‘Twas the Night: A Novel by Kevin Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up **
Halley Belanger, a young reporter, is on the trail of some missing kids, and intel leads her straight to a tiny little town in Maine called Yule. It’s a strange place where Christmas isn’t just a holiday, it’s a way of life.
Arriving in the town, Halley finds herself at a defunct B&B run by an eccentric older couple, Barry and Bob. Disturbing things start happening right way. Yule itself is disturbing. Halley ends up stranded in this creepy little town.
Tensions run high. Will she ever be able to leave?
‘Twas the Night is a fun read. It’s a true Christmas Horror, made extra fun by the great banter that Johnson included. I loved Barry and Bob. They made the story for me. Also, Halley though. She was a determined MC and I liked following her as she faced some pretty intense challenges.
The concept of the town was compelling, and I liked the darker side of Christmas lore that Johnson delivered. Personally, I think this would be a great holiday movie along the same lines as Krampus.
After all, Christmas is a messy business!
Just let the above image sit with you for a bit.
Honestly though, I would recommend this to any Horror Reader who is looking to get in the mood for the holiday season. Not all is joyous and bright in this book, but for some of us, that’s just how we like it.
I would also highly recommend the audiobook. The narration by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw was very well done. I felt like Halley was actually just telling me her story. Hutchinson-Shaw definitely brought the action to life, which I always appreciate that energy and conviction in narration.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow and HarperAudio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a lot of fun with this and am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
