Yellow Tape Woman

by John Redman

A Tornado. A Burned House. A Night of Redemption.
This is not a procedural. It's a haunting.

When Morgan returns to her aunt’s burned home, she’s swept into a night of supernatural terror.

As a monstrous tornado bears down on the cul-de-sac, something else is unleashed: the Spirit Amp, which amplifies the voice behind the yellow tape; and the Phantom Seat, a masked chair with psychoactive vapors that lures the living beyond the veil.

Haunted by the loss of her beloved aunt and drawn closer to her partner Jamie as danger mounts, Morgan must navigate unraveling reality and hallucinations that blur the line between memory and haunting—and survive a storm that’s more than just wind and rain.

Perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon and Paul Tremblay, with the storm-chasing terror of Twister and the chilling dread of Insidious.
If you crave supernatural suspense where the weather is as deadly as the ghosts, and reality is never quite what it seems, this is your next obsession.

While writing this novel, I found myself haunted by the storm-chasing terror of Twister and the chilling, otherworldly atmosphere of Insidious. Their influence can be felt in the tornado that stalks Little Harrow and the Phantom Seat that bridges worlds. I hope fans of both film and fiction will find something to love here.

270 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 15, 2026

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing me ARC of this book

Here is point-by-point review of why this book pissed me off.

1) At the very beginning, I felt like I was high and trying to read the novel because I couldn't tell what was going on. Morgan was having hallucinations and they were so well woven into the reality that I couldn't tell the difference between what is actually happening and what is her hallucination and what is the result of spirit amp.

2) Also I hate Jamie. He seems like a manchild in the sense that he doesn't know how to deal with emotions. He is absolutely reckless with no survival instincts. Now as a girl, I understand. Boys have zero survival skills in their bones because they've never been put in a constant danger like girls have. So our survival skills obviously exceeds that of the boys. Honestly, I was expecting more from him as the love interest of this novel. I was hoping they would not end up together but oh well. Jamie is your typical guy who recklessly dives into any danger for the thrill of it. And I get the "recklessly diving into danger for thrill of it" but can't you be more prepared for the recklessness so you can survive to do more recklessness in future? What's up with wanting to die being reckless? It is not love, it is cowardice. And he sure seem to like running away from facing his emotions.
I cannot tell you how much I hate this guy. You're free to like him but I can make a point-by-point ppt on why I hate this guy. The presentation would go on for days.



3) What's up with them downplaying their friend's death? In the entire book, there is barely a paragraph or two thrown here and there about him. Would it not have a greater impact on you if your partner died in front of you? Why did it feel like they were dismissing his death? Jamie did say that they don't know what we're going through and that may be true. Maybe they are just suppressing their emotions, trying not to think about it which is inarguably the worst way of coping with grief.


4) The writing style.
There were many times I cannot tell who is talking. And before you say "read the context", this is how the dialogues are written.
(Actions of character A)
(Dialogue that could've been said by character A to B or character B to A)
(Actions of character A)
And this pattern continues which confused me whether character A is speaking or being spoken to.

Another thing I would like to point out is the flow off actions:
Let me give you an example:
Character x shrugs and pans the camera to character y
Character y faints
character x starts screaming
Now I had to read this thrice because I couldn't understand how character x went from this (😐) to this (😱) in just two lines. The way it is described does not flow well. And there are many scenes like that.

5) Plot what plot? It was so random. Things felt pretty random and out of blew and they were just going back and forth to three different houses. I could not understand what was the point of the ending. Or any of it actually. You could easily remove the incident with Davon Bones and what that event lead to and the story would remain the same.

Overall, this book was like your drunk friend trying to tell you about the dream she had and trying to give it a happy ending because she cannot properly remember what happened.

The two (.5) things that I did like in this book:
Fenwick
Willow
And maybe Charlotte

P.s. sigh... this was a little too hetero for me

[Britney Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yellow Tape Woman
3.5 star read for me!

A heartfelt thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Yellow Tape Woman in exchange for my honest review.

This supernatural thriller immediately grabbed my attention. The initial setup, which sees Morgan returning to the ominous, burnt-down house of her Aunt, establishes a powerful atmosphere of dread. The story successfully blends supernatural and paranormal elements, creating a compelling mystery rooted in a dark setting.

The true terror unfolds as the night descends into a maelstrom of natural and unnatural forces. With a ferocious tornado and storms bearing down, the horror intertwines with the extreme weather, escalating the stakes and transforming the setting into a truly frightening gauntlet. The tension builds to a question of pure survival: will Morgan and the others make it through this harrowing night?

As a compact, less than 200-page novella, Yellow Tape Woman offers a quick, intense dive into supernatural horror. Despite a momentary dip in pacing, its strong premise and frightening climax make it a read I would certainly recommend.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yellow Tape Woman is a paranormal thriller novella. There were a lot of descriptions that I really liked about the houses and the storm. The setting was great! There were a few creepy one-liners I liked too:
"Every hair on my arm stands up like dry grass before a lightening strike."
"It's like the storm awakens. It's like the sky is an ocean and the clouds are fleeting ships, each one firing cannons down from the sky."
"The only path to redemption is taking the road less traveled, with nothing but a soul full of scars and a mind full of hope."

There were many moments of action, but a few chapters where the pacing slowed down a bit too much (and I'm not quite sure why they were even there). There were a lot of characters, so I didn't really ...care about all of them. I couldn't really get behind the "love" story between Jamie and Morgan and feel like that could have been left out completely and just focused on the spooky.

The hallucinations and memories sometimes got confusing. The story jumped around enough that it wasn't always clear what was what. (I totally understand that may be part of the thrill and just me.)

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for letting me read Yellow Tape Woman!

[Nick Wilford · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable paranormal adventure in which the main character Morgan revisits the house of her Aunt Lisa who died in mysterious circumstances and seems to have unfinished business. There's a motley crew of co-investigators including her ghost hunting partner Jamie, neighbours Charlotte and Fenwick and another girl, Willow. All are quite well drawn as individuals although I would say the most interesting characters are Lisa, making her presence felt beyond the grave as well as the incessant storm that batters the street throughout and is a strong use of anthropomorphic weather with a tornado even entering the mix. The book has a taut, lean writing style that keeps the action moving forward nicely. I'd recommend for fans of paranormal reads in the YA/NA range - although it's not labelled as such I would put it in that bracket because the main character undergoes a journey of redemption as she tries to unravel her own part in Lisa's last day, which feels coming of age-y. A quick, satisfying read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.

[Courtney | the backcountry_booky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

This one was a hard one to rate. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers with an ominous atmosphere and an unpredictable and shifting narrative, you’ll love Yellow Tape Women! It had an interesting concept that involved ghost hunting, natural disasters and hallucinations that kept me confused and kept wondering what was going to happen next! The writing style is definitely unique and did take a bit of getting used to at first as it’s not always clear who’s speaking and some chapters do not pick up where the last ended but I think that adds the unsettling storyline.There were a few parts that slowed down a little and I found myself wanting them to get on with it already but otherwise it had a lot of action.

A big thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of Yellow Tape Woman in exchange for my review.

[Tammy Bertrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how I felt about this book. There were times that I loved it and other parts when I wished it would just move on. It is a paranormal thriller novella.  The premise of this book was great but the hallucinations and memories were sometimes quite confusing because the story jumped around so much. There was a few parts of the story that dragged on but otherwise it was action packed. There were a lot of characters so I couldn't quite connect with any of them. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers with an eerie atmosphere and shifting storylines this book may be for you.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Joan Blendowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This paranormal thriller was ok. It was an easy read, although a bit predictable and sometimes a little confusing. Overall the storyline and theme was pretty solid, I think it just needs to be cleaned up a bit to smooth out some of the rough patches. I do feel parts of the story were dragged out a little longer than they needed to be, but for the sake of book length I understand why. It was a great filler read book and would recommend it as a read. I would explore other books by John Redman.

[Mya Joan Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one had an interesting premise, but it didn’t fully deliver for me. The tension was there at times, but the pacing felt uneven and some parts dragged while others felt rushed. I also struggled to connect with the characters, which made it hard to stay fully invested. Not terrible, just not as gripping as I’d hoped.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this. The premise captivated me and I love a good paranormal story, but this was not it. I don't think the writing style is what I usually go for and maybe that hindered my enjoyment. The execution was a chop for me and the subplot with Sam, Jamie, and the Triple Six was dragged out and anticlimactic.

Thank you NetGalley and Pagemonsters for the ARC.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying, my aunt died while I was reading this. Which led me to say hey Aunt Doris, please don't haunt me 🤣😅 but uhh yeah this was a pretty interesting book. I kept thinking of Haunting of Hill House while reading this. So if you're looking for an interesting take on hauntings, I'd say give this a shot.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story started off with a lot of promise but unfortunately it fell short due to the writing style being disengaging for me within this genre.
The plot was either too rushed or way too dragged out and lacked consistency needed to fully flesh out the story.
A miss for me as a horror mystery reader.
Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

[Tessara Dudley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty years ago, Morgan’s beloved aunt Lisa died after setting her bedroom on fire and leaping out her second story window into a swimming pool, where she drowned. Last week, Lisa’s neighbor Charlotte contacted Morgan: she saw Lisa walking down the stairs in her long-abandoned home. Morgan and her partner Jamie are paranormal investigators, and they roll into town to look into this…mere hours ahead of a wild and deadly storm. Can they solve the mystery before the storm takes them—or are they in danger from something even worse?

This was a very quick read, and the mystery was compelling enough to keep me reading. The point-of-view character has frequent hallucinations and that kept me off-balance (in a good way). It was hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t, and that heightened the creepy atmosphere beautifully. The ending shocked me, and I feel like the mysterious past events were well laid out and made sense once I knew the truth. The author did really well fostering tension and keeping me uncertain about what was happening, and I like how we gradually learned more about Aunt Lisa, and why she might have become a vengeful spirit when she and Morgan were so close during her life.

Unfortunately, there were some issues with the writing that lowered my rating. The author uses some exceedingly strange metaphors and similes that are so weird they really did take me out of the scene while I tried to puzzle them out. Some of the dialogue was clunky and unnatural, though it got markedly better by the second quarter of the book. The settings are much more thoroughly explained than the characters, who are never physically described in any depth, making it hard to care about some of them (especially the romantic sub-plot between the two main characters).

Overall, it was a quick, fun read. I particularly liked Fenwick and the sarcastic dynamic he had with Charlotte. Although the writing at the start was a little clunky, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. If you liked Lockwood & Co, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, or The Haunting of Hill House, then you may like this short novel.

Thanks to Pagemonsters for providing a free review copy through NetGalley! All opinions expressed here are my own.

3.5 stars, rounded down.