#VanDeath

by Brian Asman

From the author of Man, F*ck This House (And Other Disasters)

Two feuding #VanLife influencers must put aside their differences in order to survive when they are stalked by a masked killer in a remote stretch of Death Valley.

Morgan and Jasper are the couple everyone wants to beautiful, successful, and constantly mobile. Their #VanLife content has captured the hearts and minds of a million online followers, who all “smash that subscribe button” to watch as the loving couple documents their outdoor adventures.

But it’s all a sham. Their relationship is on the rocks. Jasper doesn’t know Morgan’s trolling the dating apps. Morgan doesn’t know Jasper blew all their earnings on shady crypto investments. What started as a fun way to share their love of nature has turned into a grind. Plus, they’ve also got fans whose parasocial obsession with the couple verges on the terrifying.

When Jasper gets a contract to shoot a promo for an upstart granola company at the Ubehebe Crater, a gorgeous but remote section of Death Valley, he talks Morgan into taking a last-minute trip. He’s secretly hoping this trip will not only solve their financial woes but also help them reconcile. But things go wrong immediately. A mysterious black van runs them off the road. Their cameraman seems like a lunatic. And soon, they find themselves stranded in the desert, pursued by a masked killer. Can Morgan and Jasper put aside their differences long enough to survive both the killer and the desert itself?

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published September 22, 2026

About the author

Brian Asman is a writer, actor, and director from San Diego, CA. He’s the author of the forthcoming thriller #Vandeath, as well as Man, F*ck This House (and Other Disasters), Good Dogs, Our Black Hearts Beat as One, I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today, Neo Arcana, Nunchuck City, Jailbroke, and Return of the Living Elves. He’s published short stories in Weird Tales, Punk Goes Horror 2, Waterborne, American Cannibal, The Dark Waves of Winter, DreadPop, and Pulp Modern, as well as comics in Tales of Horrorgasm.

Several of his works have been optioned for film and television. A film he co-wrote and produced, A Haunting in Ravenwood, is available now on VOD. His short “Reel Trouble” won Best Short Film at Gen Con 2022 and Best Horror Short at the Indie Gathering.

Brian holds an MFA from UCR-Palm Desert. He’s represented by Dunham Literary, Inc.

Find him on social media (@thebrianasman) or his website www.brianasmanbooks.com.

Reviews

[GCR | Book Realm]

I received this ARC through NetGalley.
Out September 22,2026

This had a really strong concept that pulled me in right away. Feuding van life influencers stuck in a survival situation with a masked killer? I was immediately in.

There’s definitely tension, and the pacing can feel fast, which kept me curious enough to keep going. But there were also a lot of moments that felt longer than they needed to be.

I did feel some character pull, but I was more invested in figuring out what was happening than I was fully attached to the characters themselves.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. It kept my interest, but it also felt like it overstayed in places, and that held it back.

I’d still recommend it if you like survival horror, messy relationship dynamics, and that influencer/social media angle mixed into something darker.

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎]

When I saw this one was an influencer slasher story, I knew I had to snag for my September Libro picks! This was a fun and fast paced book that was filled with chaos and destruction. It ALMOST gave me Jeepers Creepers vibes in the sense that the couple is being chased down and hunted by a deranged, faceless person in a black truck. ALMOST. Then the book went into a different direction than I was expecting! The fight for survival was tangible and I found myself trying to telepathically scold Jasper for not just LISTENING to Morgan from the get go 🤣 If you’re look for an anxiety inducing, quick read, then look no further my friends!

Thank you Libro.fm and Blackstone Piblishing for my alc of #Vandeath!

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

Morgan and Jasper really said, “Our relationship is collapsing, our finances are cursed, strangers online are too invested in our bathroom setup, let’s drive into Death Valley for a granola sponsorship.” Incredible. No notes. That is the exact kind of decision-making that gets you hunted by a masked killer and also roasted in the comments section.

These two are #VanLife royalty, which means they’ve turned sunsets, cramped storage, and pretending not to hate each other into a full-time job. Online, they’re soulmates with matching vibes and probably a suspiciously clean cutting board. In real life, Morgan is emotionally halfway out the window and Jasper has been doing crypto crimes against their bank account. Their relationship has the energy of two people smiling for a thumbnail while silently deciding who gets the portable stove in the breakup.

Then Jasper books this Death Valley promo shoot because apparently the answer to marital collapse is sponsored granola in a remote volcanic crater. I kept wanting to tap him on the shoulder like, sir, your wife is on dating apps, your money is imaginary now, and you are being followed by a black van. Maybe postpone the brand partnership.

What makes this so fun is that everyone is awful in a way that feels extremely 2026. The followers are weird. The parasocial vibes are rancid. The content grind has turned their actual lives into a hostage situation with better lighting. And then the masked killer shows up like, “Great news, I’m here to make this worse.”

The desert is its own little psychopath. No service, no help, no shade, just vibes and dehydration. Death Valley in this book feels like the universe saying, “You wanted authenticity? Here’s some rocks and terror.” Every time they tried to problem-solve, I was like, yes, please continue arguing while the murder van circles. Very productive.

I did end up caring about Morgan and Jasper more than I expected, which was rude because I was fully prepared to enjoy them as influencer piñatas. But underneath all the curated nonsense, there are two people who started with something real and then let ambition, fear, money, and the internet turn it into a haunted Airbnb on wheels. That part landed.

The slasher chaos is nasty and fun, and once things start going sideways, they go sideways with commitment. I love a horror book that understands sometimes the scariest thing in the room is a masked killer, and sometimes it’s finding out your partner invested your future in sketchy crypto.

I’m giving #VanDeath 4 stars. It’s messy, bloody, mean in the right places, and weirdly heartfelt when it sneaks up on you. I will never look at a van tour, influencer couple, or rustic granola collab the same way again.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Truly appreciate the opportunity to experience Death Valley content creation without getting murdered, dehydrated, or asked to smash that subscribe button.

[Horror Haus Books]

“He loved that she got it. The novelty of nature. How no place is ever quite the same, because it’s changing and you’re changing with it, a continual metamorphosis, and each moment is a secret shared with something infinitely older than you.”

Okay. First of all…if some random person in a van started harassing me and trying to run me off the road on a back road somewhere I would be turning the fuck around and going home IMMEDIATELY. And Jasper is a whole damn piece of shit for pushing to keep going. MULTIPLE TIMES. Even though Morgan was clearly scared and uncomfortable with the whole ordeal.

This book was fast paced and absolutely does not let up which made it such a quick and easy read. The gore was abundant (as it should be) but what surprised me was how much heart it had.

I really enjoyed watching Morgan and Jasper deal with not only the horrors happening around them but also the strain within their actual relationship. It added an emotional layer that I really appreciated.

[Danielle Yvonne]

VanDeath
by Brian Asman

“Still, this isn’t the best part.
For the hunter, the best parts are, in order:
—The look of fear in their eyes.
—The coppery smell of blood mixed with fear-sweat.
—And finally, the moment, that singular, blessed moment, when they know all is lost. When they realize the sand in the hourglass of their life has dwindled to just a handful of grains.”

So an influencer couple with their relationship on the rocks, decides to take a brand partner deal and load up their van to go camp and get content in Death Valley. OH, and they have stalkers. What could possible go wrong?!

I need to scream from the mountain tops about this book! This was probably the most well-rounded and solid horror book I’ve read yet this year. It is a heart pounding and anxiety inducing page turner. Sitting at over 250 pages, I couldn’t turn them fast enough to see what would happen next.

There are so many moments where I air punched out of excitement or anger, so many times I audibly said WTF and HOLY SHIT. It has the perfect creepy factor alongside the will to survive. Idk if that makes sense but trust me.

This book needs a film adaptation asap. This books needs to be read by the world asap. This is one of those books that will live rent free far after you’ve finished, in the best ways possible. This is one of those times where I wish I could read a book again.

VanDeath releases on 9/22 but can preordered now!

*arc from NetGalley

[Michael Hicks]

Note: This review originally appeared at FanFiAddict.

Brian Asman introduces a new horror slasher villain to the canon with the Dust Devil, a masked, desert camo-wearing, knife-wielding psychopath who targets a particular type of influencer in #VanDeath.

Asman kicks things off in grand fashion, with a viscerally brutal opener that puts readers right in the thick of things with its short-lived second-person POV and braces them on what to expect of the violent thrills ahead. It’s a terrific, blood-soaked segment of 100% pure slasher goodness, made all the better with its sense of immediacy. Of course, Asman has to take his foot off the gas soon thereafter to introduce us to our central characters, van life influencers Jasper and Morgan.

Jasper has just squandered their entire life savings on a cryptocurrency scam (is there any other kind?) but plans on making it up to Morgan by asking for her hand in marriage. I mean, how could she say no, right?! Morgan, meanwhile, is surfing Tinder to see who else is out there, intent on ditching Jasper and, more importantly, this whole goofy van life thing she’s grown increasingly sick of. Both are young, and their relationship together is the longest either has ever had. Although they seem a bit young for a midlife crisis, both are definitely going through it.

Morgan gets sucked into one last ride when Jasper, in the hopes of recovering their lost funds, signs a sponsorship deal with Granular, the brainchild of some techbro kids hellbent on being, get this, “granola disrupters,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. All they have to do is wear some merch and eat some granola during some staged photo and video ops, with Granular providing them the cameraman and the #VanLife couple the location. Jasper picks a place far off the beaten path – the massive Ubehebe crater in Death Valley. I had to look it up and, yeah, I gotta admit, it is pretty ‘grammable, and yes, a few real-life YouTubers have picked it as a scenic spot to hike and mine for clicks. As far as I know they’ve made it back home safe and sound, free of any Dust Devil troubles.

Jasper and Morgan – or Jorgan, if you’re nasty – aren’t so lucky. Their trip to the crater involves being nearly run off the road by a black van, learning about various reports of missing hikers, and encountering a handful of red herrings and suspects-cum-victims while being terrorized by the Death Valley Demon. Asman crafts several chilling encounters, racking up the body count and removing Jasper and Morgan’s options, driving them into various dead ends with a chess master’s proficiency. One extended sequence involves trapping the couple in their own quarter of a million-dollar van while the Dust Devil toys with them from the outside. This a multi-chapter affair reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s Cujo, not to mention various other slasher stories where the good guys find themselves on the back foot and being toyed with and terrorized. It’s a great moment, and one of the book’s more memorable sequences, of which there’s a few. Asman keeps things tense and tightly-wound, refusing to ever let our leads catch a break and mercilessly snuffing out every single minor hope they have of being rescued or finding safety. It’s pretty brutal seeing every plan they have to counter the Dust Devil’s increasingly sadistic cat-and-mouse games dwindle into hopelessness, be cut off (sometimes literally!), or just plain fail due to awful, dumb luck.

While the Dust Devil presents as a highly effective, and exceedingly nutso, killer, it is – of course – Jasper and Morgan that are the book’s true beating heart. Both are fundamentally flawed, imperfect human beings, and they’ve hurt one another in secret ways. They each want different things for themselves and their future, and whether or not they can find a common middle ground to reignite the spark that impassioned them as a couple is central. Presuming one of them doesn’t first get hacked to death in the desert, in the most brutal of fashions, of course. Asman brilliantly humanizes both characters, making both equally sympathetic. We get their different points of view, their competing concerns, and their hopes. What works best about their dynamic is that we understand both of them so well. Their wants and desires, for themselves and for their future, whether it’s together or apart, are simply understandable. Lesser authors would perhaps feel compelled to pick a side here, or make one character stand-offish or shrewish, wanting readers to side with one or the other. Because Asman takes his time to flesh them out and give equal merit to both, we want to see them succeed together.

Less surface-level, but certainly providing food for thought, is the gimmicky nature of the influencer’s working life here in late-stage capitalism, with all its shiny, new, ten-dollar buzzwords, attention-grabbing hashtags, out there ideas to capture people’s attentions, and brand appeal necessities. The fact that Jasper and Morgan are challenging themselves, questioning whether or not their career choice is not only financially stable but one that even makes sense, let alone allows them happiness anymore, instantly makes them less vapid and more familiar than your typical social media hustler. Neither really want to sell themselves with the Granular brand, nor do they want to pose for all these fake moments amidst nature’s towering, powerful reality, but money’s money and bills don’t pay themselves.

Asman finds the humanity beneath the glossy, picture-perfect, and entirely false narratives built between social media superstars, the brands that employ them, and their followers and hangers-on. Is it morally good, sustainable, and ethically responsible to traverse an incredibly expensive gas guzzling van into Earth’s furthest removed locations simply to create clickable content to help hustle some techbro’s latest goofy-ass, probably society-destroying, bullshit in an ever-dwindling, increasingly vapid attention economy that is ultimately contributing to the scarcity of real-world resources and collapsing ecosystems? Are Jasper and Morgan victims of their own success, or is the Dust Devil a Luigi Mangione-style folk hero to be for the social media age? OK, maybe that last bit is going to a smidge too far, but still… I’m just saying, if you’re a big-time social media content creator, maybe keep an eye out for a black van following you around, yeah?

[Carrie Shields]

...𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

And then Brian Asman decided to throw a masked killer, a remote stretch of Death Valley, and a pair of feuding #VanLife influencers into the mix. Needless to say, I was having a f*cking fantastic time.

Morgan and Jasper have built an entire online following around their picture-perfect relationship and adventurous lifestyle, but behind the curated content and “smash that subscribe button” bullsh*t, everything is falling apart. When a sponsored trip goes horribly wrong, they find themselves stranded in the desert with a killer on their heels, a cameraman who may be losing his mind, and absolutely nowhere to run. What follows is a wonderfully chaotic blend of survival horror and slasher mayhem, with the unforgiving desert proving to be every bit as terrifying as the person hunting them.

I had so much fun with this book! The horror elements are exactly what I wanted, and the influencer angle adds an extra layer of realism to this seemingly wild setup. There’s something very appealing about the ugly side of the influencer lifestyle and realizing that some experiences are better left undocumented. The pacing kept things moving, the tension stayed high, and the whole thing had that gleefully unhinged quality that makes horror such a damn good time. If you like slashers with a fresh premise and a healthy dose of dark humor, #VANDEATH absolutely deserves a spot on your fall TBR. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for this early copy that will publish September 22, 2026.

[Blaiz Ferrel]

Ummm… EWWW. 🤣

This was a nasty, bloody, wild ride and I LOVED it.
Truly, this is what nightmares are made of. Brian Asman really said, “What if #VanLife… but make it absolutely horrifying?” and honestly, I was here for every disgusting second. 😂

Between the masked killer, the middle of nowhere Death Valley setting, the unraveling relationship, and the whole parasocial influencer nightmare situation… this one gets DARK. And GROSS. And I mean that as the highest compliment. 👏🏼

Morgan and Jasper are the picture perfect #VanLife couple with a million followers but behind the scenes, their relationship is falling apart. When a last minute trip to Death Valley goes horribly wrong, they find themselves stranded in the desert and being hunted by a masked killer. Now they’ll have to put their differences aside if they want to survive.

If you like bloody horror, survival horror, masked killers, influencer nightmares, and things getting progressively more WTF… add this one to your list. 🚐🔪

[Jeff Wait]

I’ve enjoyed Brian’s writing the last couple years, especially his take on the haunted house (plus that awesome zombie elf story), so I had a pretty good feeling I’d enjoy his version of a slasher à la Jeepers Creepers and this van life trend. The main characters really shine in this one — feeling especially human in a way that kind of reminds me of Adam Cesare’s work. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a super fun slasher. And most of the time, that’s plenty for me.

[Courtney]

ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.
Solid survival slasher and I had a good time reading this one. The writing was cinematic and it played out like a movie in my head.

[Dario Pacheco]

First and foremost I’d like to thank NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for the amazing opportunity of listening/ reading this book early with ALCcopy. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.
A influencer couple is put up against a killer who hunts them while they are on a job. Secrets will come to light and blood will soak the sand…

Overall this book was a nice little side trip from what I usually read. Was it ground breaking? No, was it hard to guess what was going to happen? No. That ending had me rolling my eyes a bit lol
3.5 stars

[Julie]

Sometimes the camera lies. Morgan and Jasper, popular influencers (#vanlife), are actually frauds. On the brink of a collapse, both financially and relationship wise, they agree to take a trip to Death Valley. They think this may get them out of both slumps. What they can’t have even fathomed is that things are gonna get way worse….fighting for their lives in the middle of nowhere.

Wow!! What a ride this one is. This rockets you out of the cannon in the prologue, with gore and fear as immediate companions and really never lets up for the entire book. This story is fast paced, action packed and filled with tons of gore and OMG moments. I enjoyed the creepy backroads/desert vibe that plays up the isolation and mixes in off the beaten trail backwoods side characters. The suspense and build up is intense and made me white knuckled almost the entire time, I never knew what was coming next. Horror fans PLEASE grab this up. It’s so absolutely wild!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced copy, it’s a privilege. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Lexi Denee]

#VanDeath is a fast and furious joy ride that I could not look away from. I’m not always huge on slashers but this one is FUN and it had me feeling like I was being stalked through the desert by masked assailants (in a good way.)

This is my first book from Asman, and I loved the mixed media sprinkled throughout in the form of podcasts snippets, as well as the characters (who were mostly terrible people, but still!) I can’t wait to check out more!

Without giving too much away, check this one out if you love or hate camping, deserts, and edge of your seat slashers!

**Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the eARC of this title!**

[Justin Soderberg]

The life of an influencer seems horrifying on its own, but when putting your life on the internet for thousands of fans is not the most horrifying thing, it's even more terrifying. Brian Asman crafts a frightening influencer horror with #VanDeath where simple choices and mistakes can cost you your life.

Morgan and Jasper are the couple everyone wants to be: beautiful, successful, and constantly mobile. Their #VanLife content has captured the hearts and minds of a million online followers, who all "smash that subscribe button" to watch as the loving couple documents their outdoor adventures.

But it's all a sham. Their relationship is on the rocks. Jasper doesn't know Morgan's trolling the dating apps. Morgan doesn't know Jasper blew all their earnings on shady crypto investments. What started as a fun way to share their love of nature has turned into a grind. Plus, they've also got stalkers: fans whose parasocial obsession with the couple verges on the terrifying.

When Jasper gets a contract to shoot a promo for an upstart granola company at the Ubehebe Crater, a gorgeous but remote section of Death Valley, he talks Morgan into a last-minute trip. He's secretly hoping this trip will not only solve their financial woes but also help them reconcile. But things go wrong immediately. A mysterious black van runs them off the road. Their cameraman seems like a lunatic. And soon, they find themselves stranded in the desert, pursued by a masked killer. Can Morgan and Jasper put aside their differences long enough to survive both the killer and the desert itself?

Putting things on social media is my least favorite part of marketing anything, trying to get peoples attention to whatever you are promoting, let along make it your entire life and identity. So, the life of #VanLife social media influencer sounds horrifying on the surface. This is before having to deal with the type of people that follow you, comment about you, and even stalk you because you put your life on the internet. However, Asman takes this life and dials it up to 11 with #VanDeath.

Asman puts a couple on the teetering of epic breakdown into a position of terrifyingly having to fight off those horrors of social media influencing that have taken things a bit too far. A couple who is nearly forced into a marketing agreement to fight for their relationship and financial future, only for it to all go horribly wrong along the way.

All the terrifying moments that take place in #VanDeath are balanced by holding onto the hope of saving their relationship and being able to grow as a couple. This hope made everything happening worth fight and had me rooting for the couple. Each have their own failures and secrets, but in the end surviving a few nights in Death Valley while being terrorized is something worth fighting for.

Asman builds suspense with a few twists and turns, as well as a few red herrings that will have you thinking you have figured it out, only to have the story go a new direction. The mystery behind who was in black van could be multiple people, and by the time all is revealed I still had no idea who it was. The blend of mystery and horror was wonderful.

The lives of Morgan and Jasper were only enhanced by reading this #VanDeath via both physical and audiobook. The narration by Joe Hempel & Zura Johnson put us in the drivers seat and immersed us in the horrors, while picking up a physical copy is always a great thing as well.

#VanDeath is a terrifying trip into Death Valley where the horrors of social media influencing for one couple are the least of their worries. Brian Asman delivers a horrifying story filled with gruesome terror as well as a glimpse of hope for the future. I'll tell you what, #VanDeath doesn't make me want to get in a van and share my life on the internet, that's for sure.

#VanDeath hits bookstores everywhere on September 22, 2026 from Blackstone Publishing. The audiobook, narrated by Joe Hempel & Zura Johnson, is available via Libro.fm!

NOTE: We received an advance copy of #VanDeath from the publisher. Opinions are our own.

[Ciara Hartman]

🎧 Audio Review: Audio was a bit fuzzy/tinny in parts, especially when the female narrator was talking. But the voices themselves were enjoyable to listen to.

📝 Story Review: This story pulled me in fast and got interesting pretty quick! It was intense and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and what the end game was gonna be.

A couple influencers who are actually a ‘couple’ on the rocks, wind up heading out to Death Valley to do a promo piece. But she has a stalker that has her on edge, both MC’s are keeping secrets from each other, and not long into their trip, another van begins to terrorize them. Is it an isolated event or is it related to their stalker? Things begin to spiral pretty fast and it’s anybody’s guess as to who is terrorizing them and why. And amidst the terror and death, their secrets come out, leading the reader to wonder, if they make it out alive, will their relationship survive everything?

I honestly was shocked by some of the revelations towards the end of the story. And I thoroughly enjoyed how everything came together and how the MC’s grew and changed on this harrowing journey of life and death. If you love thrillers and can handle some body-horror/perilous situations, then I’d definitely recommend this book!!!!

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5

Vibes: Tense & Unsettling!

Tropes 👇

- Social Media Influencers
- Road Trip Gone Awry
- Isolated Desert Location
- Masked Enemy
- Unknown Stalker
- Hunter vs Prey
- Bodies Are Piling Up
- Run For Your Life
- Who To Trust?

CW’s 👇

- Graphic mutilation/gore/body horror
- Stalking
- Road Rage
- Snake Bite
- Mention of losing a parent to heart attack

Audio Release Date: September 21, 2026
Audio Run Time: 8 hrs, 34 mins
Narrated By: Joe Hempel & Zura Johnson
POV: Third Person; Multi (mostly dual)
Genre: Horror/Thriller

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this ALC in return for my honest review.

[Sacha]

5 stars

I was first intrigued by the cover and wacky title. I expected this to be a little (or a lot) campy, pun fully intended. I...loved this. It's got its over-the-top elements without question, but it is actually also horrifying in the very best way.

My incoming bias toward #vanlife definitely played a role in my assumptions and my enthusiasm for so many details here. Morgan and Jasper are the it couple when it comes to van life influencers, and that already makes them intolerable in my book. They get even more unlikeable when readers get to know them. They both have secrets, they're commitment to authenticity is a farce when one considers how much nonsensical lying they're doing to each other and through their polished images, and their whole way of life just feels kind of hokey. It's why older generations make fun of us.

But things get scary fast, and I assumed this would happen in a Gabby Petito-esque fashion when I started the book. What could be scarier than being isolated with the person who knows you best and treats you the worst? This takes other turns, though. Between the stalking/parasocial relationships and some of the most menacing villainy I've seen in a minute, not to mention the terrors of the setting in general, this is just a rock solid combo of camp and terror all the way through.

This was like reading King's _Desperation_ or driving from LA to Vegas. You're just not surprised at all that exactly what you think is going on at the end of Zzyzx is this, you know? But somehow this is actually scarier than I imagined.

This is my first reading experience with this author, and it was really brought to life by the audio narration (though I have a profound pet peeve about audiobook narrators mispronouncing names of locations, and I live close to one that really made me crook a brow here - other than that minor blip - outstanding).

An absolutely bonkers reading/listening experience in the very best way. Look forward to more terror from Asman.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Corey]

Actual Rating 4.75

I want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

#VanDeath follows the current trend of VanLife that is thriving right now online. Only instead of everything being perfect, things go bad real quick.

Jasper and Morgan are a VanLife couple that for all appearances seem to be living their best and happiest lives. But what you see online isn’t always what is really going on behind the scenes. Morgan has been struggling with her relationship with Jasper, while Jasper feels that everything is super fine. When Jasper receives an email for an ad opportunity for some serious money, he can’t turn it down and has to talk Morgan into this next excursion on the road. But this trip is going to be a little different.

I personally watch a couple of VanLife youtubers and was instantly intrigued by this book. Instantly within the first chapter I was hooked. Most of the chapters are pretty short, which makes this read super quickly and wanting to get into the next chapter. The first half of the book is some build up, but even that has plenty of parts that keep you on the edge of your seat. Once you get to the 50% mark though, you are end for a non stop ride that gets more intense. You get to see the evolution of Jasper and Morgan’s relationship, and what each of them is hiding from their past. I really enjoyed the bits of Jasper’s backstory that we got and the relationship with his father.

#VanDeath does a good job of keeping you on your toes, and hitting you with surprises. While not quite a 5 star for me, I had a blast reading this and will definitely pick up a physical copy when this is published. If you want a VanLife/Road Trip kind of horror, pick this up!

[Erika]

#ＶＡＮＤＥＡＴＨ by Brian Asman
🧠 Influencer Delusion | 🩸 Slasher | 💔 Betrayal

vibes -----×--- plot
tension -----×---

ＹＥＳ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰:
• Live to see fake influencer lives burn
• Want fast + bloody slasher energy
• Crave isolated desert survival panic
• Love watching toxic couple secrets exposed

ＮＯ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘧:
• You expect supernatural madness
• Clout-chasing narcissists trigger you
• You think #VanLife is actually a dream

ＴＨＥ ＰＬＯＴ:
Two fake-happy vanlife influencers stranded in Death Valley learn the hard way that their toxic marriage isn't the deadliest thing hunting them.

ＴＨＲＩＬＬ－Ｏ－ＭＥＴＥＲ: 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵
I came into this fully expecting the unhinged, supernatural fever dream of Man, Fck This House, but Asman pulled a fast one and served up a grounded, cutthroat slasher instead. Trading wild ghost-logic for sun-baked paranoia caught me off guard, but I’m NOT complaining.

Let me be SO for real: gawking at the performative #VanLife movement is an elite pastime of mine, and watching these two clout-demons get stripped of all security was deeply satisfying for some reason.

The characters walked a VERRRY thin line of being completely insufferable while still keeping you invested enough to pray they don't get gutted in the sand.

It hits every classic slasher nerve: total isolation, zero cell service, and that suffocating feeling that help is never coming. Beneath all the carnage, the story actually flexes a genuinely solid heartbeat about loyalty when the fake cameras stop rolling.

That slick little parting twist promises more chaos down the road, and you BEST believe I’m riding shotgun if it does.

[Gerika]

I really enjoyed the ARC of this book provided by Netgalley - Thanks!

Anyways, what got me interested in requesting the book were influencers going on a road trip due to a sponsorship offer, a van driver harassing them, which leads them to having to survive in the wilderness, fighting against a masked killer. YES.

I liked how this novel was pretty fast paced. Not that it was short, but the chapters were of a nice size and it kept me engaged mostly because things just gotten to the point. No beating around the bush and putting in all these irrelevant details.

The main characters were awesome - a couple Morgan and Jasper living the van life, sharing on social media - without spoilers, they are a good couple, but I also liked how they also had their own problems, they were understandable, and also they grew individually and together as a couple throughout the book. There were also side characters and let's say they played their part well and added to the book no matter they spent a longer or shorter time in the book.

There were plenty of surprises that I did expect, like things I did not predict or expect. Again, don't want to spoil anything. The read just became faster and faster the closer I'd gotten to the end. The ending was awesome, but I also felt disappointed at the very, very end because it just felt like there could had been more. Like I was satisfied with the ending until like the last few sentences. I guess it does open things up if the author wanted to do a second part, which I would not mind.

I would overall give this a 4.5 out of 5.

[Kristin]

This was made for the big screen. RV road trip horror, escalating tension, and a second half that absolutely takes off.

#VanDeath gave me major "Joy Ride" vibes, the 2001 Paul Walker and Steve Zahn movie, but swap the big rig and car for RVs. The first half is largely devoted to character development and building tension, but once their RV comes under full attack, the story hits the gas and doesn't let up.

That's when the true horror comes out to play. Victims start piling up while Jasper and Morgan are simultaneously discovering what they've been hiding from each other. The flashbacks occasionally pulled me out of the tension, especially once the action picked up, but I appreciated the additional context they provided.

The entire second half had me on the edge of my seat. Chaotic, tense, cinematic, and exactly the kind of horror story I could picture watching in a theater. Definitely one I'll be recommending!

Narration: Joe Hempel took a little while to pull me in, but once the action intensified, so did his performance. I loved him in "The Intruder," and here he really captured Jasper's panic, fear, and determination to fight for the woman he loves. Zura Johnson has an incredible voice and delivered a phenomenal performance, though I struggled at times with a slight fuzziness in the audio quality that made her sections less clear to my sensitive ears.

📖 #VanDeath
✍️ Brian Asman
🎙️ Joe Hempel & Zura Johnson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Teresa Brock]

#VanDeath
Brian Asman
09/22/2026
Blackstone Audio

Morgan and Jasper are #VanLife influencers whose picture perfect life is anything but perfect behind the camera. Their relationship is cracking, Morgan is secretly looking for a way out, and Jasper has managed to make a mess of their finances. Then a sponsorship deal sends them into the middle of Death Valley, where their dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare when a mysterious black van appears, their own van is disabled, and a masked killer known as the Dust Devil begins hunting them. What follows is a deadly game of survival in one of the most unforgiving places imaginable, with nowhere to run and plenty of secrets between the people who are supposed to trust each other.

This book was a banger and I needed this unhinged slasher fun in my reading life. (Only in the book world does a sentence like that make sense.) Slasher? CHECK. Death Valley? CHECK. Influencer culture getting dragged? PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Add in dual POV's, relationship drama, creepy masked killer, nasty kills, enough twists to keep me happily suspicious ALL at a pace that will give you whiplash? HELL YES. Asman throws all these ingredients together and somehow serves up exactly the kind of chaotic, bloody ride I wanted. I was invested, entertained and absolutely here for the mes.

[Devon]

4.75 rounded up to a 5.

First of all thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ALC to review. What a FUN book. What I'm about to say might sound like a slight but I promise you it's said with love; this book read like I was watching a B list horror shlock film on a sunny saturday with some mates. It was like a bag of potato chips and you bet I ate the whole thing in one sitting. #VanDeath perfectly walks the tightrope of schlocky horror tropes somehow combined with some introspective relationship complications and character growth.

By the title you kind of know what you're getting when you go in but #VanDeath gave me even more than that. It gave me characters I got invested in (even the van?!) as well as a story backdrop that came alive (even while shockingly some characters were trying to kill anything and everything that moved). With the authors note at the end the clarity about why this book landed so well was confirmed by the love of the outdoors and the areas described in #VanDeath. Brian Asman poured his passions into prose and it shows. If you're wanting a fun read for spooky season, or just a horror that you can enjoy without having to think too hard then #VanDeath is a great match for you!

[Horror Reads]

Brian Asman goes full slashery goodness in this novel that's filled with twists and, especially in the latter half, non stop action.

Jason and Morgan are van life influencers and they've been successful. But their relationship is strained at the moment and they can't find a way to get back on track. Morgan is contemplating leaving him and is unsure about continuing their lifestyle while Jason lost most of their money in a crypto scam unbeknownst to her.

When a granola company offers them a collab deal, he convinces Morgan to take it. They pick a beautiful but remote spot for the deal and this might be what gets them back to how they used to be.

Except for the masked killer who has disabled their van and always seems to be one step ahead. Things are going to get bloody of course!

No good slasher would be complete without the whodunit aspect and as the killer is revealed, it takes an even more horrific turn. Not giving anything away but it's not what you originally thought.

Tense, violent, full of pulse pounding action, I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads]

Oh I loved this, thank you Blackstone for approving, I had all my fingers and toes crossed.


I am one of those people that do get sucked into the van life videos, I love seeing how different people set up, decorate and cope, it's fascinating.

Jason and Morgan are doing the van life thing together but those close quarters and life going sideways for both of them is causing a lot of tension, enough that Morgan dosent know they want to stay with Jason.

Jason has a few secrets but this brand deal situation could fix a ton of them, it's perfect money to fix the problems and their marriage. But they have to set up in a middle of nowhere area and they are being stalked.

Isntjis someone from Jason's crypto debacle, someone crazy and hates influencers or something more sinister, is this completely random and how do they escape alive??

This was a crazy vision of that with #vanlife influencers having to survive a slasher, which feels like it should be easy living in a van, but some how makes things worse.

I am really enjoying horror like this, like Trade Wife but make it Van Life, those viral videos we so get so much traction but what it if were darker.

Loved this

[Phil]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC

VanDeath was a wonderfully fucked up little slasher and I had an absolute blast with it. The tension was the real killer for me. There's this constant feeling that something absolutely horrific is about to happen, even when things seem relatively calm. I spent half the book waiting for the inevitable oh fuck moment... and naturally kept reading because apparently I have no survival instincts either.

The Death Valley setting worked perfectly too. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere with questionable people, murderous intentions and a van Ed Gein would be proud of sounds like exactly the sort of holiday I would somehow accidentally book.

It gets pretty over the top at times, but that only added to the fun. Bloody, creepy, and thoroughly entertaining.

The dual narration worked really well for me too. Both narrators did a great job keeping me invested, and I especially enjoyed how the tone shifted as the story started getting darker. You could really feel that change when shit started to go wrong. It added another layer of tension and made the more chaotic moments hit even harder

[HEATHER]

☠️🔪AUDIOBOOK REVIEW☠️🔪

This was the first book I listened to by Brian Asman and I look forward to checking out his other books. This was a unique story and I had a good time listening to this story. I loved how this book had me on the edge of my seat at times and there were some twists and turns I didn't see coming.

The narrators were Joe Hempel & Zura Johnson and they did a fantastic job telling this story. Their voices were entertaining and held my attention the entire time!

Morgan & Jasper are a couple everyone wants to be. They have a successful online following with their van life outdoor adventures. When they get the opportunity for new sponsorship they head out on a new adventure but they have no idea what this new adventure entails.

Buckle up everyone because you are in for one wild ride! This was a good masked killer thriller that will leave you with some good twists and turns! I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Brain Asman, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks | Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ALC for my honest opinion.

[Dan]

This is a competent and fun little slasher. It took some time to get going, but once it did, I rushed to finish. You’re looking at about half the book as setup, followed by an absolute landslide of a horror movie in the second half.

My one primary knock against this book is that I didn’t really like either of the main characters. They both kind of suck, and they’re both bad at relationships. A strength of the story, though, is that by the end, what they were fighting against was so much more unlikeable that I was cheering for them anyway. If I were Jasper, I wouldn’t have put my life on the line for Morgan.

And look, that could be by design. In the end, the characters got what they needed, not what they wanted. If you like slashers, especially man vs. man vs. nature stories, this is worth the read. It also has some great commentary about how the influencer economy is ruining everything, which I can get behind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Kera’s Always Reading]

Dang, this one was just a lot of fun. A traveling influencer couple struggling in their relationship take on a new sponsor, possibly the opportunity they have been looking for… but it all goes terribly wrong.

I don’t hate an Internet personality plot, especially when not taken too seriously. This was a fun take. I enjoyed the dynamic between the couple! Their uncertainty about the relationship adds so many extra levels to the story. They are trying to make the best of their situation when a black van starts appearing everywhere, getting bolder with every interaction.

This was simply a fun, twisted, cat and mouse horror novel that puts you in the unfamiliar middle of nowhere, where you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, knowing danger is around the corner, but telling yourself that you’re just being silly… I recommend this one. I listened to the audio book and I found the dual narration by Zura Johnson and Joe Hempel so well done!

[Krissy (books_and_biceps9155)]

This was one wild freaking ride. Its high octane from the prologue and doesn’t stop until the very last word. Literally. This is the perfect horror romp. The first half of the story really sets the mood, build and creep factor. You know something isn’t right. The characters are well developed. I liked the dynamic of a messy relationship going into the van trip. Plus, influencer trope?! Hello! Always intriguing.

The second half of the book was insanity in the best way. The will to live, the struggle for survival all set in the desert is terrifying. I had no idea where this was going. The gore was top notch and the banter was superb. This made me fist pump, heart race and pretty sure I lost some fingernails…what a freaking fantastic slasher!!!!

Thank you @blackstonepublishing for my copy!

[Carly]

I have been looking forward to this book since I saw it announced, and it did not disappoint!

The story leans heavily into real life vs #vanlife, making Morgan and Jasper relatable and setting the stage for character growth. Neither of them enjoy being an “influencer,” but they do genuinely enjoy the outdoors. It’s told from both of their perspectives, and while they are both flawed, they seemed like real people. It was easy to root for them.

When the rising action began, I was shocked—it felt like I had just started reading, but I was barely halfway through.

I enjoyed the ending—the author definitely stuck the landing. It was more about the journey than the whodunnit, since that isn’t difficult to figure out, but even knowing that in advance still made for a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!