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That Black Pig
Jim Stakes is a successful photographer.
His pictures have appeared on billboards and posters and the centrefolds of glossy magazines. But things weren’t always so glamorous. His first work behind the camera was on low budget porn sets.
As a young man, it seemed like a dream job, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Now, some of the people Jim used to work with are dying, and he thinks their deaths might be linked.
When a starlet he once cared for puts herself in danger, he faces an unstoppable slide back into the dark world he thought he’d escaped.
As funny as it is disturbing, this comic noir is a grimy tale of excess, obsession and unrequited lust.
His pictures have appeared on billboards and posters and the centrefolds of glossy magazines. But things weren’t always so glamorous. His first work behind the camera was on low budget porn sets.
As a young man, it seemed like a dream job, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Now, some of the people Jim used to work with are dying, and he thinks their deaths might be linked.
When a starlet he once cared for puts herself in danger, he faces an unstoppable slide back into the dark world he thought he’d escaped.
As funny as it is disturbing, this comic noir is a grimy tale of excess, obsession and unrequited lust.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2024
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 20, 2025
4,5 Stars, but won't give me half stars.
Okay, this story is gross but in a way that had me hooked, I couldn’t put it down, I was obsessed with it. It’s a Dark Absurdity/Comedy. It’s so absurd, so detailed and a crazy roller coaster ride. I liked Jim and disliked Jim. His drunk antics, his investigation, while drunk, his accusations, again while drunk was really funny and sometimes spot on…and sometimes not. He has incredible luck and he is incredibly unlucky, you see where I’m going here?
I really enjoyed the other characters because you didn’t know who did what, who is involved and who isn’t. Everyone seems to be a suspect. The ending was satisfying yet dissatisfying because I have a big question, but that’s how the author wants it, for the reader to question it and maybe even put the ending in your own head?
Would I suggest this book? Maybe, if you have a tough stomach, dark humor and can handle heavy topics then this might be the book for you.
Okay, this story is gross but in a way that had me hooked, I couldn’t put it down, I was obsessed with it. It’s a Dark Absurdity/Comedy. It’s so absurd, so detailed and a crazy roller coaster ride. I liked Jim and disliked Jim. His drunk antics, his investigation, while drunk, his accusations, again while drunk was really funny and sometimes spot on…and sometimes not. He has incredible luck and he is incredibly unlucky, you see where I’m going here?
I really enjoyed the other characters because you didn’t know who did what, who is involved and who isn’t. Everyone seems to be a suspect. The ending was satisfying yet dissatisfying because I have a big question, but that’s how the author wants it, for the reader to question it and maybe even put the ending in your own head?
Would I suggest this book? Maybe, if you have a tough stomach, dark humor and can handle heavy topics then this might be the book for you.
May 20, 2025
Oh my goodness. What a book.
I absolutely loved following the main character’s train of thought and hearing his inner monologue throughout the book. I’m usually quite good at guessing how books like this will end but this story had me guessing right up until the end.
It was the perfect level of gore & grit without feeling like it was using the gore purely for shock value. I felt like every detail added to the story and was there for a purpose.
Ben Colley is clearly a very talented writer and I will absolutely be back for more. 5 stars.
I absolutely loved following the main character’s train of thought and hearing his inner monologue throughout the book. I’m usually quite good at guessing how books like this will end but this story had me guessing right up until the end.
It was the perfect level of gore & grit without feeling like it was using the gore purely for shock value. I felt like every detail added to the story and was there for a purpose.
Ben Colley is clearly a very talented writer and I will absolutely be back for more. 5 stars.
July 25, 2024
LOVED this book! It's one of those books I couldn't put down because I was so engrossed in it. (And gross is quite fitting as well) The characters are pretty awful people but it's written so well you still somehow end up rooting for them. Would highly recommend this
January 13, 2025
Razor-sharp, hilarious and fully bananas. This book surprised me in the best way possible!
May 15, 2025
I read this both on kindle and paperback.
It was a super entertaining read and kept me on my tippy toes the entire time. It was unlike anything I've read before and It was so nice to take a break from romance and welcome a new style and genre onto my bookshelf. The storyline of That Black Pig is intense, gross and full of whatthefuckery. Ben's words had me wincing, pulling odd faces and turning my stomach - But all in the best way of course!
The characters are incredibly written, and the MMC is just great. He's a Middle aged, overweight, alcohol abuser whose honesty is refreshing. It was so different reading a book from his perspective and bizarrely feeling I could relate to his mindset at times.
The ending had me unsure at first. I wanted to smile and laugh, but also throw the book in Ben's face simultaneously. It was the kind of ending that at first I wasn't satisfied with, but then after simmering for a few days, I actually felt that it was the right and honestly, only way the ending could go.
Overall, Ben is an incredible author. His writing is impeccable, flows well and is thoroughly entertaining. Loved this book!
It was a super entertaining read and kept me on my tippy toes the entire time. It was unlike anything I've read before and It was so nice to take a break from romance and welcome a new style and genre onto my bookshelf. The storyline of That Black Pig is intense, gross and full of whatthefuckery. Ben's words had me wincing, pulling odd faces and turning my stomach - But all in the best way of course!
The characters are incredibly written, and the MMC is just great. He's a Middle aged, overweight, alcohol abuser whose honesty is refreshing. It was so different reading a book from his perspective and bizarrely feeling I could relate to his mindset at times.
The ending had me unsure at first. I wanted to smile and laugh, but also throw the book in Ben's face simultaneously. It was the kind of ending that at first I wasn't satisfied with, but then after simmering for a few days, I actually felt that it was the right and honestly, only way the ending could go.
Overall, Ben is an incredible author. His writing is impeccable, flows well and is thoroughly entertaining. Loved this book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews