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Slasher Season #1
The Summer Fun Massacre
Surviving the massacre is just the beginning in this razor-sharp take on the summer camp slasher from horror master Craig DiLouie.
SUMMER 1983. A blood-soaked summer camp counselor is found staggering down a country road. The sole survivor of a horrific massacre, Mary tells a nightmare of a masked maniac wielding an old skinning knife. Arriving too late to help, her boyfriend Tom Bailey is plagued by guilt.
SUMMER 1992. The camp reopens as Camp Summer Fun. Now a sheriff’s deputy, Tom doubts this is a good idea, but the camp has been refurbished, the counselors hired, and the little campers are on the way. Responding to reports of a blood-curdling howl near the camp, he again arrives too late to save anyone except a single brutalized teen. The killer nowhere to be found.
Hoping to catch the killer and finally right his mistakes, Tom reconnects with Mary. She's convinced that the killer is not human but instead a rural legend known as the Hungry Hare.
The sheriff wants the case closed, but refuses to believe in folklore. Mary dreams of revenge for her friends. And Tom hunts for any traces of the real or fictional. But the murderer could be closer to home than anyone expects.
The Hare is coming and is so, so hungry…
SUMMER 1983. A blood-soaked summer camp counselor is found staggering down a country road. The sole survivor of a horrific massacre, Mary tells a nightmare of a masked maniac wielding an old skinning knife. Arriving too late to help, her boyfriend Tom Bailey is plagued by guilt.
SUMMER 1992. The camp reopens as Camp Summer Fun. Now a sheriff’s deputy, Tom doubts this is a good idea, but the camp has been refurbished, the counselors hired, and the little campers are on the way. Responding to reports of a blood-curdling howl near the camp, he again arrives too late to save anyone except a single brutalized teen. The killer nowhere to be found.
Hoping to catch the killer and finally right his mistakes, Tom reconnects with Mary. She's convinced that the killer is not human but instead a rural legend known as the Hungry Hare.
The sheriff wants the case closed, but refuses to believe in folklore. Mary dreams of revenge for her friends. And Tom hunts for any traces of the real or fictional. But the murderer could be closer to home than anyone expects.
The Hare is coming and is so, so hungry…
Audible Audio
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Craig DiLouie
66 books1,639 followersCraig DiLouie is an author of popular thriller, apocalyptic/horror, and sci-fi/fantasy fiction.
In hundreds of reviews, Craig’s novels have been praised for their strong characters, action, and gritty realism. Each book promises an exciting experience with people you’ll care about in a world that feels real.
These works have been nominated for major literary awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award, translated into multiple languages, and optioned for film. He is a member of the HWA, International Thriller Writers, and IFWA.
In hundreds of reviews, Craig’s novels have been praised for their strong characters, action, and gritty realism. Each book promises an exciting experience with people you’ll care about in a world that feels real.
These works have been nominated for major literary awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award, translated into multiple languages, and optioned for film. He is a member of the HWA, International Thriller Writers, and IFWA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
June 22, 2026
**2.5-stars rounded up**
The Summer Fun Massacre features a unique take on the Tradition Slasher. In this book, we follow the police officer who arrives on the scene too late to prevent a tragedy.
For Tom, our MC, this kind of tragedy has struck twice in his life. Once in 1983, when the girl he was dating, Mary, ended up the final girl in a brutal Summer Camp slaying, and again in 1992, when another massacre occurs after the camp reopens. Tom is the 1st-officer responding to the scene.
That's pretty much all the massacre you're gonna get, the aftermath. We follow Tom in the days following as he deals with his complex emotions on both crimes and tries to solve them before they happen again.
I don't know, y'all. I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, I feel like I am generously rounding up. I found it slow and boring; not a good match for my tastes, especially considering what I was expecting.
I wanted Summer Camp vibes and the massacre to be on page. Not a Summer Camp, named Summer Fun, that plays only a peripheral role in the story. I received zero 'camp' from this, and I'm salty about it.
I'm rounding up to 3-stars, not because I enjoyed the book, but because I believe others could. The writing is fluid, and Tom is well-developed as a character.
Even though I'm disappointed by the trajectory of the narrative overall, I do appreciate what DiLouie was doing here, switching up the perspective of a Traditional Slasher. I think that was a risk, and if he was comfortable going for it, I'm gonna support that.
I think that idea, to explore a different angle, and bring something new to the subgenre is a great idea, just for me, the content was dull as dirt.
At the end of the day, it lacked the fun and excitement I was looking for, and I feel like the title, though in a way, what the book is about, is sort of misleading. Fun was not had in my experience, and I needed more massacre as well.
With all this being said, just because this wasn't necessarily my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't work for you. I can be a picky-B, so take what I say with a grain of salt. If this sounds interesting to you, give it go. You could be finding a new favorite.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Run For It, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
Even though this wasn't a win for me, could I be convinced to read the sequel? Yeah, most likely. Yes.
The Summer Fun Massacre features a unique take on the Tradition Slasher. In this book, we follow the police officer who arrives on the scene too late to prevent a tragedy.
For Tom, our MC, this kind of tragedy has struck twice in his life. Once in 1983, when the girl he was dating, Mary, ended up the final girl in a brutal Summer Camp slaying, and again in 1992, when another massacre occurs after the camp reopens. Tom is the 1st-officer responding to the scene.
That's pretty much all the massacre you're gonna get, the aftermath. We follow Tom in the days following as he deals with his complex emotions on both crimes and tries to solve them before they happen again.
I don't know, y'all. I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, I feel like I am generously rounding up. I found it slow and boring; not a good match for my tastes, especially considering what I was expecting.
I wanted Summer Camp vibes and the massacre to be on page. Not a Summer Camp, named Summer Fun, that plays only a peripheral role in the story. I received zero 'camp' from this, and I'm salty about it.
I'm rounding up to 3-stars, not because I enjoyed the book, but because I believe others could. The writing is fluid, and Tom is well-developed as a character.
Even though I'm disappointed by the trajectory of the narrative overall, I do appreciate what DiLouie was doing here, switching up the perspective of a Traditional Slasher. I think that was a risk, and if he was comfortable going for it, I'm gonna support that.
I think that idea, to explore a different angle, and bring something new to the subgenre is a great idea, just for me, the content was dull as dirt.
At the end of the day, it lacked the fun and excitement I was looking for, and I feel like the title, though in a way, what the book is about, is sort of misleading. Fun was not had in my experience, and I needed more massacre as well.
With all this being said, just because this wasn't necessarily my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't work for you. I can be a picky-B, so take what I say with a grain of salt. If this sounds interesting to you, give it go. You could be finding a new favorite.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Run For It, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
Even though this wasn't a win for me, could I be convinced to read the sequel? Yeah, most likely. Yes.
Did Not Finish
June 16, 2026dnf @ 39%
i loved the other book i read from this author, but this is another case of false advertising. i wanted a camp slasher, not a crime centric police procedural. i’m not in the mood for that type of story, so im calling it here.
— thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i loved the other book i read from this author, but this is another case of false advertising. i wanted a camp slasher, not a crime centric police procedural. i’m not in the mood for that type of story, so im calling it here.
— thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
STARRED review in the May 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/05...
Three Words That Describe This Book: slasher w/new perspective, folk horror, duology
Honors the tradition and everything that is good about the summer camp slasher of the 90s (it is set in 1992 with flashbacks to 1983) but adds an important twist-- instead of being from the POV of the final girl (girls here because we have Mary from the 1983 massacre and Laura from 1992) it is from the deputy's point of view.
Let's examine this-- I loved what DiLouie did here. His last two books were with a similar idea. He took the cursed film and the cursed band tropes (in back to back books) and tried to make them fresh and new. He succeeded to a point. I liked them. But I did not love them. They were solid entries into the subgenres but they did not move the subgenre forward as a whole.
Here I am happy to report, DiLouie does just that. By taking the well trod summer camp/folk horror final girl slasher of the 80s and 90s and telling ti all from the perspective of the bumbling deputy-- the guy who always doesn't believe the girl, the guy who ignores the warnings and causes the disaster, etc... and gives him the voice and makes him involved in both the 1983 (as Mary's boyfriend) and 1992 (as the cop who finds the massacre victims and Laura), DiLouie has broadened the subgenre.
By having this book be about 2 massacres att he same camp it is also paying homage to the fact that this subgenre is ruled by sequels.
And, there is a folk horror reason here-- The Hungry Hare-- and rules behind how the massacres happen that enhance the story as well.
Finally, readers are promised that this is a dualogy and the second book is coming later this year!
I was very impressed and entertained like with Final Girl Support Group by Hendrix or I Was a Teenaged Slasher by SGJ-- books that honor what is best about the slasher trope but alter the perspective and to add something new and exciting that enhances every book in the subgenre. All three of these titles are written by people who know this subgenre backwards and forward, the stories are written with expertise and love with a commitment to giving readers something entertaining and new.
The SGJ comp is the best one because there are some supernatural things at work here, things that have rules, rules that make sense to fans of the slasher. But also, if you are new to the subgenre, this books is enjoyable and full on its own.
Also Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Fracassi
The nods to Scream and Friday the 13th are clear here as well.
Three Words That Describe This Book: slasher w/new perspective, folk horror, duology
Honors the tradition and everything that is good about the summer camp slasher of the 90s (it is set in 1992 with flashbacks to 1983) but adds an important twist-- instead of being from the POV of the final girl (girls here because we have Mary from the 1983 massacre and Laura from 1992) it is from the deputy's point of view.
Let's examine this-- I loved what DiLouie did here. His last two books were with a similar idea. He took the cursed film and the cursed band tropes (in back to back books) and tried to make them fresh and new. He succeeded to a point. I liked them. But I did not love them. They were solid entries into the subgenres but they did not move the subgenre forward as a whole.
Here I am happy to report, DiLouie does just that. By taking the well trod summer camp/folk horror final girl slasher of the 80s and 90s and telling ti all from the perspective of the bumbling deputy-- the guy who always doesn't believe the girl, the guy who ignores the warnings and causes the disaster, etc... and gives him the voice and makes him involved in both the 1983 (as Mary's boyfriend) and 1992 (as the cop who finds the massacre victims and Laura), DiLouie has broadened the subgenre.
By having this book be about 2 massacres att he same camp it is also paying homage to the fact that this subgenre is ruled by sequels.
And, there is a folk horror reason here-- The Hungry Hare-- and rules behind how the massacres happen that enhance the story as well.
Finally, readers are promised that this is a dualogy and the second book is coming later this year!
I was very impressed and entertained like with Final Girl Support Group by Hendrix or I Was a Teenaged Slasher by SGJ-- books that honor what is best about the slasher trope but alter the perspective and to add something new and exciting that enhances every book in the subgenre. All three of these titles are written by people who know this subgenre backwards and forward, the stories are written with expertise and love with a commitment to giving readers something entertaining and new.
The SGJ comp is the best one because there are some supernatural things at work here, things that have rules, rules that make sense to fans of the slasher. But also, if you are new to the subgenre, this books is enjoyable and full on its own.
Also Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Fracassi
The nods to Scream and Friday the 13th are clear here as well.
June 18, 2026
Not exactly what I was expecting, I was expecting straight 80's style slasher but it was more like 'Friday the 13th' combined with a police procedural. Don't get more it was still enjoyable. The one main problem I had was that the plot seemed to rely on the constant bullying by several of the main characters and the abject naivete of others, if I was reading this traditionally and hadn't been listening on Audible, I probably would have dnf'd instead of completing it, glad I finished it after all.
April 17, 2026
I went in thinking I was going to be reading a book about a Summer Camp gone wrong which it was, but I was thinking it was going to focus more on the camp activities and the horror of the camp. Bummer! I was thirsty for a good old fashion 80’s horror camp thriller! This one is more of a police detective book and the workings of the small town. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a tremendous amount of horror and disgust! But I wanted a little lightness and fun mixed in. There were way to many characters and just to much heaviness.
The book opens up with your typical one survivor and the sheriff to the rescue. There are a few chapters of gore and horror. But then it all goes down hill. It becomes small town politics, mayhem, police procedure and then the sex and romance breaks out! Like why?
I just find the book cover, the blurb and the whole story to be very deceiving! If you are looking for a true horror book this one you want to skip. I found myself not wanting to finish it, but I’m not one to DNF a book and I did want to find out who the red herring was!
THANK YOU NET GALLEY for an ARC COPY of this book. All opinions remain my own.
The book opens up with your typical one survivor and the sheriff to the rescue. There are a few chapters of gore and horror. But then it all goes down hill. It becomes small town politics, mayhem, police procedure and then the sex and romance breaks out! Like why?
I just find the book cover, the blurb and the whole story to be very deceiving! If you are looking for a true horror book this one you want to skip. I found myself not wanting to finish it, but I’m not one to DNF a book and I did want to find out who the red herring was!
THANK YOU NET GALLEY for an ARC COPY of this book. All opinions remain my own.
April 24, 2026
The Summer Fun Massacre isn’t your typical slasher story. It picks up after the massacre has ended, with the final girl as the only survivor. Now, the small-town sheriff’s department has to figure out who the killer is. This isn’t the first time this small town has dealt with a massacre. In the summer of 1983, a young woman named Mary was found covered in blood, walking alone down a dirt road. She was the only survivor and claimed a masked killer with a skinning knife was behind it. Her boyfriend at the time, Tom Bailey, is now a sheriff’s deputy working on the new case. Mary thinks the same killer is behind both massacres, and she believes it isn’t human, but a rural legend called the Hungry Hare.
I really liked how this book blended slasher horror with a police investigation. The pacing kept me hooked, and I ended up staying up late just to read one more chapter and look for the next clue. The POV of the small-town sheriff who had never handled an investigation this big made Tom an unreliable narrator, and I enjoyed trying to see whether the clues he discovered would lead to anything other than a dead end. The conclusion left me with unanswered questions that I am hoping will be answered in the sequel.
If you enjoy police procedurals and slasher horror with supernatural elements, I recommend this book.
The Summer Fun Massacre is out June 16th.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the opportunity to review The Summer Fun Massacre. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really liked how this book blended slasher horror with a police investigation. The pacing kept me hooked, and I ended up staying up late just to read one more chapter and look for the next clue. The POV of the small-town sheriff who had never handled an investigation this big made Tom an unreliable narrator, and I enjoyed trying to see whether the clues he discovered would lead to anything other than a dead end. The conclusion left me with unanswered questions that I am hoping will be answered in the sequel.
If you enjoy police procedurals and slasher horror with supernatural elements, I recommend this book.
The Summer Fun Massacre is out June 16th.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the opportunity to review The Summer Fun Massacre. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 14, 2026
A series of mass murders dating back to the 1940s, but is the killer even human? I loved this book. Slashers are my favorite and this really did not disappoint. The gore factor was definitely there. And I’m so excited to see there will be a sequel because I needed more when I finished this.
Thank you to NetGalley for this awesome arc!
Thank you to NetGalley for this awesome arc!
Did Not Finish
May 6, 2026Sadly, the title and synopsis led me astray on this one. While the book does throw you right into the slasher action, don’t let that fool you. This is not the campy, fun horror romp I was expecting.
The story quickly pivots to focus on the police investigation, making it much more of a procedural than a slasher. For readers who love that style, this might actually be a great fit. It just wasn’t what I was looking or hoping for personally.
I think this book absolutely has its audience. It just isn’t me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
The story quickly pivots to focus on the police investigation, making it much more of a procedural than a slasher. For readers who love that style, this might actually be a great fit. It just wasn’t what I was looking or hoping for personally.
I think this book absolutely has its audience. It just isn’t me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
June 2, 2026
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.
if you’re looking for a campy summer slasher, perhaps look elsewhere. this was 90% (boring) police procedural following the drama and politics of a small county sheriff’s office and 10% (honestly probably less than that) classic slasher.
i also was hoping for more of the folklore horror/mythical being aspect to be explored. i think that could have been such an interesting and fun aspect of this story, but it felt kind of pushed to the side and not as well developed as you would expect.
i did not like any of the characters. while tom was trying to do well in his own mind, a lot his actions and inner monologue just had me cringing. he was not a compelling main character, nor was he very likable. there is nothing wrong with unlikable protagonists (i honestly love to read about them), but tom was just boring and i found myself not caring at all.
the rest of the main cast is pretty much all police officers, and quite a lot of them. they were very similar in their descriptions and personality traits, so i had a difficult time keeping track of who was who.
also the women in this were very clearly written by a man and quite frankly, it gave me the ick. it felt like the women were very one dimensional and i did not like the way one of the female characters was handled at the end of this. on a similar note, the random sec scene was??? out of place and just odd and not needed?
i will say this was very easy to read and i flew through it in only a handful of sittings. i thought this had the bones of a good summer horror book, but the execution fell completely flat.
if you’re looking for a campy summer slasher, perhaps look elsewhere. this was 90% (boring) police procedural following the drama and politics of a small county sheriff’s office and 10% (honestly probably less than that) classic slasher.
i also was hoping for more of the folklore horror/mythical being aspect to be explored. i think that could have been such an interesting and fun aspect of this story, but it felt kind of pushed to the side and not as well developed as you would expect.
i did not like any of the characters. while tom was trying to do well in his own mind, a lot his actions and inner monologue just had me cringing. he was not a compelling main character, nor was he very likable. there is nothing wrong with unlikable protagonists (i honestly love to read about them), but tom was just boring and i found myself not caring at all.
the rest of the main cast is pretty much all police officers, and quite a lot of them. they were very similar in their descriptions and personality traits, so i had a difficult time keeping track of who was who.
also the women in this were very clearly written by a man and quite frankly, it gave me the ick. it felt like the women were very one dimensional and i did not like the way one of the female characters was handled at the end of this. on a similar note, the random sec scene was??? out of place and just odd and not needed?
i will say this was very easy to read and i flew through it in only a handful of sittings. i thought this had the bones of a good summer horror book, but the execution fell completely flat.
May 11, 2026
I received an early copy from netgalley
I loved this book! It’s the story about a massacre that takes place in a summer camp. It then follows our main character, Tom, trying to figure out what’s going on in this small town and who the killer is. The more Tom discovers, the more he realizes that there’s more to this town than meets the eye. Meanwhile, the sheriff wants to close the case as fast as possible, even if they might not have the right suspects.
This novel is a great mix between horror and mystery. It starts off with a bang with all the horror possible. It then slowly turns into a mystery where Tom is trying to figure out what’s going on. It weaves in the horror elements expertly throughout. Though the pacing slows down to follow a mystery format, it’s never slow nor boring.
The last 20% of this book has you following Tom struggling to figure out what’s going on with an action pact ending. I thought this story was perfectly paced and flowed well. Though I know from very early on what was going on, it was fun to read Tom come to his own conclusions.
I would highly recommend this book.
I loved this book! It’s the story about a massacre that takes place in a summer camp. It then follows our main character, Tom, trying to figure out what’s going on in this small town and who the killer is. The more Tom discovers, the more he realizes that there’s more to this town than meets the eye. Meanwhile, the sheriff wants to close the case as fast as possible, even if they might not have the right suspects.
This novel is a great mix between horror and mystery. It starts off with a bang with all the horror possible. It then slowly turns into a mystery where Tom is trying to figure out what’s going on. It weaves in the horror elements expertly throughout. Though the pacing slows down to follow a mystery format, it’s never slow nor boring.
The last 20% of this book has you following Tom struggling to figure out what’s going on with an action pact ending. I thought this story was perfectly paced and flowed well. Though I know from very early on what was going on, it was fun to read Tom come to his own conclusions.
I would highly recommend this book.
April 13, 2026
ARC copy review , not offered anything for my opinion
This book brings out “Camp slasher” and “creed falls massacre” vibes to start with, a true “80s slasher” that gives you Friday the 13th vibes. We open with a bloody scene, not the first time for our host city. A town of lies and folk lore, we start strong but lose our momentum. Shortly after our slasher scene we are in a whoddunit, but laced with bad cops and history of lies and corruption. There is a large section mid book that moved so slow it’s almost hard to continue.
Once the culprit starts to show itself we twist and turn thinking we figured it out, but really did we?
A good story of folk lore and starts strong with our slasher, but momentum lost in the bureaucracy of politics.
I definitely want to read part 2 that is teased about at the end of the novel just to see what happens next.
This book brings out “Camp slasher” and “creed falls massacre” vibes to start with, a true “80s slasher” that gives you Friday the 13th vibes. We open with a bloody scene, not the first time for our host city. A town of lies and folk lore, we start strong but lose our momentum. Shortly after our slasher scene we are in a whoddunit, but laced with bad cops and history of lies and corruption. There is a large section mid book that moved so slow it’s almost hard to continue.
Once the culprit starts to show itself we twist and turn thinking we figured it out, but really did we?
A good story of folk lore and starts strong with our slasher, but momentum lost in the bureaucracy of politics.
I definitely want to read part 2 that is teased about at the end of the novel just to see what happens next.
June 19, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ This story had so much going for it. Interesting plot, creepy/gory scenes, and a solid police investigation. It was dark and unsettling. Just the last 30 pages…nope, didn’t buy it…the plot twist was meh. Overall, very entertaining and I’d be willing to read the next in the series.
May 22, 2026
3.85 ✨review coming soon.
June 20, 2026
5⭐️ | 4🔪
First book that I’m reading by Craig DiLouie and certainly won’t be my last. He seems to know exactly what makes a summer camp slasher work, then finds a way to make it feel new. The Summer Fun Massacre is brutal, intelligent, and surprisingly character-driven, with a unique point of view that gives the story real emotional weight.
I loved the blend of slasher tradition, folk horror, small-town rot, and slow-burn dread. By the time the book reaches its wild final act, it feels both outrageous and completely earned.
A bloody, smart, deeply entertaining horror novel. 🐰
First book that I’m reading by Craig DiLouie and certainly won’t be my last. He seems to know exactly what makes a summer camp slasher work, then finds a way to make it feel new. The Summer Fun Massacre is brutal, intelligent, and surprisingly character-driven, with a unique point of view that gives the story real emotional weight.
I loved the blend of slasher tradition, folk horror, small-town rot, and slow-burn dread. By the time the book reaches its wild final act, it feels both outrageous and completely earned.
A bloody, smart, deeply entertaining horror novel. 🐰
March 8, 2026
I do love a good slasher! And this book certainly fit the bill. There was enough ambiguity that even though you think you know what’s happening & who did it, the rug is pulled right out from under you. I appreciated that the story didn’t go where I expected. Having a narrator that’s trying to solve the crime alongside the reader means that the case does have a long, winding, unpredictable streak.
What I liked too is that every character, including the protagonist Tom, have flaws. Big, contradicting flaws & that helps humanize each character & hides their true motivations until the end. And even with Tom investigating, he too has blinders on sometimes & only sees what he wants to see.
The violence in this book is not for the squeamish but that’s typical for a slasher tale. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Thank you to Edelweiss & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked too is that every character, including the protagonist Tom, have flaws. Big, contradicting flaws & that helps humanize each character & hides their true motivations until the end. And even with Tom investigating, he too has blinders on sometimes & only sees what he wants to see.
The violence in this book is not for the squeamish but that’s typical for a slasher tale. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Thank you to Edelweiss & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2026
Fun, easy summer read. I was hoping for more of a slasher than cop procedural but it was still good. I’m intrigued enough to read the sequel and see where the rest of the story goes.
I received a free advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
May 21, 2026*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this one!*
Of all the subgenres of Horror and Dark Fiction, one of my least favorites is the slasher. I’m not sure why, it’s just never been one I’ve enjoyed, and that even extends to movies. A lot of the lauded slasher films of the 80s that are considered horror classics today didn’t grab my attention back then and even now, I’m kind of meh about them.
Saying that, there’s always been a few that have managed to break through my hardened exterior and though I typically stay away from reading slasher books, when one of your favorite authors has a slasher horror novel coming out, you take a chance with it, hoping their steady hand will break through that previously mentioned exterior.
DiLouie’s writing has always connected with me, and he’s written three of my all-time favorite books. ‘Suffer the Children’ and ‘One of US’ are masterpieces, but it’s the third book of those three that had me take a chance on this slasher. ‘Episode Thirteen’ was a revelation, and as a reader who dislikes most mixed media/epistolary stories, DiLouie managed to take those aspects and transform them into a book I absolutely loved. So, with that in mind, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give this one a chance.
What I liked: The novel throws us into the deep end immediately. 1992. Summer Camp. And teen campers are being slaughtered. Tom, a local police officer, was just there, and found nothing from the initial call. When a second call is made, he thinks somethings up and returns, finding chaos, carnage and a sole survivor – Laura. Shades of a similar summer camp massacre in 1982 come racing back and when Laura tells him that a man wearing a rabbit head mask was behind it, he knows somethings up.
From there, DiLouie showcases the struggle that Tom goes through internally and externally. On one hand, his former girlfriend, Mary, was the lone survivor of the ’82 murders. Since then, she’s lived on the periphery of society, angry that the police didn’t help her back then. That event was his kick in the pants to become a police officer. He doesn’t believe the rumors of ‘The Hungry Hare’ that surround the town. Suggesting that a huge rabbit lurks in the woods and kills those who sing his rhyme. Though that’s who both Mary and Laura claim was behind the murders. His boss – and fellow officers, a rag tag mix of members – all want to wrap things up in a neat bow, there’s an election coming after all, but Tom doesn’t see how the man they’ve targeted as the suspect was the one who did it. But looking deeper into the clues only gets him in trouble from all ends.
Tom’s battle between what feels right and what he should be doing as an officer becomes the major narrative for the majority of the novel. DiLouie uses it perfectly to force the reader to ask themselves what they’d do in a similar situation.
The final quarter of the novel is pure cinematic glee. We get twists, turns, reveals, acceptance and resolution. DiLouie even manages to pack in some unseen backstory twists that add a layer of craziness, while also pushing Tom further in one direction, before he needs to head back in the other. It makes the ending a very solid, complicated affair where we learn some truths while also coming to grips with the ‘why.’
What I didn’t like: I don’t think this is spoilery, but for me, I wished there was significantly more about The Hungry Hare. It felt like it was going to be a major part of the novel itself but felt minimal overall. That could be explained, or expanded upon in the sequel coming later this year, but as a singular novel, I just wanted much, much more.
Why you should buy this: If you love slasher novels/movies, this one will be right up your alley. If you enjoy police procedurals, this also ticks all those boxes. And if you love layered, twisty novels that make you second guess everything every few chapters, this one’s perfect for you. DiLouie has delivered another fantastic novel, one filled with fun, gore and difficult decisions, which has become a bit of his trademark it seems.
And once again, he’s managed to make this jaded reader enjoy a book he wasn’t so sure about. Well done, Craig.
Of all the subgenres of Horror and Dark Fiction, one of my least favorites is the slasher. I’m not sure why, it’s just never been one I’ve enjoyed, and that even extends to movies. A lot of the lauded slasher films of the 80s that are considered horror classics today didn’t grab my attention back then and even now, I’m kind of meh about them.
Saying that, there’s always been a few that have managed to break through my hardened exterior and though I typically stay away from reading slasher books, when one of your favorite authors has a slasher horror novel coming out, you take a chance with it, hoping their steady hand will break through that previously mentioned exterior.
DiLouie’s writing has always connected with me, and he’s written three of my all-time favorite books. ‘Suffer the Children’ and ‘One of US’ are masterpieces, but it’s the third book of those three that had me take a chance on this slasher. ‘Episode Thirteen’ was a revelation, and as a reader who dislikes most mixed media/epistolary stories, DiLouie managed to take those aspects and transform them into a book I absolutely loved. So, with that in mind, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give this one a chance.
What I liked: The novel throws us into the deep end immediately. 1992. Summer Camp. And teen campers are being slaughtered. Tom, a local police officer, was just there, and found nothing from the initial call. When a second call is made, he thinks somethings up and returns, finding chaos, carnage and a sole survivor – Laura. Shades of a similar summer camp massacre in 1982 come racing back and when Laura tells him that a man wearing a rabbit head mask was behind it, he knows somethings up.
From there, DiLouie showcases the struggle that Tom goes through internally and externally. On one hand, his former girlfriend, Mary, was the lone survivor of the ’82 murders. Since then, she’s lived on the periphery of society, angry that the police didn’t help her back then. That event was his kick in the pants to become a police officer. He doesn’t believe the rumors of ‘The Hungry Hare’ that surround the town. Suggesting that a huge rabbit lurks in the woods and kills those who sing his rhyme. Though that’s who both Mary and Laura claim was behind the murders. His boss – and fellow officers, a rag tag mix of members – all want to wrap things up in a neat bow, there’s an election coming after all, but Tom doesn’t see how the man they’ve targeted as the suspect was the one who did it. But looking deeper into the clues only gets him in trouble from all ends.
Tom’s battle between what feels right and what he should be doing as an officer becomes the major narrative for the majority of the novel. DiLouie uses it perfectly to force the reader to ask themselves what they’d do in a similar situation.
The final quarter of the novel is pure cinematic glee. We get twists, turns, reveals, acceptance and resolution. DiLouie even manages to pack in some unseen backstory twists that add a layer of craziness, while also pushing Tom further in one direction, before he needs to head back in the other. It makes the ending a very solid, complicated affair where we learn some truths while also coming to grips with the ‘why.’
What I didn’t like: I don’t think this is spoilery, but for me, I wished there was significantly more about The Hungry Hare. It felt like it was going to be a major part of the novel itself but felt minimal overall. That could be explained, or expanded upon in the sequel coming later this year, but as a singular novel, I just wanted much, much more.
Why you should buy this: If you love slasher novels/movies, this one will be right up your alley. If you enjoy police procedurals, this also ticks all those boxes. And if you love layered, twisty novels that make you second guess everything every few chapters, this one’s perfect for you. DiLouie has delivered another fantastic novel, one filled with fun, gore and difficult decisions, which has become a bit of his trademark it seems.
And once again, he’s managed to make this jaded reader enjoy a book he wasn’t so sure about. Well done, Craig.
June 22, 2026
Thank you to the publisher, @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for the digital ARC of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞 by 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘦 🙌
Whispering Woods Park, 1983. A horrific massacre occurs at summer camp and there is only one survivor, a camp counselor named Mary. She reports a crazed maniac in a hare mask yielding an old skinning knife. The camp gets shut down, but nine years later the camp reopens as Summer Fun Camp and another massacre occurs, again with only a single survivor. The sheriffs deputy, Tom, wants to catch the killer and shut the case closed for good, so he reconnects with Mary, the original sole survivor. As Tom hunts for the killer, Mary seeks revenge, and the Hungry Hare ends up being closer to home than anyone really expected.
——-
Now, I’m generally not a huge slasher fan unless it involves Halloween or summer camps. So naturally…I had to give this one a go! It started off really good. But then…. It just didn’t work for me. I was expecting more camp… it was more about the town police. And from the viewpoint of our main deputy rather than the final girls POV, which was not a bad thing, just different.
My other disappointment was in the teasing of the folklore involving The Hungry Hare, and then not delivering any actual information or backstory on it. And the final reveal was pretty lack luster.
If you like gore and blood, well then there are some pretty good descriptions you may like, but for me the whole experience was unfortunately kind of a miss.
Giving this one 2.75 ⭐️⭐️.
Whispering Woods Park, 1983. A horrific massacre occurs at summer camp and there is only one survivor, a camp counselor named Mary. She reports a crazed maniac in a hare mask yielding an old skinning knife. The camp gets shut down, but nine years later the camp reopens as Summer Fun Camp and another massacre occurs, again with only a single survivor. The sheriffs deputy, Tom, wants to catch the killer and shut the case closed for good, so he reconnects with Mary, the original sole survivor. As Tom hunts for the killer, Mary seeks revenge, and the Hungry Hare ends up being closer to home than anyone really expected.
——-
Now, I’m generally not a huge slasher fan unless it involves Halloween or summer camps. So naturally…I had to give this one a go! It started off really good. But then…. It just didn’t work for me. I was expecting more camp… it was more about the town police. And from the viewpoint of our main deputy rather than the final girls POV, which was not a bad thing, just different.
My other disappointment was in the teasing of the folklore involving The Hungry Hare, and then not delivering any actual information or backstory on it. And the final reveal was pretty lack luster.
If you like gore and blood, well then there are some pretty good descriptions you may like, but for me the whole experience was unfortunately kind of a miss.
Giving this one 2.75 ⭐️⭐️.
June 16, 2026
3.5/4
As your self-proclaimed slasher final girl, I was immediately intrigued by this one.
What really caught my attention was that the story picks up after the massacre—not just once, but twice—and I honestly loved that twist on the classic camp slasher.
Going in, I expected a little more straight up horror, but this leaned heavily into police procedural territory, department politics, and investigating what really happened. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different than I anticipated.
Then we randomly have people hooking up in the woods and I was left wondering... why? 😒
I was invested enough to keep turning pages, and now I need answers, so yes, I'll absolutely be picking up the sequel.
Years after a brutal summer camp massacre, Deputy Tom Bailey finds himself investigating another bloody attack at the newly reopened Camp Summer Fun. As bodies pile up, rumors of a local legend known as the Hungry Hare begin to blur the line between folklore and reality.
If you enjoy slashers with a supernatural edge, police investigations, small town legends, and camp horror vibes, this one might be for you.
As your self-proclaimed slasher final girl, I was immediately intrigued by this one.
What really caught my attention was that the story picks up after the massacre—not just once, but twice—and I honestly loved that twist on the classic camp slasher.
Going in, I expected a little more straight up horror, but this leaned heavily into police procedural territory, department politics, and investigating what really happened. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different than I anticipated.
Then we randomly have people hooking up in the woods and I was left wondering... why? 😒
I was invested enough to keep turning pages, and now I need answers, so yes, I'll absolutely be picking up the sequel.
Years after a brutal summer camp massacre, Deputy Tom Bailey finds himself investigating another bloody attack at the newly reopened Camp Summer Fun. As bodies pile up, rumors of a local legend known as the Hungry Hare begin to blur the line between folklore and reality.
If you enjoy slashers with a supernatural edge, police investigations, small town legends, and camp horror vibes, this one might be for you.
May 17, 2026
This book was SO GOOD! After my last read, I really needed something that was just fantastic, and Craig DiLouie absolutely hit it out of the park. Grand slam. Home run. LET’S GO! (Can you tell I needed this?)
I honestly think I just absolutely love a solid camp slasher. Really… considering how many movies, books, etc. are out there, I think most of us probably do. However, this one completely topped the camp horror charts for me!
I loved the characters, which, if I’m being honest, doesn’t always happen for me. I could not figure out who the killer was because there was so much surprise and misdirection throughout, and it absolutely delighted me! The storyline had all the classic camp horror vibes we love while still feeling completely original.
The urban legend/folklore twist was so well done that I genuinely want a separate story just about that. Maybe a prequel?!
I’m going to leave it at that… You don’t need more. Just stop what you’re doing and read it.
5 stars.
I honestly think I just absolutely love a solid camp slasher. Really… considering how many movies, books, etc. are out there, I think most of us probably do. However, this one completely topped the camp horror charts for me!
I loved the characters, which, if I’m being honest, doesn’t always happen for me. I could not figure out who the killer was because there was so much surprise and misdirection throughout, and it absolutely delighted me! The storyline had all the classic camp horror vibes we love while still feeling completely original.
The urban legend/folklore twist was so well done that I genuinely want a separate story just about that. Maybe a prequel?!
I’m going to leave it at that… You don’t need more. Just stop what you’re doing and read it.
5 stars.
June 20, 2026
If you love those Crime Podcasts or watch those Netflix Crime Documentaries with the intent of trying to figure things out as if you are the investigator yourself, then you’d enjoy Craig DiLouie’s The Summer Fun Massacre.
Tom is the town’s deputy sheriff, and his girlfriend was the only survivor of the “massacre” from when they were teens at their camp. He arrived too late, and that guilt continued to weigh on him for years. When the camp reopens, and strange things happen—we are talking supernatural and folklore of an entity called the Hungry Hare—he begins to piece things together.
And piece together everything Tom did! There were multiple layers into Tom’s investigation. He went into so many different directions than a typical case due to the supernatural element. The Summer Fun Massacre was a fun read!
Thank you to Orbit Books and Author Craig DiLouie for the #gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tom is the town’s deputy sheriff, and his girlfriend was the only survivor of the “massacre” from when they were teens at their camp. He arrived too late, and that guilt continued to weigh on him for years. When the camp reopens, and strange things happen—we are talking supernatural and folklore of an entity called the Hungry Hare—he begins to piece things together.
And piece together everything Tom did! There were multiple layers into Tom’s investigation. He went into so many different directions than a typical case due to the supernatural element. The Summer Fun Massacre was a fun read!
Thank you to Orbit Books and Author Craig DiLouie for the #gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2026
I have mixed feelings on this one. This wasn’t what I expected when I originally picked this one up to read. I thought this book would heavily theme around a summer camp and have lots of slasher energy. My absolute favorite horror trope! Instead, it was told from the POV of the police investigating the massacre and the summer camp really seems like it’s more of a side note.
Another piece that I struggled with was the killer “unmasking.” We weren’t sure if the killer was one person, multiple people, or some sort of paranormal element. By the end of the book, I’m still not sure. There definitely needs to be more dialogue around the origin story. Since this is volume one, I’m hoping that volume two may contain more explanations. I’ll plan to read the second book, but I’m going to it with different expectations than I did the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!
Another piece that I struggled with was the killer “unmasking.” We weren’t sure if the killer was one person, multiple people, or some sort of paranormal element. By the end of the book, I’m still not sure. There definitely needs to be more dialogue around the origin story. Since this is volume one, I’m hoping that volume two may contain more explanations. I’ll plan to read the second book, but I’m going to it with different expectations than I did the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!
May 27, 2026
This horror novel was such a pleasant surprise for me. The genre can be really hit or miss lately because so many books rely on gore for shock value without actually being scary, but this one genuinely felt like watching a classic horror movie unfold. Yes, it’s gruesome at times, but the graphic details actually add to the atmosphere and fear instead of feeling excessive. The supernatural lore surrounding The Hungry Hare was deeply unsettling and easily the creepiest part of the story for me. I also really liked Tom as a protagonist and found myself fully invested in what happened to him. Between the eerie atmosphere, strong pacing, and twists that kept me guessing, this ended up being a horror read I thoroughly enjoyed. Since this is the start of a duology, I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel as soon as it releases! I highly recommend this read if you’re a fan of classic slashers-but I wouldn’t read it while camping, just be forewarned.
June 19, 2026
Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me an ARC of The Summer Fun Massacre!
The Summer Fun Massacre starts off with a SLAY! & feels like it’s gonna be the perfect slasher read for the summer. Buuuuut a couple chapters later and it stopped itching the horror scratch.
I tend to avoid books with cop main characters, but since I was going in with the mindset that this was a slasher novel (one of my favorite sub-genres & something I can never get enough of), I figured why not give it a try. Besides the opening scene, some descriptions of the massacre & a horrifying mask the killer wears, The Summer Fun Massacre ends up reading more like a thriller than a horror novel.
I didn’t necessarily dislike this book & did find myself interested in how it was gonna end, buuuuut it was disappointing & it’s not a book I’m gonna think about again. If you’re a thriller reader / enjoy police procedural type stories & you go into this without having your hopes set on a slasher, this will probably work waaaaaay better for you.
The Summer Fun Massacre starts off with a SLAY! & feels like it’s gonna be the perfect slasher read for the summer. Buuuuut a couple chapters later and it stopped itching the horror scratch.
I tend to avoid books with cop main characters, but since I was going in with the mindset that this was a slasher novel (one of my favorite sub-genres & something I can never get enough of), I figured why not give it a try. Besides the opening scene, some descriptions of the massacre & a horrifying mask the killer wears, The Summer Fun Massacre ends up reading more like a thriller than a horror novel.
I didn’t necessarily dislike this book & did find myself interested in how it was gonna end, buuuuut it was disappointing & it’s not a book I’m gonna think about again. If you’re a thriller reader / enjoy police procedural type stories & you go into this without having your hopes set on a slasher, this will probably work waaaaaay better for you.
May 27, 2026
The Summer Fun Massacre is a solid atmospheric summer camp slasher. The beginning of the this book really hooked me and then the rest fell sort of flat for me. While the gore and suspense were definitely there, the pacing felt a bit uneven with all of the politics surrounding the police station. I also wish I had known this was a duology, because while the mystery aspect was wrapped up there was no real resolution. Overall, this was a fun, quick read and recommend to anyone who wants a gritty throwback mystery, even if it doesn’t quite reinvent the wheel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
June 13, 2026
This is a different twist to the slasher genre. This story is the POV of the deputy who is investigating the slayings of several people in a small Texas summer camp.
I loved it! I enjoy reading police procedurals so this was a great read for me. The story did have the slasher vibes when we read about the killings and it also had a little horror. 🐰 🔪 🩸
Readers that enjoy crime/mystery books will have an enjoyable read with this one. I will definitely be reading the 2nd book. I love that it’s going to take place during the holidays I imagine from the cover?! Either way I’m ready!
**ARC given by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I loved it! I enjoy reading police procedurals so this was a great read for me. The story did have the slasher vibes when we read about the killings and it also had a little horror. 🐰 🔪 🩸
Readers that enjoy crime/mystery books will have an enjoyable read with this one. I will definitely be reading the 2nd book. I love that it’s going to take place during the holidays I imagine from the cover?! Either way I’m ready!
**ARC given by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 6, 2026
So, if you’re hoping for a summer camp slasher vibe, you might be a bit disappointed. While it definitely evokes 80s slasher vibes, the summer camp setting falls flat early on. This is more about a cop solving a murder that’s just happened, but it’s not the first time this has happened. I thought this book could have been much more. There were so many good elements, but also so many that felt tacked on. It seemed like they were just trying to fill space. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters; you don’t really get much background on the main character. Honestly, the story feels just past YA lines. If you enjoy a dark slasher cop thriller, you should check this out.
June 20, 2026
This book felt like a bait and switch. I thought I was buying a slasher book at a summer camp, except it's really events that happens after and is far less interesting. What the story becomes is just another small town mystery, with frustrating red herrings and a pretty flat ending. It fails to embrace its mythology and becomes very stale during the middle.
This is pretty much how I felt with other books I read by DiLouie, most recently My Ex the Antichrist and Episode 13.
This is pretty much how I felt with other books I read by DiLouie, most recently My Ex the Antichrist and Episode 13.
June 19, 2026
A mystery with very light horror.
June 23, 2026
i don't think this came anywhere near to subverting the "police are useless" horror trope but it did feel like a fresh approach to a slasher story
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