Spree

by Lucy Taylor

More is never enough might be the slogan that Lonny Flynn has lived his life by. More booze, more women, more brawls. A young man already too familiar with the inside of correctional facilities, Lonny can't wait to finish up his prison term in Canon City, Colorado, go home, and kick some ass.

Lonny learns early on that walking out of Canon City is a helluva lot easier than escaping the prison of his own head, a place almost as richly inhabited with demons as the mind of his alcoholic, mentally-disturbed sexpot Mom, Delores. That he has inherited Delores' crazy streak is one of his biggest fears.

Fueled by alcohol, Lonny embarks upon a violence-ridden "trip down memory lane," paying visits to a number of the people who have marked his past. Along the way, he runs into old friend Tommy Gleason, the one man who might be able to show him a better way.

For even while in the middle of a drunken, murderous rampage, Lonny still retains the spiritual gift that he discovered as a boy, a path out of his wretched, sordid life that could lead him to salvation.

The search for vengeance and the hunger for the spiritual — these are the two drives competing for Lonny Flynn's soul during his mad quest across Colorado. The lives of several people will depend upon his choice.

Genres: Horror, Novella

124 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1998

About the author

LUCY TAY­LOR was born in Rich­mond, VA, and never really got the South out of her sys­tem, as evi­denced by the fla­vor of South­ern Gothic in many of her works. She’s the author of seven nov­els, includ­ing Danc­ing with Demons, Spree, Nailed, Sav­ing Souls, Eter­nal Hearts, and the Stoker-​award win­ning The Safety of Unknown Cities. Her sto­ries have appeared in over a hun­dred mag­a­zines and antholo­gies, includ­ing The Mam­moth Book of His­tor­i­cal Erot­ica, The Best of Ceme­tery Dance, Twen­ti­eth Cen­tury Gothic, The Year’s Best Fan­tasy and Hor­ror, and the Century’s Best Hor­ror Fiction.

Reviews

[Benjamin Uminsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little novella was really dark, fully exploring the world of a hard luck ex-con (Lonny Flynn, looking to release his rage on those who he feels did him wrong throughout his 26 short years. Some of the writing and themes (some very taboo stuff as well) kind of fell in Brian Hodge territory... at least with the similar sophisticated manner the themes were explored... major kudos to Taylor for handling this kind of dark material without letting the story get out of hand or over the top.

The prose was crisp and direct for this kind of nasty tale, and quite salty, although more than palatable for this reader. I can't say the story as a whole was amazing (although still pretty good), but Taylor's character development throughout the entire novel was simply first-rate and carried this novella to its stunning conclusion.

I really have to credit this author with her ability to bring Lonny to life. By the end of the novel, I came to despise this loathsome character, yet at the same time fully understood how he ticked and why he did the terrible things that he did (and he did some very terrible things). The ouroboros plot device at the end nicely tied the whole story together and really highlighted how far Lonny had fallen by the conclusion. Although, I will say that the ending was really vicious... delivering the same kind of gut punch as a Birkin conte cruel.

[Phrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe it, I’m actually clearing books off of my TBR pile! Like for real this time, physical books! 🙀 Spree by Lucy Taylor has been on my list for a while, then I lucked out on a super cheap price on eBay that I’m still savoring. 🖤 Finished this quick, gritty foray into a twisted, dark tale of fate & revenge last night. Wow, just wow, I am starting to like a tale where you aren’t sure if you’re rooting for the main character or not, but you’re along for the ride. I didn’t see that ending coming at all, but it made me replay the whole story back in my head like whoa. I wouldn’t have it any other way tho, I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a fucked-up “white trash gothic.”

[MollyK · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a deeply disturbing and dark tale, this novella is surprisingly readable and propulsive. There is an authenticity to Lonny that is striking. I feel like you have to be a jaded, overly empathetic or maybe a bit of both to truly experience this story. This one's gonna stick with me.