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. 

Order it from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

Mercy House by Adam Cesare + a Giveaway

Happy Friday, y'all! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Adam Cesare's Mercy House. Do note there is a publisher sponsored tour wide giveaway on this one, so be sure to scroll through to the end.

Mercy House isn't your average nursing home. Here the residents will experience top notch care, the best of all amenities, and a lust for life they've never felt before.

Something is happening at Mercy House. Something that defies all explanation. The residents, even those who have been confined to their beds for some time now, are experiencing increased energy and strength like never before. Nikki's mother-in-law, Mercy House's newest arrival, takes full advantage of this newfound vivaciousness by attacking her daughter-in-law. No regard at all to the fact that her beloved son stood in her way. Nikki escapes, narrowly, but soon finds that leaving Mercy House alive could be next to impossible as the residents take up arms and begin attacking everyone under the age of retirement.

If you're prone to nightmares, you'll probably want to avoid this one. Mercy House is a nasty little read both in regards to the amount of gore and plain old meanness. Yep, it's a mean story. Mercy House's residents start turning on everyone, dividing into factions including a group of ex military and followers of the home's nicknamed "Queen Bee," amongst others. The military folks are interested in lockdown and protecting resources while Queen Bee's folks are... um... exploring their newfound sexual abilities. And they're all after the staff, eliminating them in some of the most gruesome and inventive ways you can imagine in a nursing home.

Sadly, there's never any explanation as to what's come over the residents. I kept waiting for it, hoping there would be something, even a little nugget of a hint. Nope. Not at all.

Oh, well.

If you're into dark and hopeless ('cause that's what it seems like for everyone in this story) and have a strong stomach, Cesare is the man for you. Just know that you'll have to be ok with the lack of a neat and tidy resolution.

Rating: 3/5

And now for the giveaway. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.