Santa Took Them

by William Malmborg

Christmas Eve 2005. Eight year old Michelle Harper is the only survivor in a horrific massacre that has left her four siblings decapitated, and her mother slowly dying as her innards ooze out onto the second floor landing, the words SANTA TOOK THEM written in blood on the bedroom wall. Ten years later, having been released from a psychiatric hospital for children, Michelle disappears, her uncle and his girlfriend found hacked to death with a knife before being decapitated, the words SANTA TOOK THEM once again written in blood on the wall. Dr. Samantha Loomis had no plans for the holidays, and was hoping to spend the time simply relaxing in her home. That all changes when the police begin asking her questions about Michelle, questions that make it fairly clear that they believe her to be guilty of the recent slayings. No one in Holly Brook, IL has forgotten the horror that unfolded on Christmas Eve all those years ago, and now, as a terrifying blizzard descends upon the small isolated town, and teens begin disappearing one by one, it looks as if that gruesome night was only the beginning.

Genres: Horror, Christmas, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Holiday, Fiction

306 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2015

About the author

William Malmborg is the author of the novels Jimmy, Text Message, Nikki's Secret, Dark Harvest, Blind Eye, Santa Took Them, Crystal Creek, Daddy’s Little Girl, The Girl Who Played with the Ouija Board, Josiah, He Sees You When You're Sleeping and the novellas Billy's Blade, Till Death Do Us Part and Don’t Go in the Cellar. Future works will include A Taste of Pain, The Murders at Bootleggers Burrow, and Gobble, Gobble.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well made page-turning slasher novel, the mistery was not too much easy to solve, and doctor Samantha Loomis was a real nice tribute to the iconic character played by Donald Pleasance in the Halloween movies.
If you are in the mood to read a seasonal holiday horror, this is going to be an hell of a read, filled with thrills, twists, sex and gore.
A nearly perfect homage to 80s horror movies with a strong Laymon vibe.
First book I ever read of mr. Malmborg was a pleasant surprise and definitely not going to be the last.

HO! HO! HO!

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know what’s happened. For years I avoided reading horror as I thought it would be too scary. Now, in search of ‘something different’ in my reading diet I have been reading a few horror books and find them not at all scary. So here we are again and I find myself an (almost) lone voice of dissent on this book. I didn’t like it.

Maybe it was the coming-of-age vibe, or maybe it was because this read like a B grade slasher movie featuring an honest-to-god homicidal axe wielding maniac. It’s an expression but seriously, very few stories actually feature the axe wielding. But these stories DO, like this one, have a lot of aimless running around doing stupid things that end with someone being slashed. You know the drill - “don’t go into the basement” (or attic, or haunted house) so what do the hapless characters do. Naturally they go into the haunted house. And end up getting slashed. Naturally the police are useless. And when you find out (it’s not hard) who the killer is you wonder how they managed to surprise/overcome their many victims. So, this was not scary or creepy or... it didn’t even make any sense. I could go on but I won’t. Next time I venture into this genre I will have to try something more subtle 🙄.

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrill this turned out to be!

I was impressed with JIMMY by this author and I'm glad to say that this book was just as good, if not better. From the very first chapter, he took me on a thrill ride and I did not want to put the book down.

Ten years ago, the Harper family was slaughtered on Christmas Eve, with only 8 year old Michelle surviving. It didn't take long for the rumors to start that she was the one who committed the murders.

Now, at 18, Michelle is released from the children's psychiatric hospital and goes to live with her uncle and his girlfriend. After a few weeks, both her uncle and his girlfriend are killed, and Michelle disappears.

Michelle's doctor, Samantha Loomis, races to the town of Holly Brook, where the original massacre took place. She hopes to find Michelle, to help her, because she believes that Michelle is innocent.
But people are disappearing. And strange things are happening at the house where the Harper family died...

If this sounds like a slasher movie, it's because this story brings homage to the genre, but in my opinion it is an improvement. As much as I loved the original HALLOWEEN movie - and it is one of my favorites - I think this book might just have a better story.

But wait, here comes something completely unexpected:
I figured out who the killer was at 61% into the book. Yes, I hoped to be wrong (but wasn't) and thought it was going to bring down my rating. However, it's not only about the killer but the shit-storm thereafter...I had no idea how good the last 20% of the book was going to be.

Hey, if you like horror and/or hardcore thriller, you are in for a treat!

[Nev Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I love William Malmborg’s writing. His stories are very easy to read. They flow extremely well and you can tell that he puts his heart and soul into everything he writes. This story proves beyond a shadow of doubt that he has the knack of writing a blood thirsty thriller that is full of the smartest and most intricate and imaginative ideas and plots."

See here for the full review:

Santa Took Them

[Gatorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting horror tale about a murderous evening ten years earlier on Christmas Eve in which an 8-year old girl is suspected of killing her entire family. Ten years later, the girl is released from a care facility only to have a series of similar murders occur which once again casts suspicion upon her. Clearly an homage to the old 80's slasher films like Halloween (the girl's doctor is named Loomis), the story is gruesome when necessary and otherwise suspenseful but is marred by the author deciding to reveal the identity of the killer earlier than expected. From there, the story loses much of its tension, becomes a bit silly and hints at unknown motives which are never revealed. The ending suggests a sequel, which would be the only thing to explain why the killer's motive for the more recent murders is never explained. I liked it but there was the potential for it to be better. Perhaps 3.5 stars if a sequel is coming.

[lee_readsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. The story and it's characters were all written in a Young Adult style but there were also some truly gory scenes. Maybe if there was less if the YA lit it could have made a perfect Christmas horror novel.
3.5 stars

[Erin Talamantes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like a bad B horror movie.
Writing style wasn’t my favorite, dialogue felt unrealistic and cringey at times.

[Mylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

HO HO HOping to read more by this author

Wow! What a book! It was definitely a page turner. The only thing that killed the vibe for me was the ending. It just felt off somehow... it felt like the explanation for what happened was not credible enough. I think that was the weakness for me because otherwise I sped through this book. The many characters in the story were certainly well crafted. On that note, I have to give this author extra brownie points for naming the psychiatrist, Samantha Loomis. (For all you horror movie newbies or those of you representing Gen Z who would not dare watch a movie pre 2010, I will happily inform you that the name of the psychiatrist in the Carpenter classic “Halloween” was Samuel Loomis). Like I said, Mr. Malmborg gets huge points for that cool naming strategy.

If you are looking for a fun tale with an interesting blend of suspense and horror, pick this up.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s safe to say I have a new favorite holiday horror book. Santa Took Them is everything a guy like me could ask for in a Christmassacre – there’s disemboweling aplenty, randy teenagers running amok, dark secrets, and gift boxes filled with severed heads courtesy of a crazy axe-wielding psycho dressed up like St. Nick. Ho ho ho!

Ten years ago, Michelle Harper showed up in her neighbor’s house carrying the head of her sibling. Now, at 18, she’s just been released from the children’s psychiatric hospital into the care of her uncle. No sooner can you say “Merry Christmas!” before a series of attacks, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Harper family murders, start up again and the cozy, snow-covered town of Holly Brook finds itself gripped in horror once more.

Harper’s doctor, Samantha Loomis, arrives to help clear the girl’s name, not believing Michelle is responsible for the atrocities that have struck Holly Brook, neither ten years ago, nor now. All fingers, though, are pointed squarely in the missing Michelle’s direction and bodies are dropping like an overweight elf through a chimney.

Where author William Malmborg really shines, though, is in keeping the suspense high. There’s blood aplenty, but also a creeping dread that shines through beautifully. You know that most of the characters are going to be fodder for the grisly mill, but it’s in their executions that Malmborg provides the most squirms, refusing to shy away from the gore and ultraviolence. There’s also a few secrets several of the townsfolk are keeping, and they provide some great, well-timed shocks along the way.

Right from the get-go, it’s clear that Malmborg has a deep love and affinity for the old school slasher flicks, and Santa Took Them is clearly a spiritual successor to John Carpenter’s film, Halloween, right down to this next-generation Dr. Loomis. This is far from a cheap knock-off, though, and Carpenter’s work provides merely a template for this homage. Santa Took Them is clearly it’s own beast, and a darn good one at that.

Santa Took Them is an excellent Christmas-time horror read, but also a love-letter to the slasher horror film genre with a brilliant serial killer riding front and center. While dark and gruesome, Malmborg crafts a book that is compulsively readable and wickedly entertaining. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’ll surely want to give this a read. Buy it!

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just. It was a mess.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many unnecessary povs, bad writing and cringy sex scenes made this book a miss for me.

[Horror Sickness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a Christmas Horror to dig my teeth into, I found this book through booktube and I knew I had to give it a try.

This was definitely the perfect mix between disgusting bloody horror and a police investigation. All around Christmas season in a small town where 10 years ago, the Harper family was slaughtered on Christmas Eve.

Now, another family has been murdered at their home. Is the killer back? Will they be able to find the killer on time?

The book had a great pacing that kept you intrigued and wanting to turn the page to find out what horrors await our characters next. Definitely full of blood and some interesting twists.

This was my first book by the author and I will definitely be checking out some of his other books.

[Octavia (ReadsWithDogs) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Santa Took Them was a campy fun C horror read! (Is C Horror a thing?! like not quite B horror, but a little worse?!)
I enjoyed the killing scenes because they were very gory and gritty and inventive. The writing definitely left lots to be desired (ever heard of a thesaurus 🙄) and there were so many characters it was hard to remember who was who, but this book was entertaining enough and the gore kept me reading through night in the power outage!
⭐⭐/5
🎄🎅🏼🔪🔪🔪⚰️💀

[Wulfwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a twisty tale. I read the last 15% of the book with my hand over my mouth and a need to use the bathroom that I kept putting off to finish the book. Normally I would walk and read but I was so interested, (or horrified), moving wasn’t an option. I would have probably had a heart attack if I accidentally shut my Kindle down or moved the pages.
For those who would like to know the book is horror so yes to graphic. It also has a few sexually explicit passages. Yes, there is also “swearing”. If those bother you, please don’t star the book down. Just move on and find a book that is what you want to read. (Pet peeve - sorry).

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. RTC. Woah.

[Richard Bankey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a horror/thriller that takes place during Christmas. This a good one to read during the holidays. 3.75 🌟

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good short-ish horror novel which pays homage to HALLOWEEN in that an alleged killer who has spent her childhood in a mental institution is released back into society to live with her uncle's family. When they turn up dead, everyone is sure that the girl is heading back to the town where the original murders took place...everyone but her counselor Samantha Loomis, who is sure of her innocence. (Does that name sound familiar? If you're a fan of HALLOWEEN, it should...)

What follows is a horror novel that hits all the tropes and makes for an exciting, fun read. Malmborg always does a great job with his characters, placing them in jeopardy and making the reader care about them. This one is no exception. There's a little bit of Laymon's style found in the narrative, but it is a typical William Malmborg story in other regards...

After reading BLIND EYE (his previous novel) I don't think this one is quite as good, but that's a high standard, and this one is plenty entertaining for horror fans.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could give this book 2 1/2 stars I would because the story was good and the plot worked. Unfortunately I found the writing to be stilted and really wish the author would just remove the words arrived and within from his vocabulary. Try doing a word search on those words and you'll see why, so overused. Phrases like "fear arrived" and constant use of "within her" and "within the house" rather than ever simply using in became so redundant it was difficult to continue reading. It would really benefit from some good editing. I thought it read like a draft not a finished work, but I plowed through to finish the story that was interesting enough to keep me going.
Sorry to be critical but I wanted to be honest.

[Janna Dibble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this more!
I did read it in one sitting and it’s definitely a page turner. I felt the ending was terrible and super rushed and yet it dragged on. I know that makes no sense but read it and you’ll understand. 🤣

Pros- if you want a gory christmassy book, well this is it! Very 80’s slasher with lots of gory details. Pretty much gore starts a few pages in.

Cons- way too many characters that are not needed. The characters are written in a very young adult style and I don’t feel like the teens are well written. Also the sex scenes that are super cringy. Almost clock work orange with a Christmas massacre. I know every 80’a slasher needs sex scenes so you can be killed (the virgin always lives right?) however this is just weird.

[Richard Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a certain dumb pleasure in a good slasher but this is not a good slasher. Even in a slasher there has to be a willing suspension of disbelief but everybody in this book, especially the police, is just inept. 'Hmm, there's the house where all those killings took place and we suspect the killer has returned to... Hmm, but the doors are all locked so let's not actually search the place.' And the way victims just keep isolating themselves becomes visible. Oh, and killing 'the final girl' is also not allowed! The ending is pure hokum too.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Andi Rawson]

DNF at 30%.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I love a good horror story. I especially love when I discover a new-to-me author who writes them. A few months ago, I read Jimmy, a rather disturbing book by William Malmborg. Disturbing but extremely well written. I couldn't wait to jump into another of his.

If you're familiar with the Halloween movie franchise, you'll see some similarities in Santa Took Them. Similarities, but not so many that you think you're reading a knock-off of the first Halloween movie. I found Santa Took Them to be very original, even with a character named Samantha Loomis. ;)

Michelle, eight at the time, witnessed her family being slaughtered. When the killer (s) left, the words "Santa Took Them" were written in blood on the walls. It's now a decade later and Michelle is being aged out of a child psychiatric hospital. Some in town have always believed she was the killer of her family, though there are some who are convinced that a young child wouldn't be capable of carrying out the murders.

But then her uncle and his girlfriend, who the now eighteen-year-old Michelle is living with, are murdered in the same way as her family ten years before. Michelle is nowhere to be found and the words "Santa Took Them" are once again written in blood on the walls.

The author does an outstanding job of keeping the reader guessing. I admit that I figured out who the killer was about halfway through, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the rest of the story. I loved the ending, though I can kind of understand why some didn't. Not everything is tied up neatly in a bow. If that was what I was looking for I probably wouldn't be reading horror.

Another great book by this author. I'm eager to read his others.


Full review can be found at -

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tapping into everything you love about horror movies, Santa Took Them brings you the same satisfaction.
Michelle Harper has never spoken about what took place the night her family was slaughtered. But everyone else did from the detective at the time to the tabloids. And everyone's fingers were pointing at eight-year-old Michelle.
There's not a lot of perspective from Michelle's POV. Certainly not enough to point us in the direction of the killer.
After about halfway through I had figured out who the current killer was.
And then things got weird.
And then things fell apart.
The ultimate reveal and part motive came too early for me, but one of the characters having the last name Loomis made me think of Scream and the bloodbath that came after the revelation that Stu and Billy were the killers.
The ten years later plot harkens back to the delightful slashers of the 80s and cult classics like Halloween.
Will there be a sequel? I hope so. I read this in one sitting and it definitely kept me entertained.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book a bit challenging to get through, though I was glad I managed to finish it in under five hours. 🫣 The multiple character perspectives were interesting in theory, but I found them hard to follow at times, which made the story feel confusing and a little disjointed for me. 🤯 Because of that, I struggled to fully connect with the characters and the overall narrative. I can see how this style might work well for other readers, but it just didn’t quite click for me. 😬

Thank you to Victoria (@xxvictoriabookxx) for picking the book for this month Buddy Read for Deaf Books Club. Looking forward to discuss about this book on video call with the girls tonight… 🤗

Tagging those girls from Deaf Books Club that participating in this Buddy Read. 😘

♥️ @sarahcrazyaboutbooks
♥️ @cheekgirlbooks46
♥️ @xxvictoriabookxx
♥️ @famousmartinez
♥️ @leebookadventures

[Mayah Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would say that the only thing good about this book was the plot. It had a great storyline that really pulls you in but then you’re hit with unnecessary sex scenes, ridiculous descriptions of the kills scenes, and overall cringey dialogue among the characters. I contemplated not finishing this book but I’m not one to do that so I stuck it out to the end. Glad to have some semblance of closure but still a lot left unanswered and not in the good cliff hanger way. Also noticed several typos where characters names were being interchanged when that character was not even in the scene. Only giving 2 stars instead of 1 because I like the idea behind it.

[Brenda Treddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

This is one good thriller.A great who done it.A young girl accused of killing her whole family,a doctor who doesn't believe that she did.Released from the mental hospital at 18 to her uncle the murders starts again.Now hunted by the police and her doctor who still believe her innocent. Now back in her hometown and house,More murders happens and all fingers point to her. An dc now the fun begins and an ending you won't believe.A new author for me.Hope he has a book to follow up this one.

[Rachel C Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down!

I lost a lot of sleep reading this book, because I just couldn't put it down. I've been told this was originally supposed to be a movie, and it's too bad it wasn't, as it certainly would have been a blockbuster.

Every time I read a book by this author, I think it's his best one. Then I start another and find it's his best one. But this book and be prepared to set any of your plans to the wayside, because your sole focus will be trying to finish it because it's just that damn good.

[Ex Libris Animus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming. Not as Christmas specific as I'd hoped but books aren't written for just me. The writing was often bad. "Teen hangout" and such felt very out of touch and bland on top of that. The twist wasn't surprising and I felt pushed for shock sake that fell flat. 3 stars because I think others may enjoy it but there's not a lot to chew on if you expect more from a genre. I don't read a lot of "trash" books or any to my knowledge. But this read like mindless quick written trash for the masses

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time with this book. I don’t like the set up of how this author went about the many point of views from the different characters. It was at times confusing. I wish it had been separated a little more instead of being all jumbled into one chapter. Some of the things that were mentioned in the book should have been left out like the threesome and the details. The plot was decent but the writing style was bad, the povs were confusing and messy, and some of it was just unnecessary. The police in the book just seemed worthless.