'Twas the Night: A Novel

Yuletide cheer is served with a double dose of horror in Kevin Johnson’s gripping debut, in which a young reporter follows a string of disappearances into the middle of a terrifying Christmas cult inspired by our favorite holiday classics.

You better watch out. You better not cry.

It’s Christmas in the village of Yule, Maine.

In fact, it’s always Christmas in Yule. Here, Santa Claus isn’t a storybook figure. He’s an icon. A god. The villagers don’t just believe in him—they worship him. And the world is better for it.

Halley Belanger hates Christmas, and she doesn’t have much love for Santa either. But when a string of child disappearances across Maine seems to spare only the village of Yule, Halley—a sharp, skeptical reporter—decides to investigate.

What she finds is a town that guards its secrets with gingerbread smiles and a snow globe sheen. Outsiders aren’t welcome. She isn’t welcome. And something sinister is keeping the Christmas spirit alive.

As Halley digs deeper, she begins to uncover the horrifying truth behind Yule’s eternal cheer. Christmas comes at a grisly cost. And Santa Claus is no saint.

"Unexpected, engrossing, and ringing with a truly demented sense of wit, 'Twas the Night is the gleefully unhinged tale of holiday horror you've been waiting for. Kevin Johnson suffocates his readers in a perfectly crafted snowstorm of unflinching terror, of Yuletide fright." - Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

"Kevin Johnson has concocted a perfect blend of folk horror and fun, a yuletide Midsommar drenched in eggnog and blood. I pray we all end up on Santa's naughty list this year, because 'Twas the Night should definitely become an annual Christmas-reading tradition." - Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes