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Sins of the Flesh
Jesse Sikes, a horrible beast with a taste for human flesh who is able to transform his appearance, has been kept under control by his mother, who now, unfortunately for all, is dying
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 20, 2009
Sins of the Flesh is an excellent, vintage horror novel from the '80s. Truly enjoyable and a quick, easy read.
January 29, 2020
This is one of the books that has stuck with me for 30 years. I was a wee lad in my local B. Dalton Bookseller at the mall and had some birthday money to spend. I caught a sinister, shark-like eye staring at me from the shelves. Taking a closer look, the eye was part of a magnificent cover design that exploded in your face as you opened the insert, with some grisly naked wolfman thing flying out of a root cellar or something. You could see the unreasoning hate and viciousness in that face, feel the sting of those talons, and smell the musk of a predatory animal and the stench of death surrounding this beastly presence that you just know you have zero chance of surviving. It was one of the most horrific images I had seen to that date. I had never read anything that would have been considered a true "horror" novel to that point, and I figured this would be a great place to start. So I stealthily brought it up to the register and made my purchase before my mother could inspect what I was buying. Did I want a bag or a receipt? No thank you--It remained in my jeans pocket until I got home, and after that, it kept me up for several nights straight.
Reading it again after all these years really reminds me of how effective stories from the heyday of paperback horror can be. There was just such an explosion of creativity that it's a shame so much of it is out of print. This novel is about a Wendigo, but blends that legend with werewolf sensibilities in a clever mishmash of familiar tropes.
More gruesome than gory, it is competently written and well paced so you are never bored and usually kept in anticipation of what awful things the villain, Jessie Sikes, will do next. Sikes himself is one of the more formidable figures I've encountered in horror. I am surprised this never got optioned for film, since it lends itself so well to both the creature feature and slasher subgenres, though it may have been written a bit too late for that, since box office interest in such fare was already waning at the time of publication (with the exception of "Pumpkinhead" perhaps).
So this was my first horror novel experience, one which started me on a journey of fandom I have continued to enjoy. And I think most horror fans will like this too. I highly recommend you get your hands on it.
Reading it again after all these years really reminds me of how effective stories from the heyday of paperback horror can be. There was just such an explosion of creativity that it's a shame so much of it is out of print. This novel is about a Wendigo, but blends that legend with werewolf sensibilities in a clever mishmash of familiar tropes.
More gruesome than gory, it is competently written and well paced so you are never bored and usually kept in anticipation of what awful things the villain, Jessie Sikes, will do next. Sikes himself is one of the more formidable figures I've encountered in horror. I am surprised this never got optioned for film, since it lends itself so well to both the creature feature and slasher subgenres, though it may have been written a bit too late for that, since box office interest in such fare was already waning at the time of publication (with the exception of "Pumpkinhead" perhaps).
So this was my first horror novel experience, one which started me on a journey of fandom I have continued to enjoy. And I think most horror fans will like this too. I highly recommend you get your hands on it.
September 28, 2022
In 1938, Eugene Lathom curses Walter and Ellie Sikes' future first born child, telling them that the child will commit unspeakable sins.
In 1968, Jesse Sikes comes home to "visit" his parents, and wreaks havoc among the small town over the course of the weekend in the process.
In 1988, Ellie has just suffered a stroke and is dying, and the entire town will suffer for it, as it has been her magic that has kept her son imprisoned in the fruit cellar, in a state of suspended animation for the last twenty years.
With his mother weakened, Jesse manages to break free from the cellar with only the thoughts of feeding his voracious hunger and getting revenge in his mind. Within only days, the town is in a frenzy, as citizens and animals alike begin turning up dead left and right. Always brutally torn open and eaten, the police can think of nothing but an animal as the responsible party, but they know deep down, this doesn't match the description of an animal attack - and in fact, the killings look eerily similar to those that swept the town twenty years ago...
Once Walter Sikes confesses the truth to his grandson, Steven, about his Uncle Jesse, he knows he must try to stop him from killing more people. Steven knows weapons won't work on a creature like his Uncle, and believes the only solution is the same magic his grandma used - except she hid the book she used and never told a soul where it is. Can Steven find his grandmas book and stop his Uncle Jesse once and for all?
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I really enjoyed this one; it was different and very quick and easy to read. No convoluted plot - just simple and straightforward. I'd definitely be interested in reading other books by these authors.
In 1968, Jesse Sikes comes home to "visit" his parents, and wreaks havoc among the small town over the course of the weekend in the process.
In 1988, Ellie has just suffered a stroke and is dying, and the entire town will suffer for it, as it has been her magic that has kept her son imprisoned in the fruit cellar, in a state of suspended animation for the last twenty years.
With his mother weakened, Jesse manages to break free from the cellar with only the thoughts of feeding his voracious hunger and getting revenge in his mind. Within only days, the town is in a frenzy, as citizens and animals alike begin turning up dead left and right. Always brutally torn open and eaten, the police can think of nothing but an animal as the responsible party, but they know deep down, this doesn't match the description of an animal attack - and in fact, the killings look eerily similar to those that swept the town twenty years ago...
Once Walter Sikes confesses the truth to his grandson, Steven, about his Uncle Jesse, he knows he must try to stop him from killing more people. Steven knows weapons won't work on a creature like his Uncle, and believes the only solution is the same magic his grandma used - except she hid the book she used and never told a soul where it is. Can Steven find his grandmas book and stop his Uncle Jesse once and for all?
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I really enjoyed this one; it was different and very quick and easy to read. No convoluted plot - just simple and straightforward. I'd definitely be interested in reading other books by these authors.
March 26, 2023
This was a fun and violent paperback-from-hell era horror book.
It's a take on the classic Wendigo creature, though shares only few and minor similarities with the traditional folklore. The villain/Wendigo is known as Jesse Sikes, who is transformed into the creature by way of curse from a mysterious sorcerer/witch doctor, and is filled with bloodlust as he escapes from his prison and ravages the local town.
There was kind of a lot going on in this story, and while it moved along rather quickly and was rarely dull, I wanted more of an explanation for things.
There's a villain/antagonist in here (the sorcerer) that's apparently more powerful than the Wendigo himself, but apart from him creating the curse, appears only a few times in the story, and only for brief moments. It's never clear exactly who he is and what his motives are. The story led me to believe he was a more important character than he ended up being.
There's also magic spell book that our protagonist, Stephen Sikes, has to use in order to defeat his uncle Jesse, but that as well has much ambiguity surrounding it. We do get some backstory with his grandparents and their encounter with the sorcerer and his rituals, but it just raised more questions rather than answering them.
Despite the slightly convoluted plot of this, it kind of works as a fun, violent creature feature. It's a bit cheesy at times but it's really all about the Wendigo brutally slaughtering his victims and his nephew figuring out a way to stop him.
I enjoyed this vintage horror novel but at the end of the day it's a bit shallow and was left too open-ended for me.
Solid 3⭐
It's a take on the classic Wendigo creature, though shares only few and minor similarities with the traditional folklore. The villain/Wendigo is known as Jesse Sikes, who is transformed into the creature by way of curse from a mysterious sorcerer/witch doctor, and is filled with bloodlust as he escapes from his prison and ravages the local town.
There was kind of a lot going on in this story, and while it moved along rather quickly and was rarely dull, I wanted more of an explanation for things.
There's a villain/antagonist in here (the sorcerer) that's apparently more powerful than the Wendigo himself, but apart from him creating the curse, appears only a few times in the story, and only for brief moments. It's never clear exactly who he is and what his motives are. The story led me to believe he was a more important character than he ended up being.
There's also magic spell book that our protagonist, Stephen Sikes, has to use in order to defeat his uncle Jesse, but that as well has much ambiguity surrounding it. We do get some backstory with his grandparents and their encounter with the sorcerer and his rituals, but it just raised more questions rather than answering them.
Despite the slightly convoluted plot of this, it kind of works as a fun, violent creature feature. It's a bit cheesy at times but it's really all about the Wendigo brutally slaughtering his victims and his nephew figuring out a way to stop him.
I enjoyed this vintage horror novel but at the end of the day it's a bit shallow and was left too open-ended for me.
Solid 3⭐
April 6, 2014
Absolutely loved this one. One of my favourite horror novels of all time, so much so that I read it twice in the space of three weeks. Great read.
December 16, 2017
Sins of the Flesh is a train that never stops with its momentum. Jesse Sikes is the most brutal and ruthless protagonist I've encountered. While the book had classic scenes of 80's scenarios and frightful moments, I thought Jesse's encounter with his parents was sort of cringe worthy especially with his mother (the way he talks to her). It never dragged which was a good thing but I felt it could have taken a different route and still of been just as good.
October 9, 2025
SINS OF THE FLESH (Don and Jay Davis) absolutely lived up to the hype I held for it. This cover has been taunting me from a distance, but I'd never run into a copy in all my years of book-hunting . . . until just the other day when I was browsing at an antique mall in Missouri and stumbled onto it. I could have cheered! Finally, I can see if this book lives up to its amazing cover or not!
.
.
In SINS OF THE FLESH, a mad curse turns a young man into a wendigo. His mother, a witch, locks him in a root cellar and casts a sleeping spell over him, which leaves him dormant . . . until decades later, when his mother suffers a stroke . . . and now, Jesse is awake! And he's HUNGRY!
.
.
This book is a real monster-mash filled with imaginative set pieces, weird scares, and some gruesome gore! A lot of scenes almost read like vignettes, introducing characters for Jesse to kill off in strange and brutal ways. My personal favorite involves a preacher who attempts to baptize him, only to get dragged into his own pool and eaten! There's also a scene in a haunted house, where three boys get attacked by a swarm of rats! Then there's a scene where a family on a fishing trip gets corralled into a drainpipe by snakes--and the part where an old woman is slaughtered in her hospital bed . . . and then there's the satanic orgy--and YES, all of this is in the same book!
.
.
This is my favorite type of horror. It focuses on atmosphere, on fun characters, and it just lets the scary parts go nuts. There's not a lot of subtilty, but that's the point. This book runs like the kind of movie that you have warm fuzzy memories of from back in the video store days! It's pure popcorn pulp and it knows it! If you want realism, you've come to the wrong place!
.
.
SINS OF THE FLESH is a creature feature cum slasher with a dash of the occult and a whole lot of nightmares, jump scares, and blood splattering mayhem! If you can find yourself a copy, don't hesitate!
.
.
Okay ... next up, I'm reading Deathbringer. Hoping to be a bit more focused this October and read all those books on my TBR stack!
.
.
In SINS OF THE FLESH, a mad curse turns a young man into a wendigo. His mother, a witch, locks him in a root cellar and casts a sleeping spell over him, which leaves him dormant . . . until decades later, when his mother suffers a stroke . . . and now, Jesse is awake! And he's HUNGRY!
.
.
This book is a real monster-mash filled with imaginative set pieces, weird scares, and some gruesome gore! A lot of scenes almost read like vignettes, introducing characters for Jesse to kill off in strange and brutal ways. My personal favorite involves a preacher who attempts to baptize him, only to get dragged into his own pool and eaten! There's also a scene in a haunted house, where three boys get attacked by a swarm of rats! Then there's a scene where a family on a fishing trip gets corralled into a drainpipe by snakes--and the part where an old woman is slaughtered in her hospital bed . . . and then there's the satanic orgy--and YES, all of this is in the same book!
.
.
This is my favorite type of horror. It focuses on atmosphere, on fun characters, and it just lets the scary parts go nuts. There's not a lot of subtilty, but that's the point. This book runs like the kind of movie that you have warm fuzzy memories of from back in the video store days! It's pure popcorn pulp and it knows it! If you want realism, you've come to the wrong place!
.
.
SINS OF THE FLESH is a creature feature cum slasher with a dash of the occult and a whole lot of nightmares, jump scares, and blood splattering mayhem! If you can find yourself a copy, don't hesitate!
.
.
Okay ... next up, I'm reading Deathbringer. Hoping to be a bit more focused this October and read all those books on my TBR stack!
February 11, 2021
This probably wowed a lot of people back in the 80s, but compared to the ideas found in novels these days, it’s just a plainly told story that never feels like it could exist in the real world and therefore remains a quick work of horror fiction that floats by and makes little impact. And as if it wasn’t enough to stretch belief in having a monster-killer change form whenever it wants, said monster-killer somehow knows to make wisecracks before each slaying. You know, like they do in the movies. But all that said, it has possibly the best cover art in horror fiction, and it’s hard to completely dislike a book that has such a great cover that helps boost the imagination a little further.
May 8, 2021
Pulpy, quick read. Not much subtext. In fact it's all text. The plot is direct: a curse turns firstborn son, Jesse Sikes, into a bloodthirsty wendigo. After the spell imprisoning him fails, he busts out and scours the tiny, southern Missouri town of Gideon for blood.
In the hands of a greater horror writer, this would be a classic book. The Davis Bros. turn this tale into an adequate page turner. It's great to read a story set in the Missouri boot heel, an obscure location for a story.
The biggest downside for Sins of the Flesh is there is no depth to any of these characters. They do what the plot requires and that's it.
In the hands of a greater horror writer, this would be a classic book. The Davis Bros. turn this tale into an adequate page turner. It's great to read a story set in the Missouri boot heel, an obscure location for a story.
The biggest downside for Sins of the Flesh is there is no depth to any of these characters. They do what the plot requires and that's it.
October 21, 2022
To be honest this book was mostly a cover buy, definite 5 stars for design!
A good solid horror book, a good old fashioned monsterfest. Atmospheric and dark.
I have missed an explanation on the shady character that caused all the wrongs - i feel there was a story that should have been worked into the story. Regardless, it was a much enjoyable book.
Definitely recommend for horror fans.
A good solid horror book, a good old fashioned monsterfest. Atmospheric and dark.
I have missed an explanation on the shady character that caused all the wrongs - i feel there was a story that should have been worked into the story. Regardless, it was a much enjoyable book.
Definitely recommend for horror fans.
December 29, 2020
This book was hard to put down it was so good! I only wish the authors would have written more books because they are such talented writers. The story tells the tale of a family haunted by a curse that has left one of them a horrifying merciless killer.
April 8, 2024
I read this book recently with my mom's original copy from the early 2000's. The book has seen better days but it's well loved. It's one of my favorites books and I love how Jessie is written. It leaves it open so much and has so much options for a sequel. I only wish they had continued
March 25, 2020
Fast-paced, violent and nasty.
September 9, 2020
Normally, I prefer a true crime type novel if I I'm looking for a scare. This one had me keeping the lights on at night and looking in the distance for the orange colored eyes.
May 6, 2021
An excellent horror novel! Very unique and genuinely frightening!
July 7, 2021
This was a lot better than I expected. The quality of the writing was a pleasant surprise.
September 30, 2021
The Davis brothers do it again in this dark tale of a family curse.
May 19, 2023
I read this book when I was a teenager. Still the visualizations haunt me! I loved this book!
October 4, 2023
An decent eighties horror. Bloody and entertaining.
November 17, 2025
4 and a half stars. I read and reread this book. it's so good!
May 28, 2020
This is an amazing book, I loved it! Highly recommended, try to get your hands on this vintage horror if you can. It would be worth it. Very well written with excellent character development. Sins of the Flesh grabs you by the throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go as it dangling your blood-stained corpse through a cornfield. It's a really, really, scary book!!! Many WOW moments of sheer terror and horror. Some of these visual scenes are going to be burned into my mind for a long time.
March 1, 2008
Creepy story good for late nate heeby jeebies.
March 4, 2012
amazing
August 5, 2016
I read this book multiple times as a teenager. One of the best books I ever picked up at the used bookstore.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews