standard and fine western slasher but it was also very forgettable

[Elanda Birch]

Nothing is happening!!! I’m 44% in and nothing is happening! The characters are not being developed, we have no idea what is going on with the killer who has barely made an appearance, and there is so much flowery language in this i had to check that this was set in Texas! It’s only 123 pages but i can’t finish, I’m bored. 🥱

[Stephanie (Books in the Freezer)]

I loved this!

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love novellas that pack a punch, and Neon Moon does just that: a story loaded with slasher fun, wrapped in a package of a honky tonk, rootin’ tootin’ good time!

Darlene is the bartender at a beloved Texas bar. Along with her cowboy hat-wearing opossum, Levi, she navigates her way around regulars and city girl buckle bunny bachelorette parties alike. But this night at The Teegarden Saloon is taking a new, bloody turn. Who will survive this Texas cowboy massacre? 🤠🪓🌵

*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author via Netgalley for the digital advanced review copy. All opinions expressed above are my own!

[Ed Crocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I, nerd of the masked killer genre, want in a good slasher? Well first I’ll take an isolated location, with its own unique vibe, something a little bit different to what we’ve seen before. Then give me a terrifying killer obviously, and some brutally twisted kills, all from the victim’s POVs to make it that much more poignant. Then, make me care: give me a small cast of friends, and let me root for them. And then, of course, there’s the Final Girl—the haunted past, the dreams up in the air, and a killer come to change her life for good. Mix it all up well enough, and you’ve got a damned good slasher, and in Neon Moon, Grace R. Reynolds has the secret sauce because her debut novella is set at a legendary Texan country music bar where the whisky-swilling and rhinestone-flashing denizens are about to meet a killer set to ruin their honky-tonking good night. And crucially, this book isn’t just a successful rendition of everything I said above, but something with a lyrical beauty all of its own. This is a great slasher, and a big statement from Reynolds.

Plot wise, Darlene is bartender at the famous Teegarden Saloon. She’s also an abuse survivor. And one fateful night, during a busy night at the Saloon, both her, her regulars, the visiting country band and the drunk bridal party will have to contend with a hatchet-wielding maniac who’s descended on the Teegarden to make it a night to remember.

Character wise, I was instantly impressed by Reynolds’ ability to, in the short confines of a novella, quickly make you care about both the barstaff and the barflys at the Teegarden, thanks to her skill with natural dialogue and her ability to get you to care about a character in just a couple of pages. There’s a sense of Texan goodwill here, that sense of found family that’s separate from the religion or more divisive culture some might associate with the South (I may be projecting here—as ever, the reader’s prerogative, I’m afraid—but there’s a feel of a more progressive Texas in this book, of the welcome stereotype-challenging kind). And there’s also a new addition to the “animal companion” library in the form of an opossum (Google it, fellow Brits) which I think makes this my first opossum-centric story, though hopefully not my last. The story, though, belongs to Darlene, and the way Reynolds writes her throughout and ties her story of abuse to the plot without making it define her puts you under no illusion that whether or not she survives the night, she has more than earned her Final Girl status.

But alongside the great character work is a great killer, and I winced at the horrific brutal deaths from the insane hatchet-wielding maniac stalking the Teegarden, all described from the victim’s POVs, many of whom go out with poignant heroism or even a little bit of poetry. I was reminded in this sense of the great work of Brian McAuley’s recent slashers; but Reynolds has an art all of her own here, at the same time brutally and vividly described yet also enhanced by the poetic prose she can clearly pull off. Indeed, there’s a certain dreamlike quality to the whole thing, even as the insane climax hits, like this is all taking place in a honky-tonk nightmare in some sleeper’s mind as they drift off under a Texan moon.

Overall, with a truly horrific killer to remember and characters you’ll come to root for in the unique setting of a Texas honky-tonk saloon, Reynolds gives us some Southern slasher charm with lyrical prose all steeped in a whisky-soaked nightmare of Survivor revenge and Texan grit. An innovative slasher that made me stop my table dancing long enough to take note of an exciting new horror voice.

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

💥Spoilers--These are my personal notes because Goodreads doesn't give us the option to keep personal notes and I need them because I have memory issues and as soon as I close a book everything I just read auto deletes. So here I am, trying to keep track of all the words so I can actually participate at the next book club meeting.
If you keep reading, that's between you and your poor decision making skills.

.
.

The cover is fantastic. 
Darlene MFC. Bartender. Has a Bachelorette party in tonight along with some regulars she seems to be friends with. Randy. Ezra. Orville.
Her husband Leroy used to beat her, but he died in a house fire.
Wanda. Owner of bar. 
Levi. Pet possum. 
Darlene sees someone standing outside. Sends Randy out to check.
Randy goes outside and finds his daughter Michelle dead. He sees a man holding a pitchfork and goes after him. Tries to pull his gun put but shoots himself in the thigh. He sinks to his knees, and the stranger stabs him in the chest.
Flash back: Darlene and Leroy. He's abusing her. She wakes up on the floor and tries to crawl away. He grabs her and locks her in a closet. They fight about whose fault it is that their unborn son died. Judging by what im reading. Leroy beat her, and it caused the miscarriage. Chapter ends with Leroy dousing the room in gas.
Back to current:
Basic bar shenanigans.  Darlene gets into it with a bride and her party. Punches the bride. Bride and bestie go outside. Something attacks them. Kills bestie and chases bride while she's trying to run back to the bar. She gets into the door, gets everyone's attention, and then falls over dead with a knife in her back.
Somewhere around here, we learn that Darlene got away from Leroy the night he lit the house on fire, and she thinks he is dead.
Meanwhile, Brandy and Ezra are fooling around in a bathroom. Brandy gets her throat slit and Ezra practically gets decapitated while hanging halfway out a window.
I might have been wrong. I think Ezra gets his face cut off cause now the psycho is wearing it. Is Leroy back?
Darlene gets locked in the fridge. Orville let's her out. The phone line is cut.
Que imminent bloodbath where one man,wearing someone else's face, kills everyone with a hatchet.
Dam Hazel. You didn't even try, did you?
Leroy...its Leroy, isn't it?
Hatchet proceeds to light the bar on fire.
Darlene, Orville, and Wanda find each other and try to leave. They run into Hatchet carving HAPPY ANNIVERSARY into the floor.
Yup. It's Leroy.
Turns out Leroy didn't die in the house fire. Randy pulled him out. Then Randy, Ezra, Orville, and Michelle tied him to a tree and lit him on fire. They left before he died. It rained, and the fire died, so Leroy lived. Now he's back for revenge. Everyone dies, and he gets to Darlene, but Levi, the possum saves the day. Darlene shoots Leroy with Ezras gun and escapes with Levi.
The end.
I feel like everyone died way too easy here. Leroy barely had to work for it. And as someone who has dealt with DV myself, I didn't get Darlene. I would have expected a little more rage to this girl. But I guess everyone responds to that kind of shit differently.
All in all, this was a fun ride.
Im glad the possum was ok.

[Dani-Lynn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮
🌶️ - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸🩸🩸 - 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮

🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Darlene & Leroy

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
📕abusive relationship
📕gun violence
📕miscarriage
📕domestic violence
📕slut shaming

🖤𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼🖤
“Death is a flightless bird.”

“There is no Leroy. Only Hatchet!”

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
The dark atmosphere of the single place setting makes it even more indulging for the reader. Neon Moon is a short yet satisfying horror novella that deals with domestic violence, emotional abuse, and trauma-inducing horrors. Darlene is a strong female lead you will absolutely revel in her story as you understand the hardships she has surpassed in her life. As a first time read by the author, I can definitely say it won’t be my last.

*spoilers*
Michelle is running. Fear present in her expressions as she runs towards a nearby neighbor for help as she feels she is being hunted. She asks Earl, someone she knows, for help as she warns him of the evil hidden in the trees. But all goes black after she watches Earl’s body collapse beside her as she stares out at the enigmatic dark figure hiding out of sight.

We then cut to a bachelorette party as Darlene watches them from behind the bar. They’re having a few drinks at an old hole in the wall, paying no mind to the older cowboys in the bar. Even though their attention is on the group of attractive women in their establishment. Rumors of Earl’s untimely demise start to circulate, as some start to speculate that there may even be a killer amongst the town.

But once the band starts to play, Darlene starts to notice a dark figure standing outside. Lurking. She’s not sure if he’s just stroking himself or why he’s standing outside the door like a creep. It’s not until Randy, one of the bar workers, goes outside and discovers a body that we learn that the girl from the beginning was his daughter all along. And before he can get justice for her murder, he shoots himself in the thigh and has his complete body punctured by a pitchfork. I won’t go too much further into the story but the body count grows higher and the reasoning behind this killer has a lot to do with Darlene’s past.

🖤𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵🖤
Holy act of revenge. I kinda had a feeling after reading her past that I would know who the mysterious killer was and I was right. But I was not disappointed. The bleak ending. The bodies piling up. The climatic ending. And of course, the brave Levi who became the hero. Everything was nothing short of epic and I was seated for it all. Props for Darlene on getting her woman at the end as well.

**no AI was used to generate any part of this review**

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neon Moon is the story of Darlene, a bartender at the Teegarden Saloon in the Texas Hill Country.

She is trying to rebuild her life after leaving an abusive relationship. Fortunately, she has the support of her boss and the Teegarden’s regulars. Darlene finally seems to be on her way to some kind of “normal.”

That all changes one fateful evening when an axe murderer shows up at the bar and starts hacking and slashing his way through the clientele.

His name is Hatchet, and he has an axe to grind. To have a shot at survival, Darlene will have to summon her fighting spirit once again.

Neon Moon was a really fun read! The author immersed me in the vibrant subculture of a honky-tonk bar. There is live country music, good-natured banter between Darlene and the regulars, an obnoxious bachelorette party, and a shared history of heartbreak and missed opportunities.

As a true horror-comedy, this novella doesn’t take itself seriously, while still delivering on gory kills.

There is a twist near the end of the story, and although it didn’t make a lot of sense, the action kept the momentum going until the last page.

This novella was a pleasure to read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the movies Heart Eyes (2025) and Logan Lucky (2017). The former is a slasher rom-com and the latter is a high-energy comedy set in West Virginia that has a memorable bar fight scene.

Favourite quote:

“Sequin sparkles in meat. Curious. Dazzling. An invitation to try, Hatchet picks up the bedazzled Stetson hat and places it upon his crown. He’s a real rhinestone cowboy now, and he has finally arrived.

Hatchet sucks the crimson delight off his fingers, like BBQ sauce on brisket. For so long he’s been a scavenger, a vulture feasting on highway carrion as he prepared for this special night.”

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second I saw this book cover around social media, I knew I had to have it. The hatchet-wielding skeleton cowgirl, the desolate landscape, and THAT TITLE! I grew up on 90s country, so Brooks & Dunn will always catch my attention. If you’re a horror reader, however, you are likely all too aware that the most badass cover and book title can frequently let you down when you realize that the graphic design and snappy premise were really all the author had going on - that, and a good marketing strategy. Because I’ve been disappointed so many times, I was SO PLEASED when Grace R. Reynolds’ new novella did not set the same trap. This blood- and whiskey- soaked Western slasher packs a punch, from both the action standpoint and the backstory. The characters are fully fleshed out without dragging down the breakneck pace. Tough Texan Darlene Boone and her pet opossum, Levi (who wears a tiny cowboy hat AND lives through the horror, according to Reynolds’ thoughtful beginning note) are firing up yet another shift at the Teegarden Saloon with a mix of regulars and tourists - including a boisterous bachelorette party - but they quickly learn it’s not going to be a normal night of live music and slinging liquor. Darkness descends on the saloon when patrons start disappearing, and by the time their absences are noticed, it’s too late for the folks inside. NEON MOON is a tight, gory, and fun-as-hell tale of justice, vengeance, and survival. And in case you missed it THERE IS A PET OPOSSUM WEARING A TINY COWBOY HAT! What else do I have to say?! NEON MOON is out May 5th and you’ll be cryin’ into your beer if you miss out. A Texas-sized thank you to Dark Matter INK and Grace Reynolds for the e-ARC via NetGalley!

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive Bars & Buckets of Blood - PERFECTION!

Neon Moon by Grace Reynolds is an absolute blast of a slasher. It is fun, unhinged, and unapologetically bloody in all the right ways. Neon Moon follows a group of unlikely regulars visiting their grimy dive bar called Teagarden, where a string of brutal, escalating murders turns a familiar late‑night refuge into something far more dangerous. This book leans into its horror roots, delivering kills that are genuinely disturbing while still maintaining that irresistible, midnight‑movie energy. The kills are the perfect balance for a slasher that knows exactly what it’s doing. Reynolds isn’t afraid to push things just far enough to leave an impression, and it works.

The imagery, especially surrounding the Teagarden dive bar, is pitch‑perfect. You can practically smell the stale beer and neon lights humming in the background, grounding the chaos in a space that feels lived‑in and iconic. The characters are genuinely likable, which only makes the tension sharper and the stakes higher, and their dynamics give the story an extra layer of heart beneath the carnage. At its core, this is just such a fun horror novel. The novel moves fast, the gore is vivid, and the plot is wildly entertaining. The flashbacks paired with the end reveal of this novel had my jaw on the FLOOR. This story is the kind you devour in one sitting. Neon Monn is a slasher that you absolutely have to read this year!

[RedWineReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neon Moon by Grace Reynolds is a cowboy horror novella that makes you feel like a regular at the Teegarden Saloon… on the worst night of your life. It starts out hard right out of the gate and has you holding on for dear life until the end. Darlene Boone is bartending an ordinary night of bachelorette parties, live music, and regulars that are basically family. She’s survived an abusive ex and is on the road to a normal life when a darkness nobody sees coming is stalking their prey right outside their doors. A peaceful night is turned into a gruesome slasher in the blink of an eye and we’re all along for the ride.

It always amazes me the amount of story that can be crammed into a novella like this and Neon Moon is a perfect example of this at work. The pacing is perfect as it ebbs and flows between calm bar and gore filled murderfest with each encounter getting closer and closer together until the final crescendo where all hell lets loose. The writing can only be described as beautiful as it’s surprisingly elegant for the subject matter. It takes the poetry of the west and fuses it with the lands classic harshness.

Western horror is one of those genres that has so much charm along its frights and this one will have you seeking out more like it. Whether you’re a fan of westerns or slashers you’ll have an amazing time as Darlene has the worst time. It’s a rootin tootin point and shootin good(awful) time.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

NEON MOON is the kind of book that reminds you why you love reading. It will immediately draw you in and not let go until the very, blood soaked, crispy end. NEON MOON is as much of a love letter to the Texas Hill Country as it is to classic slashers and final girls.

NEON MOON by Grace R. Reynolds
Published by Dark Matter Magazine
Available May 5, 2026

NEON MOON follows Darlene Boone, a bartender at a legendary honky tonk in the middle of nowhere Texas Hill Country. She's rebuilding her life after leaving an abusive relationship with the help of her bar regulars and beloved pet opossum, Levi. One night, everything at the honky tonk turns to horror as a violent maniac crashes in, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

Grace's writing is equally beautiful as it is haunting, weaving a story that is equally poetic and bloody throughout the entire story. Everything comes alive, from the sticky linoleum floors, to the smell of old beer on the dance floor. Grace is able to capture the horror that happens that night in such a way that I've never experienced before. The characters feel well worn, like someone you've known your entire life. Even though the story is short, you feel the entire history of these characters with the little time we have with them. Darlene herself is worth every moment of this story, and anyone will fall in love with her and her tenacity.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new twist to a classic slasher trope? Sign-me up! While I’m not sure what I was expecting, the colorful cast of characters helped boost this short story to 3.5⭐️ (rounded up)

The story opens in a very classic slasher way - the predator hunting the prey as they run through a bumpy landscape attempting to find help. It’s here that the metaphors of predator and prey are first introduced and will later be built upon. But most importantly, we learn that the killer is somehow familiar to their victim.

The rest of the story takes place within a local bar, following Darlene - our blonde, curly haired final girl - and a menagerie of cowboys and bachelorettes. As the bar crowd lingers under neon lights, they are slowly picked off one by one in horrifically gruesome ways. So, who is this killer? And what connection do they have to our locals, if any?

Through flashbacks, we learn more about the events that led Darlene to this night - primarily at the hands of her abusive, long-dead, ex-husband. However, we also catch a glimpse into the secrets our other bar patrons may have when looking at the motives of the killer currently terrorizing them.

Unfortunately, I felt like the story really built in the first half but the reveal of who the killer was… well let’s just say it was on the nose. From there, it felt like an inhuman rush to kill everyone, which took away from the cinematic nature of the story to that point.

Overall, it was an interesting read! The author did a wonderful job of blending slasher elements talked about above while containing the story within one setting. Additionally, the gorey action scenes were written to make you squirm and hold your breath!

🍺 Slasher short story
🍺 Colorful cast
🍺 Pet Opossum
🍺 DV
🍺 He gets what he deserves

Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

[Kalee-BooksAndBlather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really (ahem) fun, slasher horror novel. I loved the descriptions of the honky-tonk bar, the clothing everyone was wearing and the music. It was spot on with all things country. Although the novel is short; the author packed a tremendous amount of character development and narrative. We got to know the back story for all of the main characters in the bar as well as an extensive history of our main character, Darlene.

One-by-One, as the characters began to die off I felt sad that we were losing some of them. In that short amount of time I had grown attached to them and wanted to continue to root for them.

The friendship and protection that was developed between Wanda and Darlene was great. I love strong, female characters.

My only small critique is that a couple of chapters started with bird metaphors. Initially, I didn't realize that the bird was a representation of a character and read it literally as a bird. Once I realized what was going on I recognized it for what it was when it was used in additional chapters. This prevented a smooth transition from chapter to chapter. (Before I'm in a bar. Next chapter I'm outside and bird activity is being discussed.) I wished the editor had removed this and immediately returned us to the action of the characters.

As a whole, this was a really good book. Well worth the purchase and it deserves a permanent place on a horror book shelf. I think this book breaks ground for more Western horror. I tip my hat to you Ms. Grace. #TeamLevi

[Adrian Disher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neon Moon had a premise that immediately grabbed my attention. A slasher set almost entirely inside a bar with a protagonist forced to confront the ghosts of an abusive past sounded like it had the potential to be tense, emotional and atmospheric.

Unfortunately, it just never came together for me.

The setting is interesting, and I didn’t mind Darlene as the main character, but I never really connected with the rest of the cast. Characters are introduced, given small pieces of backstory and then quickly dispatched before I ever felt invested in them. As a result, the deaths didn’t have much emotional impact, despite some of them being incredibly brutal.

The gore certainly isn’t toned down, but I found it relied more on shock value than building suspense or tension. The mystery also felt fairly predictable, so the reveal didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.

There are definitely good ideas here, and I can understand why this novella has found its audience. The contained setting and central concept are both strong and I never found it badly written. It simply didn’t deliver the emotional investment or tension I was looking for.

A disappointing read for me personally, but one that I can still see appealing to readers who enjoy fast-paced, gore-heavy slashers

[GJO AND PUPS · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I knew I had to read this as soon as NetGalley approved me. How could I resist a saloon, live music, an opossum in a cowboy hat, and a hatchet-wielding maniac?

Darlene is our bartender, and she’s really going through it. It’s been a year since her abusive husband’s death, and she’s trying to keep it together while serving a hen party and managing a live band. But their night is violently interrupted by a Leatherface like killer. However. Darlene is done cowering...


The fast pace of the story perfectly amplifies the manic chaos and the characters’ desperate fight for survival. There’s barely a moment to breathe as the gory massacre unfolds.

Despite its short length, the author brilliantly captures the claustrophobic, drunken atmosphere of the Teegarden Saloon and the bloody pulp splattering its walls. "Denim and fringe fold into one another like a patchwork quilt of fabric and skin.”

The writing feels almost poetic at times, evoking just enough emotion to form real, if fleeting, attachments to the characters.
I read this in one sitting, and it absolutely did not disappoint!

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a yeehaw and a hell yeah love a good contained horror setup, and Neon Moon by Grace R. Reynolds absolutely delivers on that front.

Darlene Boone is already the kind of character I root for. She’s not starting from zero, she’s clawing her way back after surviving an abusive past, and that history sits with her in a way that actually matters once everything goes sideways. When the violence hits, it’s not just about staying alive, it’s about refusing to be powerless again.

And this book does not ease you in. The second that axe shows up, it’s chaos. A packed honky tonk, nowhere to run, and whatever you can grab becomes a weapon. I could feel how tight and loud and out of control everything was. It has that gritty, dive bar energy where you know no one is coming to save you. Reynolds described it so well you can smell the alcohol, the sweat, the testosterone.

Darlene is the heart of this. She’s scared, but she’s done letting fear make her small, and that shift is what kept me locked in. I love a final girl who fights back, and this one earns it.

That said, it’s fast. Like blink-and-you-missed-something fast. Some of the side characters didn’t fully stick for me, but honestly, that almost adds to the panic of it all. People blur when survival is the only thing that matters.

This is a quick, brutal, neon-lit slasher with just enough emotional weight to make it hit harder than expected. If you like your horror intense, contained, and fueled by pure survival instinct, this one works.

[Janet Halsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Teagarden Salon is an off-the-beaten-path bar in the middle-of-nowhere Texas. Darlene has worked at the Teagarden for about a year and tonight is one of the busiest nights in history. Dealing with the drunk bachelorette party, the local drunks, and keeping her boss Wanda happy, the last thing she’s expecting is an axe-wielding murderer. As the body count stacks up, it’s a race against time to survive the night.

Neon Moon by Grace R. Reynolds is a short novella full of murder and mayhem. I read it in one sitting and loved the fast pacing of present day in contrast to the slow reveal of the past events that led Darlene up to the current situation. This is definitely a pop-corn thriller full of brutal murders. The plot is not super original but it’s still a fun time. Plus, Levi the possum lives (not a spoiler, it’s in the author’s note at the beginning of the book). Highly recommend for a quick read to get your axe-wielding murdered fix.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Neon Moon by Grace R. Reynolds.