Silent Night, Deadly Night by Armando Muñoz ~ a Review

by MK French

In 1971, five-year-old Billy Chapman watched a man dressed as Santa Claus kill his parents. Raised by a sadistic Catholic nun with his little brother, Billy is determined to live a normal life. In 1984, he was forced to dress as Santa Claus for the holidays to make ends meet. Still dressed as Santa, he snaps and goes on a rampage, punishing all those he deems naughty.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2025; Titan Books; 978-1803362649
ebook, print (400 pages); holiday horror

This is the novelization of the 1984 horror movie, and there are plenty of us out there who remember it well. (Let's ignore that it was forty years ago, shall we?) This version expands on the movie, not just showing more history for the characters, but adding in more characters and kills in keeping with the theme of the original. The foreword shows that the original executive producers of the movie encouraged the expansion, so think of this book as something like a director's cut.

We see a lot of setup through the years, from the town itself to the parents, Billy, and the people he knew. He was essentially tortured for years, and most adults let it go. We see exactly what he thinks, and why he snaps at the company Christmas party. It's a gory rampage through town, with shocks along the way in keeping with the slasher horror of the original movie. If you need holiday horror, this novel should definitely be on your list. 

Buy Silent Night, Deadly Night at Amazon

If you have a movie buff on your holiday list and still need a gift idea, this one would be good to give, and you can also check out my recommendation of a few other movie-tie-in type novels in my post, Books for Movie Buffs and Gamers.

If you are looking for more books to read for Christmas, be sure to check out all the 25 Days of Christmas Reading recommendations.

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever

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