Heads Will Roll - by Josh Winning (Paperback)

About the Book

"After sitcom star Willow tweeted herself into infamy and had to be dragged blind-drunk out of a swimming pool, her agent shipped her off to the woodsy and wonderfully anonymous confines of Camp Castaway. Willow is relieved to find that her fellow campers seem okay. But the peaceful vibe is shattered when a terrifying woman pops shrieking from the wardrobe in Willow's room. Soon after, one of the campers vanishes. Is Willow about to get cancelled all over again, this time for good? Soon, terror grips the group, campers begin to lose their heads-literally!-and Willow and her new friends are on the run. As paranoia grows and disturbing past deeds come to light, this escape from their shallow lifestyles might just lead to a set of shallow graves"--

Book Synopsis

Willow's worst nightmare was being canceled. But the shadows in the woods of Camp Castaway might destroy more than her reputation.

After sitcom star Willow tweets herself into infamy and stumbles blind-drunk into a swimming pool, her agent ships her off to Camp Castaway. Nestled deep in upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults who are desperate to leave their mistakes behind. No real names, no phones . . . no way to call for help.

Willow's fellow campers seem okay. Her own favorite actress is even here, making a s'more. And did that jaded writer, Dani, just wink at her? But the peaceful vibe is shattered when one of the campers vanishes and Willow finds a mutilated doll in her room with a threatening message rolled up inside its mouth. Terror grips the group, campers begin to lose their heads--literally--and disturbing past deeds come to light.

Is Willow about to get cancelled all over again, this time for good?

Review Quotes

A BookBub Best New Horror Pick

"I enjoyed Heads Will Roll, with its compelling, complex characters and inventiveness in how it engaged politically with its horrors." --Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and other novels

"I really enjoyed the way Heads Will Roll plays with all the horror/slasher tropes, while also taking aim at the pitfalls of social media and cancel culture. A whole lot of bloody fun with a serious message at its heart" --C.J. Tudor, author of The Gathering

"Taking an axe to smart phones, celebrity, and cancel culture, Heads Will Roll is a slasher that is both bloody and uplifting. And fun! Every copy should come with a bucket of popcorn." --Gus Moreno, author of This Thing Between Us

"Beautifully written and impossible to put down." --Fiona Cummins, bestselling author of All of Us are Broken

"With pacing that demands you keep turning pages, Heads Will Roll is the perfect summer slasher . . . it's your favorite urban legend, wrapped in your worst social media nightmare, topped with absolute pandemonium." --Scream Magazine

"Winning's latest is a warm love letter to slasher flicks... [he] masterfully builds a story that will leave readers breathless.... The pacing is frenetic and captivating...Recommend to those who enjoyed My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, or Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare." --Library Journal

"Winning takes cancel culture to terrifying extremes in this gruesome yet surprisingly upbeat horror novel... Between the frequent jump scares and blood spillage, Heads Will Roll is packed with an awful lot of heart. Readers will be on the edges of their seats." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] slasher for the new generation with a big ol' millennial heart." --Fangoria

"Gather 'round the campfire but watch your neck because Josh Winning is swinging through with his red right hand to deliver another classic slasher for the modern age." --Brian McAuley, author of Curse of the Reaper

"Paying homage to summer-camp-horror classics, Winning offers a new take, using tweets, texts and other found media between chapters to build the story while still giving readers the jump scares and twists that they love. Great fun, especially for readers who enjoy the gorier, campier side of horror." --Booklist

"If you have never read one of Josh Winning's books before, treat yourself. I'm serious. Winning is an auto-buy author in my household..." --Book Riot

"If you're missing '80's slashers and the Friday the 13th franchise, this is for you. Scares, gore, laughs, heart and just enough social commentary, fans of Grady Hendrix, Brian McAuley and Stephen Graham Jones unite, there's a new slasher in town, and yes, HEADS WILL ROLL." -- FanFiAddict

"Frightening, heartfelt, and darkly funny, Heads Will Roll is a gleefully violent homage to the horror genre. In this modern summer-camp slasher, Winning wields wit (and an ax) against the complexities of cancel culture and trauma. Power down your phone, take a seat by the fire, and try not to lose your head." -- anya Pell, author of Cicada

"This thrilling summer camp slasher horror had us hooked, eagerly turning the pages to uncover its next chilling twist." --Capes and Tights

"Combining heart-in-mouth scares with a wicked sense of humor, Heads Will Roll explores how social media makes monsters of us all" --Matt Glasby, author of The Book of Horror

"Heads Will Roll puts a slasher spin on cancel culture. Delivering fast-paced thrills and chills, this is a story about shame, guilt, and our current age of "social media justice," in which a single mistake can ruin your life." --Dallas Voice

"A brilliantly fun horror concept, expertly executed by a blossoming talent in the genre - if you like your thrillers dark, funny, clever and bang up to date, then this is the book for you" - Susi Holliday, author of The Party Season

"A thrilling read...I really enjoyed this book. So chilling. It would make a great film." --Michael Wood via Twitter, author of Last One Left Alive

"This book is incredible! A gripping slice of 80s-inspired horror with a rattling good plot, terrific characters and zingy dialogue, and with something important to say about the world today. I can't recommend Heads Will Roll enough." --William Hussey, award-winning author of Killing Jericho

About the Author

Josh Winning is the critically acclaimed author of Burn the Negative and The Shadow Glass. He is a senior film writer at Radio Times, has written for Total Film for over a decade, and is the cohost of movie podcast Torn Stubs. During his years as a film journalist, he has been on set with Kermit the Frog (and Miss Piggy), devoured breakfast with zombies on The Walking Dead, and sat on the Iron Throne on the Dublin set of Game of Thrones. Winning lives in London with his cat Penny and dreams of one day convincing Sigourney Weaver to yell "Goddammit!" at him.