BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT by Brian McAuley – 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.

Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley
Published by Poisoned Pen Press on September 2 2025
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A unique location and a quirky cast of characters set this high energy slasher apart from the crowd. This was a blast from start to finish!

This is my first Brian McAuley book, and I have to say I’m impressed! Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fantastic, well rounded horror story with plenty of slasher action, humor and emotion. It’s fairly short, and I flew through the book in only a day or two. In fact, that’s really my only complaint—it’s a little too short, and I wouldn’t have minded even more character development and backstory, and the tension could have been drawn out more. But wow, McAuley can write, and I’m so happy to be able to add him to my “must read” author list.

Hannah is a twenty-something medical intern. She’s also recovering from the trauma of witnessing the death of her fiancé Ben. Hannah’s therapist Dr. Grady has been keeping her supplied with enough Xanax to combat her horrible memories, but the drugs can’t completely keep away the bad dreams or the visions of Ben, who seems to be haunting her. When she shows up to work high one day and nearly kills a patient, she’s put on indefinite leave.

Luckily for Hannah, her best friend Tess has the perfect solution: she’s been invited to a super secret spiritual retreat in the middle of the desert, and she thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for Hannah to work on her feelings about Ben’s death, as well as reconnect with the friends she’s abandoned since he died. Hannah reluctantly agrees, and she and Tess, along with their friends Luna, Miles and Jared, head to Joshua Tree, the location of the Avidya Healing Retreat.

When they arrive, they meet Guru Pax, the leader of the retreat, and his assistant Kimi. With no cell phone service, electricity or plumbing, the retreat is completely off the grid, the perfect set-up for spiritual healing. It’s also the perfect set-up for a vengeful killer—who starts picking off the guests one by one. Hannah has decided to go cold turkey with the Xanax, but maybe this wasn’t such a good time. Is Ben’s spirit back for revenge? Or is the local story about a pick-axe wielding miner true? Hannah just wants to make it out alive, but first she’ll have to navigate yoga classes, spiritual walks and the specter of Ben, who won’t seem to leave her alone.

Fans of slasher movie franchises like Scream will have a blast with Breathe In, Bleed Out—and by the way, this is the perfect title for the story (yoga is part of the retreat and one of the characters is a yoga instructor). McAuley follows some of the typical slasher beats, like whenever one of the characters goes off on their own, you know what’s going to happen next! But he also puts his own spin on the trope and incorporates local folklore into his story. I loved the desert setting and the way the author used it to his advantage (think rattlesnakes and you’ll have an idea of what to expect!)

Hannah was my favorite character in the story, an on-the-edge unreliable narrator. Because of her addiction to Xanax, you’re never quite sure whether she’s imagining Ben stalking her or actually seeing his ghost. McAuley drops hints along the way about what happened to Ben, and the full truth isn’t revealed until later in the story, giving Hannah’s experience even more of an emotional punch. I loved how Hannah tries so hard to heal, even though she wants nothing to do with the retreat at first.

The side characters are a lot of fun too. Hannah’s friends are a mixed bunch which is perfect for a slasher because the ones you don’t like? Don’t worry, they won’t last long! Pax is your typical new age guru type—at first. I did love the way his character changes by the end of the story. Kimi was a fun character too. She’s very standoffish until Hannah catches her in a moment of weakness. A few side characters make brief appearances to throw the reader off, which added to the mystery of the killer’s identity.

The ending is a flurry of activity and spilled blood, and I have to say I did not guess who the killer was. McAuley ends his story with some great twists and plenty of cathartic emotion. I cannot wait to read more from this inventive, talented author.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.