Happy Hour

Killer VHS #9

by Gemma Amor

The 9th book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive.

Happy Hour is the latest horror novella from Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominated author Gemma Amor.

The eccentric owner of a '90s underground London cocktail bar has a unique and disturbing way of keeping an eye on everything and everyone, then disappearing those who don't behave. Famous politicians, glamorous actresses, and international stars are all dying to get in... and to get out.

Happy Hour is the ninth book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive. Killer VHS Series titles are standalone stories featuring found footage elemnets and nostalgic vibes for horror's '80s and '90s glory days.

Genres: Horror

224 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

I'm a Bram Stoker, BFA and Shirley Jackson Award nominated horror fiction author, podcaster, artist, editor and voice actor/audiobook narrator from Bristol, in the U.K.

I write novels and audio drama stories for the wildly popular NoSleep Podcast and various other horror fiction podcasts. My most recent works are ITCH! from Hodder & Stoughton, FIRST DATE from Datura Books and the forthcoming HAPPY HOUR from Shortwave Books, out Oct 2026.

Find me at @manylittlewords on most social media platforms.

Repped by Becky LeJeune at Confluence Literary (Lit) and Sean Berard at Untitled (Film)

Reviews

[megs_bookrack]

Happy Hour by Gemma Amor is the 9th-installment in the Killer VHS series. If you've never heard of these, they're a series of standalone Horror novellas, written by a host of different authors, that channel the vibes of 80s/90s Horror.

My thoughts on this one are fairly simple, and can actually be summed up with just one word: UNHINGED!



In this novel, we're following Brian, who owns a unique ((putting it mildly)) cocktail bar in 1990s-London. Brian has some interesting eccentricities that set his bar apart from the others. I let you discover the details for yourself.

Brian's perspective reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman. I'm not sure if the author was inspired by his character when writing Brian, but honestly, he could be Patrick's cousin. I think they'd get along famously at the family reunion.



As far as the content of the story, I found it compelling. I liked the backstory we got for Brian's character and the way that the back-and-forth was pieced together.

There's some great, cringey body horror as well, and I felt Amor did a fantastic job balancing an actual plot with all the toe-curling Horror aspects. There's actually a coherent story in here, which isn't necessarily always the case.

While i wouldn't classify this as Extreme Horror, it's definitely dipping a toe in those deeper waters. This is actually the first I've read from Gemma Amor, but I'm stoked to read more. This was a tantalizing introduction to this author for me. For sure.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Shortwave, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'd love to collect all of these paperbacks.

The covers are always so good, and I'd love to add them to my always-growing Horror collection!

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby)]

Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the advanced copy.

3.5*

This is a solid story but I just don't know that I like how it was presented. There are alternating timelines here, as the main character occasionally kills people while remembering his past and how it relates to what is happening in the present. I don't know that the back and forth was very effective as it felt more jarring than anything, taking me entirely out of the story the multiple times it happens, frequently in the middle of thoughts or sentences.

I get what the author was doing but I don't know that I liked it.

The story itself is good though, about a club owner who offs clientele now and then. For the importance Jenny has in the story I expected more of her but she's more a background character as Brian is truly a main, main character in this story, everything is about his actions and his history and his headspace. I think if it were reorganized and just a few pages longer with more for Jenny that I would have liked this more and given it a 5 because it is a fun story at the end of it.

[Stay]

”Turns out beating a man to a paste is hard work.”

After reading ‘Itch!’ By Gemma, I knew that I was going to read anything and everything she releases. ‘Itch’ was one of those reads that crawled under your skin and stayed there way after finishing. My fingers were crossed that all of her books read that same way.

Even though Gemma brought me here, the cover made me stick around. Okay, that’s not entirely true. I really do love the Killer VHS series!

Here we get an intriguing little tale and it hits off with a blood soaked start. Which was enough to keep to glued to these pages. This tale jumps from sometime in the 90s to the past. Leading us to unravel this truly twisted tale.

This quick read will get your blood pumping and your mind reeling. It was a decent addition to the VHS collection.

[Ash]

🍸 👁️ Happy Hour by Gemma Amor 👁️ 🍸

Looking for a revenge horror mixed with an eat the rich vibe? Pick up Happy Hour by Gemma Amor! This book is the next installment in @shortwavebooks Killer VHS series and releases October 20th, 2026.

Following the death of his brother, Brian opens a bar that attracts society’s elite. For those that misbehave, they may find themselves missing…

I really enjoyed this book! It’s fast paced and starts out with a bang. I was hooked until the very end. Brian reminded me a bit of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho a bit with his tunes.

Comps: The Butchers Daughter (book), Ravenous Devils (game)

[ritα (ig: thrillswithritα)]

Oh, what a fun revenge story!
This horror novella is perfect for horror fans like me, it had everything I hoped for. I just wished it was longer, I swear I could read an entire book about this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for a honest review.

[Trisha]

Ooooh I adore that these books are being marketed as “modern-day Goosebumps for Adults.” The description is spot on and I can’t wait to read more from this series.

This story is full of booze and blood, and I loved every minute of it! I know this is technically a novella, but I wanted more! It was such a fun and quick read. The 90’s club setting was perfect for millennial ol’ me.

We follow Brian, the owner of the exclusive bar in town, The Dirty Minx. The immersive floors of the Minx gave me Clifton’s Republic vibes in Los Angeles and I would definitely frequent either spot if given the chance! Brian is on a quest for revenge, all while serving a killer cocktail. I typically don’t love stories that jump back and forth between the past and present, but this one kept me hooked. I was rooting for our main character to get his revenge.

🍸🩸🔪

Thank you to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. : )

[Megan Magee]

Brian is the owner of The Dirty Minx, and to him, revenge is best served in a suspiciously red and viscous highball glass. This novella was delectable, brutal, and surprisingly deep in its brevity. There are two pretty fun characters to follow, some macabre scenes with glaring commonalities with politicians and the money hungry, and the camp is truly the perfect amount, never tipping the scales of being too on the nose. Amor really shined in this vaporwave adjacent horror novella, and I gorged myself on this prose. Thank you to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Ashley]

This was such a fun and nasty little revenge story.

I love when an author knows how to jam pack a short book and not make anything feel missing or feel like it should be cut. Gemma Amor clearly has a talent for not only writing but for storytelling.

Darkly funny at times, disgustingly gory and oddly a pinch romantic. Old money aesthetics meets fast paced thrilling revenge.

I know these series is marketed as 'Goosebumps for adults', but these (especially this one) feel like watching an episode of Tales from the Crypt.

Thank you Shortwave and netgalley for the e-arc.

[Kelly Lam]

I loved Happy Hour, it’s the perfect novella for a horror fan like me. I consumed this in two halves but it’s definitely one of those books that can be read in one sitting. It’s gruesome, disturbing and grim but there’s also a little humour mixed in and the character building is really impressive for such a short book. I’d really love to know more about some of the side characters; Jenny in particular, I was really intrigued by her.
10/10. Would order again. Don’t forget to tip the mixologist. 🍸
Thank you NetGalley and Gemma Amor for the advanced copy

[Michelle]

This was such a quick read! It was giving Bonnie & Clyde vibes, and I ate that shit up. Definitely grab this novella if you’re into fast paced, gory, revenge filled books. You will not be disappointed!

[Caitlin Stucky]

Thank you @shortwavebooks for this arc!

This is a wild ride told in dial timelines, past and present day so we learn who our eccentric bar owner is. This one kept me reading and gasping!

[Justin Soderberg]

As a younger lad I can remember going to the Scholastic Book Fair to grab the latest copy of Goosebumps to see what fears R.L. Stine could instill in me. Thanks to Shortwave Publishing and each new Killer VHS book such as  Killer VHS: Happy Hour by Gemma Amor we can get this feeling all over again. This time around it's a bit darker and filled with 1990s atmospheric horror.

The eccentric owner of a '90s underground London cocktail bar has a unique and disturbing way of keeping an eye on everything and everyone, then disappearing those who don't behave. Famous politicians, glamorous actresses, and international stars are all dying to get in... and to get out.

There are books that can be placed in any setting, but then there are those fit into a location that makes the story what it is. This latest entry into the Killer VHS series is one that oozes horror out of the neon-soaked 1990s smoky underground club setting. An atmospheric horror setting that made the story even more terrifying, making you turn it each page quickly.

Each of the Killer VHS stories feature a unique plot and Happy Hour is no different. While older entries into the series relied a lot of the video screen, these newer ones expand into a more nostalgic overall feel that make us miss the  1990s-style horror even more. With a bar as the setting, one could easily rely on age-old tropes such as a haunted building or bar, but instead Amor leans into other horrors such as power, obsession, corruption, vengeance, and the consequences of bad behavior.

It's not just the concept and plot that make Killer VHS: Happy Hour what it is, but it's Amor's writing itself. The author's writing is almost poetic at times, while also diving into the visceral and horrifying. Split into two timelines of storytelling was a fantastic way to read this story and the way Amor ends each timeline's section cutting off the line mid sentence was unique. At times can be a bit confusing, but works well with this shorter length story.

Amor balances the scales between with campy just enough to make it darkly humorous at times while also bloody. Yes, the visceral horror is preset, but Amor does much more with the story. Now, I have heard of people getting kicked out of bars for various reasons, but disappearing all together is a whole other thing. Killer VHS: Happy Hour takes bad behavior to another level and while doing so blends social commentary with campy horror in ways that surprised me.

Like other books in this series, Killer VHS: Happy Hour is a fast-paced horror that takes a unique concept and tells a fresh story that has you turning pages at breakneck speeds. While this book does need your attention throughout, as long as you are following along closely things fall right into place for a great reading experience.

Killer VHS: Happy Hour is yet another fantastic entry into the Killer VHS series. Gemma Amor delivers a stylish campy horror wrapped in an unforgettable and atmospheric setting. A cocktail blend of equal parts intoxicating and terrifying, Happy Hour stays with you long after last call.

Killer VHS: Happy Hour hits bookstores everywhere on October 20, 2026 from Shortwave Publishing.

NOTE: We received an advance copy of Killer VHS: Happy Hour from the publisher. Opinions are our own.

[Michelle Dsouza]

A novella that cuts its own sentences in half like a tape splice, which is the cleverest thing in it.

A novella that cuts its own sentences in half like a tape splice, which is the cleverest thing in it.

This is the ninth in Shortwave's Killer VHS series, standalone novellas from different authors built around found footage and eighties and nineties horror nostalgia, and it was my first. No reading order required, which I appreciated. Two timelines circle Brian, who works the bar in an exclusive underground London club in the nineties, a place with rules about who gets through the door and who is allowed back out.

The structure is the reason to read it. Amor breaks a sentence partway through, hands you over to the other timeline, and completes that same sentence pages later on the far side of the jump (no pun intended towards Neil). For a series named after videotape it is the correct instinct, two recordings sharing one cassette with the old one bleeding through the new. It would have been easy for this to be nothing more than a trick, and it isn't, because it holds both versions of Brian in the room at the same time instead of parking the past politely behind the present.

The prose is better than the genre tends to require. Amor writes something close to poetry in places and then walks straight into the wet and the awful without shifting register, and the fact that both belong to the same voice is a large part of what carries this.

There is not much plot in the conventional sense and I did not want any. It is a study of one man, and by the last page I understood how Brian arrived where he arrived, which is the job the book set itself.

The ending is where I lose the half star. It comes fast and then it simply stops, and after all that groundwork I finished it asking what the point of it had been. I am not looking for resolution tied off neatly. It is that the build promises a payoff the final pages never deliver, and there is a difference between a novella that is short and one that has been cut short.

A calibration note for anyone deciding. This did not frighten me at any point. It is gore rather than dread, viscera rather than atmosphere, so if fear is what you want from horror this is not the book. If you want fast and grim, it is.

The series carries a quote calling it Goosebumps for adults, and having read one I think that is fair. Quick, nasty, nostalgic, and easy to finish in two sittings. I would reach for another the next time I want a short murder novella.

3.5 stars.

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dani-Lynn Harris]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮
N/A - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸🩸 - 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮

🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Brian, Neil, & Jenny

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
📕homicidal tendencies
📕revenge
📕self-unaliving
📕manipulation
📕bloody distillery

🖤𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼🖤
“Haven't you heard of forensics?”

“Class can't be bought.”

“Good for business, when all is said and done.”

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
The ninth book in the Killer VHS Series packs a mean punch as Goosebumps for adults. Tons of booze. Tons of blood. Tons of booze combined with blood in this grisly little revenge novella that will intrigue you with its likable characters, fast plot, and eerie charm

*spoilers*
Brian didn’t know that when he was pulverizing his latest victim, that his crush would be standing right behind him. He also didn’t know that she wouldn’t react in a way that would get the cops involved. Instead, she helps him clean up the bloody mess. But it doesn’t appear to be an easy job. Discarding a body before the rest of the employees arrive. But Jenny announces a plan. To place it in the machine that distills the gin. See, Brian is the owner of an exclusive bar called The Dirty Minx. Named after a saying his brother used to call him.

As this is going on, Brian reminisces about his brother, Neil. The only other person he has ever cared for. How they made plans as kids to own a business together. How Brian pressured for them to start their own career instead of listening to another boss. I love the fact that not only do you continue with the official plot of the story but you also continue with the backstory plot at the same time. Each chapter has half of each, allowing the reader to understand the emotional history between the brothers leading to his demise.

The more Brian becomes overwhelmed by the guests at the bar, the more he imagines their bloody corpse liednout in front of him. Especially the ex girlfriend of his own late brother who manipulated a plan to have his brother hate him before his life was cut short. It's a twisted bloody game of hardships, manipulation, and guilt in this harrowing novella you won't be able to put down.

🖤𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵🖤
I am an avid reader of Gemma Amor’s and this was the icing on the cake for a suspenseful and splatter-filled storyline that makes you iffy on attending the next Happy Hour. As part of the Killer VHS Series, that gives you a refreshing new story from a handful of talented authors in the horror community, you will get sucked into its pages with ease.

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

[Rae B B Reads Thrillers]

Happy Hour is completely unhinged in a way that feels very intentional. It’s darkly funny, grotesque, satirical, and occasionally so ridiculous that I had to just accept the chaos and keep going.

At the center of the story is Brian, the owner of an exclusive London club who has turned unresolved grief, resentment, and his own warped sense of morality into something much more dangerous. What I found most interesting wasn’t necessarily the violence itself, but the way Brian continually convinces himself that what he’s doing is justified. He isn’t simply killing people—he’s creating an entire moral code that allows him to believe he’s somehow doing society a favor.

The relationship between Brian and Jenny was another highlight for me. Jenny challenges him in ways I wasn’t expecting, particularly when it comes to his belief that he has some sort of moral high ground. Their increasingly bizarre partnership gave the story some of its funniest and most entertaining moments.

There’s also more emotional weight underneath all the madness than I initially expected. Brian’s relationship with his brother Neil, the grief surrounding his death, and the creation of The Dirty Minx give the story a surprisingly sad foundation. I actually thought the book was strongest when it focused on that grief, guilt, and obsession rather than the shock factor.

Where this lost some points for me was the repetition. Brian’s internal commentary about wealth, celebrity, entitlement, and terrible people began to circle the same ideas, and the structure occasionally started feeling predictable. The gore and intentionally gross imagery were also much heavier than what I personally enjoy, and there were moments where the gross-out humor felt more excessive than necessary.

Still, I have to give this book credit for fully committing to what it wants to be. It’s weird, bloody, darkly funny, morally questionable, and definitely memorable.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Shortwave and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mandi Cloete]

Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up

I really love the Killer VHS series, even though this particular entry isn't my favourite of the bunch. I think Happy Hour is a well-written story with surprisingly well-developed characters for such a short novel, but it didn't quite capture the Goosebumps-style feeling that some of the other books in the series have.

I particularly enjoyed the structure of the story. I liked the jumping back and forth between Brian's past with Neil and the present-day storyline, especially the way the flashbacks gradually catch up with the present. It created an interesting sense of anticipation as I waited to see how the two timelines would eventually connect.

The characters are another strength. Considering how short the novel is, Gemma Amore does a good job giving the characters enough personality to make them feel like more than just vehicles for the horror, although I would have liked to see more of Jenny. I think she had the potential to play a larger role in the story.

I also really enjoyed the "eat the rich" aspect of the novel. The commentary on wealth and privilege worked well with the horror and gave Brian's revenge a satisfying underlying motivation.

My biggest issue was that I wanted a little more mystery. I also felt that Cherry should have been Brian's final victim. Given everything that happens, having his revenge culminate with Cherry would have felt more satisfying to me.

Overall, though, this was another enjoyable addition to the Killer VHS series. It may not be my favourite installment, and it didn't quite give me the nostalgic Goosebumps feeling I got from some of the others, but it's a fun, well-written little horror story with some interesting ideas.

[Jude (Crafty Goblin)]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc.

I discovered Gemma Amor with her fabulous book Itch! last year (I totally recommend this one too by the way) and I was so excited when I saw on netgalley that she wrote a story for the Killer VHS series. And lucky me (without surprise), I'm not disappointed. This story is wicked, twisted and unapologically good, and totally in the vibes of the famous Killer VHS vibes.

The 9th book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive.

The eccentric owner of a '90s underground London cocktail bar has a unique and disturbing way of keeping an eye on everything and everyone, then disappearing those who don't behave. Famous politicians, glamorous actresses, and international stars are all dying to get in... and to get out.

Happy Hour is the ninth book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive. Killer VHS Series titles are standalone stories featuring found footage elemnets and nostalgic vibes for horror's '80s and '90s glory days.

If you are in need of some 80's vibes, with oppulent clubes, sex drugs and rock'n'roll vibes and tabloids era, you're in for a threat.


The characters are...unhinged, like we like them (at least I do), the ambiance is glamor but crass (I mean, 80's and 90's were the best eras in my opinion but it was crass sometimes). You'd like the sense of morals a bit twisted but hey Hell's road is paved with good intentions.

[Paul]

Title: Happy Hour
Author: Gemma Amor
Release date: 10/20/26
Rating: ⭐️/5

Taking place in 1990s London, The Dirty Minx is an underground, highly exclusive cocktail bar for the rich and famous with a VIP lounge that allows patrons to partake in vices out of the eye of the public. The bar’s proprietor, Brian, is of questionable sanity. Beyond the glamour of the bar, Brian is secretly monitoring the transgressions of his clientele. When his guests cross his moral boundary, they are met with lethal, brutal, retribution.

The plot summary was what attracted me to this novella but beyond that, the story fell flat. It feels like the author tried to inject an element of Dexter into Brian without giving him more depth. There are a lot of flashbacks to Brian and his relationship with his deceased brother Neil and how this is important to the creation of The Dirty Minx. Neil’s character fills a good number of pages but unfortunately, there is not as much emphasis on how his character impacts Brian compared to how the bar was created…Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this novella is that, when shifting timelines from the present to the past, the author will cut off what she is saying mid-sentence and even mid-word. I am not sure…what the point of this was, but it halted any momentum that was built and was extremely distracting.

If you have a choice between this story and another, I would recommend putting this one on the back burner.

[Allison Hammat]

Come for the drinks, stay for the kills. Gemma Amor knows how to pack a punch—this novella can be read in one sitting, but that doesn’t means the characters and storyline are rushed or lacking. Happy Hour’s main character, Brian, is a talented mixologist and owner of the new hottest bar in London—The Dirty Minx.

Creating new cocktail recipes isn’t the only thing Brian is focused on though, seeing as he’s bashed someone’s brains in down in the basement of the bar and he’s actively plotting revenge on his brother’s ex-girlfriend. Who knows—maybe murder is the muse Brian needs to create a new cocktail special.

I love that this book is a part of an anthology series being marketed as Goosebumps for adults. Happy Hour feels like a mix between Tales From the Crypt and Goosebumps. I had to stop reading to write down cocktail recipes (why have I never thought to mix in peppercorn on my sugar rim??) which I can’t say has ever happened to me while reading a horror story before. Kudos to Amor on this very fun read and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.


Read this book if you like:

-That scene at the end of Fight Club where the Narrator and Marla hold hands while all the buildings collapse
-Sweeney Todd style drinks
-Cocktail recipes that make you stop reading so you can write them down
-Satisfying revenge plots
-Bubble Gum Lip Smacker lip balm


Thank you to NetGalley and Shortwave for the e-ARC of this book.

[LateNightDadReads]

2.75/5 stars

Happy Hour was my first experience with the Killer VHS Series. From what I've gathered, the series has been compared to Goosebumps, a series I absolutely loved as a kid, but written for adults. Pair that concept with a roughly 200-page page count, and I was immediately all in.
Unfortunately, I really wanted to like this one more than I did.

The dual-timeline structure worked fairly well for me, with the past storyline gradually explaining how we arrived at the events happening in the present day. I enjoyed watching those pieces come together. What didn't work as well for me was the character of Jenny. I never fully understood why she was in the present-day storyline working alongside the main character or what exactly motivated her. Because of that, I struggled to connect with her role in the story.

Overall, the story was perfectly fine. It came so close to earning that third star, but ultimately, it just fell a little flat for me by the end.

If you're already a fan of the Killer VHS Series and the other books have worked for you, I don't see any reason not to give this one a try. But if you're like me and this would be your first entry into the series, I might recommend checking out some of the other, more highly rated installments first.
Not a bad read by any means, just one that left me wanting a little more.

Thank you to NetGalley and ShortWave Publishing for the ARC!

[Steve Edholm]

I can't say I had read one book in this series and I am not sure it that helps or hurts me in this book. I read this book because it is from Gemma Amor. I love her work, her short story work is always top notch.

I loved the general premise of the book, a plot of revenge, murder and cleansing the world of horrible humans. It centers around an exclusive club for London's top society where it's owner has murdered someone right in front of the bartender who he loves. From there the starts rolling and you just feel the tension continually rising at a murderous pace.

I am not sure if this was a decision by Gemma or it's from the series, but I didn't like the format of the book. It's why I am not giving it a higher rating. I didn't like the split chapters that cut off mid thought between the present and the past. I would rather alternating chapters or something like that. I think the short chapter format may have helped the pacing a lot, but also just felt like you constantly were changing the timelines of the book.

Gemma always paints a great picture in her books. She is great at laying out the characters and the scenery so you can really get the full movie in your head.

I read this in a day and a half because I was busy, this could have been 1 day if I had wanted to. This book will fly for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave for the advanced copy!

[Cait]

The way the chapters are laid out was a bit daring in my opinion but worked successfully (on print) to create a positively disgusting page turner. Happy Hour read to me as a y2k-esque horror story infused with a bit of Sweeney Todd goodness, all wrapped up in a superficial bow and set in a drug and money obsessed society; like 90's/early 2000's vibe where celebrities and wealth were shoved down our throat via People's Magazine and TMZ. But in this story the rich and famous meet their downfall as The Dirty Minx owner Brian has his own ideas of revenge, with the help of bartender Jenny.

It was unsettling and gory rather than jumpy which I can appreciate in horror, especially as a nod to a lot of classic horror stories and movies. The detailed descriptions about the bar's themes and the inclusion of drink recipes were great to read and picture. I feel like the writing really touched on a lot of our senses as readers and I could imagine myself there during all of the horror as I was reading it.

I was expecting maybe a little bit of a twist somewhere within the story, instead we get a straight forward revenge plot. Not a bad thing, I was just hoping for a bit more of a juicier ending. Overall this "eat the rich" style story worked well for me!

Thank you to Shortwave Publishing and NetGalley for the E-ARC!

[LeAnna]

I'm a fan of Gemma Amor's previous work (especially First Date) -- unfortunately this one just didn't hit all the way for me, largely because I feel the dual timelines make the story lose momentum and feel more than a little confused.

The conceit of an emotionally traumatized (and more than a little deranged) man grieving his brother turns to gory means for revenge had me sat and excited. Amor is supremely talented in writing and humanizing largely "unlikeable" characters.

However, the back and forth and stop-and-start of these short chapters really stunted the storyline for me. In itself, this story is a novella so it's already short. The whiplash between timelines just left me feeling confused and unsure where in the timeline I actually was. Still, this is a fun little horror quick read. Perhaps it would have been more effective as a true short story, rather than a novella.

My thanks to Shortwave Publishing, the author, and NetGalley for this early ARC. This is a part of a book series called 'Killer VHS Series', affectionately referred to as 'Goosebumps for Adults' and I do think in that regard the story served its purpose.

[Craig Matthews]

Following the death of his brother Neil, a man named Brian has fulfilled his dream of owning his own high-class cocktail bar, The Dirty Minx. Business is good; the rich, famous and powerful all want membership to the exclusive club, and Brian has fast become the talk of the town. Unfortunately for him, one of his employees has just walked into the wine cellar while he's beating his bank manager to death with a marble pestle.

I've long been a fan of the Killer VHS series of books – nicknamed 'the modern-day Goosebumps for adults' by some – and was excited when I saw that Gemma Amor, author of the brilliant Itch, was contributing a story to it. This didn't disappoint. A fast-paced, literal one-sitting read, the pages flew by and the chapters dissolved in my hands.

Think of this as a B-movie romp rather than an elevated masterpiece. There's gore, revenge, bad people getting their comeuppance, and it's all done with a knowing grin. Almost every chapter contains the current story of Brian and Jenny in his bar, and another section detailing his past with Neil and his eventual death. These are tied together well and build some surprisingly deep characterisation for a book like this.

Highly recommended for anybody looking for a quick, fun blast of horror – along with the rest of the books in Shortwave Publishing's series

[Michaela Sjödin]

This was a fast ride! I really get the comparison with Goosebumps (for adults). The story is short, fast paced and to the point. And bloody and gory of course!

We follow Brian, a man who is filled with equally parts revenge and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture who keeps playing in his mind. He is the owner of a prestigious bar that celebrities fall over each other to visit. We find Brian during a fatal night, in the middle of smashing a man’s head into pieces with a mortar. Then we get to follow Brian back and fourth between past and present to find out how this smash-head-with-mortar-incident came to be.

This was a perfect little story in its simplicity, almost felt like a short story with only 200-ish pages. And I think it was just enough to get the point across! There is no deep connection with Brian or any other characters, and it doesn’t need to be. He is simple in his conviction to exact revenge.

The character Jenny is the only loose thread. I don’t really understand what her motivation for any of this is, she just jumps on the Brian-revenge-train, no questions asked. Maybe we will meet them again in a future story and learn more about her past?

This book is the first one I read from the Killer VHS series, but I will probably pick up more of them when I am in the mood for something quick and dark.

Thank you, Shortwave and NetGalley for letting me read this book early!

[Sidney]

look, we should all know by now that i am the first to admit i do, in fact, judge a book by its cover. so when i saw the eyeball soaking in the martini? yeah, i knew i had to read Happy Hour. hand it over!

this was a fun, fast paced little horror novella that wasted no time getting right to the bloodshed. i knew from the first chapter that i was in for a bloody good time. i enjoyed the dual timelines—they blended well together & showed the full story behind what drives Brian's revenge & motivation.

none of the characters are really likable but i just couldn't help rooting for Brian & Jenny. i love a good revenge story, & this was done very well. Cherry was a real highlight of the story for me. she made me laugh, & she really got what she had coming to her.

Gemma did a good job painting a picture of what the Dirty Minx looks like & i'm honestly trying to figure out how to get in?? where do i apply? is my invitation in the mail? do you hear that knocking? Open up—it's me! Let me in!

Happy Hour is dripping with the right amount of blood (along with... *ahem*... some other bodily fluids). its humorous at times, a little dark but also has some heart, & there's a dash of romance that gives Bonnie & Clyde vibes.

this made me so excited to dive into some of the other books from Killer VHS series.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[shyra ☾]

mixologist 101! cheers to :) hour!! 🍸

”only the privileged indeed can lay eyes on this rum, let alone drink it in its most desirable form: the mai tai.”

no shame diving head first into a fun gore drenched bloodbath of revenge & serving fancy cocktails at a luxurious bar!
there’s a splash of darkness, cleverness with equal portion timelines & personality.
don’t you dare slam on your brakes murdering & disposing those bodies brian & jenny!
it was a bloody alcoholic blast! cherry was the cherry on top

gemma amor you dirty minx!
after i’ve read itch! and i saw this arc available, my eye got caught in that martini on the cover.
happy hour is the ninth installment in the killer vhs series where found footage of monsters coming to life and tapes summon long-buried evils giving ‘modern-day goosebumps for adults.’
i’m excited to read the rest as this is incredibly binge worthy in a single sitting.
soooo i’m wondering.. where’s my invite to the dirty minx??
‘i quit drinking’ then i go get drunker than the last time #me

”brian is glad he doesn’t have to kill jenny just yet. for one thing, he’s never met anyone who made a better martini, and that is worth something.”

thank you netgalley & shortwave publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review!~

[Jeremy Fowler]

Dangerously Delicious Drinks & Even Darker Intentions!

Happy Hour by Gemma Amor is a story that will knock you off your feet. Amor knows exactly how to write these dark and dangerously deranged characters that will make you THINK! In this story, our main character is a tortured bartender who is drowning in his past. Between his upbringing and his brother, who has passed, the ghosts of his life are coming back, and he is adding ghosts as he makes some of his clientele disappear.

The story is written in this jarring and abrupt way that just makes it fly by. There is a flip back and forth. The story flows with heart and emotion in this devastating way. There’s a sharpness to the dialogue and a tension simmering beneath every interaction that had me constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. And this is a dark story! Gemma Amor nails this evil. The story is unsettling in ways both psychological and visceral, building toward moments that are disturbing, haunting, and impossible to shake. But underneath the terror is something deeply human, which is what makes it resonate long after the final page. It’s dark, clever, and beautifully written, delivering that perfect blend of heartbreak and horror that Amor does so incredibly well.

[Krystelle (based on the novel by Stephen King)]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

First off, I have to say that I absolutely love the concept of this series. Having a ‘Goosebumps’ and ‘Tales From The Crypt’ blend for adults is delightful, and I fully appreciate the commitment to the bit with this one. The covers are absolutely top notch as well- love that exact aesthetic for these kinds of things.

I enjoyed the concept of this story. We all love a bit of a dicey moral tale, and specifically where someone has an appetite for revenge on the entire human race. The concept of using bodies to flavour alcohol is absolutely diabolical.

The Dirty Minx provides a delightful setting for this slasher tale, and there’s very little redemption to be found for any of the characters. You’ve got a healthy dose of cannibalism, a lot of gratuitous violence, and aggressive moral blackness.

I did think that there could have been development for the main characters, particularly Jenny, who I didn’t quite connect with as well as I could have. I did think too that while Brian was better fleshed out, he was missing a bit of a human element. I can’t wait for the resident Fable cocktail maker to get ahold of this one though- I can imagine they would have a field day!

[Crystal Gritzmacher]

Happy Hour is a fun, quick horror novella that drops readers into a ’90s underground London cocktail bar run by an eccentric owner with a disturbing way of keeping tabs on his guests—and an even more disturbing way of dealing with those who misbehave. With famous politicians, glamorous actresses, and international stars all eager to get through the doors, the question is whether they’ll be able to get back out.

This was such an entertaining, bite-sized horror read. Amor does a great job creating a bizarre atmosphere around Brian and the bar, while gradually giving us a better understanding of the person behind his unsettling behavior. I especially appreciated the flashbacks into Brian’s younger years, which added some unexpected dimension to his character and made his story more compelling.

The revenge-driven storyline, dark humor, and overall weirdness made this a really enjoyable read. The Killer VHS series absolutely lives up to the “Goosebumps for adults” comparison — it has that same sense of fun and pulpy horror, just with considerably darker subject matter. I’d definitely be interested in picking up another book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the advance reader copy.