We all know the familiar schting of a knife that marks the beginning of blood-soaked chaos in a slasher, the bright glint of the metal hitting just the right light. But what about the hum of an exhale during yoga? The hiss of water on hot stones in a sauna? Brian McAuley gives us a frightening visual to these very things with his upcoming novel, Breathe In, Bleed Out, in which finding your zen may be a bit harder than usual.
Following a hiking trip from hell, Hannah has long been haunted by the ghost of her lover, Ben. While things are a little murky on what transpired out in the wilderness, Hannah’s mental state is surely deteriorating with vivid nightmares and permeating distress. In hopes of finding peace, Hannah’s friends organize a trip to an exclusive wellness retreat, a secluded spot in Joshua Tree that promises restoration of the mind and body. Yet, when the group arrives, things aren’t all as they seem, and one by one, Hannah’s friends seem to go missing under strange circumstances. While tensions are fraught, Hannah is soon met with what appears to be a blood-bath. Could her mind be playing tricks on her or is there really someone out for the group, picking them off one by one?
In a similar vein to his previous novel, Curse of the Reaper, McAuley gives us a unique, psychological view on the slasher genre, a perspective that is full of nuance. For anyone who has experienced any degree of mental health crisis, Hannah reads as an incredibly remarkable character who is up against herself. Determining fact from fiction, battling with believability, and securing sure ground to stand on offer glimpses into the internal struggles Hannah’s character faces before she even sets foot in this retreat from hell. This is notable psychological work from McAuley that establishes an ethos like no other, a relatability that goes so long in terms of investment regarding Hannah’s wellbeing.
Speaking of wellbeing, there is a palpable glee to these pages as McAuley subverts every wellness expectation to deliver creative carnage. If you thought meditation was hard before reading Breathe In, Bleed Out, try getting in touch with your inner chakras (or whatever they’re called) while imagining a slasher breathing down your very oblivious neck. This is a timely commentary on the toxicity of wellness culture, one that isn’t afraid to shine the beating desert sun on its harmful rhetoric. It’s very obvious that McAuley is having a brilliant time unpacking these social issues, and so should we as yoga studios, saunas, and much more will never quite look the same.
Both psychologically and viscerally harrowing, Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley solidifies his status as one of the most entertaining and heartfelt voices in slasher fiction. The components of internal and external fear work in tandem to create a unique atmosphere of dread, one that fans of psychological thrillers and horror novels will equally enjoy. Hannah’s struggle to not only survive what is real, but maybe what isn’t, guarantees a breathless, sun-soaked sprint to the end, possibly to her detriment or to her healing. And with that, namaste or whatever.
Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley hits shelves from Poisoned Pen Press on September 2, 2025! The audiobook, narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker, is available for preorder via Libro.fm! McAuley joins Justin Soderberg on the Capes and Tights Podcast for episode 239 on August 20 to discuss his latest novel!
