HEADS WILL ROLL by Josh Winning – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on July 30 2024
Genres: Adult, Horror, slasher horror
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Josh Winning mixes slasher horror and cancel culture in his latest, an entertaining blend of elements with layered characters and plenty of blood.

Heads Will Roll was lots of fun, even if there were a few story elements that didn’t make sense. This is yet another entry into the “camp slasher horror” sub genre that seems to be everywhere these days, and frankly, it’s one of the better ones. The characters are a ton of fun, and I loved Winning’s commentary on cancel culture, which is a hot button topic with plenty to discuss (I myself have some strong opinions on it!). And yes, a lot of heads are chopped off, just like the title suggests, and the author did some interesting things with perspective during these scenes. Fans of slashers should definitely pick this up, especially if you’re a fan of Josh Winning.

Willow was a famous TV sitcom star, but after a foolish tweet, she’s been fired from her job, has lost her house, money and fiancé, and worst of all, Willow has been canceled. With nothing left to lose, she’s decided to join an “electronics free” camp for a couple of weeks, where no cell phones, iPads or other electronics are allowed. It’s the perfect plan, since she wants to avoid social media and her sudden status as a pariah at all costs.

Willow has cut and dyed her hair so no one will recognize her, and at first it seems to  work. She arrives at Camp Castaway (or “Camp Cancel” as the residents call it) and meets her fellow campers, including camp mom Bebe, a rather stern woman who insists on group therapy sessions and yoga classes. It all feels like typical camp stuff, and even going without her cell phone isn’t so bad. But then one of the campers goes missing and a body turns up—without a head. Suddenly the local legend of Knock Knock Nancy, a girl who was brutally killed by decapitation and whose spirit seeks revenge, doesn’t sound so crazy. As the bodies start to pile up, all with missing heads, Willow and her camp friend Dani must uncover the truth before they lose their heads.

I loved Willow’s character, and the author gave her just enough layers to make her relatable. “Willow” is actually the name of the character she played on her TV show, We Love Willow, but the campers are encouraged not to use their real names. Winning keeps the famous tweet that started the whole thing under wraps until much later in the story, which I thought was a good idea, since it kept me flipping pages to see what could possibly be so bad that everyone would turn against her. When we finally learn what the cringey tweet was, it all makes sense. Willow has been fighting with her happy-go-lucky TV persona, the person everyone expects her to be, but she’s finally ready to admit who she really is and hopefully put this whole mess behind her.

I liked the other characters as well. It’s typical for mysteries of this type to cast suspicion on all of the characters, just to throw off the reader, and Winning does a solid job of it. Sure, some of them feel like stereotypes, but it was all good fun. Like Chef Jeff, for example, the creepy camp’s chef who keeps to himself. Or Sadie, Bebe’s mentally disturbed sister who breaks into cabins and has a collection of dolls’ heads. Or even Bebe, who finds an illicit iPod and smashes it with an axe. The pacing is excellent, with the murders spaced out so there’s never a dull moment. And of course, the more you get to know and like the characters, the more suspenseful the story becomes. I was on pins and needles each time the point of view shifted to someone other than Willow, because I knew what was coming!

And I have to admit I was intrigued by the whole We Love Willow idea. On the show, one of the characters is Willow’s imaginary friend Eliza who only she can see (although on Halloween, everyone can see imaginary friends!), and I would actually love to read a story about Willow and Eliza.

I did have a few issues with the story, though. There are quite a few plot holes, and like most slashers, you have to suspend your disbelief. Now I’m not an expert, but can someone who’s had their head chopped off still see and hear and form cohesive thoughts in those moments right after? I mean, I guess it’s possible, but there was one scene in particular that made me go “hmmm…” There were also some weird connections between the characters that were sort of ridiculous, and while I understand they were needed for the plot, I did roll my eyes a few times.

The whole Twitter thing was a little strange as well. I know that people still refer to “X” as Twitter and the word “tweeting” is still used a lot, but it did feel a little dated here. Willow makes a comment about it at one point, saying something like “X, or whatever it’s called now,” so clearly the story takes place in the present. But the term “cancel culture” has been around for a while, so technically Winning could have set his story in 2022 or 2023 before Twitter became X and I wouldn’t have had any complaints. 

But aside from my silly nit-picking, I really did have fun with Heads Will Roll. Josh Winning has a talent for bringing his characters to life, and the fact that he took a well worn trope and made it fresh and interesting gets bonus points from me. 

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.