Shelby Macabre
Dark Romance Author
Now Available
Red Herring (2025)
Some obsessions never die. Some killers don’t need masks.
Cary Kruger thought meeting Sam Dahmer was a dream come true—a charming stranger with a hint of danger, just like the horror movie characters she’s always adored. But when people close to Cary start dying, her life begins to spiral into a nightmare she can’t escape.
Sam has a secret, and Cary soon finds herself caught between two brothers—one who loves her, and one who wants to destroy her. In this deadly game of lies and betrayal, Cary must figure out who’s really behind the mask before she loses everything.
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Coming Soon!
Slippery Slope
Death is calling for round two... motives are incidental.
Cary Kruger thought the worst was behind her, but Meadowbrook isn’t done with her yet. Six years after the murders that changed everything, Sam Dahmer—the man who killed to save her—is back, and so is the body count. Sam swears he’s not the killer, but Cary doesn’t know who to believe—especially when her best friend Matt starts acting like a stranger.
As paranoia builds and buried secrets surface, Cary finds herself in a deadly spiral where trust is dangerous, love is lethal, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin.
Slippery Slope is Scream meets Chucky—a twisted tale of betrayal, obsession, and blood-soaked survival where no one gets out clean.
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Unfinished Business
The dead never stay buried… and some refuse to rest.
Matt thought dying was the end of his story. Instead, he’s trapped in the afterlife, watching his friends rebuild their lives in Milwaukee without him. But when Rory attempts to contact him, she unknowingly brings back Alex—the sadistic killer who wants revenge for his death.
Desperate to fix their mistake, Cary and Abby play with forces they don’t understand, pulling Matt back to the land of the living by anchoring his soul to a barely dead man’s body. But playing with the dead comes at a cost. Their friends start dropping dead, and only Matt knows who's actually lurking in the shadows.
If they can’t stop Alex, they'll wish they were the one's dead instead.
currently being written
When I tell you….that this book will grip you by the neck with a hand necklace and hold you there till the end I promise on my dark soul I’m not lying. I loved everything minute of it. It took me about 8 hours to finish this with a break for dinner in between. I had to force myself to put it down so I could cook my children dinner lol. I won’t spoil anything because I want you to read It for the first time like I did. Jump in the deep end the waters fine cause lord let me tell you…I had questions and I needed answers immediately. Perfect combination of smut, thriller, romance, and suspense. When you think you know you definitely do not you couldn’t be more wrong. The ending.. god I didn’t want it to end the cliff hanger was real I had so many questions that I needed to know what happened after that and I couldn’t immediately jump to the next one even if there was another one…hopefully there is ;). I fell in love with Sam…but still my beating heart Alex snatched it right out of my body. This is a prize possession on my shelf that I will cherish…. Now I just need another book…hint hint please give me one 😫. Give it a chance you won’t regret it! I sure didn’t 😍
Shayla Means - ARC Reader
Praise & Reviews
Oh my god… I was sucked in by the second page in chapter one!! To say this book had me on my toes is an understatement!! I can’t wait to read the next book I need answers ! As a ghost face lover I am in love with this book!
Haley Schweizer - ARC Reader
Well, well, well... what do we have here? A slasher romance that actually understands the assignment! Shelby Macabre serves up a delectable dish of deadly obsession with Red Herring, and darling, it's to die for.
Let's start with those character names, shall we? Cary Kruger and Sam Dahmer – the author's clearly playing a wickedly clever game here, dropping breadcrumbs for horror aficionados that are as subtle as a chainsaw in a library. The meta-awareness of our horror-loving protagonist Cary falling for someone who might just be the embodiment of her cinematic fantasies? Brilliant!
What makes this slice of murderous mayhem particularly juicy is how Macabre subverts the traditional slasher formula. There are plenty of masked men in this book, but there is no need for a mask when the real monster might be hiding behind a charming smile, right? The way she crafts death scenes is particularly... shall we say, intimate – putting us right in the victim's head space (while it's still attached, that is).
The brotherly love triangle adds a deliciously twisted dimension that would make even the most hardened horror fan's heart skip a beat. It's like "It takes two" meets "Scream," but with an extra helping of psychological warfare and family dysfunction.
And that setup for book 2, Slippery Slope? Macabre clearly understands that foreplay is just as important as the main event. She's laying her trap with all the precision of a spider weaving its web, and girl, we're all too happy to get caught in it.
Just remember to mind those trigger warnings – this isn't your grandmother's romance novel (unless your grandmother happens to be Sydney Prescott). Some scenes might leave you sleeping with the lights on, but isn't that half the fun? Overall, I'm impressed that such a new author has me geeking out over her work like a damn fan girl. Very well done!
Vikki's Book Nook - Bookstagram
This book was so nostalgic of my favorite horror franchise Scream, but with some fun twists and turns and way more steam.
A few favorite scenes out of context : Theater and tattoo parlor. When you read it, you will know why 😉
Cary is all dressed up for Halloween movies with her best friend Matt, when she runs into a guy dressed up like Billy Loomis. Sparks fly and she is instantly drawn to him. Is it the costume? Is it his mysterious persona? Who knows, but she is definitely intrigued.
Sam notices Cary and they have a "meet cute" with a slightly dangerous edge. Sam wants to pursue Cary, but he wants everything to be perfect. Well too bad for him someone else has other plans...
Alex wants to know who his brother's newest obsession is. Sam should have known Alex would find her sooner or later. They are twins, so let's just say it gets complicated..
When people start to die, Cary's whole life turns upside down. Will she figure out what's going on before it's too late?
You will have to read to find out
XOXO
Lizzie
Elizabeth Jean - 'Liz' Bookstagram
About Shelby Macabre
Shelby Macabre has had a lifelong love affair with literature, writing her first stories at sixteen and never stopping. A dedicated horror fanatic, she thrives on creepy movies and harbors an unapologetically unhealthy obsession with masked men from 90s slashers (hello, Ghostface). When she's not crafting twisted tales, Shelby lives the quiet life in a small South African town with her husband, three kids, and a pampered pug who runs the household like a tyrant in fur.