Book Review: BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT by Brian McAuley

BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT by Brian McAuley (Poisoned Pen Press, expected release on September 2, 2025) Paperback, 304 pages. ISBN #9781464238208  

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

It’s a Midsommar night's Scream in this blood-soaked thriller set at a remote healing retreat from horror author Brian McAuley.

Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way... even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start.

Despite her skepticism of the strange Guru Pax and his belief in the supernatural world, Hannah soon finds healing through all the yoga, sound baths, and hot springs offered at the tech-free haven. But this peaceful journey of self-discovery quickly descends into a violent fight for self-preservation when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways. As the body count rises and Hannah’s sanity frays, she’ll have to confront her dark past and uncover the true nature of a ruthless monster hellbent on killing her vibe for good.

 My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT reads like a movie script, and that's exactly what author Brian McAuley predetermined. (Wouldn't that be a great movie title?)

     In the afterword, he reveals his intention was to write a homage to classic slasher films. Among his many influences, he cites the SCREAM film franchise as most inspiring. However, the movie that the novel reminds me the most of is 1981 Canadian slasher film MY BLOODY VALENTINE - probably because of the miner costume that the killer adopts. 

     There are plenty of grisly kills to please slasher fans, but what makes the novel work for me is the characterization and the honest, first-person narration by main character Hannah. She's suffering from PTSD after eye-witnessing the mysterious death of her fiancee, and experiencing troubling hallucinations. She's undergoing counseling, but relying more on the drugs to alter her moods. When they begin to affect her job performance, she agrees to her best friend's offer to go on a spiritual retreat and find herself. 

     What also makes the novel special is McAuley's subtle depiction of how fraudulent these healing centers can sometimes be. Guru Pax is a gem of a character, as well as a murder suspect. However, there are plenty of characters to be suspicious of - - and that includes Hannah. Maybe she's an unreliable narrator who is indeed "crazy". 

There are a couple of "tells" in the novel that prompted me to change my rating from Five Stars to Four Stars:

1) FIRST PERSON story telling: If your main character in a slasher novel is also the narrator, then (unless she is an unreliable narrator) readers know that she will survive and be the Final Girl. This knowledge did not pull me out of the story or interrupt my enjoyment.

2) SECOND PERSON killing descriptions: When the chapter changes from first person narration to second person - it's an indicator that a murder is about to happen. This also did not interrupt my enjoyment. Rather, as soon as I started the chapter I knew another gruesome kill was coming and began to look forward to the change in narration.

Thanks for NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance review digital copy of this novel. I submit this review without obligation, simply because I enjoyed the story and wanted to share that.