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The Gingerbread Men
Eric abandons his fiancé, Eleanor, at the Edinburgh Christmas market, following a mysterious woman back to the hotel she owns in the Highlands. Here he meets the men that staff the vacant rooms. Men like him. Men with something to hide…
By day, the men carry out their domestic chores in the hotel, cut off from the rest of the world by the snow. At night, they tell horror stories beside the fire, hoping to entertain the woman they serve. They do not ask why there are no guests, why it always snows, why they can't go home. Seeds of doubt begin to plague Eric and, as he delves deeper into the lives of the men at the hotel, secrets are uncovered.
The Gingerbread Men mixes Shining-esque mystery with dark fairy-tales, serving up a perfect Highland hotel horror. Joanna Corrance’s nightmarish novel explores the quiet corridors of desire that pull us, and the places occupied by men and women in the tales we’re all familiar with.
By day, the men carry out their domestic chores in the hotel, cut off from the rest of the world by the snow. At night, they tell horror stories beside the fire, hoping to entertain the woman they serve. They do not ask why there are no guests, why it always snows, why they can't go home. Seeds of doubt begin to plague Eric and, as he delves deeper into the lives of the men at the hotel, secrets are uncovered.
The Gingerbread Men mixes Shining-esque mystery with dark fairy-tales, serving up a perfect Highland hotel horror. Joanna Corrance’s nightmarish novel explores the quiet corridors of desire that pull us, and the places occupied by men and women in the tales we’re all familiar with.
297 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2022
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416 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
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September 16, 2025Scottish horror novel. A selfish prick is out with his girlfriend at the Edinburgh Christmas market when he sees an attractive woman and goes off with her. This proves to be a mistake.
It is, in effect, a feminist revenge fantasy told from the other side, with Eric's unspooling life and psyche played out for us. The shifts in reality/hints of wrongness are done subtly and with unsettling effect. Occasionally something of a tendency to tell not show, which gives the writing a workmanlike feel at points, and by its nature the story is fairly static, but it's imaginative and creepy and the Gothic nightmare quality keeps you reading. Plus, you know, seeing awful men get theirs is just *satisfying*.
It is, in effect, a feminist revenge fantasy told from the other side, with Eric's unspooling life and psyche played out for us. The shifts in reality/hints of wrongness are done subtly and with unsettling effect. Occasionally something of a tendency to tell not show, which gives the writing a workmanlike feel at points, and by its nature the story is fairly static, but it's imaginative and creepy and the Gothic nightmare quality keeps you reading. Plus, you know, seeing awful men get theirs is just *satisfying*.
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June 28, 2023Published by the fine folks at Scotland-based indie publishing house Haunt, Joanna Corrance’s novel The Gingerbread Men is a fantastically gothic fairy tale for adults.
We begin at a Christmas market in Edinburgh, where protagonist Eric is suddenly and inexplicably drawn away from his fiancee by the allure of a woman named Delia.
Showing no regret for his actions, however uncharacteristic, Eric is taken in a taxi to a remote hotel in the Scottish highlands; a place that never sees any guests and the snow never stops falling.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/modern-horror...
We begin at a Christmas market in Edinburgh, where protagonist Eric is suddenly and inexplicably drawn away from his fiancee by the allure of a woman named Delia.
Showing no regret for his actions, however uncharacteristic, Eric is taken in a taxi to a remote hotel in the Scottish highlands; a place that never sees any guests and the snow never stops falling.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/modern-horror...
December 12, 2023
I spent the whole novel wanting to slap the main guy so the plot twist and ending were so satisfying. It was a great buddy read because we were all hating on the guy and joking how Delia took him out of female solidarity... And then it ended up being true.
It was a real page turner and I had fun the whole time. It also made me crave Christmas cookies
It was a real page turner and I had fun the whole time. It also made me crave Christmas cookies
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2024
I'd say a solid 4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed the creeping sense of 'not rightness' that oozes through the book here. It's not a fast-packed and action-paced horror, it's an atmospheric and creeping Gothic that weaves together folklore and fear with the almost mundanity of a daily life in stasis.
I kept saying reviews where people talked about the 'twist' being predictable. I'm not sure what twist they were referring to. This felt to me like a pretty tightly plotted creepy Gothic work which slowly peels back enough clues for you to work out what's going on well before its fairly clueless and self-involved protagonist.
A little heavy on the landing re. the feminist undercurrents of the book (it felt a little like it held your hand a little too much for the explanations) but a really enjoyable read with plenty of layers to peel back through for an enjoyable second read
I really enjoyed the creeping sense of 'not rightness' that oozes through the book here. It's not a fast-packed and action-paced horror, it's an atmospheric and creeping Gothic that weaves together folklore and fear with the almost mundanity of a daily life in stasis.
I kept saying reviews where people talked about the 'twist' being predictable. I'm not sure what twist they were referring to. This felt to me like a pretty tightly plotted creepy Gothic work which slowly peels back enough clues for you to work out what's going on well before its fairly clueless and self-involved protagonist.
A little heavy on the landing re. the feminist undercurrents of the book (it felt a little like it held your hand a little too much for the explanations) but a really enjoyable read with plenty of layers to peel back through for an enjoyable second read
November 29, 2025
So boring.
February 1, 2026
3.5 stars
The first half had me wondering where it was al headed but in the end I liked the overall story and how it all came together. The pace was quite uneven though, at times it dragged.
Characters 7
Atmosphere 8
Writing Style 7
Premise 8
Plot 7
Pace 6
Length 7
Structure/Setup 8
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
Narration 7
The first half had me wondering where it was al headed but in the end I liked the overall story and how it all came together. The pace was quite uneven though, at times it dragged.
Characters 7
Atmosphere 8
Writing Style 7
Premise 8
Plot 7
Pace 6
Length 7
Structure/Setup 8
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
Narration 7
December 18, 2025
I really tried, but despite liking the premise, the pacing, repetitive story beats, and telling rather than showing just made this a nope for me.
December 10, 2025
This book was quite the disappointment unfortunately. I understand what the author's intention was, but for me it failed to deliver. I would have wanted more despair, more angst, or more infatuation, more obsession. Neither was well done.
The book is also tagged as horror, but the only horror thing about it was the incredibly slow pace. The ending was predictable and unsatisfying. The stories told throughout the book were interesting and underdeveloped, I would have liked them to be linked more to the characters themselves.
I did appreciate the feminist undertones, I appreciated the villain's intentions, I just wanted more.
The book is also tagged as horror, but the only horror thing about it was the incredibly slow pace. The ending was predictable and unsatisfying. The stories told throughout the book were interesting and underdeveloped, I would have liked them to be linked more to the characters themselves.
I did appreciate the feminist undertones, I appreciated the villain's intentions, I just wanted more.
Men forget what the truth is and then they turn it into a story that suits them. We are always to blame.
January 2, 2023
“The Gingerbread Men” seamlessly marries gothic horror with Scottish fantasy and takes you on a journey through the wintry Highlands that is at once recognisable, yet the uncanny is ever present.
I read this book in days; the characters cast a spell on you that propels you to keep reading. Phenomenal.
I read this book in days; the characters cast a spell on you that propels you to keep reading. Phenomenal.
December 10, 2025
I Listened to this on Audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. This was a horrifically wonderful story, set like a fairy tale with lessons to be learned. I am so glad I was introduced to this book, it is one that will stay with me for some time and I will revisit in the future! So enjoyable and a great winter/Christmas read!
January 18, 2025
This book is like a great Scottish BBQ pack you get at the supermarket: filled with the staples of link sausages, bacon and burgers, but then maybe a random pepper and black pudding thrown in. In other words, it has the flavoursome food that are the mainstay of a BBQ, but then a few wild cards that will have your guests hovering over the grate as you cook.
Even if you're not into BBQs, but like horror, this book is worth a brown sauce dip. It's a mystery (as good as the ingredients of Scottish brown sauce) and a creeping dread horror, but Corrance throws in gothic and dark fairy tales too. And just when you've settled in nice and cosy in front of the fire, there's a supernatural streak served up as good as the bacon.
Corrance has the novel piercing the cling film wrap when she adds an unreliable narrator who I grew to dislike as the novel sizzled on, leaving me with the subversive opinion of did I really want the narrator to have a happy ending? And like link sausages, there's a small but essential twist at the end.
I read it mostly at night before sleep, and at the time of the storms that hit the UK. And so this slithered into the creepy and foreboding atmosphere and setting Corrance so adeptly creates - to the point that I too felt stuck in a snow globe, but resisted to make any gingerbread.
So if you like traditional Scottish horror that has a claustrophobic and oneirophrenia feel that will have you greedily eating from page to page, then treat yourself to a copy of this novel from Haunt Publishing.
Even if you're not into BBQs, but like horror, this book is worth a brown sauce dip. It's a mystery (as good as the ingredients of Scottish brown sauce) and a creeping dread horror, but Corrance throws in gothic and dark fairy tales too. And just when you've settled in nice and cosy in front of the fire, there's a supernatural streak served up as good as the bacon.
Corrance has the novel piercing the cling film wrap when she adds an unreliable narrator who I grew to dislike as the novel sizzled on, leaving me with the subversive opinion of did I really want the narrator to have a happy ending? And like link sausages, there's a small but essential twist at the end.
I read it mostly at night before sleep, and at the time of the storms that hit the UK. And so this slithered into the creepy and foreboding atmosphere and setting Corrance so adeptly creates - to the point that I too felt stuck in a snow globe, but resisted to make any gingerbread.
So if you like traditional Scottish horror that has a claustrophobic and oneirophrenia feel that will have you greedily eating from page to page, then treat yourself to a copy of this novel from Haunt Publishing.
December 31, 2023
Holiday spirit but make it creepy!
It's the perfect combination of winter atmosphere, nightmarish Christmas mood, that timeless moment that feels it will never stop, and melancholic gothic horror. All set in a strange isolated hotel, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, where our protagonist, an ✨️aspiring author✨️, gets trapped. Because he followed the beautiful, mysterious woman there... and it seems he can't figure out that something is wrong with the hotel... or the woman.
This was a lot of fun, and by that I mean it was a lot of fun to hate the main character and roll my eyes while he explained how he's the best while everyone else is so very basic. There's a lot of discussion about relationships and all the ways that men can dominate, manipulate, control and suck the life out of their female partners, so the story is also feminist horror. I also loved stories-inside-stories which were dark fairy tales that hold hints for the characters in the main story. But I have a whole video talking about the book, spoiler free, which you can check out if you understand Croatian at the Morina kutija YT channel - @morinakutija, which is why I'm keeping this review short.
The important thing is that if you're looking for Christmas horror, filled with snow, cold, dark nights, and creepy but alluring women, consider checking this out.
It's the perfect combination of winter atmosphere, nightmarish Christmas mood, that timeless moment that feels it will never stop, and melancholic gothic horror. All set in a strange isolated hotel, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, where our protagonist, an ✨️aspiring author✨️, gets trapped. Because he followed the beautiful, mysterious woman there... and it seems he can't figure out that something is wrong with the hotel... or the woman.
This was a lot of fun, and by that I mean it was a lot of fun to hate the main character and roll my eyes while he explained how he's the best while everyone else is so very basic. There's a lot of discussion about relationships and all the ways that men can dominate, manipulate, control and suck the life out of their female partners, so the story is also feminist horror. I also loved stories-inside-stories which were dark fairy tales that hold hints for the characters in the main story. But I have a whole video talking about the book, spoiler free, which you can check out if you understand Croatian at the Morina kutija YT channel - @morinakutija, which is why I'm keeping this review short.
The important thing is that if you're looking for Christmas horror, filled with snow, cold, dark nights, and creepy but alluring women, consider checking this out.
December 11, 2023
Really engaging! The Gingerbread Men had me hooked the whole time. I really enjoyed following the very flawed protagonist, it was perfectly written to make me get caught up in the dread of his situation and hope for his realization and escape, until he muses about how he views himself and the rest of the world. At which point I remember that, wow, this guy's a jerk. The premise of the book is delightfully sinister and watching what happens to the men is both frightening and intriguing. The revelations at the end of the book really sealed the deal for me, There's some heartbreaking stuff in here, and I enjoyed the dynamics of how people can be both victims of cruelty and cruel to others themselves.
My favorite part was I enjoyed the pacing and the way Eric's feelings about an old acquaintance changed through that section was super compelling. The scene planted just enough red flags that you may not catch at first, but they gradually build up into what you realize is the worst outcome for our protagonist. And then the last sentence of dialog in the chapter brings it expertly to fruition, and made me groan "Ohhhhh, noo!" out loud.
My favorite part was I enjoyed the pacing and the way Eric's feelings about an old acquaintance changed through that section was super compelling. The scene planted just enough red flags that you may not catch at first, but they gradually build up into what you realize is the worst outcome for our protagonist. And then the last sentence of dialog in the chapter brings it expertly to fruition, and made me groan "Ohhhhh, noo!" out loud.
December 16, 2023
the premise for this was interesting. i found the protagonist exceptionally infuriating and though that is intentional, it doesn't make the reading any easier! i enjoyed picking up on the small details throughout the book that hinted at what exactly was wrong, even if the main character didn't detect them.
the first 20% of the book is nothing to be honest, it picks up a bit after but the pacing could be better. certainly does a good job of evoking the feeling of eternity in this story...
of course i loved the relevance of Scent and perfume to this story as well hehe. but other than that i got soooo bored. we saw the ending coming, it just took so long to get there, and the protag was so navel gazey and tedious with all the self reflection in his life. it was just not as thrilling of a read in terms of its own mythology/lore, like so many random plots and characters go nowhere.
yawn. seasonal read at least
the first 20% of the book is nothing to be honest, it picks up a bit after but the pacing could be better. certainly does a good job of evoking the feeling of eternity in this story...
of course i loved the relevance of Scent and perfume to this story as well hehe. but other than that i got soooo bored. we saw the ending coming, it just took so long to get there, and the protag was so navel gazey and tedious with all the self reflection in his life. it was just not as thrilling of a read in terms of its own mythology/lore, like so many random plots and characters go nowhere.
yawn. seasonal read at least
December 22, 2024
Yule/Winter Solstice read while I rest and recover.
When I heard this was a dark feminist fairytale, my interest was piqued since I love all three of those things. I am happy to say this novel delivered on all three. Main character Eric is deeply flawed and willfully oblivious to it. Part of this novel's arc is his growing self-awareness, which irritated me slightly as I personally don't like horror and trauma as the catalyst for self-development. My interest waned in the middle, but came back with the twist when pacing increased and certain narrative structures started to make sense. I was particularly taken with Corrance's ability to subtly render characters psychology and shifting mental states. throughout the narrative. I also enjoyed the ending.
When I heard this was a dark feminist fairytale, my interest was piqued since I love all three of those things. I am happy to say this novel delivered on all three. Main character Eric is deeply flawed and willfully oblivious to it. Part of this novel's arc is his growing self-awareness, which irritated me slightly as I personally don't like horror and trauma as the catalyst for self-development. My interest waned in the middle, but came back with the twist when pacing increased and certain narrative structures started to make sense. I was particularly taken with Corrance's ability to subtly render characters psychology and shifting mental states. throughout the narrative. I also enjoyed the ending.
February 13, 2025
Eric abandons his fiance at the Christmas market to follow a mysterious woman - Delia - and ends up in a hotel in the Highlands staffed only by men. At first he thinks he's Delia's new boyfriend and enjoys a free holiday before realizing the hotel has no guests, it's always winter, and each member of the staff has a dark secret.
"The Gingerbread Men" is a fast, creepy read about bad men facing dark justice. I loved the first half, where Eric's character was portrayed in detail and where the setting progressively got creepier and the mystery deeper. Then the story got a little fuzzy with Eric's breakdown, but it picked itself together and delivered a nice, if a little heavy-handed, ending.
Overall, a really fun book, I'm glad a friend mentioned it.
"The Gingerbread Men" is a fast, creepy read about bad men facing dark justice. I loved the first half, where Eric's character was portrayed in detail and where the setting progressively got creepier and the mystery deeper. Then the story got a little fuzzy with Eric's breakdown, but it picked itself together and delivered a nice, if a little heavy-handed, ending.
Overall, a really fun book, I'm glad a friend mentioned it.
January 24, 2023
A must for any Angela Carter fans! Joanna Corrance crafts an entirely new corpus of fairytale folklore within the narrative of an eerie gothic horror that I devoured in a few sittings and will be thinking about for a long time.
December 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. This was a great pick for December and I absolutely loved the ending. I think a change in point of view would have boosted the story for me a bit because it drug out a little, but definitely worth the read.
December 19, 2025
Wow! I hope to come back and add to this review since I try to write a few words immediately after finishing a book.
This one is in my top 25.
So strange and awesome - I loved it.
“Once there were no more parties, there was no more friendship.”
“Everyone uses everyone.”
This one is in my top 25.
So strange and awesome - I loved it.
“Once there were no more parties, there was no more friendship.”
“Everyone uses everyone.”
January 22, 2023
honestly nothing happens, horrifically predictable and i was so bored the entire time.
December 27, 2023
Mysterious, twisty and surreal. Still thinking about this one.
February 7, 2025
OMG, this took way too much of my time. It just took oh so long to reach the finale. Not recommended. At least it was fairly long, and that's always something with a pissy read.
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October 4, 2025I just didn't like the origin story. It was too on the nose. Other than that - a nice Christmas horror story.
December 23, 2025
Overall it was an enjoyable story and the narrator was wonderful. It did feel too long and dragged in some places but I liked the premise and the stories within stories.
December 26, 2025
Quite good story, but just dragged on way longer than it needed to.
January 5, 2025
A fun tale mixing folk horror with a modern touch - a quick enjoyable read but perhaps needed to be a little tighter or have a few more plot points to fully land
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
July 14, 2024
5:
See, it was written in the stars that this book would come into my life, because I just love::
1. Stories where men get what's coming to them
2. Gingerbread houses
3. A good ol' fairytale
4. Women
And this little story had all of them. It also got me out of a months long reading slump, so I give it points for that. Thank you Joanna Corrance.
See, it was written in the stars that this book would come into my life, because I just love::
1. Stories where men get what's coming to them
2. Gingerbread houses
3. A good ol' fairytale
4. Women
And this little story had all of them. It also got me out of a months long reading slump, so I give it points for that. Thank you Joanna Corrance.
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