Thanks to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and NetGalley for this ARC of 'Gruesome Getaway' by R. N. Cogley.

I think there's a huge gap in the market for Irish-based folk horror and this author has tapped into it but the results are mixed.

It's a good setup - a trio of Dubliners head to the wilds of the Irish countryside for a Halloween break and get more than they bargained for. The characters and the way they react are also well done and believable in that sense.

I think what's missing is a strong sense of place. Neither the Dublin nor the rural Irish setting is nailed or fleshed out enough to make it seem grounded in Ireland. I thought maybe the author wasn't Irish and was relying on Wikipedia for the basics but I found out subsequently that he is Irish which makes this all the more baffling. If I'm reading good folk horror based in England or the Appalachian mountains of the US, for instance, the author is establishing that locale, culture, and mythos very firmly and clearly. The only actual place that's mentioned is Dalkey in Dublin. Westmeath is referenced like it's a single place rather than a county in its own right and the fictional village is just that, fictional, and not very believable. I think had he been more specific about their journey and their locations, rooted them more strongly in the geography of Ireland it would've made for a more relatable yarn. There's so much myth and legend in Ireland to leverage for folk horror but it's really only the kinda throwaway use of the Irish language in places that makes it clear that this is set in Ireland - really could've been anywhere because the story itself is pretty stereotypical of its kind. Outsiders, weird locals, warnings, evil, etc.

All-in-all, great premise, weaker execution.

Giving it three rather than two stars for the author's spotting of the need for more Irish folk horror.

This was such a quick and easy read!

Very spooky and so much fun. If you liked the movies (and I believe at least one of these is based on a book, but I haven't read the book) The Watchers and The Strangers, I think you'd really like this. It felt like a mix of the two in terms of its atmosphere and general situation.

This is only about 100 pages, so I easy breezed through it in one sitting and I think that made it a really fun and fast-paced experience.

This is the type of shorter story that you should definitely go into with as little knowledge as possible, but I will say this: a group goes on a little trip and things get creepy and then scary and then dangerous...and it's not the first time.

I would highly recommend this, I had such a fun time reading this and usually I find books this short to be REALLY hit or miss (mainly miss). But this one was definitely a hit.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! This is the review I wrote to put on Goodreads, but this book doesn't seem to be on Goodreads yet. I will continue to go back and check to see if it gets added so I can put this review up there. But my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month of December with my monthly reading wrap-up.