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It Started on Halloween
It started on Halloween night with one sinister phrase announced from his smiling lips.
“Let’s kill someone.”
From USA Today Bestseller L.A. Detwiler comes a disturbing Halloween short story sure to haunt you.
A seemingly ordinary married couple's darkest truths are unleashed on Halloween night when he decides to kill someone. Once they both taste the excitement of murder, there will be no going back. As the wife begins to crave the power of killing in unbearable ways, will she take things too far? Or will she simply awaken the sinister monster that has lurked within her all along?
A harrowing short story about murder and the darkness that lives within everyone sure to creep up your Halloween season.
“Let’s kill someone.”
From USA Today Bestseller L.A. Detwiler comes a disturbing Halloween short story sure to haunt you.
A seemingly ordinary married couple's darkest truths are unleashed on Halloween night when he decides to kill someone. Once they both taste the excitement of murder, there will be no going back. As the wife begins to crave the power of killing in unbearable ways, will she take things too far? Or will she simply awaken the sinister monster that has lurked within her all along?
A harrowing short story about murder and the darkness that lives within everyone sure to creep up your Halloween season.
36 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
9 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Detwiler
29 books302 followersL.A. Detwiler is the USA TODAY Bestselling thriller author of The Widow Next Door with HarperCollins UK and several other chilling page-turners. Her novel The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter was awarded the bronze medal for thrillers by Readers' Favorite and also translated into Polish. Her novels are noted for their dark, emotional depth and realistic portrayals of haunting topics.
During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, Voice of Innocence, which was published in 2015. She has numerous sweet romances published under Lindsay Detwiler. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites.
L.A. Detwiler is a high school business teacher and writer in her hometown of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She taught high school English for ten years and also was an adjunct professor. She lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have six cats and a Great Dane named Edmund (He appears in all of her current works; her late mastiff, Henry, is in the earlier novels). When she isn't training Edmund or writing, she is usually rewatching Outlander, drinking coffee, or buying makeup.
Connect with L.A. Detwiler on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok @ladetwiler
During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, Voice of Innocence, which was published in 2015. She has numerous sweet romances published under Lindsay Detwiler. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites.
L.A. Detwiler is a high school business teacher and writer in her hometown of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She taught high school English for ten years and also was an adjunct professor. She lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have six cats and a Great Dane named Edmund (He appears in all of her current works; her late mastiff, Henry, is in the earlier novels). When she isn't training Edmund or writing, she is usually rewatching Outlander, drinking coffee, or buying makeup.
Connect with L.A. Detwiler on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok @ladetwiler
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 17, 2021
Frank suggests to Mary, his wife, to kill someone on Halloween. Mary assumes it isn't his first murder. She gives in and their regular killings start. Will they get caught? What about their relationship? Why are they actually killing totally unknown people? The author comes up with a very dark story plausibly describing the mindset of two serial killers. She is very good in her description of the banality of evil (the simple main characters). The story is told in a very cold matter of fact way (in my opinion) void of emotion. You sometimes have the impression the author could have been involved in the killing and this fact makes the story so outstanding. Well written, compelling, gory with an interesting ending. Recommended!
November 2, 2020
What a wonderful creepy Halloween themed story this is! I read this on Halloween and it was perfect.
Frank and Mary, a couple who are normal by every means until one Halloween something changes. And that changed ultimately becomes despicable ritual on Halloween every year. What starts out as of an unhealthy obsession for the couple turns horrid for other especially the ones who are cherry-picked this activity.
The book begins with a startling dialogue by Frank and from there on follows the nightmare route all the wait till the end.
"It started on Halloween" is not for the faint hearted readers because it has got some gory details, if you love a good scary read then I would suggest picking this up. It is is a short story packed with punch. The ending was so shocking that I had to take a minute wrap my head around everything that happened. I would love to to read a sequel to the story I honestly I want to know what happens next.
Frank and Mary, a couple who are normal by every means until one Halloween something changes. And that changed ultimately becomes despicable ritual on Halloween every year. What starts out as of an unhealthy obsession for the couple turns horrid for other especially the ones who are cherry-picked this activity.
The book begins with a startling dialogue by Frank and from there on follows the nightmare route all the wait till the end.
"It started on Halloween" is not for the faint hearted readers because it has got some gory details, if you love a good scary read then I would suggest picking this up. It is is a short story packed with punch. The ending was so shocking that I had to take a minute wrap my head around everything that happened. I would love to to read a sequel to the story I honestly I want to know what happens next.
October 31, 2024
It Started on Halloween by L.A. Detwiler is a short story about a couple who add some "excitement" to their ordinary lives
First, let me thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Frank is a mechanic, and his wife Mary works at the bank. They lead extremely ordinary lives.
Until one night, when Frank utters the words “Let’s kill someone.”
There's really no turning back from that. Mary's all in. But Frank may not know what he has unleashed.
My Opinions:
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark tale, which explored the mind of a woman who comes to terms with her inner self, her power.
Although predictable, with no real twists, it provided a fast and entertaining read.
It's a little disturbing...as any horror story should be. It's the perfect creepy tale for Halloween (or any other occasion), but be warned it's also a little gory.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation from the book), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
October 9, 2020
I loved this! It was short, gruesome, and had the perfect amount of gore. Perfect Halloween read.
October 16, 2020
This was dark and twisted. Gory and great for Halloween, however there were a few things I just can’t get past and I didn’t agree with but that’s a personal opinion. The writing was great and the story flowed well.
October 9, 2022
Decent
It's a very decent female empowerment story. But for it only being 36 pages it dragged on. And it was definitely predictable what the ending was going to be
It's a very decent female empowerment story. But for it only being 36 pages it dragged on. And it was definitely predictable what the ending was going to be
October 4, 2020
Dark but a good read.
A really good read ! I enjoyed this short story immensely !!! Would like to have a sequel to see how far Mary gets !!!
A really good read ! I enjoyed this short story immensely !!! Would like to have a sequel to see how far Mary gets !!!
October 27, 2020
Rating: 4.5/5
We follow a husband and wife who’ve been in a rut for a while and one Halloween night the husband says “Let’s kill someone.” For any other person, this might raise a red flag or two or a million. Nope, his wife considers it and says “okay.” And that’s how it started. It started on Halloween…
The whole premise of this is just startling, who agrees to go kill someone just for the heck of it? Immediately, I was reminded of the Purge. Where one night a year, rules just no longer apply. That’s honestly how this whole story felt.
It had everything a short story needs! And it’s perfect for this time of year. It had all the blood and guts and I was all for it! Plus it definitely had a strong feminist vibe. I definitely recommend to anyone who loves good horror.
We follow a husband and wife who’ve been in a rut for a while and one Halloween night the husband says “Let’s kill someone.” For any other person, this might raise a red flag or two or a million. Nope, his wife considers it and says “okay.” And that’s how it started. It started on Halloween…
The whole premise of this is just startling, who agrees to go kill someone just for the heck of it? Immediately, I was reminded of the Purge. Where one night a year, rules just no longer apply. That’s honestly how this whole story felt.
It had everything a short story needs! And it’s perfect for this time of year. It had all the blood and guts and I was all for it! Plus it definitely had a strong feminist vibe. I definitely recommend to anyone who loves good horror.
May 2, 2022
For such a short story, this made me very extra uncomfortable 😂
A couple who decides to begin murdering on Halloween and then again the following Halloween, but a bit more escalated. You are in the wife’s mind and it’s not a fun place to be. Like I said, uncomfortable! Lol
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SPOILERS NOW
I love that the husband suggested killing, but then the wife liked it so much that she wanted to do it more and then the husband had a problem with that. Even better yet, she kills him! Bet he regrets sharing this interest of his with her now.
A couple who decides to begin murdering on Halloween and then again the following Halloween, but a bit more escalated. You are in the wife’s mind and it’s not a fun place to be. Like I said, uncomfortable! Lol
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SPOILERS NOW
I love that the husband suggested killing, but then the wife liked it so much that she wanted to do it more and then the husband had a problem with that. Even better yet, she kills him! Bet he regrets sharing this interest of his with her now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
If you're in search of a short story to read on Halloween, look no further! L.A. Detwiler's story is full of Halloween goodness. It's gory, not skimping on the gruesome torture. It's atmospheric, with the spirit of Halloween practically oozing out of the pages. And if you like reading about marriages with one or both spouses plotting against each other, this story also has you covered. If you're a fan of Halloween in any capacity, you need to read this little gem.
April 15, 2021
The flow of the story is great, but I had a hard time getting invested in the characters. It was dark and stayed that way; I didn't mind that, but I wanted to root for someone and just couldn't. It seemed a little far-fetched for the characters to just jump in and run with it, but I get it, it's a short story, therefore, a morsel of what I was craving. Still, I'd like to check out something else by the author.
October 7, 2020
"I shook every time I thought of what it felt like to dismember him, bit by bit. To see his severed hand, his plucked-out eyeball resting on the floor."
This jumped straight into things. The husband blurted out the idea to murder on Halloween night and it didn't end there. There's blood and gore and a woman's new found power she never knew she had. The cover is so pretty 🎃
This jumped straight into things. The husband blurted out the idea to murder on Halloween night and it didn't end there. There's blood and gore and a woman's new found power she never knew she had. The cover is so pretty 🎃
October 10, 2020
A truly dark short horror story, a great story for around the fire on a spooky camping night out.
Reading along I kept getting the ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary nursery rhyme in my head, which somehow made this story creepier. You wouldn’t want to see what’s growing in this Mary’s garden anyway! 😬
Really enjoyed this short wonderful read.
Reading along I kept getting the ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary nursery rhyme in my head, which somehow made this story creepier. You wouldn’t want to see what’s growing in this Mary’s garden anyway! 😬
Really enjoyed this short wonderful read.
October 18, 2020
4.4 stars for It Started on Halloween
I love to read books celebrating holiday seasons. It is almost Halloween, so this short story looked perfect. It certainly makes you want to put your spouse on the couch, so you can lock the bedroom door. Although I love women's rights, this wife definitely takes it too far. Enjoy!
I love to read books celebrating holiday seasons. It is almost Halloween, so this short story looked perfect. It certainly makes you want to put your spouse on the couch, so you can lock the bedroom door. Although I love women's rights, this wife definitely takes it too far. Enjoy!
October 12, 2020
This is fantastic short story for Halloween! Slighty gorey, but not enough to turn you off from the book. I'm glad I picked it up! The end is slightly predictable, but I didn’t mind at all. It was still an exciting read.
October 29, 2022
It Started on Halloween
Her husband convinces her to join him in a new couples activity. He doesn't realize that it's who she was meant to be. Will she takes their lives into her own hands, or will they hunt together forever?
Her husband convinces her to join him in a new couples activity. He doesn't realize that it's who she was meant to be. Will she takes their lives into her own hands, or will they hunt together forever?
October 7, 2020
Quick read. Pretty predictable but overall good story. Gruesome Halloween thriller.
October 17, 2020
That was an interesting story. I enjoyed reading it.
October 20, 2020
Scary! Creepy!
L.A., how do you come up with these creepy stories?!? Great, short, scary read! I should have waited to read it on Halloween 🎃!
L.A., how do you come up with these creepy stories?!? Great, short, scary read! I should have waited to read it on Halloween 🎃!
October 21, 2020
Quick Halloween 30 minute read, I wasn’t expecting so much gore, creeptastic.
November 26, 2020
Very good short horror story. Sometimes you want more but this story was a perfect ending
December 1, 2022
review
Too short, too short, too short, too short, too short so a lot of the details l lol left out.
Too short, too short, too short, too short, too short so a lot of the details l lol left out.
January 25, 2024
Meh. Nothing special.
October 14, 2024
Holy cow, this is creepy! It's the serial killer you'd never suspect and I'm pretty sure that's what makes it so downright scary. These are some truly disturbing characters. Great Halloween short!
October 31, 2024
Wtf did I just read!? I picked this short story to end my October/spooky reads n giiiiirl. Psychopaths. Pure psychopaths. I felt sad for Clyde when they said his parents wouldn’t notice him missing.
November 13, 2020
This book is dark and haunting & a bit gory. I felt like because it’s so short it was hard to get invested and i had questions. It wasn’t really for me
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews