What do you think?
Rate this book
One Must Kill Another
In a secluded hideaway, a family is trapped by an evil entity with an ultimatum: Two of them can leave the woods alive, but only after they murder the third.
Happiness is elusive in Hollywood. So is love. Action star Kimberly Savage thought she’d found both. But when her husband Matty turned out to be an abusive freeloader, she divorced him and started a new life with their daughter, Rebecca.
Thirteen years later, a world-weary Kimberly wants to heal her estranged family. Matty is convinced he can win back the love of his life, but Rebecca wants nothing to do with either of them. The scars of her childhood have healed on her body, but not in her heart.
When the family reunites at their old mountain cabin they’re attacked by creatures straight out of a horror movie. Straight out of a B-movie, true to Kimberly’s career, but still deadly.
As dark secrets are revealed, each person must decide who’s to blame for their troubled past—and who deserves to die.
Happiness is elusive in Hollywood. So is love. Action star Kimberly Savage thought she’d found both. But when her husband Matty turned out to be an abusive freeloader, she divorced him and started a new life with their daughter, Rebecca.
Thirteen years later, a world-weary Kimberly wants to heal her estranged family. Matty is convinced he can win back the love of his life, but Rebecca wants nothing to do with either of them. The scars of her childhood have healed on her body, but not in her heart.
When the family reunites at their old mountain cabin they’re attacked by creatures straight out of a horror movie. Straight out of a B-movie, true to Kimberly’s career, but still deadly.
As dark secrets are revealed, each person must decide who’s to blame for their troubled past—and who deserves to die.
325 pages, ebook
Published May 8, 2018
13 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Alexander Hart
21 books61 followersYour old pal Marcus Alexander Hart is an award-adjacent author, self-proclaimed karaoke star, and default awesome dude. He has been a roller-derby skater and a real-life quidditch player. He once won an overnight road rally in a fake ice-cream truck. Marcus lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two imaginary children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 12, 2018
This story is about a messed up dysfunctional family. The mother is a washed up manipulative Hollywood starlet, the daughter is abused emotionally and physically, the father is a fat loser washed up writer. They are reuniting in an isolated cabin in the woods, because anyone who has ever seen a movie, knows that is always a good idea. Then an evil magical force traps them and they have to help each other or kill each other or help each other kill each other.
The book is artfully written and the pacing is good. I thought the story was strange at first. I hated the mother for her Mommy Dearest manipulative child raising. I was hating the father for his abusive ways. Then around halfway through the story, it got really exciting and I was sold. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. The story took a lot of turns that I wasn't expecting.
You know it's a good book when it makes me want to jump into the book and slap people. That's when you know the writer is doing a good job, because it feels real. A really good "Scary Movie" story that I can imagine watching in the theater. A great read. 5 stars.
I loved this book! Should be made into a movie!
The book is artfully written and the pacing is good. I thought the story was strange at first. I hated the mother for her Mommy Dearest manipulative child raising. I was hating the father for his abusive ways. Then around halfway through the story, it got really exciting and I was sold. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. The story took a lot of turns that I wasn't expecting.
You know it's a good book when it makes me want to jump into the book and slap people. That's when you know the writer is doing a good job, because it feels real. A really good "Scary Movie" story that I can imagine watching in the theater. A great read. 5 stars.
I loved this book! Should be made into a movie!
April 10, 2018
A highly-engaging drama, elevated by its supernatural backdrop!
Marcus Alexander Hart’s latest novel is an engaging read from beginning to end, and expands his resume in all the best ways.
Having read Hart’s previous works, all of which leaned heavily on the comedy, I had expected more of the same (and not in bad way) with “One Must Kill Another.” Instead, I was treated to the engrossing drama of a very dysfunctional family; a story told through the shared point-of-view of its protagonists, as well as a series of effective flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong, there are plentiful moments of levity, but the humor still (mostly) takes a backseat to surprising gravitas, and soon enough, horror.
About the protagonists: Hart demonstrates right from the get-go that these are flawed individuals, who are alternately sympathetic, unlikable, pitiable, close to hate-able, then back sympathetic, and around again they go — in other words, characters who feel very human. Even when they’re turning your stomach, you understand their motivations; you might not approve of those motivations, but you understand them.
The story remains with the real-world family hardship for the first act ... and then everything takes a sudden dark turn, a supernatural quality that, again, offers touches of Hart’s familiar humor, but keeps the jokes situational rather than tonal — funny character traits or commentary, even as the setting gets creepy as hell.
My one nag — though it wasn’t enough to detract from the overall 5 stars this book deserves — was that the characters’ apologizing sometimes got redundant: They do something wrong, perhaps make a terrible mistake, and apologize profusely, again and again ... but even that still chalks itself up to the character’s human qualities; if I had been in any of those given situations, I would almost certainly be falling over myself to apologize each time, too.
In the end, the biggest compliment I can give this book is: I could not put it down. I am not a fast reader, but I consumed this book in just over two days, to the point of neglecting other tasks on my to-do list, just so I could see how it all ended.
And “One Must Kill Another” ends very well. As Hart has done before, he manages to take many loose threads, hints that you didn’t even realize were hints, and tie them together in a neat, satisfying package, with a healthy epilogue that is the gratifying bow on top.
If you enjoy horror-dramas — that also manage not to take themselves too seriously — I highly recommend “One Must Kill Another.”
Marcus Alexander Hart’s latest novel is an engaging read from beginning to end, and expands his resume in all the best ways.
Having read Hart’s previous works, all of which leaned heavily on the comedy, I had expected more of the same (and not in bad way) with “One Must Kill Another.” Instead, I was treated to the engrossing drama of a very dysfunctional family; a story told through the shared point-of-view of its protagonists, as well as a series of effective flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong, there are plentiful moments of levity, but the humor still (mostly) takes a backseat to surprising gravitas, and soon enough, horror.
About the protagonists: Hart demonstrates right from the get-go that these are flawed individuals, who are alternately sympathetic, unlikable, pitiable, close to hate-able, then back sympathetic, and around again they go — in other words, characters who feel very human. Even when they’re turning your stomach, you understand their motivations; you might not approve of those motivations, but you understand them.
The story remains with the real-world family hardship for the first act ... and then everything takes a sudden dark turn, a supernatural quality that, again, offers touches of Hart’s familiar humor, but keeps the jokes situational rather than tonal — funny character traits or commentary, even as the setting gets creepy as hell.
My one nag — though it wasn’t enough to detract from the overall 5 stars this book deserves — was that the characters’ apologizing sometimes got redundant: They do something wrong, perhaps make a terrible mistake, and apologize profusely, again and again ... but even that still chalks itself up to the character’s human qualities; if I had been in any of those given situations, I would almost certainly be falling over myself to apologize each time, too.
In the end, the biggest compliment I can give this book is: I could not put it down. I am not a fast reader, but I consumed this book in just over two days, to the point of neglecting other tasks on my to-do list, just so I could see how it all ended.
And “One Must Kill Another” ends very well. As Hart has done before, he manages to take many loose threads, hints that you didn’t even realize were hints, and tie them together in a neat, satisfying package, with a healthy epilogue that is the gratifying bow on top.
If you enjoy horror-dramas — that also manage not to take themselves too seriously — I highly recommend “One Must Kill Another.”
November 10, 2022
Good story about family and learning how to communicate and about forgiveness. There was an unexpected turn of events that was odd but entertaining. Overall worth a read.
May 8, 2018
The hardest part about writing this review is explaining how I felt about it without giving away anything. Because I walked into this book blind-absolutely no idea what it was about other than its threatening title. So I am hoping this is a spoiler free review. On Halloween, when I walk into a haunted house, I don’t want a map and a list of what’s going to happen.
This story is told through several points of view. I thought this was a way for me as a reader to empathize with each of the characters, because these characters have flaws, and problems, and issues, and do some MESSED UP THINGS. However, point of view is very important to this story, and I’d say one of the main themes running through this novel deals with IDENTITY.
The story burns along on two timelines as these characters deal with the present and are hung up on the past. Occasionally Hart teases me and dangles ghosts from each character’s closet-then either dishes out revelations or yanks them out of my grasp. I am left out of each person’s dark past-like an outsider or spectator to the gruesome game that unfolds. This role as a reader is almost voyeuristic and makes the extremely personal horrors of this family more uncomfortable IMO.
You have story and excitement progressing on three levels, action on the surface (and its unrelenting), you have straight up Horror with a capital H hitting you in the guts, and you have drama torturing your heart and mind. And it all brilliantly flows together. I am a known lightweight when it comes to real people problems in movies and novels. Its too intense for me, so I usually read books about aliens and werewolves. So parts of this book made me squirm and sweat and cringe when I follow these characters as they miss opportunities, get their hearts trampled on, fall into bad habits, and make terrible decisions.
The book builds its crazy little world brick by brick. Things escalate and escalate. I felt like a participant wearing a VR helmet in this clearly realized universe, and I was running for my life right alongside the characters.
This book also deals with evil/Evil. I understand it enough, but as a fan I’m always looking for connections or future connections in upcoming books. I think any supernatural element in the story is understandable on its own, and gives only a nod toward epic mystery, without weighing the story down. It is a solid, unique take on an evil/Evil element. Villainy and dark forces can be hugely fun and entertaining and terrifying when done right-whether its the nameless massive eyeball puddlebeast from the Mountains of Madness, or the cold and real rejection of Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People, or Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls. Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way, but I hope this is not the last we see of the darkness in One Must Kill Another.
Awesome book-it’s definitely a rated R kind of book, not only for language and violence, which there is copious amounts of, but there is a bit of explicit sexual activity as well. I will read more by Marc Hart. When’s the next book coming out?
This story is told through several points of view. I thought this was a way for me as a reader to empathize with each of the characters, because these characters have flaws, and problems, and issues, and do some MESSED UP THINGS. However, point of view is very important to this story, and I’d say one of the main themes running through this novel deals with IDENTITY.
The story burns along on two timelines as these characters deal with the present and are hung up on the past. Occasionally Hart teases me and dangles ghosts from each character’s closet-then either dishes out revelations or yanks them out of my grasp. I am left out of each person’s dark past-like an outsider or spectator to the gruesome game that unfolds. This role as a reader is almost voyeuristic and makes the extremely personal horrors of this family more uncomfortable IMO.
You have story and excitement progressing on three levels, action on the surface (and its unrelenting), you have straight up Horror with a capital H hitting you in the guts, and you have drama torturing your heart and mind. And it all brilliantly flows together. I am a known lightweight when it comes to real people problems in movies and novels. Its too intense for me, so I usually read books about aliens and werewolves. So parts of this book made me squirm and sweat and cringe when I follow these characters as they miss opportunities, get their hearts trampled on, fall into bad habits, and make terrible decisions.
The book builds its crazy little world brick by brick. Things escalate and escalate. I felt like a participant wearing a VR helmet in this clearly realized universe, and I was running for my life right alongside the characters.
This book also deals with evil/Evil. I understand it enough, but as a fan I’m always looking for connections or future connections in upcoming books. I think any supernatural element in the story is understandable on its own, and gives only a nod toward epic mystery, without weighing the story down. It is a solid, unique take on an evil/Evil element. Villainy and dark forces can be hugely fun and entertaining and terrifying when done right-whether its the nameless massive eyeball puddlebeast from the Mountains of Madness, or the cold and real rejection of Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People, or Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls. Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way, but I hope this is not the last we see of the darkness in One Must Kill Another.
Awesome book-it’s definitely a rated R kind of book, not only for language and violence, which there is copious amounts of, but there is a bit of explicit sexual activity as well. I will read more by Marc Hart. When’s the next book coming out?
August 2, 2018
First, Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway win.
I've been trying to decided how and what to write about this book because it left me feeling conflicted. Based on the description:
"In a secluded hideaway, a family is trapped by an evil entity with an ultimatum: Two of them can leave the woods alive, but only after they murder the third."
I realized that there was going to be some supernatural twist to this story. The story is told from several points of view, and does skip around in a timeline a bit. I was hooked from the first few chapters until the supernatural scenes started. I was then left feeling confused, anxious and a little intrigued.
"As dark secrets are revealed, each person must decide who’s to blame for their troubled past—and who deserves to die."
And they are some dark and crazy secrets! I kept finding myself wanting to know what happened next and finishing this book in 2 days. I will say I was slightly disappointed with the turn towards the end but liked how the author finished the story.
This book left me feeling emotional, confused, satisfied, relieved, drained and intrigued. All the things you look for in a good story.
I've been trying to decided how and what to write about this book because it left me feeling conflicted. Based on the description:
"In a secluded hideaway, a family is trapped by an evil entity with an ultimatum: Two of them can leave the woods alive, but only after they murder the third."
I realized that there was going to be some supernatural twist to this story. The story is told from several points of view, and does skip around in a timeline a bit. I was hooked from the first few chapters until the supernatural scenes started. I was then left feeling confused, anxious and a little intrigued.
"As dark secrets are revealed, each person must decide who’s to blame for their troubled past—and who deserves to die."
And they are some dark and crazy secrets! I kept finding myself wanting to know what happened next and finishing this book in 2 days. I will say I was slightly disappointed with the turn towards the end but liked how the author finished the story.
This book left me feeling emotional, confused, satisfied, relieved, drained and intrigued. All the things you look for in a good story.
December 16, 2018
A page-turning ride down a creepy-strange supernatural rabbit hole that left me by turns horrified and astonished. A dysfunctional family with too many secrets awakens an ancient evil. And it wants blood. Once the Evil is released, the story spirals into a fast-paced thriller that never slows down. Mom is an ambitious selfish over-the-hill movie queen. Dad is mired in self-loathing. Their adult daughter, a product of Hollywood fast living gone tragically wrong, is caught in a web of hate and anger and all those emotions stemming from a Hollywood tabloid divorce. Hart doesn’t hold any punches in this psychological horror, and it had me squirming. Think Jumanji meets Stranger Things meets Hitchcock.
August 27, 2018
Dysfunctional Family Plagued by Smoke Fairies
A family of three where each member blames the other two for any and all disappointments in their life. Trying to reconnect, they spend time at a cabin away from civilization and encounter smoke fairies that want one of them to die. Flashbacks let the reader understand the dislike each one has for the other two. I have worked with individuals whose mistakes were always blamed on someone else - this is why I found these characters very believably written. A little bit of horror added a nice touch.
A family of three where each member blames the other two for any and all disappointments in their life. Trying to reconnect, they spend time at a cabin away from civilization and encounter smoke fairies that want one of them to die. Flashbacks let the reader understand the dislike each one has for the other two. I have worked with individuals whose mistakes were always blamed on someone else - this is why I found these characters very believably written. A little bit of horror added a nice touch.
March 21, 2019
This is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by this author. This plot is interesting and seems well planned and thought through. The characters all have flaws and so seem quite normal. I enjoyed his style of writing and may have found some things funny that perhaps weren’t meant to be! There is a lot of family drama along with some suspense, resulting in a thrilling read. Once you get in to this book it becomes a page turner and I literally started to read faster. Wonderful read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 8, 2018
One Must Kill Another was completely engaging. With it's complex mix of drama, comedy, suspense and horror I could not put this book down. I think Hart did an amazing job of writing from different characters perspectives. Especially with portraying the emotions of female characters, which I find is not an easy task for a male writer. The ending is the bow on top of a perfectly tied up plot. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a sick sense of humor like mine.
August 11, 2018
I won this book via a GoodReads giveaway.
4.5 Stars for this insane supernatural thriller. I didn’t know a whole lot going into it, and maybe that’s why it caught me off guard and I read it in just under 6 hours.
Very impressive writing, amazing characters and character development. Probably some of the most well-developed characters I’ve read in quite some time.
The story was phenomenal, a really great read that I’d love to see translated onto the big screen one day.
4.5 Stars for this insane supernatural thriller. I didn’t know a whole lot going into it, and maybe that’s why it caught me off guard and I read it in just under 6 hours.
Very impressive writing, amazing characters and character development. Probably some of the most well-developed characters I’ve read in quite some time.
The story was phenomenal, a really great read that I’d love to see translated onto the big screen one day.
August 15, 2018
In a secluded hideaway, a family is trapped by an evil entity with an ultimatum: Two of them can leave the woods alive, but only after they murder the third.
I won this ebook as a giveaway on Goodreads. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but was pleasantly surprised. There was a great thrill factor that kept you on the edge of your seat wondering how it would all play out. I recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a bit of a scare.
I won this ebook as a giveaway on Goodreads. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but was pleasantly surprised. There was a great thrill factor that kept you on the edge of your seat wondering how it would all play out. I recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a bit of a scare.
March 16, 2019
This is a fabulous thriller that had me wondering what direction I was going at every page turn. It is a fast-paced story that had me literally (okay, not literally but almost) on the edge of my seat. One of the best thrillers I've read in a LONG time. Throw in a little bit of paranormal and you've got a best-selling thriller.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 15, 2018
Interesting book with a story that was uniquely different than anticipated. While I admit it took me a bit to understand the source of the dark force, once grasped, I was involved until the conclusion.
3.5 star read.
Thank you to goodreads and the giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to win a copy of this book.
3.5 star read.
Thank you to goodreads and the giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to win a copy of this book.
August 27, 2018
Disclosure: I received this through a Goodreads Giveaway.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Parts of it reminded me of a Buffy the Vampire Hunter episode where it's silly and campy (the phone loudly declaring that ONE MUST KILL ANOTHER, I was actually laughing out loud) but it held my attention. The chapters alternate with the 3 main characters narrating and the author does a great job of clearly separating their voices. The book felt long and I think the author could have tightened up everything a little and gotten rid of ~50 pages, but otherwise, I enjoyed it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Parts of it reminded me of a Buffy the Vampire Hunter episode where it's silly and campy (the phone loudly declaring that ONE MUST KILL ANOTHER, I was actually laughing out loud) but it held my attention. The chapters alternate with the 3 main characters narrating and the author does a great job of clearly separating their voices. The book felt long and I think the author could have tightened up everything a little and gotten rid of ~50 pages, but otherwise, I enjoyed it.
August 30, 2018
Evil entity linked to your memories. Survival or death at each turn. Who do you trust and what can you do to see another day. I wasn't sure about this book at the beginning but really intriguing story once it got going.
March 8, 2019
This is a gripping read full of twists and turns at every corner. Marcus Hart knows how to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. If you want an out of this world read this is the book for you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 27, 2025
A thrilling family drama punctuated with the perfect amount of nerdy pop culture references, slow roasted in campy horror sensibilities. Marcus ably plucks all the right strings to make this potent harmony sing.
May 16, 2018
Pretty good book. Enjoyed the creativity and the well fleshed out characters.
Read
May 28, 2020Great book
This book was a great book. The storyline really makes you think about things. The story has every emotion you can think of. I enjoyed reading this book
This book was a great book. The storyline really makes you think about things. The story has every emotion you can think of. I enjoyed reading this book
January 24, 2022
First time I have read a book with multiple points of view and flashbacks that didn't confuse or irritate me. Any question I had as a reader was answered by the end. Good job, Pal.
March 4, 2019
I went into this book cold because a friend recommended it, and I was extremely glad I did because I didn't see ANYTHING coming. Dang! This was a roller-coaster ride of humor and horror and heartbreak that is hard to compare to anything else I've read. Imagine Stephen King writing a 90s' sitcom and you're almost there--but not quite: this book is far more complex.
ONE MUST KILL ANOTHER is a story about a family first and foremost. There's a lot to unpack here: the mother's a washed-up TV star, the dad is something of a goofy deadbeat, and the daughter (rightfully) never grew out of her teen angst phase for reasons that are illuminated throughout the book. What's set up as a dysfunctional family's second chance at bonding is swiftly ruined by the appearance of a mind demon who pits the characters against each other with the the titular demand: one must kill another in order to escape.
Even though this book takes some really terrifying turns, Hart tells it with a tongue-in-cheek comedy that makes it not only bearable, but ENJOYABLE! There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments here painted in Hart's vivid prose: there are just as many tear jerkers, equally as true. The characters are so human it hurts. The ending was unexpected but immensely satisfying. For a minute there, I wasn't sure it would all come together--but Hart took a very tricky premise and guided his readers through with clever grace. Could barely put this one down!
ONE MUST KILL ANOTHER is a story about a family first and foremost. There's a lot to unpack here: the mother's a washed-up TV star, the dad is something of a goofy deadbeat, and the daughter (rightfully) never grew out of her teen angst phase for reasons that are illuminated throughout the book. What's set up as a dysfunctional family's second chance at bonding is swiftly ruined by the appearance of a mind demon who pits the characters against each other with the the titular demand: one must kill another in order to escape.
Even though this book takes some really terrifying turns, Hart tells it with a tongue-in-cheek comedy that makes it not only bearable, but ENJOYABLE! There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments here painted in Hart's vivid prose: there are just as many tear jerkers, equally as true. The characters are so human it hurts. The ending was unexpected but immensely satisfying. For a minute there, I wasn't sure it would all come together--but Hart took a very tricky premise and guided his readers through with clever grace. Could barely put this one down!
November 2, 2018
Life hasn’t gone as planned for Kim and Matthew—Matty—Savage, and their marriage comes to a screeching halt in their cabin in the woods, a world away from Kim’s vamp movie career and Matty’s screenwriting failures in LA. Matty shoving Kim into a glass cabinet with their daughter Rebecca—Bex—a witness demarcates the before and after. A decade later, Kim calls her ex-husband and estranged daughter to the cabin, where they are attacked by supernatural creatures they must fight metaphysically to survive.
The story opens with a sad, but realistic, portrayal of an unhealthy family dynamic. After the divorce, the couple and their daughter are ensconced in their own ugly realities. Enter speculative elements attacking dad and daughter at the family cabin, scary fairies from a book mom gave daughter, who relegated the horrifying Hungarian tome to the annual vacation cabin. All the characters are forced into their worst memories, opening up old wounds and creating opportunities to reconnect. This novel, despite its horror genre, is really about how family goes awry on a foundation of secrets and miscommunications. It turned out to be more substantial than expected, and the writing flows well.
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this delightful story through a Goodreads giveaway.
The story opens with a sad, but realistic, portrayal of an unhealthy family dynamic. After the divorce, the couple and their daughter are ensconced in their own ugly realities. Enter speculative elements attacking dad and daughter at the family cabin, scary fairies from a book mom gave daughter, who relegated the horrifying Hungarian tome to the annual vacation cabin. All the characters are forced into their worst memories, opening up old wounds and creating opportunities to reconnect. This novel, despite its horror genre, is really about how family goes awry on a foundation of secrets and miscommunications. It turned out to be more substantial than expected, and the writing flows well.
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this delightful story through a Goodreads giveaway.
October 7, 2018
This is a pretty good book. It definitely shows you how a family can come apart and how difficult it is to forget past wrongs real or interpreted. I enjoyed the premise of the story and at times felt really bad for the main people in the story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews