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68 Kill
It started with a couple of dead bodies and $68,000 in stolen cash. Chip Taylor’s girlfriend Liza had the perfect plan to rip off her rich sugar daddy. It should have been an easy in and out kind of deal. Nobody would get hurt and they would come out of it with enough loot to solve their problems. But things started going wrong as soon as they were inside the rich man’s house, and for Chip it was only the beginning of the longest, most terrifying ride of his life.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
46 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
104 books761 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 25, 2017
Can't recommend it
Maybe this translates into a hilarious violent comedy on film (haven't seen the adaptation yet), but as a book it's a whole lot of silly nonsense.
The entire straightforward story is told from the POV of a single sad sack simpleton, and there's really nothing clever or exciting about it.
I'm a huge fan of Bryan Smith's DEPRAVED, but this book misses the mark for me. It's a big Looney Tunes episode of sex and violence for sure, but sorely lacking the insane lurid creativity that makes Smith's best work so much fun.
2.5 Stars
(Update: Trent Haaga's film adaptation is amazing, faithful to the book but improving on it in so many ways. Skip the book and watch the film! It's hilarious.)
Maybe this translates into a hilarious violent comedy on film (haven't seen the adaptation yet), but as a book it's a whole lot of silly nonsense.
The entire straightforward story is told from the POV of a single sad sack simpleton, and there's really nothing clever or exciting about it.
I'm a huge fan of Bryan Smith's DEPRAVED, but this book misses the mark for me. It's a big Looney Tunes episode of sex and violence for sure, but sorely lacking the insane lurid creativity that makes Smith's best work so much fun.
2.5 Stars
(Update: Trent Haaga's film adaptation is amazing, faithful to the book but improving on it in so many ways. Skip the book and watch the film! It's hilarious.)
July 9, 2015
If you didn't know this was Smith, you'd swear it was Laymon. As far as pastiches go, this was aces. The vicious sexually insatiable mentally unstable women, terrible horniness inspired decisions, the outrageous scenarios, the crazy violence...it's all there. What starts off as a simple home robbery, goes SNAFU and from there on it's a mad rollercoaster of one insane thing after another. Tons of fun, nice mindless way to spend a few hours. Recommended.
October 19, 2014
68 Kill is a fast-paced, mean and nasty novel about a guy convinced by his girlfriend, Liza, to commit an act of burglary to secure a better life. But what Chip Taylor doesn't realize, until it's too late, is how savage and bloodthirsty Liza truly is, or how far he'll go down this dark road of violence himself.
Bryan Smith once again presents a brutal, unrelenting novel of suspense and terror, mixed with his trademark black humor, that doesn't let up until the final page. Highly recommended!
Bryan Smith once again presents a brutal, unrelenting novel of suspense and terror, mixed with his trademark black humor, that doesn't let up until the final page. Highly recommended!
January 15, 2016
Started out awesome, then it just kind of wandered until it was over. The entire book was fun to read but it felt like the author was just making it up as he went and nothing that happened really mattered to much as far as a plot. A good description of the book would be "a bunch of crazy shit happens and then it's over" the fact that every single character in the book seems to be a psychopath kind of takes away from the story a bit.
April 29, 2022
Ако има достоен наследник на Леймън в сплетъра, то това е точно г-н Смит. 68 Kill е издържан изцяло в откачения стил на гореспоменатия и читателят постоянно не е на ясно какво точно ще се случи на главния герой. Ситуациите водят повествованието до толкова, че не може да се говори за сюжет, а по-скоро за някаква ненормална въртележка, тип младия Тарантино.
Чип е добродушен, нее много интелигентен и леко смотан младеж, ч1иято приятелка го води за носа. Един ден тя му изскача с схема да лишат дъртия ѝ любовник от 60 хилки. Всичко трябва да е безпроблемно, но Чип се оказва с два трупа и заложник в багажника. От там ще преживее най-кошмарните 48 часа в живота си.
Луд, режещ клошари и снимащ снъфове убиец, откачена нимфетка, садистични метаамфетаминови наркомани и редица други социални отпадъци ще накарат нашето момче да преразгледа критериите си за добро и зло. Колко точно кофи фекал трябва да погълне, за да се пречупи?
Видях, че книгата има и екранизация, ще я прегледам.
Чип е добродушен, нее много интелигентен и леко смотан младеж, ч1иято приятелка го води за носа. Един ден тя му изскача с схема да лишат дъртия ѝ любовник от 60 хилки. Всичко трябва да е безпроблемно, но Чип се оказва с два трупа и заложник в багажника. От там ще преживее най-кошмарните 48 часа в живота си.
Луд, режещ клошари и снимащ снъфове убиец, откачена нимфетка, садистични метаамфетаминови наркомани и редица други социални отпадъци ще накарат нашето момче да преразгледа критериите си за добро и зло. Колко точно кофи фекал трябва да погълне, за да се пречупи?
Видях, че книгата има и екранизация, ще я прегледам.
March 25, 2018
Fun and vicious
Mr. Smith always writes a page turner. I’m not sure that I liked this book as much as the other books he has written but it was still entertaining. I think my feelings had to do more with Chip than anything. I preferred Rob, the slacker from the Killing Kind than Chip Taylor, although he does have his own charm as a dense, unlucky sucker. The issue for me is that too many psycho characters were introduced and the book became a little tedious in places. Overall though, fun read.
Mr. Smith always writes a page turner. I’m not sure that I liked this book as much as the other books he has written but it was still entertaining. I think my feelings had to do more with Chip than anything. I preferred Rob, the slacker from the Killing Kind than Chip Taylor, although he does have his own charm as a dense, unlucky sucker. The issue for me is that too many psycho characters were introduced and the book became a little tedious in places. Overall though, fun read.
August 9, 2014
A very intense disturbing book. A fast and furious rollercoaster ride. I have read several Bryan Smith books in the past and he is on the top of his game most of the time. This book is not for everyone. Graphic violence and it keeps you guessing. Just when you think it's safe wham!!! It keeps on going. Loved this book.
July 19, 2015
The first in Thunderstorms Bitter Ale series of books by Bryan Smith. A beautifully produced volume well worth seeking out. A stellar example of why "real" books need to continue to exist.
Reading Mr. Smith is like joining a thrill kill cult.
Reading Mr. Smith is like joining a thrill kill cult.
October 23, 2013
Fast and violent ride where anyone could go at anytime. The story takes some wild turns. Smith wrote it in homage to the crime noir paperback originals of the 50s and 60s.
September 13, 2017
Totally fun. Not as wicked as his other work but involving nonetheless. This guy sure knows how to grab the reader's attention all the way through the end. Much like the movie adaptation, BTW, which you should all catch ASAP.
September 5, 2025
Fantastic!
A reread for me. 68 KILL is one of my favorites. The movie's good, too, if you haven't seen it, but the book is even better, in my opinion. Highly recommended!
A reread for me. 68 KILL is one of my favorites. The movie's good, too, if you haven't seen it, but the book is even better, in my opinion. Highly recommended!
September 13, 2013
Short novel with a lot of action. A slightly unsatisfying ending just because it felt abrupt and also it felt like there was more to tell in the story, but it wasn't enough to deter my interest in the story.
In this book, a young guy gets in over his head when he goes along with his girlfriend in an armed robbery and ends up as an accessory to murder. He just keeps going along...but finally something happens to make him draw a line, and once drawn, he won't be able to go back.
The reader meets a whole bunch of characters, one more unlikeable than the next. Reads a lot like Richard Laymon, except a little better in my opinion. Not quite as much of the "I have to stop and look at this car wreck" feeling that I always got after finishing a Laymon book.
Good read.
In this book, a young guy gets in over his head when he goes along with his girlfriend in an armed robbery and ends up as an accessory to murder. He just keeps going along...but finally something happens to make him draw a line, and once drawn, he won't be able to go back.
The reader meets a whole bunch of characters, one more unlikeable than the next. Reads a lot like Richard Laymon, except a little better in my opinion. Not quite as much of the "I have to stop and look at this car wreck" feeling that I always got after finishing a Laymon book.
Good read.
September 11, 2013
I have loved everything I have read by Smith until now but I just couldn't root for the hero of this novel who is a total dimwit. He does all his thinking with his little head and deserves everything he gets apart from all the sex from the succession of hellcats who give him the run around throughout the story.
May 19, 2017
An exceptionally nasty, degrading, horrific little bastard of a novel here. Sizzling heaps of brutality, depravity, sex, carnage, and mean-spirited examples of man's inhumanity to man. Clearly, I loved it.
This was my first Bryan Smith book and I tore through it like a razorblade through the soft underbelly of a dozing hooker in a roach-infested roadside motel. It was tautly written, perfectly paced, and thoroughly engaging from its disarming intro to its gut-churning conclusion. I'd probably turn right around and read it again if I didn't have an entire shelf full of Smith's novels to dive into.
If the prose had been a little less raw and a touch more elegant, I would have honestly felt like I'd tripped and landed in the midst of one of Big Jim Thompson's dizzying fever dreams. The strains were all there. The half-smart, beaten-down, lust-driven protagonist, the poorly-orchestrated criminal enterprise that always ends up going south, the abyssal bad luck, the bevy of aggressive, manipulative, sleazy, batshit-crazy women to lure the poor schmuck astray...all present and accounted for. One of my favorite experiences is a novel whose characters are all so wretched and depraved that you don't even have it in you to root for any of them and eventually wind up rooting for the downtrodden protagonist just because anyone who gets THAT much shit heaped on them needs all the pity they can get. Needless to say I felt perfectly at home here.
I have no idea who I would even recommend this book to. Most of my friends would take far too little joy in the unpleasant proceedings here and would probably chuck the book aside in disgust. But if you're reading this and happen to be the sort of extra-bleak noir enthusiast who can really sink their teeth into a nasty-tasting sandwich of human suffering and depravity, 68 Kill is your baby. Dig in, start chewing, and watch out for the goddam bones!
This was my first Bryan Smith book and I tore through it like a razorblade through the soft underbelly of a dozing hooker in a roach-infested roadside motel. It was tautly written, perfectly paced, and thoroughly engaging from its disarming intro to its gut-churning conclusion. I'd probably turn right around and read it again if I didn't have an entire shelf full of Smith's novels to dive into.
If the prose had been a little less raw and a touch more elegant, I would have honestly felt like I'd tripped and landed in the midst of one of Big Jim Thompson's dizzying fever dreams. The strains were all there. The half-smart, beaten-down, lust-driven protagonist, the poorly-orchestrated criminal enterprise that always ends up going south, the abyssal bad luck, the bevy of aggressive, manipulative, sleazy, batshit-crazy women to lure the poor schmuck astray...all present and accounted for. One of my favorite experiences is a novel whose characters are all so wretched and depraved that you don't even have it in you to root for any of them and eventually wind up rooting for the downtrodden protagonist just because anyone who gets THAT much shit heaped on them needs all the pity they can get. Needless to say I felt perfectly at home here.
I have no idea who I would even recommend this book to. Most of my friends would take far too little joy in the unpleasant proceedings here and would probably chuck the book aside in disgust. But if you're reading this and happen to be the sort of extra-bleak noir enthusiast who can really sink their teeth into a nasty-tasting sandwich of human suffering and depravity, 68 Kill is your baby. Dig in, start chewing, and watch out for the goddam bones!
February 10, 2023
Women. Can't live with 'em; can't escape their psychopathic crime sprees.
*pause for laughter*
Chip's in love. He worships the ground of Liza, a super sexy girl that is way beyond his league. Yet, here she is, totally in love with him and wanting to build a life with him.
Kinda.
I mean, by build a life, she wants to steal a shitton of cash from the guy she fucks for cash on the side. But she wants to do it with CHIP. She could do it with anyone but chose Chip. So he's going along with it, even if he's not really a "Clyde", but Liza is a "Bonnie" and a half.
Surprisingly, things go wrong. Who could have foreseen these circumstances? But, Liza, a true femme fatale for the horror crowd, handles these issues in stride. Chip, maybe a bit less so. Perhaps things get so bad that maybe he should consider that Liza is not his soul mate. Maybe check the trunk for a replacement woman, I don't know.
So we get a ton of car chases, crimes that go way wrong, domestic violence (is it domestic violence if all the violence occurs outside of a couple's house? I'm gonna say yes for the moment), corpse abuse and more. Also, every woman is equal amounts crazy, sexy and horny. 100% each. A full 300% awesome ladies. Sure, it's a male fantasy, women being written directly for an undiscriminating male audience that cannot accept agency in their fictional female characters. But don't get too concerned, because it's clearly trying to be Noir-style thriller and that's a standard trope of that genre.
Will Chip grow backbone? Will Liza gain a conscience? Will other random women show up and be every bit as crazy as Liza? Will other men show up and be as much of a killjoy as Chip?
I really should wrap this up. Look, you've see True Romance, right? Did you say, "Hey that was good, but would be better if it was like 293% more gruesome"? If so, read this goddamn book. Oh, and watch the movie made from it, which is also quite underrated.
*pause for laughter*
Chip's in love. He worships the ground of Liza, a super sexy girl that is way beyond his league. Yet, here she is, totally in love with him and wanting to build a life with him.
Kinda.
I mean, by build a life, she wants to steal a shitton of cash from the guy she fucks for cash on the side. But she wants to do it with CHIP. She could do it with anyone but chose Chip. So he's going along with it, even if he's not really a "Clyde", but Liza is a "Bonnie" and a half.
Surprisingly, things go wrong. Who could have foreseen these circumstances? But, Liza, a true femme fatale for the horror crowd, handles these issues in stride. Chip, maybe a bit less so. Perhaps things get so bad that maybe he should consider that Liza is not his soul mate. Maybe check the trunk for a replacement woman, I don't know.
So we get a ton of car chases, crimes that go way wrong, domestic violence (is it domestic violence if all the violence occurs outside of a couple's house? I'm gonna say yes for the moment), corpse abuse and more. Also, every woman is equal amounts crazy, sexy and horny. 100% each. A full 300% awesome ladies. Sure, it's a male fantasy, women being written directly for an undiscriminating male audience that cannot accept agency in their fictional female characters. But don't get too concerned, because it's clearly trying to be Noir-style thriller and that's a standard trope of that genre.
Will Chip grow backbone? Will Liza gain a conscience? Will other random women show up and be every bit as crazy as Liza? Will other men show up and be as much of a killjoy as Chip?
I really should wrap this up. Look, you've see True Romance, right? Did you say, "Hey that was good, but would be better if it was like 293% more gruesome"? If so, read this goddamn book. Oh, and watch the movie made from it, which is also quite underrated.
September 14, 2017
Compared to previous Bryan Smith books I've read, this one is unfortunately the weakest of his novels thus far and one of the tamest as well. While featuring exactly what I've come to expect from Bryan Smith, a cast of nefarious white-trash thug characters, plenty of over the top sex and violence, and of course, without fail, an "unbelievably hot but totally bat-shit crazy female" to tie everything together, this novel's plot didn't quite come together.
A pushover of a man is forced by his super sexy but highly abusive and crazy girlfriend to assist her in robbing the home of the man who is paying her to sleep with him. Hi-jinks ensue and our protagonist is driving around town with a kidnapped girl in his trunk, is being pursued by his super sexy but highly abusive and crazy girlfriend, and now has $68,000 in the pocket of his jacket.
While the above seems like it would make for a good thriller, this is all eventually abandoned in favor of something else completely unrelated to the above. With a defined antagonist and sticking with the natural progression of the basic plot, I think this could have been much more interesting than what ultimately occurs.
Even so, the book doesn't fail to deliver on the entertainment scale. Each chapter does leave you wondering where the Hell the plot is going and who or what is going to be the next obstacle in our protagonist's path. It certainly wasn't predictable. Some of the twists and turns were surprising and did offer some opportunity to present the pulpy goodness Bryan Smith is known for.
Overall, it wasn't the best of Bryan Smith and it wasn't the worst either. Perhaps the movie version will make for a better experience.
A pushover of a man is forced by his super sexy but highly abusive and crazy girlfriend to assist her in robbing the home of the man who is paying her to sleep with him. Hi-jinks ensue and our protagonist is driving around town with a kidnapped girl in his trunk, is being pursued by his super sexy but highly abusive and crazy girlfriend, and now has $68,000 in the pocket of his jacket.
While the above seems like it would make for a good thriller, this is all eventually abandoned in favor of something else completely unrelated to the above. With a defined antagonist and sticking with the natural progression of the basic plot, I think this could have been much more interesting than what ultimately occurs.
Even so, the book doesn't fail to deliver on the entertainment scale. Each chapter does leave you wondering where the Hell the plot is going and who or what is going to be the next obstacle in our protagonist's path. It certainly wasn't predictable. Some of the twists and turns were surprising and did offer some opportunity to present the pulpy goodness Bryan Smith is known for.
Overall, it wasn't the best of Bryan Smith and it wasn't the worst either. Perhaps the movie version will make for a better experience.
August 25, 2017
I wanted to write a proper review of Bryan Smith's 68 Kill. I really did.
But my girlfriend - and take it from me she's all kinds of hotness personified - is standing behind me, and clocking me one each time I'm not fast enough to mention how hot OR CRAZY she is.
Because she is. She's hot. And crazy. She's hot-crazy.
Which means she goes off in the bedroom. Like a firecracker that's been waiting all year for the 4th of July.
And that means I do everything (and anything) she wants me to. Not just in the bedroom. But in real life, too. So if she wants a lemon meringue pie, I get her a lemon meringue pie. If she wants a bubble bath, I make sure that water is hot and soapy enough for her tastes. And if she wants to commit a crime, I commit a crime.
Because I'm a man. Who is led by his pe-
Oww!
Okay, okay. Back to what's important. Did I mention my girlfriend is hot? ...
What about crazy? Did I put it in capitals? Because right now she has a pair of handcuffs and a rather large trunche-
Damnit! That one hurt ...
3 Weak Willed, Spineless Protagonists for 68 Kill.
But my girlfriend - and take it from me she's all kinds of hotness personified - is standing behind me, and clocking me one each time I'm not fast enough to mention how hot OR CRAZY she is.
Because she is. She's hot. And crazy. She's hot-crazy.
Which means she goes off in the bedroom. Like a firecracker that's been waiting all year for the 4th of July.
And that means I do everything (and anything) she wants me to. Not just in the bedroom. But in real life, too. So if she wants a lemon meringue pie, I get her a lemon meringue pie. If she wants a bubble bath, I make sure that water is hot and soapy enough for her tastes. And if she wants to commit a crime, I commit a crime.
Because I'm a man. Who is led by his pe-
Oww!
Okay, okay. Back to what's important. Did I mention my girlfriend is hot? ...
What about crazy? Did I put it in capitals? Because right now she has a pair of handcuffs and a rather large trunche-
Damnit! That one hurt ...
3 Weak Willed, Spineless Protagonists for 68 Kill.
August 21, 2017
"August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "This guy really makes me... angry this works... just SUCKS AND SUCKS...
COME ON.. he isn't even little bit serious.
...
The author"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "Oh God Bryan Smith starts to fail in this works... he created a work... but looks like he is failling... to continue..."
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% ""Why, fuck... fuck... fuck..."
...
WTF"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "Chip wants to fuck all and everyone"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "36:23"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0%
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Bryan Smith. How in fucking helll do you saw that image."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "The Story as fucked as you get deep into it... what next is going to come... got knows..."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "I won't invest in shit"
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Two Kills so far will they make it up to 68...
...
That there bitch is real hotie"
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "People are so strange and here is how the whole scenario goes... is he insane or not... What really happens..."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Love is greedy fuck"
August 21, 2017 – Started Reading"
15.0% "This guy really makes me... angry this works... just SUCKS AND SUCKS...
COME ON.. he isn't even little bit serious.
...
The author"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "Oh God Bryan Smith starts to fail in this works... he created a work... but looks like he is failling... to continue..."
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% ""Why, fuck... fuck... fuck..."
...
WTF"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "Chip wants to fuck all and everyone"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0% "36:23"
August 21, 2017 –
15.0%
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Bryan Smith. How in fucking helll do you saw that image."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "The Story as fucked as you get deep into it... what next is going to come... got knows..."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "I won't invest in shit"
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Two Kills so far will they make it up to 68...
...
That there bitch is real hotie"
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "People are so strange and here is how the whole scenario goes... is he insane or not... What really happens..."
August 21, 2017 –
5.0% "Love is greedy fuck"
August 21, 2017 – Started Reading"
October 17, 2023
I'm surprised at how different the book is to the movie.
I saw the film first and decided to read the book, and I can't say which I prefer as they had different strengths.
The movie made me care about Chip and all the horrible shit he went through, + it was just a fun watch.
The book was more believable, in a weird way. The characters reactions to thing make more sense (violet especially, and Chip at the end) and I preferred the ending.
I feel that if I hadn't seen the movie I wouldn't enjoy the book as much. I feel that the book is a little bare-bones in some places and having that previous knowledge helped a lot.
overall, its a quick read with some decent action. 4 stars 🌟
I saw the film first and decided to read the book, and I can't say which I prefer as they had different strengths.
The movie made me care about Chip and all the horrible shit he went through, + it was just a fun watch.
The book was more believable, in a weird way. The characters reactions to thing make more sense (violet especially, and Chip at the end) and I preferred the ending.
I feel that if I hadn't seen the movie I wouldn't enjoy the book as much. I feel that the book is a little bare-bones in some places and having that previous knowledge helped a lot.
overall, its a quick read with some decent action. 4 stars 🌟
May 25, 2024
This is weird fucking book but it is super interesting and campy and I vibe with it. I like the horror comedy trope when executed correctly like this one. A couple of grammar errors or strange wording in sentences occasionally but I really enjoyed it nonetheless! I found this through the film by the same name starring Matthew Gray Gubler and I knew I had to read it when I saw that it was a book first. Usually I read books first but this one just worked out the opposite!
June 19, 2020
A bloody thrill ride
Bryan Smith takes you on a thrill ride full of murder, violence, gore, car chases and sexual escapades. It starts out with our anti-hero Chip participating in a burglary with his girlfriend that soon evolves into a double murder and kidnapping. The story keeps evolving into a gory blood drenched thrill ride.
Bryan Smith takes you on a thrill ride full of murder, violence, gore, car chases and sexual escapades. It starts out with our anti-hero Chip participating in a burglary with his girlfriend that soon evolves into a double murder and kidnapping. The story keeps evolving into a gory blood drenched thrill ride.
Read
May 13, 2025The film adaptation of 68 Kill is one of my favorite movies, so I was long overdue in reading the source material. It's a fun read, but I definitely prefer how everything comes together in the movie. Joe R. Lansdale compares Bryan Smith's writing style to Richard Laymon's, and I think that's an apt comparison.
September 19, 2017
Not my favorite Smith book. There was violence and sex and some frenzied action but it never came together in any cohesive manner for me. I read this when I did because the movie was out, which I heard improves the story, but we shall see.
February 8, 2020
A wild ride for sure. I am excited to see how the movie compares. This was a fast-paced, over the top, and action packed story. There were several turns that took me by surprise and about a third of the way in, I just found myself thoroughly enjoying the ride.
December 31, 2022
I watched the film adaptation starring Matthew Gray Gubler some time ago and really enjoyed it so I just had to read this. With less than 200 pages, it didn't take me very long but I found it enjoyable and that the film did a good job bringing it to life on screen.
November 3, 2025
Hmph. Didn’t LOVE this one. The main character not being able to stand up for himself was so immensely annoying. Other than that; it was a fun, far-fetched story. Plus, it’s always fun reading about someone getting their revenge. I’m excited to watch the film adaptation and maybe dig into the sequel 🎥
August 20, 2017
Reads just like a Laymon novel! Both fast-paced and brutally violent, this one is a fun one. If you love Laymon, you're sure to dig this one!
January 2, 2018
Review found here: https://www.facebook.com/Mandashorror...
September 12, 2018
Fast, fun, gritty, and depraved. Exactly what you would expect from Smith.
March 8, 2019
An utterly fast-paced page-turner. Holy smokes was this good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews