Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

Quinn Maybrook and her father are starting over. Which is why they've moved to the tiny town of Kettle Springs where her father will be taking over as town doctor. 

Kettle Springs is a dead end town. The main source of employment, the local corn syrup factory (which sports a weird clown logo) has been shut down and, just prior to Quinn's arrival, the heir to the factory tried to burn the thing down! It doesn't take long for Quinn to meet said delinquent and join in his group of rowdy friends. 

But when Quinn and the others set off to attend a Friday night party that's the talk of all the teens in town, little do they know that they've caught the attention of someone who wants them all to pay! The party quickly turns into a race for survival as Quinn and the others try to escape a deadly foe dressed as none other than the creepy clown mascot himself!

Adam Cesare's latest is a fun romp into teen slasher territory. It reminded me of a specific 90's film that I cannot name here without risking giving away the twist...

Clown begins with an accident one year prior to Quinn moving to town. There's a group of specific teens involved, the ones Quinn finds herself thrown in with her very first day in school. I wish that there had been a bit more fleshing out, though. The teens in question are in the habit of filming things to post online. Everything, according to a line by one of the teachers. But we don't really see much of this beyond the opening scene. What's more, there's no real delving into the friction that comes between these characters both as a result of the incident and leading up to the party. 

Quinn is, however, pretty well rounded. As is her dad. They've moved to Kettle Springs to get away from their own darker past—the fate of Quinn's mom. And Quinn's dad seems pretty cool. He's not worried about his daughter getting in trouble her first day, not after talking it out, and he's not worried about the party either (a good chance to make friends). 

Boy was he wrong!

I liked this outing from Cesare but I can't say that I loved it. A bit more fine tuning in the character development area and I think this could have been really great. As it stands, it's a good popcorn read perfect for Halloween season but maybe not one I'll reach for again and again. 

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