Wrong!

Because the night of a wild teen party in an isolated barn, someone dressed as Frendo the Clown (Kettle Springs mascot), emerges from the surrounding cornfields, armed with a crossbow, intent on punishing the local kids for their sins.

A long night of terror has begun!

Clown in a Cornfield was a YA, small town, slasher/horror/mystery/suspense with no supernatural elements. As a slasher it exceeded my expectations – the remote setting and the various reasons why the teens could neither escape nor be rescued were sound, the kills were creative, the kill count was high and the deaths were gruesome without being too gross or descriptive, some characters were resourceful and empathetic, worked as a team, while others made dumb decisions, were mean and selfish, only out for themselves, and were willing to sacrifice others to stay alive. The main characters were likeable, the teens acted and behaved like young people, and thorough backstories and past secrets and traumas were given for all characters and the fictional town of Kettle Springs. There was a good build up to the party, but equally plenty of time was devoted to the never-ending, horrific night itself.

My only wish was that there had of been more to the main mystery. The overall motives, and the culprit behind the murders, were fairly predictable. Thankfully, there were enough other shocks and surprises to satisfy me, particularly one that I probably should’ve guessed but didn’t, and I enjoyed the unique twist. Adam Cesare is a talented writer, and this first instalment in a trilogy was fast-paced, action-packed, and heart-pounding. I look forward to reading the two sequels, Frendo Lives, and The Church of Frendo.