Have you ever thought about how creepy Christmas is?
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, creepy? How could it be? Clearly, he’s confused Christmas with Halloween. But stick with me for a moment.
Santa is this all-knowing figure who knows when you’re sleeping and when you’re awake. He knows your behavior and keeps tabs on you. Then, once a year, he lands on your roof and comes into your home under the cover of night, while everyone else is sleeping.
I guess my argument falls apart a bit when you realize he does all of this to bring you presents and create joy in your life. But still, you can see how easily Santa could shift from the jolly figure in a red suit to something a bit more sinister.
That’s certainly what Kevin Johnson imagines in his debut novel, 'Twas the Night.
The village of Yule, Maine, takes Christmas very seriously. In fact, it’s Christmas there all year long. Here, Santa Claus is more than a holiday tradition. He’s practically a religious figure, and residents credit him with keeping their community safe and prosperous.
Reporter Halley Belanger doesn’t share their enthusiasm. She hates Christmas and has little patience for all the mythology surrounding Santa. But when children begin disappearing across Maine, Halley notices something strange. Yule seems to be the one place untouched by the disappearances.
She travels to the village looking for answers, but the residents aren’t exactly eager to welcome an outsider asking questions. And the deeper Halley digs, the more she begins to suspect that all of Yule’s Christmas cheer may be hiding something much darker.
'Twas the Night sees Kevin Johnson twist traditional holiday cheer into nightmare fuel. He takes the mythology of Christmas and makes it dark. Very dark. There are missing children, fanatical supporters, and a conspiracy that threatens the safety of the entire world.
Is it over the top? Of course. But I still had fun with it.
I think what worked for me was just how fully Johnson commits to the idea. He takes all those familiar pieces of Christmas mythology that we never really question and pushes them into some genuinely bizarre places. The story only gets stranger as Halley uncovers more of what's happening in Yule, and I was curious to see where it would all lead.
That's also where 'Twas the Night will either work for you or it won't. You have to be willing to roll with some pretty wild turns and accept the story for what it is. I was happy to go along for the ride. Johnson gave me something unlike any Christmas story I've read before, and I had a lot of fun seeing just how dark he was willing to take it.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 83)
As a bookseller, hate to see Christmas books already in October... LOL. But this sounds fun. Might need to incorporate it into my Christmas horror/thriller display going up after Halloween comes down.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of it from that perspective, but I'll admit that even as a blogger, I hesitate to post Christmas books during October. We've gotta capitalize on spooky season! Speaking of, have you come across any new must read horror this year?
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