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Sour under the flesh
A serial killer know as "The Preserver" collects the heads of those he deems worthy of eternal perfection while trying to live his upscale life with his wife and son.
- GenresHorror
131 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2023
27 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 3, 2024
Wow, was this a messy, messy story. Victor, our lead, is a serial killer. And we are given the absolute pleasure of being inside of his demented mind for the length of this book. His hallucinations, skewed thought processes, vulgar and deviant behavior, especially in his relationships, we are treated to all of it. And it did not disappoint. As the reader, I just read with my mouth agape, so nervous about what Victor would do next. Like a train wreck...you don't want to look, but something inside makes you. It's violent, intense, and it'll make you want to put your Kindle down at several points. Just a really good horror experience, where Stuart Bray shows his writing chops in a gory and entertaining way.
September 13, 2024
‘A brilliant psychopath story, long to be remembered!’
This is a stunningly good short horror story about a schizophrenic, lying, manipulating psychopath who kills people because he just cares and loves his unfortunate victims so, so, so much…before preserving their heads in formaldehyde and putting them on display in big tanks in his basement for his own private amusement.
Besides the killing, and often sexually explicit material, this is a masterfully constructed story in itself and, by the end, will certainly challenge the reader to sit up and think carefully about what has actually happened. Am currently still trying to figure out and order it myself, but I reckon that that is exactly what the author hoped to achieve from the outset and leaves people to interpret it in the way that best serves each of us horror bibliomaniacs - although I do think that it does kinda all fit together properly, sorta? Very good, Stuart - mission accomplished!
Anyway, a really good adult read that is certain to shock and horrify, but most of all, a great piece of fiction that thoroughly satisfies and entertains.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.7 brightly glowing dark stars.
This is a stunningly good short horror story about a schizophrenic, lying, manipulating psychopath who kills people because he just cares and loves his unfortunate victims so, so, so much…before preserving their heads in formaldehyde and putting them on display in big tanks in his basement for his own private amusement.
Besides the killing, and often sexually explicit material, this is a masterfully constructed story in itself and, by the end, will certainly challenge the reader to sit up and think carefully about what has actually happened. Am currently still trying to figure out and order it myself, but I reckon that that is exactly what the author hoped to achieve from the outset and leaves people to interpret it in the way that best serves each of us horror bibliomaniacs - although I do think that it does kinda all fit together properly, sorta? Very good, Stuart - mission accomplished!
Anyway, a really good adult read that is certain to shock and horrify, but most of all, a great piece of fiction that thoroughly satisfies and entertains.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.7 brightly glowing dark stars.
October 9, 2023
This was a lot of fun! This was brutal, funny, and downright shocking, especially at the end! We follow a man who lives a double life as a “family man” and a serial killer, or is he? Is there another underlying reason for the erratic behavior and thoughts of the MC? Find out for yourself. It’s so short, and it was a ton of fun to read. First read by this author, and it won’t be my last!
December 19, 2024
Favourite Stuart Bray read so far!
September 9, 2024
He calls himself the preserver. He takes the heads of people who are worthy enough to him. Leading several lives, he finally decides to go home after a tragic death. But once he's home, the evil inside him becomes more intense and wants to come out. Soon enough, the preservers mind starts to play evil tricks on him.
What a rollarcoaster! This read as a thriller, not too gory but the intensity was definitely there! The twist is usually something I don't like but Stuart explained why it was like that in the book and I did like it. Full of suspense and edge of your seat moments. This was a great read!
What a rollarcoaster! This read as a thriller, not too gory but the intensity was definitely there! The twist is usually something I don't like but Stuart explained why it was like that in the book and I did like it. Full of suspense and edge of your seat moments. This was a great read!
October 8, 2023
Five stars, as always!
May 25, 2025
I throughly enjoyed this - think Patrick Bateman if he were a family man.
The ending was awesome and I didn’t see it coming! This is a dark, nasty little book.
The ending was awesome and I didn’t see it coming! This is a dark, nasty little book.
October 7, 2023
𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝.
He's got several extreme horror/splatterpunk titles under his belt, but this was his first foray into "extreme thrillers," and I'm here for this blending of genres.
Victor Lewis is having the worst day of his life. He's attending the funeral services for his fiancee Mary and his step-daughter Carla, which is hard enough, but Mary's parents blame him for their deaths and cause such a scene that Victor decides he needs to leave.
After all, he needs to return home to his wife and son after a long trip on the road selling insurance.
Wait, what? Yep, you read that right. Victor Lewis is living a double life, right down to the little space he's carved out in the basement where he keeps his special collection of preserved heads.
As with all of the characters this author creates, there is a visceral, violent undertone to Victor that will make the reader uncomfortable. The fact that he can have such hatred toward the people he professes to love and is capable of hiding it so well is terrifying. But just like Bundy and Gacy, Victor can be personable, charming, and entirely capable of living a double life.
If you haven't read this author before, you are missing out! Pick up this title today on KU or order the paperback, and consider checking out his impressive backlist, including the best-selling BROKEN PIECES OF JUNE trilogy.
He's got several extreme horror/splatterpunk titles under his belt, but this was his first foray into "extreme thrillers," and I'm here for this blending of genres.
Victor Lewis is having the worst day of his life. He's attending the funeral services for his fiancee Mary and his step-daughter Carla, which is hard enough, but Mary's parents blame him for their deaths and cause such a scene that Victor decides he needs to leave.
After all, he needs to return home to his wife and son after a long trip on the road selling insurance.
Wait, what? Yep, you read that right. Victor Lewis is living a double life, right down to the little space he's carved out in the basement where he keeps his special collection of preserved heads.
As with all of the characters this author creates, there is a visceral, violent undertone to Victor that will make the reader uncomfortable. The fact that he can have such hatred toward the people he professes to love and is capable of hiding it so well is terrifying. But just like Bundy and Gacy, Victor can be personable, charming, and entirely capable of living a double life.
If you haven't read this author before, you are missing out! Pick up this title today on KU or order the paperback, and consider checking out his impressive backlist, including the best-selling BROKEN PIECES OF JUNE trilogy.
December 31, 2023
Dark and twisted
A dark, twisted, transgressive horror tale with a surprising ending I didn't see coming. Bray writes a mean spirited unlikable protagonist that'll make you want him to get what he deserves in the end. I don't have any complaints other than everyone else's dialogue that isn't the main character is in italics and it didn't seem to be any reason for it. Other than that this is a well written dark story fans of extreme horror will surely like.
A dark, twisted, transgressive horror tale with a surprising ending I didn't see coming. Bray writes a mean spirited unlikable protagonist that'll make you want him to get what he deserves in the end. I don't have any complaints other than everyone else's dialogue that isn't the main character is in italics and it didn't seem to be any reason for it. Other than that this is a well written dark story fans of extreme horror will surely like.
October 10, 2023
““You’re safe now. Nothing can ever hurt you again, not even me.”
If I could give this book 6 stars I would. It was fun, it was fast, it was thrilling. This book has so many twists and turns and the chaotic humor was such a fantastic change of pace from Stuart Brays other works. I loved this book and the ending was so much more than I could’ve ever expected.
If I could give this book 6 stars I would. It was fun, it was fast, it was thrilling. This book has so many twists and turns and the chaotic humor was such a fantastic change of pace from Stuart Brays other works. I loved this book and the ending was so much more than I could’ve ever expected.
November 26, 2025
Sour Under The Flesh is like nothing I’ve read before and I can’t say enough good things about it!
It’s incredibly disturbing while showing the dark side of mental illness. The depth of the main character is immense for such a short book. Bray filtered in backstory while avoiding info dumping and deviating from the story.
I was completely blindsided by the ending! This book was incredible!
It’s incredibly disturbing while showing the dark side of mental illness. The depth of the main character is immense for such a short book. Bray filtered in backstory while avoiding info dumping and deviating from the story.
I was completely blindsided by the ending! This book was incredible!
October 11, 2023
Loved it as always with Bray
Stuart bray has sucha unique and brilliant writing style its hard to beat honestly. Everything the guy writes is always interesting including this book. Great short read. 👏
Stuart bray has sucha unique and brilliant writing style its hard to beat honestly. Everything the guy writes is always interesting including this book. Great short read. 👏
October 10, 2023
Loved this book so much! It was dark, twisty, and kept me wanting more. this would make a really good full length novel.
October 11, 2023
Holy fuck, I loved that. THE ENDINGGGG?! I love me a good plottwist like that.
The writing in itself is great, and on top of that the story was just fucking dope.
The writing in itself is great, and on top of that the story was just fucking dope.
October 20, 2023
Another freaking awesome book by Stuart bray !!
October 27, 2023
THIS WAS BRILLIANT!!!!!!
WOW WOW WOW! Where do I start?!
The plot...The characters....The twist at the end.
Amazingly written. Sad it ended.
WOW WOW WOW! Where do I start?!
The plot...The characters....The twist at the end.
Amazingly written. Sad it ended.
January 30, 2024
This was EXTREME. Definitely vulgar and hard to read at times. Very VERY graphic. I'm usually fine with extreme horror but this one just didn't keep my attention very well.
June 14, 2024
Crazy 🤯
I did not expect the ending like that! What a fantastic story inside the mind of a schizophrenic person! So beautifully written. A must read 🤌
I did not expect the ending like that! What a fantastic story inside the mind of a schizophrenic person! So beautifully written. A must read 🤌
January 14, 2025
4.5 stars
Didn’t see that ending coming. So fast paced and fun. Love Stuart!
Didn’t see that ending coming. So fast paced and fun. Love Stuart!
April 12, 2025
Stuart bray out here with all the twists and turns with this story! loved every moment of it!
November 28, 2023
It's official, Stuart Bray is one of my favorite extreme horror authors!! Everything he writes is mean, and violent.. and I absolutely love it!! Sour Under the Flesh was no exception, and the ending had my jaw on the floor 😲 Awesome read!! 4/5 skulls ☠️
May 26, 2025
Sour Under the Flesh hooked me from the first page and hasn't let me go since. I read this book in one sitting- it was impossible not to. I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. I loved hating Victor. I found it incredibly interesting how, as a reader, you could momentarily forget just how despicable he actually was when he was wearing that skin, so to speak. The ending surprised me in the best way. It was perfect.
This was my first read by Bray and I cannot wait to get to my next.
This was my first read by Bray and I cannot wait to get to my next.
September 15, 2024
Murder, mayhem, and a total mind-f**k of a story
Jim…or is it Kevin…or is it ?…lives a near perfect life with a loving wife and a doting son, but he has a secret.
Not only does he have another fiancée, but also a daughter in another small town many miles away that he visits whenever he is “out on the road” on business.
Oh, and did I mention the collection of perfectly preserved heads in formaldehyde that he keeps hidden on the basement?
Oh, I didn’t?
Silly me.
As the book opens, our unreliable narrator is talking to us, the reader, from the confines of his padded cell. Visited by the spirits/ hallucinations of two of the women he has killed, he begins to tell us (and them) the story of how he ended up here in the first place, and what a story.
It’s twisted, it’s sick, it’s sexually explicit and it’s violent, but this is not, the author insists, an extreme horror - more a thriller with extreme horror elements.
You know what I say?
A rose by any other name…
This is a great, fun little read (if you’re into this sort of thing, that is) and for the first book I’ve read by this author, highly enjoyable. It’s a quick read, doesn’t take too long, it it’s a hell of a ride and I felt like I’d just gotten off of a rollercoaster after I’d finished reading it - not quite sure what exactly I’d just read, what was going on, or quite how I felt about the experience.
But 24 hours on, I can sum it up with one word.
Fun.
This book is fun.
And I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future!
Jim…or is it Kevin…or is it ?…lives a near perfect life with a loving wife and a doting son, but he has a secret.
Not only does he have another fiancée, but also a daughter in another small town many miles away that he visits whenever he is “out on the road” on business.
Oh, and did I mention the collection of perfectly preserved heads in formaldehyde that he keeps hidden on the basement?
Oh, I didn’t?
Silly me.
As the book opens, our unreliable narrator is talking to us, the reader, from the confines of his padded cell. Visited by the spirits/ hallucinations of two of the women he has killed, he begins to tell us (and them) the story of how he ended up here in the first place, and what a story.
It’s twisted, it’s sick, it’s sexually explicit and it’s violent, but this is not, the author insists, an extreme horror - more a thriller with extreme horror elements.
You know what I say?
A rose by any other name…
This is a great, fun little read (if you’re into this sort of thing, that is) and for the first book I’ve read by this author, highly enjoyable. It’s a quick read, doesn’t take too long, it it’s a hell of a ride and I felt like I’d just gotten off of a rollercoaster after I’d finished reading it - not quite sure what exactly I’d just read, what was going on, or quite how I felt about the experience.
But 24 hours on, I can sum it up with one word.
Fun.
This book is fun.
And I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future!
November 11, 2023
Sour Under the Flesh by Stuart Bray
He considers himself a preserver. The heads he considers worthy are floating in a tank of formaldehyde in his basement. He can forever admire their perfection. On the outside, he lives a well-to-do life with a nice house, wife, and child, but what lurks on the inside is a true evil incarnate.
It is easily one of Bray's best titles to date. Absolutely gripping from the start. Insane twists and turns lead to a riveting ending. Tense, dark, and with many jaw-dropping moments, this book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it. Don't hesitate; read it.
5 severed fingers out of 5
He considers himself a preserver. The heads he considers worthy are floating in a tank of formaldehyde in his basement. He can forever admire their perfection. On the outside, he lives a well-to-do life with a nice house, wife, and child, but what lurks on the inside is a true evil incarnate.
It is easily one of Bray's best titles to date. Absolutely gripping from the start. Insane twists and turns lead to a riveting ending. Tense, dark, and with many jaw-dropping moments, this book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it. Don't hesitate; read it.
5 severed fingers out of 5
October 8, 2023
Happy Endings Don’t exist in a world where you are guaranteed to die!
Wow Sour under the Flesh is an Extreme Thriller and up there as one of my favourite Bray novels to date.
Victor is a killer or is he? 😏
Are you worthy of being in his collection?
This was a mind F towards the end that left me guessing.. I was like “WHAT!” I didn’t see that plot twist..
Sour under the flesh was a fast paced read that I didn’t want to end.. less gory to Brays usual extreme it was a nice palette cleanser 😉
“Show them how Sour you are under all that useless flesh”
Wow Sour under the Flesh is an Extreme Thriller and up there as one of my favourite Bray novels to date.
Victor is a killer or is he? 😏
Are you worthy of being in his collection?
This was a mind F towards the end that left me guessing.. I was like “WHAT!” I didn’t see that plot twist..
Sour under the flesh was a fast paced read that I didn’t want to end.. less gory to Brays usual extreme it was a nice palette cleanser 😉
“Show them how Sour you are under all that useless flesh”
October 9, 2023
Wow, I honestly thought I had it figured but that plot twist came out of nowhere. Awesome book, great writing and extremely likable characters made this one I could not put down!
October 15, 2023
Let the monster out
This was book amazing! Had me hooked right from the beginning and wow the ending. The perfect and intense brutal story.
This was book amazing! Had me hooked right from the beginning and wow the ending. The perfect and intense brutal story.
November 28, 2023
This was a fun storyline, and a crazy twist at the end! Bray is great.
March 3, 2024
70% into the book where it got very page turning
December 26, 2023
Several spelling and grammar errors. Completely predictable “it’s all in his head” ending. Save yourself a couple hours and read something else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews