Publication Date: October 13, 2026
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.
A string of missing children. A secluded village that lives—and dies—for Christmas. In ‘Twas the Night, Kevin Johnson’s debut horror novel puts a creepy twist on the jolly man in red.
On the edge of Christmas Eve, reporter Halley Belanger tracks the story of a string of child disappearances to the hard-to-find village of Yule, Maine—where Christmas isn’t just once a year, but all the time. Stranded after her truck dies, Halley finds shelter at the Black Duck Inn with Bob and Barry, a married couple ambivalent about letting her in. After all, no one just comes across Yule…once you find it, it finds you.
Halley sets about snooping, despite the warnings against going outside by her hosts. In between endless martinis with the loquacious Bob and exquisite desserts baked by the baking whiz Barry, Halley discovers a town built around the worship of Santa Claus. And it is not the red-cheeked, belly-like-a-bowl-of-jello type of Santa, either. It is a deity…and it demands sacrifice. As Halley slowly builds a bond with Bob and Barry—and a boy named Ralph—the true nature of Santa Claus, the North Pole, and the survival of Christmas itself comes into clear, horrifying focus.
Johnson’s debut is a delight from start to finish as it relishes turning traditional notions of Santa Claus on their head. As Halley meets Mardi, the one-time leader of a rebellion against Santa, she learns how others have tried—and failed—to overthrow Santa to keep their children safe. But Halley is not one to give up, especially with Christmas Day coming up and another round of sacrifices identified. Will she be able to save the kids and stop Santa’s evil reign in Yule? Or will she end her days in a place where Christmas is year-round, and the winter never ends? Readers will keep turning the pages to find out.
Bob and Barry are Halley’s first allies, although neither is ready for the secret she eventually shares. The catty, whip-smart dialogue feels natural and witty, while the scenes of horror are rendered in vivid strokes. Halley’s presence in Yule riles up both the residents and Santa’s “helper,” a yellow-hooded entity known as Mr. Zwarte. Making more enemies than friends, Halley’s tough exterior is abetted by her endless well of sarcasm (sometimes less is more) and one-liners. But her determination to end Santa’s reign of terror over Yule will have consequences far beyond what anyone can imagine.
Johnson spins a delicious gumdrop of a story—sweet in its convections, yet salty in its cynicism over Christmas tropes and trite traditions. With pitch-perfect pacing, Johnson turns up the tension notch by notch before delivering an epic stocking-stuffer of an ending just begging for a movie adaptation (Christmas horror stories are a niche but growing market). One thing is certain: you will never look at elves the same way again.
Putting the ho-ho-ho back in horror, ‘Twas the Night puts Santa Claus back where he should be: at the center of our nightmares.
Kevin Johnson grew up reading Goosebumps and roaming the horror aisles of the nearest Blockbuster Video. He studied Creative Writing at Florida State University and currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife and a rambunctious long-haired miniature dachshund named Pepper. ‘Twas The Night is his debut novel.
