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The Keeper
A psychotic taxidermist is obsessed with adding Cindy Preston to his grotesque collection of victims
- GenresHorror
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 12, 1986
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 21, 2024
This was my third novel by Smith and definitely my last. Our protagonist, Cindy, now lives in LA after moving from Chicago with her husband Doug and their best pal Roger. The three were BFF in high school and still hang around, although Doug has become a drunken asshole with a gambling problem. Cindy, a walking trope of low self esteem, finally leaves Doug with Roger's help; turns out they loved each other forever but never expressed it before (🙄). Meanwhile, Smith introduces our antagonist, Gregg, who works as a taxidermist, largely making stuff for dioramas in museums and such. Turns out, he is obsessed with Cindy and has been following here around for quite some time.
It seems Gregg keeps hearing a voice, who he deems the titular Keeper, and it compels him to do certain things, like pick up prostitutes, take them back to his house with a secret set of rooms, and stuff them for prosperity's sake. He has been doing it for years and is obsessed with skin. Yet, all the women he stuffed and mounted have flawed skin from 'living the life', eating greasy food and such. Yet, Cindy has perfect skin! The Keeper keeps telling him to get her to add to the collection, but she is rather high profile due to her entrepreneurial husband (who in fact, is once again going bankrupt). You know where this is going to go, and Smith does manage to build some tension here, but overall, pretty meh. Another 80s shlock fest for sure, but not one worth seeking out. 2 dim stars.
It seems Gregg keeps hearing a voice, who he deems the titular Keeper, and it compels him to do certain things, like pick up prostitutes, take them back to his house with a secret set of rooms, and stuff them for prosperity's sake. He has been doing it for years and is obsessed with skin. Yet, all the women he stuffed and mounted have flawed skin from 'living the life', eating greasy food and such. Yet, Cindy has perfect skin! The Keeper keeps telling him to get her to add to the collection, but she is rather high profile due to her entrepreneurial husband (who in fact, is once again going bankrupt). You know where this is going to go, and Smith does manage to build some tension here, but overall, pretty meh. Another 80s shlock fest for sure, but not one worth seeking out. 2 dim stars.
September 19, 2022
My parents brought this back from a bank charity sale one day. It was buried under a couple of Readers Digest Condensed books and Sidney Sheldon novels. I guess they didn't look through the box to make sure I wasn't getting anything inappropriate (they wouldn't let me buy teen magazines if Madonna was on the cover), because I ended up reading this. It's about a dorky guy who kidnaps and kills women in an underground lair, skinning them, and treating their skins to make mannequin-like women WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE HIM.
I've since told my parents about this book and how I think they were inconsistent as parents.
I've since told my parents about this book and how I think they were inconsistent as parents.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews