Candy Cain Kills by Brian McAuley is a Christmas horror novella. The novella is concise and well-paced. Candy Cain, the villain, is sinister and mentally deranged. The story has surprising moments of heart. The twists are throughout this tale. Every twist is great and changes the narrative you thought you knew. Candy Cain Kills takes place on Christmas Eve and lasts until Christmas Day. McAuley packs a lot of story and a lot of kills in such a little space. I was a little worried we weren’t going to get that many kills, but don’t worry, more characters get added, and we get flashbacks. The dark side of religion gets explored in the story. McAuley shared he was dealing with his own religious trauma within the story. We see how religious manipulation and fear can spread hate and fear into this world. The story is not all about religion, but it is a slasher at its core. This slasher has humor, drug use, drama, and creative kills. The kills in Candy Cain Kills are so well thought out. If you were to capture these kills on screen, some would make it to the highlight reel of best kills of the year. The slow car kill is the worst, but it was done to a horrible person, so it is kind of the best. Candy Cain Kills is part of the Shortwave Publishing line. It is featured in the Killer VHS series, which is a Goosebumps for grown-ups. All the stories in the Killer VHS series must feature a VHS in the story. I like it if you buy directly from Shortwave, the books come in a VHS-like box. Candy Cain Kills was first published on November 14, 2023.

Why did I read Candy Cain Kills by Brian McAuley? I have read two of his short stories from Death By TBR Books. One is Your Never Too Old for Halloween in Twisted Tales to Tell in the Dark. The other is Screaming Infidelities in Punk Goes Horror. The story balances horrific and fun very well. I listen to a lot of horror podcasts, and Brian McAuley is one of my favorite guests. He’s having a breakout moment with his newest slasher novel, Breathe In, Bleed Out. I had an opportunity to meet Brian at the Southern Festival of Books and get this book signed. I was halfway through this book when I met him, and had great conversations about his short story work. I plan to read Breathe In, Bleed Out in November.

Plot Summary: In 1995, the cottage house in Nodland burned down, killing a family of four on Christmas. But is that really what went down? Locals have started spreading rumors about the place. It wasn’t just a fire that killed the family, but a killer that goes by the name of Candy Cain. 10 years later, in 2005, the cottage was redone and opened for short-term rentals with the first family staying in the house on Christmas Eve. The family is a broken one with husband, Greg, and wife, Dana, on the verge of divorce, and brother and sister fighting. The sister, Fiona, is disabled and gets all the attention while her brother, Austin, is ignored. They would all like to be somewhere else. The world is turned upside down when they find an old camcorder that recorded what happened 10 years ago, and it will change everything.

What I Liked: The kills are amazing. The death scenes were written very cinematically, so it is horrifically easy to picture. The slow car death was so gross, but fun. The balance of real emotions and fun is balanced very well. I did not care about every character, but most of the family members have a moment where I hoped they would make it out. The writing is very good. I feel you don’t need much to make a good slasher. But McAuley writes the family drama so well that you feel the tension in the house until the killer is revealed, and you get a different tension. Candy Cain is a well-written villain with a horrific background. I did like that the story featured a disabled character and an LGBTQ character.

What I Disliked: I liked the ending with Candy Cain. But I had a little issue with the survivor/s and what happened after. I thought it was toughness over practicality. It was a little badass, but I don’t know if I believed it.

Recommendation: Candy Cain Kills is very good. If you are a fan of the slasher genre of horror, then this is a can-not-miss read. This book is a perfect Christmas horror read. I feel this novella is not well-known, but it is fantastic. McAuley’s character work is so well done. I recommend my followers check out Candy Cain Kills. The book does have a sequel, Candy Cain Kills Again, which I will read soon, and maybe save until December.

Rating: Candy Cain Kills by Brian McAuley. I rated 4.7 out of 5.