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REVIEW: Candy Cain Kills (Killer VHS Series #2) by Brian McAuley

December 20, 2023 by Seanchalant Leave a Comment

Rating: 9/10

SYNOPSIS

Oh what fun it is to DIE!

When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.

‘Twas the Fright Before Christmas…

REVIEW

Brian McAuley is slashing through the snow with merciless, merry glee in this fast-paced holiday slasher that is sure to become a Christmas staple in my household.

When I read Curse of the Reaper earlier this year, I knew McAuley was going to become an instant read author for me. With Candy Cain Kills, he only improves his slasher craft, ensuring his place among Stephen Graham Jones and Grady Hendrix in the literary slasher genre.

In a very short amount of time, McAuley paints a vivid picture of a family on the rocks and the effects it has on the children, Austin and Fiona. Relatable and sympathetic, I was immediately drawn into their stories and cared for them. Both have unique internal struggles that reveal themselves throughout the story and only deepen the connection. It is truly amazing how much character work McAuley manages to establish quickly and succinctly.

But this is a slasher after all, with a body count higher than I expected and it is brutal. McAuley, and by extension Candy Cain, shows no mercy as she slashes her way through this novella’s cast. McAuley doesn’t pull his punches when describing the Christmas carnage, with unique, imaginative and festive fatalities.

Like any good slasher, you have to have a traumatic and thematic origin story for said slasher. Candy Cain’s story is original and heartbreaking. Like all great monsters, she isn’t born but made and that’s all you’ll get out of me. McAuley brilliantly sprinkles this backstory throughout the novel in snowflake sized teases, each revealing more yuletide horror and some truly surprising twists that this reader did not see coming.

So gather ’round the tree and unwrap this absolute gift of a novella. But you better watch out, you better not die. You better not pout, I’m telling you why. Candy Cain is comin’ to town… and her naughty list is long.

Filed Under: Anthology, Fear For All, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Brian McAuley, Candy Cain Kills, Christmas Horror, Horror Books, Killer VHS Series, Shortwave Publishing, Slasher

About Seanchalant

Sean Conley (not Connery) aka Seanchalant is an proud father of three little nerds, AnaMaurin Victoria, Landyn Lawrence, and Raylan Aviendha Mae. He is a stay at home dad while his hardworking and wonderful fiancée,
Gabriella Oropeza brings home the 🥓 and he always has a book on his person. On the autism spectrum, he has a tendency to become an encyclopedia on things he enjoys. Raised on horror films (The Evil Dead series is #1) and Stephen King, his love of fantasy was born from Army of Darkness and Tad Williams; cultivated by John Gwynne and Mark Lawrence. He enjoys everything from epic fantasy to urban fantasy, grimdark to high fantasy. His favorite bands are blink-182, The Beatles, and Wu-Tang Clan.

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