Slashers-Human Monsters Books

Books involving human beings as the source of terror can be some of the most terrifying around. Whether you believe it reveals that darkness of the reader's soul or the causes the reader to question the people around them. Many of these books are going to be too intense for young readers and should be recommended with caution when recommended in readers advisory.

Meat by Joseph D'Lacey*New Review
Bloody Books, 2008
ISBN: 9781905636150 1 1
Meat. It’s a short title for a book, but no word or group of words would have been more appropriate. The novel is about a small isolated town in the middle of a ruined wasteland where meat is raised and slaughtered with a holy reverence then consumed by the community like communion…or that is how it is supposed to be. The problem is that the meat baron has actually gained more power than the holy order and he is a greedy man on the verge of insanity, destroying the ‘cattle’ in order to keep demand high. The fine line between ‘cattle’ and citizen creates a degree of tension that not too many books can match as the ‘cattle’ or Chosen, as the community calls them, are actually humans that have been mutilated and debased so that they are almost as docile as a herd of beef. Most of the Chosen were born and bred to be what they are, but the meat baron can quickly turn a citizen into Chosen for civil infractions as simple as not consuming meat as their religion dictates or for not doing their job to his satisfaction. The story escalates in tension as a new prophet arises in the barren wasteland claiming that there is another way to live, one without consuming meat or the sacrifice of the Chosen. Joseph D’Lacey has woven a tale that strikes the reader like a cleaver slamming into a raw roast with the level of violence and sheer terror that his story creates. Not only is Meat a fantastic novel of horror, but it’s also a story with heart as Richard Shanti, the main character, fights to save his daughters lives and souls. The parallels between the treatment of the Chosen and today’s slaughter houses is bound to make the reader look at his/her next steak with a certain amount of sympathy. Meat is a novel that I would certainly recommend for anyone who likes horror with lots of impact.
Contains: Sex, pedophilia, gore, violence

Brian Keene and I have at least one thing in common. Other than our mutual interest in horror, that is. We're both working class. Oh, Brian makes his living writing these days, but his roots are in the Blue Collar world. His roots and, I think, his heritage. It's in his blood. Like it's in mine.

The characters in Kill Whitey work at a loading dock. These guys think and act like real working Joes. It's a mindset that can't be faked. Those of us in that world would see through it in a heartbeat. Kill Whitey most resembles Terminal in this way. Both novels feature characters that, in their quiet desperation, find it not-too-difficult to turn to violence and crime. They've lived on the outskirts of these antisocial activities all their lives.

Brian's prose is workmanlike in Kill Whitey. No fancy tricks, but a craftsman at work, doing what he has busted his ass learning how to do. Kill Whitey thrills and entertains, yet it also gives the reader real issues to think about and to feel in his or her gut. As in most of Keene's novels, there is a melancholic tone in Kill Whitey that most of us can readily identify with. There is tension in America and a lot of working people aren't all that far from a breaking point. Desperation is our daily bread.

Larry Gibson is a regular guy. He has his buddies, who work at the same place he does. He likes beer, music and movies. It's an average life, one that could be considered envious by many. But he's lonely. No steady girl, a rather dead-end job and his youth has slipped by him.One night he and his friends hit a strip club to pass some idle hours, There Larry is is transfixed by one of the dancers, whose name is Sondra. Obsessed, Larry continues to go there alone, even though he has heard that Sondra is a prostitute. The club is opporated by Russians and rumor says that they are connected to Organized Crime. One night Sondra tries to escape and Larry helps her. And Whitey, the owner of the club and pimp to Sondra, is angry. Murderously so. The chase is on, but Whitey seems to be virtually unstoppable.

Like Terminal, Kill Whitey begins as a straight suspense novel and turns into an outright horror story before it's over. Brian knows how to gradually turn the screws, building tension as the body count rises and the blood and gore dispenses.

I've followed Brian Keene's career with enthusiasm since The Rising. That novel is, unless I'm mistaken, his most popular book, but I think he has grown and has improved at his trade. Kill Whitey is an important book in his career, just as Cold in July was an important book in Joe R. Lansdale's career. Both novels feature an essentially decent man thrust into a bloody vortex of violence. Men who try to maintain their humanity in the face of the worst things our species is capable of.

Kill Whitey is a forthcoming trade hardcover from Cemetery Dance Publications. I want to thank CD for making this excellent novel available in such an edition. In a time of talk of a recession, inflated gas prices and other alarming trends, a lot of readers want to read a book and cannot afford the luxury of signed tipsheets and other costly bells and whistles. I hope that everyone that reads this buys a copy of Kill Whitey to prove that these editions can be as lucrative for the publisher as the high end editions.

Note: The review is part of the "Spring into Terror" project, check out other reviews of horror titles available for reading for this Spring at our Spring into Terror project page.

Dennis Latham presents us with Vietnam veteran Michael Tucker, a sympathetic antihero living in a cruel world. Unable to escape the hell he experienced in the war, Michael placates his internal monster by tracking down child molesters who have escaped prosecution under the law, torturing and killing them. Latham paints a vivid picture of Tucker’s many varieties of hell: his war flashbacks, his sessions with his victims, and the riots in his neighborhood. Michael in Hell is fast-paced, with nonstop action, a gripping story that can be read in one sitting. However, it contains many graphic descriptions of torture, gore, and violence and definitely won’t be every reader’s cup of tea. Recommended.

Trail Of Madness is the second installment of Zoe Whitten's three part book series about Wendy, a psychic teen, and her schizophrenic partner in crime, Jobe. Wendy and Jobe have skipped out of Devine, Texas, hoping to find answers to Wendy's father’s death. Wendy and Jobe also want Raymond, the government’s new experimental victim. They need to capture Raymond without killing him to see if he can help them find some much needed answers. As a virus slowly destroys his former self, Raymond becomes a violent madman. Trail of Madness isn’t as successful as the first book in creating a suspenseful atmosphere and sympathy for the victims. However, Whitten has taken what could have been a standard zombie story and given it an original treatment. Trail of Madness is a solid follow up to the first book, and readers won’t want to wait for the final installment in the series to find out who, or what, will prevail in the end.
Contains: violence, gore, sex, murder, cannibalism

Featuring enough forewords alone to fill a novella, Disposal is the darkly funny tale of Frank, a petty thief and morally reprehensible man who plans to rob a 24-hour dry cleaner, and ends up making a deal with the clerk to kill her husband in exchange for carnal favors. Despite her husband's already beaten and stabbed body Frank just can't make the man stop breathing, and so the story becomes a gory tale of “101 Ways to Kill a Human.” Despite the gore it is really funny, from puns and irony to macabre slap-stick. It is likely too extreme for some library collections, but Strand will be a pillar of the horror genre, if he isn't already, so it does have value for future Strand collections.

After Dorrie Benson’s father loses his job, he begins to focus all of his frustrations on the new residents of the neighborhood, who appear to be members of a cult. As his behavior becomes more and more erratic at home, his ugly obsession with the neighbors grows more and more intense and disturbing. Brazen Bull is an effective little story with a nice creep factor that gives the reader considerable food for thought. Massie creates an interesting comparison between the dynamics of Dorrie’s relationship with her father and cult behaviors, and Dorrie’s indecision creates a tension that will leave even jaded readers guessing. For those who may have not read Massie before the story is a compelling reason to search out more of her work. The chapbook itself is beautifully illustrated and put together making it an excellent addition to personal and library collections. Recommended

As a child, Scott hid under a table as his family was brutally murdered, leaving him psychologically scarred for life. Like Death picks up years later, as an adult Scott tries to pick up the pieces of his failed marriage and reestablish a relationship with his estranged wife and only son. His wife has moved to a different town for a fresh start and to decide whether to continue her relationship with Scott, who was a physically abusive husband and father. Scott still loves his family and can't let go, so he follows her and gets an apartment in the town on the premise of writing a book about lost and abducted children. As he researches one little girl named Miranda, who has been missing for an entire year, he is confronted by a teenager who also has the name of Miranda. She becomes an enticing mystery that leads Scott into the darkest corners of his mind, a surreal world full of nightmare, horror, and death. Like Death horrifies on multiple levels. First, there is the unquestionable terror Scott goes through as a boy as he watches his mother and father bleed to death before him. Next, there is Scott’s fear of loss as he keeps trying to push his way back into his family, stalking his wife and son through phone calls and forced meetings, although his wife is becoming more and more certain that she doesn't want him back. The brutal death of the child Miranda and the appearance of the teenage Miranda add mystery to the story. There is also a level of psychological terror as Scott questions his own sanity in a world that gets stranger every day. Even with the surreal environment, the book works. The characters are believable and realistic, with human weaknesses and flaws. Waggoner’s writing expresses horror and outrage in an effective and seldom achieved fashion. Like Death is highly recommended for adult horror collections in public and private libraries.

James A. Moore is a consummate craftsman. With utilitarian prose, Moore is most adept at exploring the characters that populate his stories, with vivid and rich dialogue and a knack for delivering a clear sense of motivation. Even minor characters are depicted in such a way that they become fully realized and alive on the page. There’s an art to it, and Moore is more than up to the task. Fireworks is a non-traditional horror story, where the real horrors are not in the sensational appearance of an alien spacecraft, but in the government’s reaction to it. Moore deftly presents the reader with ONYX, a secretive special operations unit that essentially closes the small town of Collier off from the rest of the world and places them under the oppressive yoke of martial law. The author amps up the intrigue and shows us the angst and terror felt by the good people of Collier as their world is turned upside down and inside out. Moore explores common themes, as readers of King’s Tommyknockers or Dreamcatchers can attest. The author, in the novel’s acknowledgements, tips his hat toward the aforementioned Tommyknockers as an influence, along with Koontz’ The Strangers. I would add Whitley Strieber to that list as well. It is this reviewer’s opinion, however, that, though Fireworks may have been inspired by these other authors and their works, Moore explores the themes therein in a more complete and satisfying manner. Fireworks is a fine novel, believable even at its most fantastic. Readers’ advisory note: A good choice for fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Whitley Strieber, with crossover appeal for readers of political thrillers and conspiracy buffs. Highly recommended for public library collections.

The Grandmaster is an intriguing novella that combines the supernatural with the very real horrors of the Holocaust. The book is the story of Dr. Johann Wagner, a paranormal investigator who as a child saw his family killed while captive in a Nazi concentration camp. Even at a young age, Wagner had already begun to develop his inherited paranormal powers, but he kept them hidden to prevent becoming a Nazi experiment. Balaskas does a remarkable job of creating an undercurrent of hope within a world of hopelessness, as Wagner slowly develops a plan to help his fellow captives escape. The author does a good job of portraying the suspense and horror of the situation without relying on gore or gratuitous violence to make his point. This is a nuanced and well-written story, with a bittersweet and satisfying end. Recommended for both adults and young adults.

Lorelie Shannon excels at imagery and mood. Her language does an amazing job of painting you right into the world she creates. It is almost impossible not to get drawn into this world, to the characters and their story. That said, it is an extraordinarily disturbing read, unnerving and sincerely frightening. I’m going to be honest: I couldn’t finish. It scared me too much. The back cover, I am afraid, will draw in people thinking that it may be something along the lines of paranormal romance. It’s very much not. While there is a love story, and while there is the paranormal, this is a horror book, plan and simple. It’s the story of obsession, of dangerous and unhealthy love, and of the things that people will do to get what they want. The story, does, however, have a sincere flaw for readers who might be trying to figure out when it takes place.While much of the story appears to be taking place in modern times, many of the references seemed out of date. For someone who was a teenager in the 1980s, this was occasionally enough to jar me out of the narrative flow. Recommended for adult readers of horror, ones with a sincere appreciation of the genre and a love of good writing. Prepare to be, if not scared, deeply disturbed. Contains: Graphic sexual imagery, including rape

Jason Tennant has murder on his mind. He has killed people in many ingenious ways. In fact, he does it for a living. Jason Tennant is a horror writer, considered in the business to be a midlister: successful enough to make a living at his craft but not at the pinnacle of fame and success like fellow writer Kent Gray. Jason’s professional jealousy of Kent’s success is thrown into sharp relief when Kent and Jason both end up attending the Aurora Convention. With Jason’s arrival, bloodshed ensues, and Jason finds out that things are not what they seem. Burke paints the life of a horror writer vividly, bringing you into Jason’s world with all of its twists and turns. His attention to detail and atmosphere, and his development of Jason Tennant as a character, makes this a fantastic read. Midlisters is the first book by Kealan Patrick Burke that I have read, and I am impressed. I look forward to reading more from this author. Readers advisory note: Horror authors and fans will especially appreciate this title. Steve Vernon’s Last Stand of the Great Texas Packrat will complement it nicely. Readers who enjoyed like the “fan convention” setting may appreciate Sharyn McCrumb’s more humorous take in her short novel Bimbos of the Death Sun. Recommended for public libraries and horror fans. Contains:

The Lesser Of Two Evils: Campaign Trilogy, Part One by Zoe E. Whitten
Lulu.com, 2007
ISBN: 9781847531087
Available: New
Detective David Briggs has moved to Devine, Texas to escape the stress of city life and the madness of crime. All is well until two strangers drift into town, and a grisly string of child murders soon follows. Local petty thief Wendy Stouffel is just a child herself, but somehow she seems to know where and when these awful deaths will be taking place. Davis teams up with Wendy and her brother to search for the killer, hoping to solve the case before another child dies. The story is fast paced and the plot has some original twists that left me shaking my head and wondering why I didn't expect what happened!. Readers who enjoy this book will be pleased to know they can look forward to another installment soon. Recommended for public library collections. Contains: Violence, murder, gore.

Scavenger is a sequel to Morrell’s previous thriller, Creepers. Frank Balenger is angst-ridden over the death of his wife and caught up in a romance with Amanda Evert, a woman who resembles his lost love, When Amanda is kidnapped and used as a pawn by the “evil super genius” Adrian Murdock, the action picks up and Morrell takes the reader on a nonstop, action-packed ride. However, the action seems to overwhelm character development: although Balenger has the potential to be a compelling hero, Morrell’s minimal characterization leads readers to wonder why they should care about the imperiled characters. Although the plot has a “video game” feel, and the book can be unwieldy, Scavenger is a roller coaster, against-the-clock thriller. David Morrell’s fans will want to pick this one up. Reader’s advisory note: Readers of Dan Brown will feel right at home with this one. Recommended for public libraries’ horror or general fiction collections by the Monster Librarian. Contains: Adult language, Adult situations, Minor violence

Punishment And Sacrifice by John Reid
Lulu.com, May 2007
ISBN: 1430314400
Available: New
Dr. Jack Barker is a clean cut doctor with a sick secret in his closet. He is a serial killer who was abused as a boy by his monstrous father. Police detective Mike Swanson is investigating the serial murders, Mike’s past is a mystery, but the case brings up flashes from the past, allowing the reader to piece together his childhood bond with Barker. Although the story becomes predictable, and spelling errors may distract readers, those who enjoy this subgenre will still enjoy it.
Contains: Sex,Violence,Abuse,Murder,Gore,Incest,Rape,Pedophilla,Torture

Review by The Angry Princess

The Island by Richard Laymon
Leisure Books. March 2002
ISBN: 0843949783
Available: New
In The Island, the narrator, Rupert, goes on a boating trip with his girlfriend Connie and her family, and while they are picnicking on an island, the boat blows up, leaving them stranded there. Rupert’s detailed journal entries record the events that follow- one by one, the survivors are being picked off. Laymon draws the reader into the sick game that is played out slowly as the book progresses. He grabs on and doesn’t let go. The Island is suspenseful, fast-paced, and will keep readers guessing. Recommended for public library collections.
Contains: Sex, Violence, Murder, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Some gore
Review by the Angry Princess

Noir: Three Novels of Suspense by Richard Matheson

G&G Books, 1997

ISBN: 096491932X

Available: New (reprint) and Used

Noir is a collection of three gripping suspense novels by the great RIchard Matheson. The first novel, entitled Someone is Bleeding, is a twisted love triangle involving a man, his nemesis, and a woman who may be mad killer. On the other hand, she may have been set up for murder so the bad guy can win her love. The second novel, entitled Fury on Sunday, centers on a madman who has escaped from an insane asylum, and who deals with an incomprehensible world using violence and deception. The story is tense and exciting, a roller coaster ride towards destruction. The final story, Ride the Nightmare, is one that most readers will easily relate to. The main character is an everyday fellow, a pillar of the community with a wife, daughter, and his own business. This comes to a halt as his sordid past catches up with him and demands his attention, putting not only his life, but the lives of his wife and daughter on the line. The suspenseful situations and intriguing storylines of all three novels are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Although these three novels were published as a collection in 1997, they were written much earlier, and have a 1950's flavor. Noir: Three Novels of Suspense was a true pleasure to read and will make a fine addition to any public or personal library.

Contains: Violence Review by Bret Jordan

Vintage Books, 2005
ISBN: 978-0-307-27835-7
Available: New and Used
An unnamed man, severely injured in a mysterious accident, receives an enormous settlement from the organization responsible. Unable to remember the accident or much of his previous life, and feeling out of place in the world, he uses the money to compulsively recreate his occasional flashes of memory, down to the smallest details, even hiring people to re-enact situations over and over. The path this leads him down is bizarre and disturbing, and readers will have the creeps long before they finish traveling the twists and turns of this chilling and hypnotic tale. Recommended for public library collections. Contains: violence, murder, traumatic incidents. Review by Francesca the Librarian

Hater is the story of an average guy who hates his job and struggles to make ends meet. He has a dull marriage and a dull life where each day almost blends into the next. Everything changes when people mysteriously start becoming insane killers for no reason. It starts with one or two here, a couple more there, until almost half the population is suffering from the malady, and the ones who aren’t suffering don’t know when a friend or loved one might suddenly switch over and become a vicious killer. Hater is full of action and plot twists that are sure to catch the reader by surprise. The book has a very British feel to it and the main character is someone that the reader can relate to because he isn’t the hero type. He is just like everyone else, getting through the ups and downs of life in the best way he can. The fact that the main character is such an average person is almost the most horrifying part of the book, because the reader can easily slip into his place. I really felt for that family as they struggled, not only with the crazies outside of their homes, but also as they battled mistrust between each other as they wondered when one of them would change into a hater. I would certainly recommend this book for any library. Contains: Gore, Violence Review by Bret Jordan

Douglas Clegg provides us with a quartet of well-written short tales of horror in Wild Things. The book is comprised of "The Wolf" which tells the tale of a young guide and a wolf hunter who are on the hunt for the creature who has killed in the nearby village. "The American" is about a young man who arrives at a cafe in angst about his current love and the acts he has been asked to do for his lover and a kindly couple who try to console him. "A Madness of Starlings," a dad rescues a baby starling and after the bird is set free, he starts to have a break down. The fourth tale is the "The Dark Game," where a group of soldiers are taken prisoner and tortured during a war until one soldier uses a mental game that his mother taught him to turn the tide against his captors. Wild Things is a great showcase for Douglas Clegg's writing talent. Clegg crafts riveting stories with plot, dialog, and character development instead of relying on just breakneck action, or unusual amounts or sex or gore. The most aggressive and graphic of the four stories is "The Dark Game," where there is a excellent balance between the psychological horror of being tortured in a prisioner of war camp and the action and gore that goes along with the story. I would definitely recommend Wild Things: Four Tales as part of library collection.
.

Don't let the cover fool you. Weed Species isn't about killer plants. Rather, it is about a young couple who kidnap young girls, rape them, and occasionally murder them, and the impact they have on those around them. Ketchum's two main characters, Owen and Sherry, are textbook sociopaths, prone to impulsive behavior and indifference to the rights and feelings of their victims. Jack Ketchum has a talent for telling stories involving human predators and their inhumanity to other people. He instills a different type of fear- that, under the surface, a normal looking person may be seeing you as prey. Ketchum has written an intense and horribly disturbing novella, filled with scenes of rape and violence toward young women. Readers who enjoy or appreciate Richard Laymon's books probably will appreciate Weed Species . Librarians will want to be cautions in recommending Weed Species to patrons as part of a readers advisory due to its graphic content.

In The Literary Six, Vince Liaguno crafts a well written homage to the various slasher horror films. The Literary Six, revolves around a group of six college friends who specialize in the literary arts, After graduation the group gets together every year to keep up and reminisce. Liaguno propels us thirty years latter where the group is meeting for their annual reunion at a secluded inn that is located on a small island. Once the reunion starts someone starts to kill off members of The Literary Six in gruesome manner. The story is heavily character driven with a great deal of attention given to the members and the relationships of the members of the titular group. Liaguno does a great job of keeping the reader's attention with this gripping story. While anyone who has watched any of the multitude of slasher movies will be able to identify the plot devices and vehicles in the story, Liaguno's storytelling is superior . This book is a great example of why readers advisory and awareness of the genre are such important tool. The title, cover art, and back matter suggest a story similar to an Agatha Christie novel, so other readers might pick it up thinking it is an entirely different type of book, while patrons with an interest in the slasher genre could very well miss it. If you see a friend or patron trying to check out a slasher movie, take that movie out of their hand and give them a copy of The Literary Six. They will thank you for it. Recommended for library collections and available through Baker and Taylor. Contains: violence and some gore.

Have you ever had a day when you felt like everyone was out to get you? Charlie Fields is having one of those days. His family is living in a cramped apartment and he's in danger of losing his job. Under enormous pressure, Charlie starts to make connections between events at work and home that convince him that he is the victim of a conspiracy by a multinational organization out to destroy him. Eyes Everywhere is riveting, Warner writes a strong story that walks you through the slow and gradual breakdown of a man losing his grip on reality. The plot flows well; the author could easily have bogged the story down with clinical exposition, but Warner is able to rely on the strength his storytelling to capture the reader. Instead of explanations, the reader actually experiences the increasing disconnect of the main character with reality, making for a really compelling read. This book will have appeal to horror fans, but might also be enjoyed by those who do not normally read horror fiction. Recommended for a library core collection of horror fiction. Contains: violence.

Available: New and Used
In The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum follows the breakdown of the everyday family that turns into a group of tormentors. The story follows David whose next door neighbors the Chandlers who consist of his best friend, his brothers, and their mother. All is well until Meg and her crippled sister Susan are introduced to the Chandler household after their parents have died. Slowly we see the Chandlers degenerate into a family of sadistic torturers. A very intense story that shows the horror that people can do to each other. Ketchum story is well written and is particularly disturbing. Recommended for a core of a library horror collection. Contains violence, torture, rape.

Available: New and Used
Here Richard Laymon tells the story of Simon, a member of a gang that commits murders for sport, who is charged with hunting down Jody, a witness that he has become obsessed with who has escaped the gang's latest slaughter. The book is typical Laymon, quick paced and violent, if you enjoy Laymon this is another fine addition, for those not familiar with Laymon’s other work might find the book hard to stomach. For collection development purposes Richard Laymon’s books tend to be graphically violent and contain scenes of rape. While Laymon is a solid writer. Contains: violence and rape.

Available: New and Used
Laimo spins the tale of Dr. Michael Cayle who moves from the city with his wife and daughter to the small isolated New England town of Ashborough. Dr. Cayle quickly finds out that it is easier to move in to Ashborough than to move out as the town and surrounding communities are surrounded by a race of primitive people called Isolates that keep the local population under control. The rest of story is Dr. Cayle trying to escape the control of the Isolates and to get his family to safety. Laimo has written an excellent book with a fast moving plot. It makes a wonderful read and I would heartily recommend. Contains: violence and a scene of rape.

The Cellar by Richard Laymon

Available: Used
The Cellar is the final book in the The Beast House trilogy by Laymon. The Beast House books are about a house in a small town in California where inhabits humanoid beasts that molests women and kills men. In this installment we follow Donna and her daughter Sandy as they are on the run from Donna's ex-husband Roy. Donna ends up in the town of the Beast House with Roy tracking her down. Soon they find themselves trapped in the Beast House with the titled beast. I put this book in this category because Roy is as much of the focus and a monster as the creatures of the Beast House. There is graphic rape and torture passages and violence.

Laymon writes a two pronged tale that ties up nicely at the end. The first side of the story follows Pamela, who is abducted by a stalker only to be rescued by a bus driver that brings her to a little town called Pit, population 6. The second thread to this story is Norman a teenager who ends up picking up two unusual passengers in Duke and Boots, two psychopaths that slowly draw Norman into their world of madness and murder. After Norman's car breaks down in the desert the trio are picked up by the same bus driver who rescued Pamela and are brought to Pit where Pits secrets are revealed. Contains violence, murder, and sexual situations.


Home	Reviews	Book Ends	Contact Us