The Christmas Morning Massacre

The Raven Hill Butcher #1

by Nasser Rabadi

Two murdered girls.A killer that was never found.The small town of Raven Hill is not as perfect as it seems.For Christy Morrison and her friends, it was supposed to be a weekend of getting drunk and watching movies to celebrate finishing their college semester. But a bloodthirsty killer on the loose has other plans.

The group of young women are snowed into the Morrison mansion and begin the weekend festivities; unknown to them a stranger is watching—stalking them and waiting to strike. And he will not stop until they are all dead. Trapped in the worst snowstorm Raven Hill has ever seen, the girls have two fight or die.

Enter the Morrison Mansion today and join Christy and her friends against The Raven Hill Butcher—but you might not live to tell the tale!

The Christmas Morning Massacre is book 1 in The Raven Hill Butcher series, which continues with The Return to Camp Solgohachia.

A fun 1980s slasher book! Fans of Paperbacks from Hell and authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jack Ketchum, Joe Hill, and Jeremy Bates will love this series. It’s a series in the vein of John Carpenter’s Halloween, Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream.

Genres: Horror, Christmas

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2022

Reviews

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of young college age friends get together to spend the Christmas holidays together in an isolated beautiful vacation mansion that belonged to one of the girl's uncle. Too many girls, so of course there will be unnecessary petty arguments which puts a damper on all the fun plans they had especially the drinking and eating games.

One by one girls go missing. Are they playing games to be spiteful and worrying the others or is something else going on. As soon as they all arrived snow showers soon turned into a blizzard so roads became very bad in a matter of hours and that meant there was no way in or out to the mansion. Whether they like it or not they are now stranded!

The mansion has rumors of ghost stories that were fun to hear but now that girls go missing and strange noises and footsteps sound too heavy to be any of the girls now have them biting their nails and grabbing makeshift weapons to protect themselves. From what or who? Are they alone or are their imaginations working overtime?



A short and entertaining Christmas slasher story. The story had a lot of potential but the characters felt flat to me and somehow the tension and fear just didn't come
across but it was still a fun horror read although it needed a good editing.



I have given a rating of 3 CHRISTMAS 🎄 SLASHER 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid slasher read for Halloween and to get you ready for the holiday season! This was pretty predictable but was a solid horror and fast paced read.

[Horror Sickness · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

This was my read for Christmas day and it did not disappoint. Even though this is a novella and some parts felt rushed, it was a really fun classic slasher with some extra gore on top.

We follow a group of friends that are spending some time in a house owned by one of their uncles. Rumor has it that years ago, all the way to the 70s, there was a killer on the loose called the Raven Hill Butcher.

As the teens are being picked one by one by this stranger dressed up in a Santa costume, we see them trying to survive and ask for help while they are isolated and snowed in.

Some of the characters did not make the best decisions and at times they were being a bit childish but then again, they are teens.

The massacre does start a bit later into the book so it had to be a bit rushed but it was so much fun to see everyone try to hide, the killing scenes were brutal and all very different and fun so, at the end of the day this was a great slasher for the holiday season and will definitely read the rest of the novellas in the series.

[Badseedgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read some very fine stories from Kindle Unlimited, unfortunately, this was not one of them. It is a common problem for short stories to be thin on character development. This story had no character development, and I hate writing this because it seemed like Mr. Rabadi tried to create some interest in out protagonists, but I at least, could not care about their brutal deaths because they were so thin. I don't think I will be going on with this series.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining horror listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of nine

She has invited a number of girlfriends to celebrate the weekend. The party is going Ok then one girl 👧 disappears. Then one is murdered, then another, and another. The police arrive! 👮

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of family and friends relationships adventure mystery horror novels 👍🔰 2025 👒😉

[Sam (samantha_sahm_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
3.5👻

Evil Santa?!

I had so much fun reading this! If you love that classic 80s slasher vibe you will love this horror novella!

We follow a group of girls and one guy who are on winter vacation and are staying at a cabin when they get snowed in and someone starts picking them off.

It’s gory and graphic so beware going in!

[Holly Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not my favorite December read, but it definitely wasn't a bad one. I felt the story was rushed and needed some better character development. The girls were pretty annoying, which I feel was the authors intention.The ending was great, though. I don't know anything about this author, but I do plan on reading more of their work.

[Shilah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short horror novel was a page turner! It has the right amount of gore and action happening. With each death it was almost a head twister then the end was a total shock that left my jaw on the floor.

[Jen (noelle w. ihli's version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

-everything was too flat
-i felt no tension or fear
-ghost story?
-premise is p much an exact rip of black christmas

[Amanda Ruzsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometime in the 70s, two young girls were abducted, murdered, and left at the location where they were last seen. The heinous crimes were attributed to The Raven Hill Butcher, who was never caught. Despite the fact that the victims bore a striking resemblance to one another, there was no apparent connection between them. Decades later, a group of college girls choose to spend their Christmas holiday at a house owned by one of their uncles in Raven Hill. However, strange occurrences begin to take place, and it appears that a new wave of killings is about to commence. Initially, I found the beginning to be hurried, making it challenging to distinguish between the various characters. Furthermore, there are instances of intense interactions among the characters that lack a satisfactory conclusion. However, once the plot unfolds, there is never a dull moment.

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 70s two girls were taken, killed and their bodies put back where they went missing from. They were brutally murdered! The killer was dubbed The Raven Hill Butcher. There was no connection between the two girls apart from they looked very alike. The cases were never solved and the killer never struck again.

Now back at Raven Hill some college girls decide to spend Christmas together at a house that belongs to one of the girls' uncle. Some mysterious things have been happening and it's time for a whole new batch of killings.

This series was recommended to me in a horror book group and wow it did not disappoint. This is the first book in the series and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't stop reading it was so good! This was such a good book! I really enjoyed it, the suspense was crazy and I gasped too many times to even count. It's well written and I couldn't read it fast enough. Highly recommended this to any horror/slasher fans out there. Absolutely fantastic.

[Kirstie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 a fine slasher for the festive season. My main complaints were that it felt rushed and the characters acted more like 13 year olds that were just getting interested in the opposite sex for the first time. Insert teenage girly giggle now.

Will probably check out more from the author though! I didn’t hate this one and the slasher scenes were pretty eerie. Since it’s a quick read, it’s worth checking out if you want a Christmas slasher book.

[Holly Eustace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan! This shorty of a book is fun, gory and messy. It's the first in the series The Raven Hill Butcher and I can't wait to run through the rest of them. This was my first Xmas read of the year and I'm hoping to finish off the series.

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5

[Íris Carriço · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Phrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s not enough Christmas slashers out there. Hell, more holiday slashers please! They commercialize every other seasonal time-marker we have, why not? This was a quick Christmas slasher that takes the whole trapped in a blizzard with a killer & turns it on its head. Grim deaths in a confined space with a twist ending I didn’t see coming. Definitely give this one a go for a lovely Yuletide bloodbath.

[Lydia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quick and fun slasher read! I liked the “creepy old manor” and “snowed in” vibes of the book! The characters definitely felt like something out of a scream movie, especially with all of the kill scenes! If you’re looking for a Christmas slasher book, I definitely recommend this one! 🎅🔪🩸

[Shee Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE CHRISTMAS MORNING MASSACRE

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5


Such a quick read. And I honestly did enjoyed this one. It was like watching a slasher film full of thrill and suspense. The kills however isn't that so shocking, the gore is minimal, but still I had fun reading it. I enjoyed how this killer they called The Ravenhill Butcher chased his victims. I was actually having bets to myself as to who would die next. Lol. I'm so bad. But really this gave me total entertainment. For a short story like this it did its job well. 


PS. I don't give a shit about the characters in this book. I just wanted to see how the killer will take them down one by one. 😆😝


🖤

[Millennial Book Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn’t add anything new to the horror genre, and is a good homage to 80s slasher movies. Some of the kills were very creative and entertaining, but there wasn’t much tension as the story unfolded. The characters did tend to blur together in my mind, so it was difficult to become attached to any of them. The book got right to the point, which was good, and it’s a quick read.

[books.books.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fully appreciate what this book is trying to do. It's like a cheesy 80s slasher movie, but make it Christmas! I think the cover art for all this author's books is incredible, and I think this book was fun, but I wasn't scared :O

The other books in the series look interesting though, I got a teaser for the one set at some sort of camp which I like the sound of. I think if you love 80s slasher films maybe this will be for you.

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weekend of fun with her friends at the end of the year at the Morrison Mansion turns deadly for Christy and her friends. Trapped inside as a storm rages will they survive the Raven Hill Butcher?

Death by Christmas tree lights pretty much, a small town, the worst storm of the century, trapped and isolated college girls, a relentless psychopath, you know the drill! This is a fun, fast, gory, 80’s style slasher, marvellous.

[Yusuf · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
This is your basic Z-rated slasher with a holiday twist. The characters exist to be slaughtered, otherwise they are indistinguishable cardboard fodder.

[alpacaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Footsteps. Typos. Shite.

The Author's notes state, "...and I caught the typos that slipped by me in the previous editions."

Lies.

[ania | hellishreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is giving off slight black christmas vibes with unsuspecting college girls being killed off one by one during the christmas holidays. it’s also got some fun and descriptive kills, a santa claus lookalike murderer (hello silent night, deadly night), and one slightly creepy brother.

i mostly liked this book but my main issue was how not great the female characters were written, it was pretty stereotypically male writing with assumed petty drama between groups of women — because we cannot possibly be around each other without fights when we’re several women together — and it made it less enjoyable to read since it didn’t need to have unimaginative female fighting to be good! the kills were already imaginative enough and there’s plenty of good explanations for why people aren’t around each other 24/7 in the same snowed in house.

but beside that, i do wanna pick up the second book in the series. especially if the kills will be just as creative or even more so.

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a rather decent Christmas slasher. I love a good friends trapped in a place, especially in snow slasher, so I was so excited to get these. Obviously it is predictable what will happen, I mean, slashers kind of are, but it was still a fun ride. I personally don't care for too much gore or brutality and this one wasn't crossing the line, but the deaths were pretty damn bad. Definitely made me squimish. My only complaint, and this is a common issue with novellas is just the length and quick pacing. There were so many girls and not enough differentiation between them that I often found myself confused on what happened to which person. I definitely think that these books could have benefited from more in depth and lengthening, especially with some of the ideas like the candy wrappers everywhere. We're lead to assume that that came from the butcher, but it's never really mentioned that he's dropping wrappers. We just keep getting mentions of candy wrappers.

[Debyi Kucera (Book&BuJo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas Morning Massacre is the first book in The Raven Hill Butcher series by Nasser Rabadi. The Raven Hill butcher comes across siblings who are spending Christmas vacation in their family's vacation home. They end up getting snowed in, which is fine, they were planning on drinking and watching movies the whole weekend anyway. On the first day, one of them finds the backdoor open and footsteps going through the house. Was it one of their friends or is there someone else in the house? Will any of them survive?

This story is written in the style of 80’s slasher movies and pays tribute well. There was nothing new to this story and follows the basic pattern of “cheesy” (in a good way) 80s horror movies.

It was entertaining, suspenseful at times, and a great choice for the spooky season.

3.5 stars

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christy has invited her friends to her huge home in the middle of nowhere for the weekend. Once there, they find themselves snowed in. They think they’re safe inside — but someone else was snowed in with them, and he has other plans.

I was so excited to read this. A Christmas slasher? Yes, please! While the story itself wasn’t the worst, the writing could have been a little better. The kills were violent and honestly the best part of the book.

There are seven books in this series, so I may try the next one just to see if it’s any better. Fingers crossed.

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've reviewed this before back in May 2023 so this is a re-read, but I love the series and my son picked the book out for me to read as I was very indecisive of what to read next.

Picture this Christmas season...alcohol, food, friends, 4 feet of snow, arguments and a not so friendly Santa intruder trying to murder everyone.

Is the intruder the Raven Hill Butcher who was a murderer that was never caught?

Loooove!

[Laci Rambo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and short Christmas slasher. We have a group of 6 college-aged kids stuck in a huge house in the middle of Winter with a deranged Santa killer, checking them off one by one. This is only book 1 of 10 in The Raven Hill Butcher series. There is a lot of gore, obviously. I enjoyed it though. If you’re into slashers and indie authors and happen to be celebrating the Christmas season, give this book a try.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but nothing to write home about. The characters were pretty thin and the writing was nothing special, but the kills were creative and the ending was a little creepy. The stuff about the ghosts didn't really go anywhere and a bunch of dialogue was in italics for no reason.

2.5 stars rounded up