Clown in a Cornfield

The novel centers upon Quinn Maybrook, a teenage girl who is a senior in high school, has recently moved to the small factory town of Kettle Springs, Missouri from Philadelphia after the tragic death of her mother, Samantha. Her father, Glenn, has been hired as the new town physician in the hopes that this will allow the two of them to heal.

Kettle Springs has suffered financially since the closing of the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory and its subsequent burning due to arson by a local boy named Cole Hill. As a result, the town is at odds with itself and strict lines are drawn between the largely conservative adults and the teens, who are more interested in having fun and getting views on their YouTube channel.

Quinn manages to befriend Cole and his group of friends, including Queen Bee Janet, the ponytail-wearing Ronnie, and her boyfriend Matt, after an incident during her first day in class. Their science teacher, Mr. Vern, sends them all to study hall, and they get to talking about their group and the town's eerie history.

During the study hall, Queen is invited to attend the town's annual Founder's Day celebration, despite Mr. Vern banning them from the event. She is also invented to the subsequent party planned by Janet that's taking place in the nearby cornfield.

However, things take a turn for the worst when the town's mascot, Frendo the Clown, begins to kill the town's "wayward" youth one by one.

When writing the novel Cesare wanted to "do not so much a throwback slasher as an attempt at a modern slasher with modern themes."[1]

Clown in a Cornfield was released in the United States in hardback and ebook format on August 25, 2020 through HarperTeen.[3][4] An audiobook adaptation narrated by Jesse Vilinsky was released on the same day through HarperCollins.[5]

Clown in a Cornfield has been reviewed by outlets such as Locus Magazine and the Library Journal,[6] the latter of which stated that "While this title is marketed to teens, adult readers familiar with the classic horror slasher movies of the 1980s and 1990s should find it appeals."[7] Signal Horizon and Bad Feeling Magazine also reviewed the novel, both praising Cesare for his writing.[8][9]