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Clown in a Cornfield #4
Lights! Camera! Frendo!
Not yet published
Expected 18 Aug 26Let the killing continue in Lights! Camera! Frendo! It’s the fourth installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, and this time Frendo goes Hollywood – with all the blood, guts, and mayhem you’d expect from the series that spawned the blockbuster motion picture.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
A meditation on the villains inside us all, it’s the latest installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, Clown in a Cornfield.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
A meditation on the villains inside us all, it’s the latest installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, Clown in a Cornfield.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 18, 2026
About the author
Adam Cesare
70 books2,678 followersAdam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. His books include Clown in a Cornfield, Video Night, The Summer Job, and Zero Lives Remaining. He’s an avid fan of horror cinema and runs Project: Black T-Shirt, a YouTube review show where he takes horror films and pairs them with reading suggestions.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Want to Read
December 1, 2025I’m just going to bookmark my place here. 👀
Want to Read
January 23, 2026It’s absolutely fine for me to wait until August, not a problem at all. Did I mention that it’s okay for me to wait until August? Because I can certainly wait until August.
Want to Read
May 19, 2026ARC received!! Thank you so much, HarperCollins Children's Books. I actually just finished Church of Frendo this past weekend, so I'm so stoked to have the 4th-installment!
Want to Read
January 17, 2026Don't mind me i'm just freaking out
May 20, 2026
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s for my most anticipated ARC of the year! I loved revisiting the characters and carnage we love to see from CIAC. I loved the meta nature of this taking place on a film set covering events of the first book. Adam Cesare has done a fantastic job evolving the series over four books, leaving us sated but ready for more by the end of this one. This is one of my all time favorite horror series.
May 22, 2026
It was so nice to be back in Kettle Springs and to have the focus on that with a few of the familiar faces we've grown to love. It's very clear nobody loves Kettle Springs and these characters more than Adam, and that bleeds through every page, every chapter and every word. While some of the same plotline and motives we've found in the other three books, Adam still has a way of making it feel fresh and inventive. Especially those nasty kills. Man has a way with gore. A mix of the same usual comedy and humor with some really great kills and scares.
I love that this one didn't shy away from the PTSD and grief everyone carries. Even Kettle Springs itself feels so broken and morose. It felt like such a nice companion piece to book three and how Quinn handled the fallout compared to Rust, Cole and Jerri. I did find this one a lot slower than the first three books in the series, but not in a way that dragged but more that there was just a lot of build up. More of a creeping tension waiting for the Big Moment to hit.
I think the only issue I had with was that I didn't connect fully with the new character's because I would have rather spent more time with my old friends. I wish they had been more of the focus than anything else. I also found there was too much on the characters inner thoughts or small info dumps during scenes that took away from the building tension in certain scenes. It also didn't really have any high stakes like the previous novels did.
Also, cackling at Janet's whitewashing casting getting mentioned.
Thank you to Harper Collins and netgalley for the arc!
I love that this one didn't shy away from the PTSD and grief everyone carries. Even Kettle Springs itself feels so broken and morose. It felt like such a nice companion piece to book three and how Quinn handled the fallout compared to Rust, Cole and Jerri. I did find this one a lot slower than the first three books in the series, but not in a way that dragged but more that there was just a lot of build up. More of a creeping tension waiting for the Big Moment to hit.
I think the only issue I had with was that I didn't connect fully with the new character's because I would have rather spent more time with my old friends. I wish they had been more of the focus than anything else. I also found there was too much on the characters inner thoughts or small info dumps during scenes that took away from the building tension in certain scenes. It also didn't really have any high stakes like the previous novels did.
Also, cackling at Janet's whitewashing casting getting mentioned.
Thank you to Harper Collins and netgalley for the arc!
May 17, 2026
I wasn’t sure what direction this book would go in, but boy I’m glad I read it. Kettle Springs is just as chaotic and disturbing as it always is, except this time there’s a whole movie crew there filming..you guessed it…clown in a cornfield. I liked seeing the repeat characters. And if you thought the other books were gory you better just buckle up. I think this was the goriest of them all. The surprise twist was really good. This will be out in August of 2026. Make sure to add it to your TBR for spooky season and spend some more time with Frendo.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As devastated as I'll be if this is the end, I can't think of a better conclusion for this story.
Incredible. Emotional. Show-stopping. Healing.
Over the span of this saga, Clown in a Cornfield has showcased all of the different things horror can be: a story about love; about grief; about fear; about acceptance; about resilience; about community; about life. Lights! Camera! Frendo! is mostly a meditation about grief and legacy and how desperately we cling to the memories of those that we have loved and lost, but it's about all of these other things too: the love of family; the love of partners; the love of life itself. It's about finding your people and your community and never letting it go. It's about standing up and facing hatred and refusing to let someone else's beliefs define you. It is also about surviving murderous clowns, but I'd hate to see anyone dismissing this as simply another horror story about clowns.
Adam Cesare loves his characters; that's plainly obvious in every word he writes. He loves this setting, and this universe, and he pours so much heart and hope into it. One of my favorite things about a book is when the place is as much a character as the characters, and Kettle Springs truly does feel like a living, breathing entity. Its rich, dark past continues to be so vibrant on the page, aging and growing alongside the cast; despite hardly being present in book 3, Rust, Cole, and Jerri hardly miss a beat in showing the ways they've matured since book 2, without leaving the reader with the feeling that important moments were skipped over during the events of Church of Frendo. The slight shock at where they start the story feels almost instantly natural, like they were never gone at all. For me personally, Rust and Cole's relationship has always felt like the focal point of the story that so much has been built upon, their feelings for one another foundational, and that's no less true here; their love for one another as partners is a driving force of the narrative, relentless and all-consuming. I'd had hopes that maybe they'd spend more of the action together, rather than repeating the pattern of being split up as in books 1 and 2... but honestly, after how the climax plays out in this book, I completely understand Cesare keeping them apart. Rust is just too powerful. It never really feels like too much, though. His capability could easily become boring, or feel cheap, and yet... it never does. He's consistent in his strength, and he's far from perfect. No one in this series is perfect. They all have their flaws, and I'm constantly grateful Cesare never shies away from that.
The returning characters really are the highlight of the cast. I'm a little disappointed that the actor characters don't get much depth; not even Sabrina really feels fully formed. It's probably my only real critique, which is a shame, because I was very much looking forward to the meta aspect of the movie-within-a-book. I love film set horror, it's a subgenre I've been really into recently, so I was very excited to see Cesare's take on it, especially on the heels of book 1 getting adapted to a film, which I do wonder how much of that process really served as inspiration. There's some... interesting commentary moments, and there's some aspects of the production of the fake movie that seem very personal to Cesare, and I found myself constantly analyzing every little detail and comparing to the real movie, searching for overlap and clues and easter eggs. But with a lack of real personality for most of the actors, I just kind of ended up seeing them as the cast for the real movie. I would've been interested in seeing Rust and Cole interact with the guys playing them, but that's purely a personal desire.
Even with that critique, this is still such a strong entry to the series. Like I said: I'll be devastated if this is the end, but even prior to reading the acknowledgements, I was definitely getting the feeling of finality. It's bittersweet but Cesare does a great job at it and I couldn't help but find myself satisfied by the slow way things came together. Good stories have "predictable" endings, in my view. Good storytelling involves foreshadowing and I found myself slowly piecing things together as we went along on this journey and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the reveals. The slow, creeping dread as the story inches closer to the finale is spine-tingling. The fear at what might happen is overwhelming. Every book so far has been the kind of story you both want to sit with for a while and immerse yourself in every detail, but also the kind of story you want to devour. I found myself going back and rereading passages and just being stunned with the level of care taken with ensuring every detail is exacting. A good plot is like a dance; choreographed steps, you recognize the beats, but you're still mesmerized, maybe so much so that the next move surprises you.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I really think this is a story best experienced without any, and that's a rare thought that I have. I think maybe that's indicative enough of how much I enjoyed this. I've only had the honor of having read this series for the first time last year, but in that time, it's come to mean a lot to me, but I have no doubt that the long-time fans will find this a fitting end as well (if it is). If you've never read this series before: start now. Read this when it comes out in August. Don't let yourself miss out on one of the best horror series of the 2020s. Cesare only gets better with every new book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Incredible. Emotional. Show-stopping. Healing.
Over the span of this saga, Clown in a Cornfield has showcased all of the different things horror can be: a story about love; about grief; about fear; about acceptance; about resilience; about community; about life. Lights! Camera! Frendo! is mostly a meditation about grief and legacy and how desperately we cling to the memories of those that we have loved and lost, but it's about all of these other things too: the love of family; the love of partners; the love of life itself. It's about finding your people and your community and never letting it go. It's about standing up and facing hatred and refusing to let someone else's beliefs define you. It is also about surviving murderous clowns, but I'd hate to see anyone dismissing this as simply another horror story about clowns.
Adam Cesare loves his characters; that's plainly obvious in every word he writes. He loves this setting, and this universe, and he pours so much heart and hope into it. One of my favorite things about a book is when the place is as much a character as the characters, and Kettle Springs truly does feel like a living, breathing entity. Its rich, dark past continues to be so vibrant on the page, aging and growing alongside the cast; despite hardly being present in book 3, Rust, Cole, and Jerri hardly miss a beat in showing the ways they've matured since book 2, without leaving the reader with the feeling that important moments were skipped over during the events of Church of Frendo. The slight shock at where they start the story feels almost instantly natural, like they were never gone at all. For me personally, Rust and Cole's relationship has always felt like the focal point of the story that so much has been built upon, their feelings for one another foundational, and that's no less true here; their love for one another as partners is a driving force of the narrative, relentless and all-consuming. I'd had hopes that maybe they'd spend more of the action together, rather than repeating the pattern of being split up as in books 1 and 2... but honestly, after how the climax plays out in this book, I completely understand Cesare keeping them apart. Rust is just too powerful. It never really feels like too much, though. His capability could easily become boring, or feel cheap, and yet... it never does. He's consistent in his strength, and he's far from perfect. No one in this series is perfect. They all have their flaws, and I'm constantly grateful Cesare never shies away from that.
The returning characters really are the highlight of the cast. I'm a little disappointed that the actor characters don't get much depth; not even Sabrina really feels fully formed. It's probably my only real critique, which is a shame, because I was very much looking forward to the meta aspect of the movie-within-a-book. I love film set horror, it's a subgenre I've been really into recently, so I was very excited to see Cesare's take on it, especially on the heels of book 1 getting adapted to a film, which I do wonder how much of that process really served as inspiration. There's some... interesting commentary moments, and there's some aspects of the production of the fake movie that seem very personal to Cesare, and I found myself constantly analyzing every little detail and comparing to the real movie, searching for overlap and clues and easter eggs. But with a lack of real personality for most of the actors, I just kind of ended up seeing them as the cast for the real movie. I would've been interested in seeing Rust and Cole interact with the guys playing them, but that's purely a personal desire.
Even with that critique, this is still such a strong entry to the series. Like I said: I'll be devastated if this is the end, but even prior to reading the acknowledgements, I was definitely getting the feeling of finality. It's bittersweet but Cesare does a great job at it and I couldn't help but find myself satisfied by the slow way things came together. Good stories have "predictable" endings, in my view. Good storytelling involves foreshadowing and I found myself slowly piecing things together as we went along on this journey and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the reveals. The slow, creeping dread as the story inches closer to the finale is spine-tingling. The fear at what might happen is overwhelming. Every book so far has been the kind of story you both want to sit with for a while and immerse yourself in every detail, but also the kind of story you want to devour. I found myself going back and rereading passages and just being stunned with the level of care taken with ensuring every detail is exacting. A good plot is like a dance; choreographed steps, you recognize the beats, but you're still mesmerized, maybe so much so that the next move surprises you.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I really think this is a story best experienced without any, and that's a rare thought that I have. I think maybe that's indicative enough of how much I enjoyed this. I've only had the honor of having read this series for the first time last year, but in that time, it's come to mean a lot to me, but I have no doubt that the long-time fans will find this a fitting end as well (if it is). If you've never read this series before: start now. Read this when it comes out in August. Don't let yourself miss out on one of the best horror series of the 2020s. Cesare only gets better with every new book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I mostly try to read my ARCs closer to when they're actually coming out... But as soon as I got approved for this one I had to pick it up. I really enjoyed the first two books in the Clown in a Cornfield series, but book 3 didn't really work for me. So I was eager to get into this one since the description of it taking place in Kettle Springs as a film crew is coming to town really appealed to me. I just flew through this book, it was an absolute blast.
Like when Paul Tremblay came out with Horror Movie after The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into Knock at the Cabin, I was eager to see what Adam Cesare did with Lights! Camera! Frendo! and what moments could potentially be meta commentary on his own book getting adapted. I don't think every single character or opinion in here is commenting on the real Clown in a Cornfield movie, but there certainly are interesting things like talking about how the actress who plays Janet in the movie within in the book isn't Asian.
I enjoyed Sabrina Alvarez as the actress playing Quinn in the movie, it was nice seeing her journey to becoming more confident in herself as an actress and in the real horror situations. I was definitely glad to see a larger cast of returning characters since one thing I didn't like about book 3 was how it didn't really feature important people who has survived previous installments. Although I do wish there were more group scenes with all the returning heroes. It was fun getting to see how the characters have matured and how they react to yet another killer clown situation. And the ultimate reveal of what was going on made sense in line with the previous books in the series.
I'll be sad if this is where the book series ends, because I enjoy these characters so much. But if it is the end, it feels very complete. Even if there are threads that could be woven into a new story down the line. Definitely check this out when it releases if you're a fan of the series. Or pick up book one if you're a fan of teen slashers that also incorporate social commentary.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Like when Paul Tremblay came out with Horror Movie after The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into Knock at the Cabin, I was eager to see what Adam Cesare did with Lights! Camera! Frendo! and what moments could potentially be meta commentary on his own book getting adapted. I don't think every single character or opinion in here is commenting on the real Clown in a Cornfield movie, but there certainly are interesting things like talking about how the actress who plays Janet in the movie within in the book isn't Asian.
I enjoyed Sabrina Alvarez as the actress playing Quinn in the movie, it was nice seeing her journey to becoming more confident in herself as an actress and in the real horror situations. I was definitely glad to see a larger cast of returning characters since one thing I didn't like about book 3 was how it didn't really feature important people who has survived previous installments. Although I do wish there were more group scenes with all the returning heroes. It was fun getting to see how the characters have matured and how they react to yet another killer clown situation. And the ultimate reveal of what was going on made sense in line with the previous books in the series.
I'll be sad if this is where the book series ends, because I enjoy these characters so much. But if it is the end, it feels very complete. Even if there are threads that could be woven into a new story down the line. Definitely check this out when it releases if you're a fan of the series. Or pick up book one if you're a fan of teen slashers that also incorporate social commentary.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Clown in a Cornfield is one of my favorite horror series', and this installment didn't disappoint.
Adam has a skill of managing to introduce new characters in each book and make me care about them quickly. Did I prefer the chapters with the familiar faces? Sure. (Rust has been my number one boy since the first book, that will never change.) But the new additions were great too and a really good fit.
My only real critique is something I can't get too into without spoiling all of the reveals and twists at the end. I'll just say that half of it was a fun, new idea, and I really liked that reveal. The other half felt stale and something we've seen from this series before. It made sense, it wasn't any silly motive, just a little repetitive and not very surprising. Especially in comparison to the other half of the ending. That being said, I did still enjoy it and had a blast reading.
It was personally extra exciting for me because I have read a handful of books that take place on a horror movie set where there's some mystery or people start dying, etc, etc, and it's always great in premise but never in execution. This one was just great all around. It's exactly what I want from a slasher.
Also, every time the whitewashing of Janet's character got brought up, I felt justified for being as annoyed as I was about it in the movie. Adam, you're a real one.
I love the world of Kettle Springs and I will read any new Frendo book that Adam writes (any book he writes at all in general, actually). Especially after that epilogue. Oh my god, that epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Adam has a skill of managing to introduce new characters in each book and make me care about them quickly. Did I prefer the chapters with the familiar faces? Sure. (Rust has been my number one boy since the first book, that will never change.) But the new additions were great too and a really good fit.
My only real critique is something I can't get too into without spoiling all of the reveals and twists at the end. I'll just say that half of it was a fun, new idea, and I really liked that reveal. The other half felt stale and something we've seen from this series before. It made sense, it wasn't any silly motive, just a little repetitive and not very surprising. Especially in comparison to the other half of the ending. That being said, I did still enjoy it and had a blast reading.
It was personally extra exciting for me because I have read a handful of books that take place on a horror movie set where there's some mystery or people start dying, etc, etc, and it's always great in premise but never in execution. This one was just great all around. It's exactly what I want from a slasher.
Also, every time the whitewashing of Janet's character got brought up, I felt justified for being as annoyed as I was about it in the movie. Adam, you're a real one.
I love the world of Kettle Springs and I will read any new Frendo book that Adam writes (any book he writes at all in general, actually). Especially after that epilogue. Oh my god, that epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A thrilling read! Frendo is back! As production begins on a movie about Cole, Rust, and Quinn’s lives more terror reigns. Sabrina has been cast as the leading woman Quinn and she is working hard to measure up to the role. This is her first big break and she feels a little overwhelmed in a cast full of young actors and influencers that are well known. Not to mention that playing a character that was part of the original Kettle Springs Massacre could be a little creepy for everyone. And since they’re actually filming in Kettle Springs that just makes it creepy. Little things begin to go wrong during filming, the director is not what she thought, and Kettle Springs definitely hasn’t bounced back. And it’s clear not everyone is happy they are making a movie about a dreadful time in the towns past. But Cole knows it’s what the town needs, only when Frendo returns will they ask if the danger is worth it. And this time who’s behind the masks? This one was probably one of my favorites in the series! I of course loved getting to read about Cole and Rust again! The new characters made the book exciting and I enjoyed the movie angle as well! This one’s also got a lot of gore in it and I truly some of the most give you chills deaths in the series! Adam Cesare delivers an intense, edge of your seat slasher that kept me hooked! Also the twist was really twisty and just made it ten times better!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Note: Oh snap, Goodreads has started making steps for helping books in pre-sell with reviews?? Here for thisssss
Note: received an advanced copy from Netgalley and Harper Collins in exchange for review -- this has no weight on my review. I read the previous 3 books last year and requested a copy. First and Second book are solid 4 stars, and I want to reread the 3rd now that I've read the 4th.
While this is not the finale book, it's definitely a finale for now vibes. Definitely would worry about some of the survivor's kiddos though. Honestly, solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up. I read the first three last July, and honestly, this book coming out in August feels appropriate. These are great late summer/early fall slasher books.
I do more audiobooks these days, but this was in an ebook format. I had treatment yesterday and brought it with me, and honestly, it kept me entertained and moved quickly even in my sluggish state. Even still, there were references to a few characters who I didn't remember from the first book.
The best way to handle that? Watch the movie. Get super meta with it.
I'd taken a few more pages and would have appreciated getting to know the actors a bit more, but overall I enjoyed the pace. If/when Adam Cesare puts out a 5th book, I'll be there.
There's a few quotes I really loved, and I have one burning, burning question, but I'm at peace with where the survivors of the Kettle Spring Massacre....s are.
Note: received an advanced copy from Netgalley and Harper Collins in exchange for review -- this has no weight on my review. I read the previous 3 books last year and requested a copy. First and Second book are solid 4 stars, and I want to reread the 3rd now that I've read the 4th.
While this is not the finale book, it's definitely a finale for now vibes. Definitely would worry about some of the survivor's kiddos though. Honestly, solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up. I read the first three last July, and honestly, this book coming out in August feels appropriate. These are great late summer/early fall slasher books.
I do more audiobooks these days, but this was in an ebook format. I had treatment yesterday and brought it with me, and honestly, it kept me entertained and moved quickly even in my sluggish state. Even still, there were references to a few characters who I didn't remember from the first book.
The best way to handle that? Watch the movie. Get super meta with it.
I'd taken a few more pages and would have appreciated getting to know the actors a bit more, but overall I enjoyed the pace. If/when Adam Cesare puts out a 5th book, I'll be there.
There's a few quotes I really loved, and I have one burning, burning question, but I'm at peace with where the survivors of the Kettle Spring Massacre....s are.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This one was bloody, and gory in typical Frendo fashion! Beloved characters are back! It was a really good time! It started out a little slower than the others but it was good! 3 was my least favorite of this serious but this redeemed the whole series! If this is the end, I’d totally be okay with it! (Hopefully not….) 🤡 thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!
May 24, 2026
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights, Camera, Frendo by Adam Cesare
Got as an ARC.
Hollywood has come to Kettle Springs to make a based on true events movie of the original Frendo murder spree.
Townies not happy about hollywood being there and they’re not all fond of the “redneck” Midwest town.
Early on new killings began gradually. As the movie shoots continue.
Frendo and friends have returned
Got as an ARC.
Hollywood has come to Kettle Springs to make a based on true events movie of the original Frendo murder spree.
Townies not happy about hollywood being there and they’re not all fond of the “redneck” Midwest town.
Early on new killings began gradually. As the movie shoots continue.
Frendo and friends have returned
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review to come after I get some sleep(it's 430am)
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
As repeatedly stated, they aren't Quinn Maybrook. But I'll read anything Cesare puts out.
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