You Better Watch Out
Forty-eight hours until Christmas, Jessica Kane wakes up with blurred vision, ears ringing, and in excruciating pain. A gash in her head and blood running down her face, the last thing she remembers is going for a run and something or someone hitting her in the head. It doesn't take her long to realize she is trapped in an unknown, deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of being attacked and stranded there. Unsure why and how they got there, she knows one thing for certain, she has to find a way out. That becomes nearly impossible when someone is meticulously orchestrating their deaths, one by one, and the only thing Jessica can do is watch the life leave their eyes. The fenced-in town is the killer’s very own playground and there's nowhere left to hide... she better watch out because she could be next.
- Eddie - Captive, thief
- Jess - Captive, struggling with addiction
- Trinity - Captive, hit-and-run of a child
- Greg- Captive, con man
- Tank - Captive, drug dealer
- Mystery man - A shadowy figure stalking the captives
- Damian - Serial killer
- George and Dorothy - Elderly couple
- Eddie gets stabbed with a syringe by an elderly couple at the grocery store.
- He wakes up in a seemingly abandoned town and walks into a bar.
- Eddie finds Jess and Trinity there who say they were also kidnapped and left there.
- Eddie realizes they are in a recreation of Old Forge, New York from 1936.
- The three leave the bar to explore the fake town and find Greg.
- The four enter a church where they find Tank.
- Everyone shares similar stories about how they ended up there.
- Tank drinks what he thinks is holy wine but it's actually acid and he dies almost instantly.
- The remaining four investigate further and realize the town is surrounded by forest on all sides.
- They come across a building in the woods but when Greg approaches it his leg gets stuck in a bear trap.
- Eddie and the girls return to town to find something to help Greg.
- They return to find Greg being mauled to death by a grizzly bear.
- The keep walking and run into a ten foot high wall with barbed wire surrounding the town.
- They keep walking and see the old couple who kidnapped Eddie.
- George tells them they are all there due to their pasts.
- George says he’ll open the gate at sunrise on Christmas morning, and they’ll be free to leave if they’re there. Then he and Dorothy leave.
- Eddie and the girls find a bunker in the woods that looks like a command post. Inside is a miniature model of the fake town, camera feeds showing the area, and detailed files on all the captives, as if they’d been stalked for years.
- There are files on other captives and how they died; this has been going on every Christmas for several years.
- The remaining three find an access tunnel under newsstand that they think could be their way out.
- Trinity goes into the tunnel first, but a grate snaps shut behind her, severing eight of her fingers. She’s then blasted with freezing water and air until she freezes to death within minutes.
- Flashback: Fifteen years ago Eddie accidently killed someone while robbing their house.
- Eddie and Jess go back to shelter in the bunker until morning.
- Someone captures the mystery man, chains him to the merry-go-round, and sets a sharp blade to slowly inch toward him.
- Eddie and Jess see the mystery man on the cameras and go to save him but they fail and he is sliced to death.
- Jess says she recognizes the dead man as Damien, a notorious serial killer.
- It’s Christmas morning so they head to the gate where the truth comes out; Jess’ addiction is to killing people.
- George and Dorothy are Jess’ parents and they created this place for her to be able to kill people and stay out of prison.
- Jess stabs Eddie and believes he is dead.
- Eddie escapes the compound and flags down a cop, but instead of helping, the officer drives him back to the fake Old Forge.
- The cop knows what George and Dorothy are doing and is happy to help because it keeps the crime rate in his town very low.
- Jess tells Eddie she will give him a head start before she starts hunting him.
- Epilogue, Jan 28th: A college professor named Maria notices the pattern of disappearances around Old Forge around the same time every year and takes this information to an FBI agent she knows.
For those in search of an engaging and quick-paced read, this book is a strong contender. It's a solid mystery that delivers a compelling narrative, keeping you guessing for much of the story.
At the heart of the story is Eddie, a protagonist who is compelling and flawed. It's easy to root for him despite his questionable background, which makes his journey all the more interesting. He feels relatable, and his struggles add a good layer of depth to the plot.
While this story is set just before Christmas, it is not a Christmasy story in any other way. The tension builds steadily, culminating in a twist that managed to catch me by surprise.
This book is a worthwhile read for those who love suspense or a good survival story.
- Eddie - Presumed dead - Last seen being hunted by Jess
- Jess - Alive - Still killing
- Trinity - Dead - Froze to death
- Greg - Dead - Mauled by a grizzly bear
- Tank - Dead - Drank acid
- Mystery man - Dead - Sliced apart by a rotating blade
- George - Alive - Still enabling Jess’ addiction
- Dorothy - Alive - Still enabling Jess’ addiction
- Murder
- Violence
- Kidnapping
- Blood
- Child death
- Car accident
- Confinement
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9781250286260
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.Contribute Your Spoils
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