Greetings from the Barracuda Hotel
Independently Published (April, 2026)
Reviewed by Christina Persaud
Welcome to the Barracuda Hotel – A fictitious resort catering to tourists and bloody-thirsty monsters alike. Nestled on an idyllic beach along the turquoise Caribbean sea, the hotel promises relaxation and ease, though… some hellish restrictions may apply.
Greetings from the Barracuda Hotel is a brand new short story horror collection from Trinidadian writer Ronaldo Katwaroo, published earlier this year. From local lore to wayward guests, the book offers readers a darker side of travel born from Katwaroo’s blood-soaked imagination.
Eleven stories paint the beaches, jungles, and natural beauty of the tropical Caribbean island in vivid color, even as darkness lurks around every corner of the infamous hotel. Wander the grounds and risk stumbling into a host of supernatural beings and practices – from soucayants and jumbies to obeah and witchcraft. Katwaroo weaves Caribbean folklore into modern storytelling, paying homage to the past while staying true to the terrors of the present.
So, book yourself a stay at the Barracuda Hotel. That is, if you’re brave. Chances are, you might not last the night.
Read on for a peek of the stories inside…
“Making Conversation” is the reader’s first impression of the hotel, suddenly finding themselves on the island. They don’t know how they got there, but they soon forget the plethora of warning signs as they are more than happy to welcome others to the deadly resort.
In “Paracide,” a hotel worker’s vivid dream turns to confronting a haunting colonial past. “Noun. The future death of the Caribbean, the poisoning of our paradise brought on by our inability to learn and grow from the past. It’s coming to get us.”
“Supernatural Soiree” is a twisty, evil delight. A ritual held in a hotel conference room goes awry when a thwarted blood sacrifice erupts in murder and mayhem.
Not all honeymoons end well. Anansi, the trickster spider, hunts a newly wedded couple on their honeymoon in “Stegodyphus.”
“The Tall Man” tells of a mother’s hesitation to return to her homeland after more than a decade, and for good reason. Were her fears steeped in truth? Or was she just spinning tall tales?
Some see the Caribbean as a place of rest, relaxation, and even sin. Yet, what happens on vacation can still yield a terrible price to pay. Just read “Soucouyant Shore” and avoid Caribbean vampires at all costs.
The seventh story, “Bite Me,” is a standout in the collection for its fast-pace and deliberate storytelling, delivering both cruelty with comeuppance in equal measure.
In “The Ocean is No Place for Lost Souls Like Yours,” a television crew angers the malevolent spirit of a nun haunting a former leper colony. It is a lesson in greed and heeding the warnings of local legends, no matter how far fetched they may seem.
The ninth tale tears at the flesh and howls at the Caribbean moon in this sexy, creature feature. Two vacationing friends find themselves face-to-face with a real-life Lagahoo, or “West Indian Werewolf” in this visceral monster story.
Caribbean folklore would not be what it is without a healthy dose of cautionary tales. Once told to keep children in line, “The Bah-Boo Man” comes to life as the terrifying legend descends on the innocent and most unsuspecting.
If the previous stories weren’t proof enough, the final story, “Hellhound,” reminds readers why The Barracuda Hotel is a less than perfect vacation destination. Following the aftermath of the seventh story, “Bite Me,” the author ties up loose ends in a spectacular, bloody way, while leaving the hotel doors open for lasting terror.
Greetings from the Barracuda Hotel is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Articlesofhorror.com is grateful to the author for providing a review copy of Greetings From The Barracuda Hotel.
Ronaldo Katwaroo has slowly been establishing his online presence as an emerging writer. He has paved his own lane, standing out as one of the few modern Trinidadian Horror writers. Simply put, the macabre is his art form and his morbid fascination has birthed quite a few atrocities. Shortlisted in 2022 for the NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award at the age of 19, Katwaroo looks to leave his mark and establish himself within the horror genre and Caribbean region alike. With critically acclaimed horror short stories set within his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, Ronaldo, with his latest endeavor, hopes to revive a genre of writing that has been noticeably absent within Caribbean contemporary society. His latest release ‘Greetings From The Barracuda Hotel’ is described as a pernicious paradise. A collection of Caribbean chaos with a strong underlying message that’ll make you question if this truly is paradise.
