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E.S.S.K: ROADTRIP TO HELL: [FULL BORE Edition]
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 11, 2026
I feel like I need a shower… and possibly therapy.
This book didn’t just cross lines it blew past them at 90 mph with the windows down and bodies in the trunk.
From page one, E.S.S.K: Roadtrip to Hell grabs you by the throat and drags you face first down a highway paved in blood, bone fragments, and bad decisions. And it never lets go.This isn’t “horror lite.”
This is full bore, grindhouse, splatterpunk carnage.
Every chapter feels like:
• teeth breaking
• skin tearing
• engines screaming
• something wet hitting the pavement
The violence is relentless and creative in the most unhinged ways possible. I caught myself wincing, whispering “what the hell did I just read,” and then immediately flipping the page because I NEEDED more.
J. Tarmac doesn’t fade to black.
He zooms in.You don’t just see the gore you smell it. Taste it. Feel it under your fingernails.But underneath all the brutality?There’s this chaotic, desperate, almost nihilistic roadtrip energy that keeps the story ripping forward like a stolen car with no brakes.
It’s ugly.
It’s savage.
It’s absolutely feral.
And I loved every disgusting second of it.Buckle up. This ride doesn’t stop.
This book didn’t just cross lines it blew past them at 90 mph with the windows down and bodies in the trunk.
From page one, E.S.S.K: Roadtrip to Hell grabs you by the throat and drags you face first down a highway paved in blood, bone fragments, and bad decisions. And it never lets go.This isn’t “horror lite.”
This is full bore, grindhouse, splatterpunk carnage.
Every chapter feels like:
• teeth breaking
• skin tearing
• engines screaming
• something wet hitting the pavement
The violence is relentless and creative in the most unhinged ways possible. I caught myself wincing, whispering “what the hell did I just read,” and then immediately flipping the page because I NEEDED more.
J. Tarmac doesn’t fade to black.
He zooms in.You don’t just see the gore you smell it. Taste it. Feel it under your fingernails.But underneath all the brutality?There’s this chaotic, desperate, almost nihilistic roadtrip energy that keeps the story ripping forward like a stolen car with no brakes.
It’s ugly.
It’s savage.
It’s absolutely feral.
And I loved every disgusting second of it.Buckle up. This ride doesn’t stop.
February 3, 2026
Vietnam changed Jack. He’s on a road trip and he’s dragging a load of victims along with him for the ride. Let’s just say Jack doesn’t have an off switch and his acts of depravity span the entirety of the duos road trip.
This reads like an ole’ timey lag recanting his life stories from his cell in prison. I could quite easily picture this as a film and I just loved this style of narration. Those final chapters! Wow! I absolutely breezed through them, totally gripped and compelled to read on. I loved the ending. If you’re looking for extreme horror that doesn’t hold back and is unflinching in its tropes and topics J. Tarmac is the author for you.
This reads like an ole’ timey lag recanting his life stories from his cell in prison. I could quite easily picture this as a film and I just loved this style of narration. Those final chapters! Wow! I absolutely breezed through them, totally gripped and compelled to read on. I loved the ending. If you’re looking for extreme horror that doesn’t hold back and is unflinching in its tropes and topics J. Tarmac is the author for you.
March 20, 2026
This was awesome! This is the 2nd book that I have read from J. Tarmac. I came across this Author after reading a blurb about The Destruction of Abigail Winter. I remember Ashley Blue and Girlvert. The Destruction of Abigail Winter is a very messed up story centered in that world. I found that the writing was top notch for Abigail Winter and I wanted to see what their voice was like when writing horror. This book was over the top with gore and very dark humor. The story itself is so engaging that it was hard to put it down.
March 1, 2026
Chaos, mayhem, and a road trip to hell. This is E.S.S.K!
Brought to you by two psychos that are fuelled by drugs and alcohol and get off from playing with people every time they do a pit stop, leaving a blood trail behind.
If you’re into extreme horror, gnarly, and messed up books. This one is for you.
With every turn of a page, things get crazier, gorier, and bloodier.
I do wish there was a bit more of a background story and, let’s say, hiccups. But it is extreme horror, so it really does what it says on the tin.
So be ready to cringe, barf, and maybe get shocked.
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
Brought to you by two psychos that are fuelled by drugs and alcohol and get off from playing with people every time they do a pit stop, leaving a blood trail behind.
If you’re into extreme horror, gnarly, and messed up books. This one is for you.
With every turn of a page, things get crazier, gorier, and bloodier.
I do wish there was a bit more of a background story and, let’s say, hiccups. But it is extreme horror, so it really does what it says on the tin.
So be ready to cringe, barf, and maybe get shocked.
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
March 14, 2026
First, thanks to the author for the ARC.
J. takes us on a journey in E.S.S.K., a trip that doesn't let you breathe as you're going through a barrage of a drug and booze infested fevertrip. We follow two war veterans on their final road trip, and every chapter is dictated by these ingredients: liquor, whatever kind of drugs they can get, and lots of violence.
This does feel slightly repetitive at some point; however, for those who enjoy a story that keeps punching, this is for you. The final chapter offers the narrator some redemption; seemingly, he has some empathy left. Overall, great extreme story.
J. takes us on a journey in E.S.S.K., a trip that doesn't let you breathe as you're going through a barrage of a drug and booze infested fevertrip. We follow two war veterans on their final road trip, and every chapter is dictated by these ingredients: liquor, whatever kind of drugs they can get, and lots of violence.
This does feel slightly repetitive at some point; however, for those who enjoy a story that keeps punching, this is for you. The final chapter offers the narrator some redemption; seemingly, he has some empathy left. Overall, great extreme story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy!
"We were phantoms of pain, specters of savagery."
Another brutal, disturbing entry in 'The Michican Series' by J. Tarmac, this time in the form of a slew of murders enacted across the Great Lakes State in the late '80s by ex-army vets with a penchant for pain - particularly Jack, who is described by our seedy narrator as nothing short of a bloodthirsty savage, and with the acts to back up the claim.
What I was a fan of the most was the depth of realism in this novel. Even in the space of just over 150 pages, and amidst the absolutely wild, obscene things packed into its duration, the novel contains an authenticity I found immersive. The dialogue, the cultural references and the general feel of the story transported me to the grimiest pits of 1980s hell.
Despite all the heinous things that happen in this story, Tarmac manages to splice in some much-needed comic relief, primarily through the narration, and some of the sheer absurdity that occurs in some scenes. Don't get me wrong, the horror is hair-raising and downright unnerving, covering every rotten base you can conjure into your mind, but, through the sheer carelessness of the characters penned here, there is some grim respite, and it works well. The more somber notes hit hard though, particularly in those final chapters.
Overall, I found myself compelled to complete this sordid tale by Tarmac's always-vivid and visceral writing, confronting us with humanity's deepest depravities, and in doing so, conjuring familiar but favourite media pieces of mine, such as 'Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer' (1990) and 'The House That Jack Built' (2018). In its brutal, episodic nature, 'E.S.S.K.' does a lot to evoke such foul character studies, but refuses to shy away where others do. It holds your face to the roaring fire, right until the final pages. You will be uncomfortable, you will be appalled, but by embarking on this trip, you're experiencing well-written extreme horror served on a bold, grimy platter.
"We were phantoms of pain, specters of savagery."
Another brutal, disturbing entry in 'The Michican Series' by J. Tarmac, this time in the form of a slew of murders enacted across the Great Lakes State in the late '80s by ex-army vets with a penchant for pain - particularly Jack, who is described by our seedy narrator as nothing short of a bloodthirsty savage, and with the acts to back up the claim.
What I was a fan of the most was the depth of realism in this novel. Even in the space of just over 150 pages, and amidst the absolutely wild, obscene things packed into its duration, the novel contains an authenticity I found immersive. The dialogue, the cultural references and the general feel of the story transported me to the grimiest pits of 1980s hell.
Despite all the heinous things that happen in this story, Tarmac manages to splice in some much-needed comic relief, primarily through the narration, and some of the sheer absurdity that occurs in some scenes. Don't get me wrong, the horror is hair-raising and downright unnerving, covering every rotten base you can conjure into your mind, but, through the sheer carelessness of the characters penned here, there is some grim respite, and it works well. The more somber notes hit hard though, particularly in those final chapters.
Overall, I found myself compelled to complete this sordid tale by Tarmac's always-vivid and visceral writing, confronting us with humanity's deepest depravities, and in doing so, conjuring familiar but favourite media pieces of mine, such as 'Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer' (1990) and 'The House That Jack Built' (2018). In its brutal, episodic nature, 'E.S.S.K.' does a lot to evoke such foul character studies, but refuses to shy away where others do. It holds your face to the roaring fire, right until the final pages. You will be uncomfortable, you will be appalled, but by embarking on this trip, you're experiencing well-written extreme horror served on a bold, grimy platter.
March 1, 2026
We were phantoms of pain, specters of savagery
E.S.S.K. tells us the story about Jack, a war veteran who wants to give the finger to the world; that’s why he goes on a savage road trip with his partner, the narrator of our story. They just want to bring chaos and sorrow to every little town they set their feet on.
This book is a wild ride from page one until the end. Things go crazier with every chapter. The story takes your brain and smashes it the same way our protagonists smash every person they encounter.
The writing, as usual, is savage. "J’s signature" that’s what I’m going to call it from now on. If you have read some of his books, you know what I’m talking about.
The final chapters are the hardest to read; Fran and Penny’s story is terrible and raw. Fran was the only character in the entire book who deserved what happened to her; Penny, on the other hand, poor girl. Our narrator had a little glimpse of morality, but the damage was already done.
I wish we had more chapters to know our narrator and Jack better.
At some points the writing feels confusing; the constant use of metaphors and the way the narrator describes some situations makes you lose the main idea of what’s happening.
Overall, this is a solid story, a good read and you should give it a try.
E.S.S.K. tells us the story about Jack, a war veteran who wants to give the finger to the world; that’s why he goes on a savage road trip with his partner, the narrator of our story. They just want to bring chaos and sorrow to every little town they set their feet on.
This book is a wild ride from page one until the end. Things go crazier with every chapter. The story takes your brain and smashes it the same way our protagonists smash every person they encounter.
The writing, as usual, is savage. "J’s signature" that’s what I’m going to call it from now on. If you have read some of his books, you know what I’m talking about.
The final chapters are the hardest to read; Fran and Penny’s story is terrible and raw. Fran was the only character in the entire book who deserved what happened to her; Penny, on the other hand, poor girl. Our narrator had a little glimpse of morality, but the damage was already done.
I wish we had more chapters to know our narrator and Jack better.
At some points the writing feels confusing; the constant use of metaphors and the way the narrator describes some situations makes you lose the main idea of what’s happening.
Overall, this is a solid story, a good read and you should give it a try.
Review of advance copy received from Author
East County Corrections. A friend of Jack Robbins is doing time here, and he’s ready to talk. What follows is the story of how he and Jack took a road trip that turned into a full-scale rampage. One last hellride.
Jack is fresh out of Vietnam, 37 and broken. His friend is 35, fighting his own demons. Both share the hometown of Materfield. They load the car with drugs, booze, weapons, and hit the road with nothing but rage for fuel. They love the predatory experience of hunting humans. What follows is depravity: torture, cannibalism, necrophilia, snuff-film horrors. Each victim worse off than the last.
But when a twelve-year-old girl’s life is on the line, the storyteller finally hits a wall. Even monsters have limits–or do they?
This story was brutal, fast-paced, and viciously well written. It locked me in from start to finish. This is Extreme Horror at full bore. I had a great unhinged time reading it, but if you’re new to the genre, know your limits and protect your brain. If you’re a heavy hitter like me, I think you’ll enjoy this unholy wild ride.
-Vibeke 🖤
March 16, 2026
One of the most violent stories I think I've ever read and I absolutely devoured it! This is not for the faint of heart and will test any fan of extreme horror! A violently brutal tale following two friends who rekindle their friendship by embarking on a drug fueled killing spree.
Tarmac goes hard from the get go, throwing readers straight into the deep end, never slowing down. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, you're hit like a truck with more absolutely atrocious scenes of violence, and I loved every bit of it!
Tarmac's writing is so vivid and captivating that I personally felt violated and exposed after reading. Tarmac has an horrifically disgusting and terrifying mind that I am in absolute awe of.
A wonderfully dark and soul destroying tale, layered with humour and surprisingly some questionably lighthearted moments. E.S.S.K definitely lived up to the extreme horror label, crossing every line possible! Read the triggers and get ready to be disturbed and horrified in the most fun way!
(Justice for Rusty 2.0, free him NOW!!!)
Tarmac goes hard from the get go, throwing readers straight into the deep end, never slowing down. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, you're hit like a truck with more absolutely atrocious scenes of violence, and I loved every bit of it!
Tarmac's writing is so vivid and captivating that I personally felt violated and exposed after reading. Tarmac has an horrifically disgusting and terrifying mind that I am in absolute awe of.
A wonderfully dark and soul destroying tale, layered with humour and surprisingly some questionably lighthearted moments. E.S.S.K definitely lived up to the extreme horror label, crossing every line possible! Read the triggers and get ready to be disturbed and horrified in the most fun way!
(Justice for Rusty 2.0, free him NOW!!!)
Review of advance copy received from Author
Holy sh*t. That was one wild ride. Jack and his “partner” (our unnamed narrator), go on a sadistic drug fueled road trip that starts full speed and never lets up. I would have liked to know more about our narrator, and just more storyline in general, but I will say it was thoroughly entertaining and 100% came through on its full bore Splatterpunk grossness. I enjoyed how it all wrapped up. Warning! Every trigger imaginable 😅
Very appreciative of this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review!
Very appreciative of this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review!
May 3, 2026
BLOOD DRENCHED MAYHEM!!!
this book takes you on a road trip full of depravity,gore and violence and drugs .this book is not for the weak!! Its very easy too read it flows like blood from a wound and goes hard from the first too the last page.this was my first read by this author it definitely won't be my last im a big fan already! J tarmac rising from his gore drenched pit of horrors to make his mark in extreme horror!!!
this book takes you on a road trip full of depravity,gore and violence and drugs .this book is not for the weak!! Its very easy too read it flows like blood from a wound and goes hard from the first too the last page.this was my first read by this author it definitely won't be my last im a big fan already! J tarmac rising from his gore drenched pit of horrors to make his mark in extreme horror!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow, this is a must read for extreme horror fans! It's a gruesome, depraved peak into the adventures of a serial killer, narrated by his sidekick. This one contains almost every "trigger" imaginable, and yet is so well written! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews