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Demon With a Comb-Over
Talk about a tough crowd.
Take Charlie Broadmoor’s life. Please. Charlie sucks at stand-up comedy. He gets by, though. Things are okay. His life is decent. Until the night he makes fun of a demon’s comb-over. Big mistake. What kind of demon wears a comb-over? The sensitive kind. The kind who’s not going to let an insult slide. A demon who’s going to take Charlie down. As in down to Hell. And he intends on dragging everyone Charlie cares about along for the ride.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
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March 16, 2016
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Demon With a Comb-Over is a novel that combines the world of stand-up comedy with a compelling tale of horror.
Here's the setup..
"Talk about a tough crowd.
"Take Charlie Broadmoor's life. Please. Charlie sucks at stand-up comedy. He gets by, though. Things are okay. His life is decent. Until the night he makes fun of a demon's comb-over. Big mistake. What kind of demon wears a comb-over? The sensitive kind. The kind who's not going to let an insult slide. A demon who's going to take Charlie down. As in down to Hell. And he intends on dragging everyone Charlie cares about along for the ride."
On the surface, the premise may seem a bit absurd, but in the hands of Stuart R. West, Demon With a Comb-Over turns out to be a helluva great story.
The demon Charlie Broadmoor makes fun of in his act, turns out to be Kobal, the demon Prince of mockery. Go ahead and Google it. I'll wait. He's a pretty nasty guy. As a result of his error in judgment, Charlie now has an enemy who wont stop until he destroys his life.
Demon With a Comb-Over is available as an e-book from Samhain Horror.
A completely entertaining mix of comedy and horror. Recommended.
Stuart R. West is a life-long resident of Kansas. He has ten published novels, both thrillers and horror for both adult and YA audiences. After twenty-five years in the corporate world, he now writes full time.
Demon With a Comb-Over is a novel that combines the world of stand-up comedy with a compelling tale of horror.
Here's the setup..
"Talk about a tough crowd.
"Take Charlie Broadmoor's life. Please. Charlie sucks at stand-up comedy. He gets by, though. Things are okay. His life is decent. Until the night he makes fun of a demon's comb-over. Big mistake. What kind of demon wears a comb-over? The sensitive kind. The kind who's not going to let an insult slide. A demon who's going to take Charlie down. As in down to Hell. And he intends on dragging everyone Charlie cares about along for the ride."
On the surface, the premise may seem a bit absurd, but in the hands of Stuart R. West, Demon With a Comb-Over turns out to be a helluva great story.
The demon Charlie Broadmoor makes fun of in his act, turns out to be Kobal, the demon Prince of mockery. Go ahead and Google it. I'll wait. He's a pretty nasty guy. As a result of his error in judgment, Charlie now has an enemy who wont stop until he destroys his life.
Demon With a Comb-Over is available as an e-book from Samhain Horror.
A completely entertaining mix of comedy and horror. Recommended.
Stuart R. West is a life-long resident of Kansas. He has ten published novels, both thrillers and horror for both adult and YA audiences. After twenty-five years in the corporate world, he now writes full time.
February 1, 2016
With a title such as ‘Demon with a Comb-Over’, you know you are going to get humour. Horror with humour is, in my experience, difficult to get right. This book shows you how it’s done. Charlie Broadmoor is – let’s be honest – not a very funny comedian. He gets his laughs wherever he can find them and one night he picks on the wrong audience member to be the butt of his jokes. Of course, no one would expect a demon to commit such a lack of good taste as to resort to a particularly bad comb-over, would they? It is Charlie’s extreme misfortune that he has picked on a senior demon. A real devil of a guy.
Demons are not noted for their sense of humour, and especially not for their ability to laugh at themselves. Kobal is no exception. He lets Charlie know in no uncertain terms just what a grave error he has committed. This is where it all gets serious and the author hits the gas pedal, ratcheting up the tension and suspense – but still managing to inject humour in appropriate places.
Charlie and his daughter, Serena were thoroughly likeable characters. I cared what happened to them. This is one of the most original stories I have read in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride the author took me on. Great ending too!
Demons are not noted for their sense of humour, and especially not for their ability to laugh at themselves. Kobal is no exception. He lets Charlie know in no uncertain terms just what a grave error he has committed. This is where it all gets serious and the author hits the gas pedal, ratcheting up the tension and suspense – but still managing to inject humour in appropriate places.
Charlie and his daughter, Serena were thoroughly likeable characters. I cared what happened to them. This is one of the most original stories I have read in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride the author took me on. Great ending too!
March 10, 2016
Well, I just finished this book and rather than sit and think about it for a while, I am going to go ahead and do the review. Usually I ponder on them for a day or two, gather my thoughts, and contemplate my rating, so perhaps this will backfire on me. Anyways, here it goes.
"Demon with a Comb-Over tells the tale of Charlie Broadmoor, a mediocre comic trying to make a living and take care of his daughter. One night Charlie ends up insulting Kobal, a demon visiting the comedy club, because of his horrible looking comb-over, who in turn vows to ruin Charlie's life and the lives of all his family and loved one. And let's be brutally honest, for most of the book, Kobal does a pretty good job. Along the way we meet some interesting characters including Charlie's ex-wife, his mother, his love interest, Sylvia and two questionable angels.
If Goodreads would allow it, I would probably give this book a 3.5 rating, but since they don't, I feel I have to notch it up to 4 for several reasons. First of all, this book sucked me right in. I basically read it in two sittings and couldn't wait to get to the end to see how everything played out. Secondly, the premise of this book is unlike any I have read before and West does a good job of combining horror with a little bit of comedy. Had Charlie not been a comedienne, I don't think the humor would have worked or it could have easily crossed into corniness. Lastly, the book contained characters I truly liked and truly hated. I cared about what happened to Charlie and his daughter and even though he was extremely unlikable, I wanted to know what Kobal had up the sleeve of his dapper suit.
I have to add there are a few scenes I was reading where I thought "I wish this was a graphic novel." West's description of Hell itself, and of the hellhounds with human heads which show up toward the end, were spot on with what I associate with old-fashioned horror. If you like scary books, aren't afraid of a little blood and gore, and don't mind some comedic spins thrown in here and there, this books might just be worth your time.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
"Demon with a Comb-Over tells the tale of Charlie Broadmoor, a mediocre comic trying to make a living and take care of his daughter. One night Charlie ends up insulting Kobal, a demon visiting the comedy club, because of his horrible looking comb-over, who in turn vows to ruin Charlie's life and the lives of all his family and loved one. And let's be brutally honest, for most of the book, Kobal does a pretty good job. Along the way we meet some interesting characters including Charlie's ex-wife, his mother, his love interest, Sylvia and two questionable angels.
If Goodreads would allow it, I would probably give this book a 3.5 rating, but since they don't, I feel I have to notch it up to 4 for several reasons. First of all, this book sucked me right in. I basically read it in two sittings and couldn't wait to get to the end to see how everything played out. Secondly, the premise of this book is unlike any I have read before and West does a good job of combining horror with a little bit of comedy. Had Charlie not been a comedienne, I don't think the humor would have worked or it could have easily crossed into corniness. Lastly, the book contained characters I truly liked and truly hated. I cared about what happened to Charlie and his daughter and even though he was extremely unlikable, I wanted to know what Kobal had up the sleeve of his dapper suit.
I have to add there are a few scenes I was reading where I thought "I wish this was a graphic novel." West's description of Hell itself, and of the hellhounds with human heads which show up toward the end, were spot on with what I associate with old-fashioned horror. If you like scary books, aren't afraid of a little blood and gore, and don't mind some comedic spins thrown in here and there, this books might just be worth your time.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2017
Review of DEMON WITH A COMB-OVER by Stuart R. West
This is a sprightly and hilarious, yet sad, novel. High recommendation from a reader who doesn't do humour: I frequently chuckled, smiled wryly, and yes, even laughed out loud! Charlie Broadmoor is a feckless comedian-by-choice, product of middle-class parents, poor, divorced, with 50-50 custody of daughter Serena, and an aggravating, spacy, ex-wife Celia. Charlie really wishes his comedy career would rocket, but instead of lots of laughs and profitable gigs, Charlie picks on an audience member one night and gets way more than he bargained for. Charlie mocks the man's comb-over, only to discover, this isn't a man, he isn't human: he's the demon Kobal, formerly demon of mockery; and Kobal is infuriated. He's sending Charlie straight to hell, but first he's detouring through Charlie's life, pestering (and deleting) his neighbors, friends, and family!
This is a sprightly and hilarious, yet sad, novel. High recommendation from a reader who doesn't do humour: I frequently chuckled, smiled wryly, and yes, even laughed out loud! Charlie Broadmoor is a feckless comedian-by-choice, product of middle-class parents, poor, divorced, with 50-50 custody of daughter Serena, and an aggravating, spacy, ex-wife Celia. Charlie really wishes his comedy career would rocket, but instead of lots of laughs and profitable gigs, Charlie picks on an audience member one night and gets way more than he bargained for. Charlie mocks the man's comb-over, only to discover, this isn't a man, he isn't human: he's the demon Kobal, formerly demon of mockery; and Kobal is infuriated. He's sending Charlie straight to hell, but first he's detouring through Charlie's life, pestering (and deleting) his neighbors, friends, and family!
March 15, 2016
Charlie Broadmoor is not a very funny stand-up comedian. In fact, it seems he bombs with more regularity than ISIS. But that does not deter this middle-aged single dad from trying to get laughs during one ill-fated performance at the little club where he regularly performs. What do you do when you have a tough crowd? Go after it. And that's what Charlie does when he playfully mocks a man in the audience sporting a particularly bad comb-over. And as you might have guessed by the title of Stuart R. West's Demon with a Comb-Over, the butt of the joke is indeed a follicly challenged demon who does not have a sense of humor.
So begins West's fun, although not particularly frightening, book that pits Charlie, who's really a decent guy, against Kobal, a ruthless demon bent on destroying Charlie's life for daring to slight Kobal's unsightly head of hair. Kobal encounters Charlie in the bathroom and more or less tells him he's doomed. Charlie blows it off as just another audience member with a thin skin. If only! First, just because I didn't find West's book scary isn't to say that it isn't a good work of horror. It is because West makes us care about Charlie and the people in his life, especially his daughter, Serena. When Charlie believes Kobal (a truly evil antagonist) is responsible for his mother's untimely death (he sees Kobal mocking him at his mom's funeral when nobody else can), he fears for his daughter's life. We also learn it is particularly difficult to rid the world of demons, so Charlie's really up against one bad apple who takes great delight in tormenting the unfunny comic. One particularly wrenching scene is when Charlie goes to his daughter's school to describe what he does for a living, and naturally the class wants Charlie to be funny. He tries, but fails miserably when he spots Kobal in the classroom tormenting him with barbs about his daughter. To say that Serena, who's totally unaware there's a merciless demon standing next to her, is mortified is an understatement and strains an already somewhat fractured relationship between father and daughter.
I read Demon and knew Kobal would target Serena and I really worried that the bad guy might win. And I attribute this to West effectively developing both Serena and Charlie, and the love that he has for his little girl. So while Demon isn't "Boo! I scared you!" scary, West creates a sense of dread surrounding Charlie and Serena and the eventual reckoning with Kobal. Also, I must say that I loved West's perverse description of hell. We get to visit the netherworld, and West's vision of its myriad of tormented denizens is quite creepy and memorable. Demon's a long and entertaining novella, so you're getting your money's worth. It's very well-written, flows smoothly, and has what I believe is a fairly original premise. I found myself thinking on multiple occasions "How the hell is Charlie going to get out of this?" Read West's book to find out if he does, because by all appearances, once you've got a demon hot on your heels, it can be very hard to shake.
So begins West's fun, although not particularly frightening, book that pits Charlie, who's really a decent guy, against Kobal, a ruthless demon bent on destroying Charlie's life for daring to slight Kobal's unsightly head of hair. Kobal encounters Charlie in the bathroom and more or less tells him he's doomed. Charlie blows it off as just another audience member with a thin skin. If only! First, just because I didn't find West's book scary isn't to say that it isn't a good work of horror. It is because West makes us care about Charlie and the people in his life, especially his daughter, Serena. When Charlie believes Kobal (a truly evil antagonist) is responsible for his mother's untimely death (he sees Kobal mocking him at his mom's funeral when nobody else can), he fears for his daughter's life. We also learn it is particularly difficult to rid the world of demons, so Charlie's really up against one bad apple who takes great delight in tormenting the unfunny comic. One particularly wrenching scene is when Charlie goes to his daughter's school to describe what he does for a living, and naturally the class wants Charlie to be funny. He tries, but fails miserably when he spots Kobal in the classroom tormenting him with barbs about his daughter. To say that Serena, who's totally unaware there's a merciless demon standing next to her, is mortified is an understatement and strains an already somewhat fractured relationship between father and daughter.
I read Demon and knew Kobal would target Serena and I really worried that the bad guy might win. And I attribute this to West effectively developing both Serena and Charlie, and the love that he has for his little girl. So while Demon isn't "Boo! I scared you!" scary, West creates a sense of dread surrounding Charlie and Serena and the eventual reckoning with Kobal. Also, I must say that I loved West's perverse description of hell. We get to visit the netherworld, and West's vision of its myriad of tormented denizens is quite creepy and memorable. Demon's a long and entertaining novella, so you're getting your money's worth. It's very well-written, flows smoothly, and has what I believe is a fairly original premise. I found myself thinking on multiple occasions "How the hell is Charlie going to get out of this?" Read West's book to find out if he does, because by all appearances, once you've got a demon hot on your heels, it can be very hard to shake.
May 23, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novella.
Demon With A Comb-Over is a fast paced horror/comedy. Charlie Broadmoor is a fun and likeable character to follow. A stand-up comedian who is low on both cash and confidence due to the fact he's not very good at it. Divorced and down on his luck Charlie's life sucks. When he offends a customer at his show by making fun of his comb-over he has no idea how much worse his life is going to get. Kobal is a great villain. A demon with hair issues and an extremly bad attitude. This tale managed to both make me laugh out loud and cringe with horror as Charlie struggles to survive this pissed off demon with the help of his friend, Burgess and a pair of douchy angels. A super fun 4 star read.
Demon With A Comb-Over is a fast paced horror/comedy. Charlie Broadmoor is a fun and likeable character to follow. A stand-up comedian who is low on both cash and confidence due to the fact he's not very good at it. Divorced and down on his luck Charlie's life sucks. When he offends a customer at his show by making fun of his comb-over he has no idea how much worse his life is going to get. Kobal is a great villain. A demon with hair issues and an extremly bad attitude. This tale managed to both make me laugh out loud and cringe with horror as Charlie struggles to survive this pissed off demon with the help of his friend, Burgess and a pair of douchy angels. A super fun 4 star read.
April 26, 2016
Stuart R. West is the author of DEMON, his twelfth published book to date. It's the story of an aspiring stand-up comedian who makes an awful mistake. When his set isn't going well, he looks for an audience member to heckle...the guy with the comb-over looks perfect. Unfortunately, the 'guy' is a demon, and the demon doesn't like the teasing. It's an all out battle from there.
The story is riddled with stand-up type humor. It will definitely appeal to some and not others. As they say: Horror is funny that way... I liked it. I hope you do too.
The story is riddled with stand-up type humor. It will definitely appeal to some and not others. As they say: Horror is funny that way... I liked it. I hope you do too.
April 23, 2016
Talk about a tough crowd.
Take Charlie Broadmoor’s life. Please. Charlie sucks at stand-up comedy. He gets by, though. Things are okay. His life is decent. Until the night he makes fun of a demon’s comb-over. Big mistake. What kind of demon wears a comb-over? The sensitive kind. The kind who’s not going to let an insult slide. A demon who’s going to take Charlie down. As in down to Hell. And he intends on dragging everyone Charlie cares about along for the ride.
“This comb-over guy claims he’s a demon. A demon with a real mad-on against me. But
demons don’t exist. He’s obviously crazy.”
Only ‘he’ isn’t crazy or even a he, not really. It’s Kobal, the Demon Prince of Mockery - I thought it was created for this book but Google searches reveal my ignorance and some interesting articles.
The two main human characters - Charlie and his daughter, Serena - are very well drawn and extremely likeable. The dynamics of a father and daughter relationship are insightful with some nice touches of emotion that stay the right side of pathos. Because we care what happens to them lends a lot of the drama to the novel. If you want gory, scary horror, then this may not be for you. If you enjoy fleshed out proper people as characters, with tension, suspense and action then buy it and read it.
Pretty original I would say. Humour and horror? Together? Yes it does work here because the humour is an integral part of the plot and is never allowed to deride the story.
I even found myself feeling sorry for Kobal. He can be a fun guy - he went to a comedy club after all, yet is picked out by the comic for ridicule. Anyone who has sat in the front row at these gigs knows the feeling of butterfly-pinned-to-the-board of embarrassment. The comedians never know when to stop it feels when the spotlight is on you.
Anyway, comb-overs are in the US news a lot right now aren’t they?
It’s a real shame the ongoing demise of Samhain has overshadowed the release of what is an entertaining and well written novel. I will seek out on Kindle the authors other books. Recommended.
Take Charlie Broadmoor’s life. Please. Charlie sucks at stand-up comedy. He gets by, though. Things are okay. His life is decent. Until the night he makes fun of a demon’s comb-over. Big mistake. What kind of demon wears a comb-over? The sensitive kind. The kind who’s not going to let an insult slide. A demon who’s going to take Charlie down. As in down to Hell. And he intends on dragging everyone Charlie cares about along for the ride.
“This comb-over guy claims he’s a demon. A demon with a real mad-on against me. But
demons don’t exist. He’s obviously crazy.”
Only ‘he’ isn’t crazy or even a he, not really. It’s Kobal, the Demon Prince of Mockery - I thought it was created for this book but Google searches reveal my ignorance and some interesting articles.
The two main human characters - Charlie and his daughter, Serena - are very well drawn and extremely likeable. The dynamics of a father and daughter relationship are insightful with some nice touches of emotion that stay the right side of pathos. Because we care what happens to them lends a lot of the drama to the novel. If you want gory, scary horror, then this may not be for you. If you enjoy fleshed out proper people as characters, with tension, suspense and action then buy it and read it.
Pretty original I would say. Humour and horror? Together? Yes it does work here because the humour is an integral part of the plot and is never allowed to deride the story.
I even found myself feeling sorry for Kobal. He can be a fun guy - he went to a comedy club after all, yet is picked out by the comic for ridicule. Anyone who has sat in the front row at these gigs knows the feeling of butterfly-pinned-to-the-board of embarrassment. The comedians never know when to stop it feels when the spotlight is on you.
Anyway, comb-overs are in the US news a lot right now aren’t they?
It’s a real shame the ongoing demise of Samhain has overshadowed the release of what is an entertaining and well written novel. I will seek out on Kindle the authors other books. Recommended.
March 17, 2016
Review from: http://beneaththeunderground.com/book...
Charlie Broadmoor is a failed comedian. While on stage, tanking yet again, he decides to heckle a person in the crowd in attempt to try and save his routine from becoming a total failure. Pinpointing a man in the crowd with a particularly bad comb-over, Charlie lets a rip, clearly upsetting the man. He quickly learns that the man with a comb-over is no man at all, in fact, it is a demon with a very narrow sense of humor. Having been teased and pushed verbally, the demon vows to seek revenge and destroy everything around him, including the people he loves.
Stuart R. West is at its best during Charlie’s emotional interactions with Kobal, his daughter and his ex-wife. The father dealing with the issue at hand while trying to keep visitation with his daughter is a nice touch that adds some genuine heft however the humor in this story is just awful. Charlie is supposed to be a terrible comedian, I get that, but the humor that is thrown around from other characters and interactions is cringe worthy at best.
As a huge fan of stand up and horror, this should have been a no brainer. Instead, all I can say is that this book just wasn’t for me. Even for a novella, the story felt overlong and involved sequences that I just could not care about. The showdown at the end is satisfying and the conclusion is handled well, it’s just a long journey to get there.
April 21, 2016
Tragedy is when something undeservedly awful happens to something good. This is a tragedy, because Demon With a Comb Over is something good.
Stuart West’s story of a comedian enduring the wrath of a demon he scorned is a fast, engaging read. Through a splendid first person point of view he builds an excellent, flawed, likable character. West doesn’t stop there, giving the secondary characters, especially the daughter, depth and clarity.
The humor arrives through snippets of stand up and Charlie’s sarcastic outlook on life and his situation. But the horror hits hard throughout with engrossing suspense and gross-out demons. I once had the great horror editor Don D’Auria explain the delicate balance needed in a horror book with humor. Demon with a Comb Over is the textbook example.
The tragedy here? This novel is one of the last releases from Samhain Horror, sent out into the world after the publisher’s marketing department had disbanded and paperback sales discontinued. Without the last minute arrival of a white knight savior, this fine book, and this ode to its quality, will soon disappear.
There’s no punch line to soften that horror story.
Stuart West’s story of a comedian enduring the wrath of a demon he scorned is a fast, engaging read. Through a splendid first person point of view he builds an excellent, flawed, likable character. West doesn’t stop there, giving the secondary characters, especially the daughter, depth and clarity.
The humor arrives through snippets of stand up and Charlie’s sarcastic outlook on life and his situation. But the horror hits hard throughout with engrossing suspense and gross-out demons. I once had the great horror editor Don D’Auria explain the delicate balance needed in a horror book with humor. Demon with a Comb Over is the textbook example.
The tragedy here? This novel is one of the last releases from Samhain Horror, sent out into the world after the publisher’s marketing department had disbanded and paperback sales discontinued. Without the last minute arrival of a white knight savior, this fine book, and this ode to its quality, will soon disappear.
There’s no punch line to soften that horror story.
March 15, 2016
Charlie is a comedian, who some may think is not very funny. One of them being a Demon. After a not so good performance. He goes to the good ol' let's make fun of an audience member. He kinda chose the wrong one. Now Charlie has to figure out a way out of it. The Demon is hell bent (<-- see what I did there) on making his life a nightmare.
This is a haunting, creepy tale with a slice of Comedy. I felt for Charlie but you don't mess with a Demon. Even if he has a Comb-Over.
Charlie has to overcome so much but he's smarter than the Demon gives him credit for. Giving one of his best performances in Hell. This was truly a fantastic read.
Stuart is this amazingly talented writer. Who takes an idea and just gives it life. He's versatile in his genres. He can do an amazing YA. To a creepy, horror. So honestly, I don't think anyone who is a fan would be disappointed or even a new one...Lissa
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This is a haunting, creepy tale with a slice of Comedy. I felt for Charlie but you don't mess with a Demon. Even if he has a Comb-Over.
Charlie has to overcome so much but he's smarter than the Demon gives him credit for. Giving one of his best performances in Hell. This was truly a fantastic read.
Stuart is this amazingly talented writer. Who takes an idea and just gives it life. He's versatile in his genres. He can do an amazing YA. To a creepy, horror. So honestly, I don't think anyone who is a fan would be disappointed or even a new one...Lissa
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
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February 20, 2016**5 Stars** Full Review and Rating will be up on Boundless Book Reviews
March 8, 2017
This was a hard one to rate. I’ll be honest, I read this more out of curiosity than anything. I wanted to know how you could mix comedy with horror and make it work. Turns out, you can't, at least not in this case.
Don’t get me wrong, in the beginning it was working quite well. I was enthralled. Good straightforward writing, and humorous. I kept wondering, “oh no, what’s going to happen next?” The horror was just on the edge of corny, but was working for the story as a whole. A good 3.5, maybe averaging up to 4 stars.
But then Charlie (our protagonist) gets sucked into hell for the first time, and it’s jolting. Everything up until that point had been satirical, at times depressing but with a funny lilt to it. After Charlie gets sucked into hell things get serious, and it turns into more of a horror story. Granted, it’s supposed to be a horror story, but the transition just wasn’t smooth, and from that point on I was plain and simple depressed.
There were some side-characters that majorly slowed down the story as well, and while this book is quite short, every scene with these guys made the book feel like it would never end.
There were two angels who I’m sure were meant to be comic relief, but instead took up space, sending us round and round on a boring carrousel with monochromatic ponies….And Sylvia…Oh Charlie, seriously? Sylvia is this gorgeous blond who’s interested in Charlie, and “thinks he’s funny”. *shakes head* you can see the “twist” with her coming from the get go, which perhaps is the point, but every time she came on stage I caught myself rolling my eyes.
While Charlie wasn’t the most likeable character, he was interesting enough, and his daughter makes you smile, while his ex-wife is just plain batty. Thinking back on it, there really are NO likeable women characters, there might be something to be said about that, but we’ll leave that be for now.
Anyway, while there was potential to be had in this first book, it ended up falling flat…sad really. In the end I MIGHT suggest this book to someone. Maybe a comedian if I knew one, out of irony's sake. But yeah...probably not.
**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Don’t get me wrong, in the beginning it was working quite well. I was enthralled. Good straightforward writing, and humorous. I kept wondering, “oh no, what’s going to happen next?” The horror was just on the edge of corny, but was working for the story as a whole. A good 3.5, maybe averaging up to 4 stars.
But then Charlie (our protagonist) gets sucked into hell for the first time, and it’s jolting. Everything up until that point had been satirical, at times depressing but with a funny lilt to it. After Charlie gets sucked into hell things get serious, and it turns into more of a horror story. Granted, it’s supposed to be a horror story, but the transition just wasn’t smooth, and from that point on I was plain and simple depressed.
There were some side-characters that majorly slowed down the story as well, and while this book is quite short, every scene with these guys made the book feel like it would never end.
There were two angels who I’m sure were meant to be comic relief, but instead took up space, sending us round and round on a boring carrousel with monochromatic ponies….And Sylvia…Oh Charlie, seriously? Sylvia is this gorgeous blond who’s interested in Charlie, and “thinks he’s funny”. *shakes head* you can see the “twist” with her coming from the get go, which perhaps is the point, but every time she came on stage I caught myself rolling my eyes.
While Charlie wasn’t the most likeable character, he was interesting enough, and his daughter makes you smile, while his ex-wife is just plain batty. Thinking back on it, there really are NO likeable women characters, there might be something to be said about that, but we’ll leave that be for now.
Anyway, while there was potential to be had in this first book, it ended up falling flat…sad really. In the end I MIGHT suggest this book to someone. Maybe a comedian if I knew one, out of irony's sake. But yeah...probably not.
**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
December 29, 2018
When I was briefly on Netgalley this was a book that I was approved for but I was unhappy that the publisher asked me not to publish a low star review if that was my opinion and I told them I wasn't prepared to do that and never read it. I must say that this was nothing to do with the author who was horrified when it came to his attention, and he kindly sent me a review copy to look at.
Charlie is a fading comic in a club who is struggling with his audience who don't seem to find anything funny, especially him. He takes the fateful decision to pick on a man in the audience with a dodgy comb-over, hoping to get the crowd laughing at him. Sadly for Charlie the crowd don't laugh anyway and the angry man confronts him after the show about his rudeness. Charlie is unrepentant even when the man reveals himself to be a demon and will get revenge on him and the people he loves. It soon becomes clear that the man is a demon and he will not stop until he gets Charlie.
The demon Kobal tells Charlie that he intends to destroy his life and Charlie quickly believes it when someone he cares about dies suddenly and the gleeful demon makes an appearance at the funeral. He has to turn to one of his fellow comics for help to protect him and his daughter Serena but Kobal ensures that everything Charlie does goes wrong causing all kinds of problems for him to deal with.
The main problem I had was that I didn't really like the MC Charlie or find him funny. Part of this is down to the fact that I have a particular dislike for comics in real life who decide to make bitchy comments to members of the audience about their appearance. These people have no regard for how upsetting or humiliating this can be for someone who just wanted a night out, as long as they get the cheap laugh for it. This was pretty much how I felt about Charlie and it was hard to feel any sympathy for the mess he was in. He is struggling as a comic because he isn't really much good and his act is tanking badly in front of his latest audience. He decides that picking on a man in the audience and slagging off his comb-over is a good way to get the crowd going, which is a pretty nasty thing to do. It was like watching a train wreck as Charlie gets more insulting and desperate and only infuriates the man. It was Charlie's loved ones that I actually had sympathy for.
It was the side characters that I actually found more interesting. The mysterious Kenneth only appeared briefly as the strange neighbour but he was the one that I really wanted to find out more about and I was a bit disappointed that we never got his back story by the time the book finished. I like the foul mouthed, foul mannered Burgess who managed to be naturally funnier than Charlie ever was and tries to help with the demon problem. His ex Celia, Serena's mother was also quite interesting in the little bursts that we got of her. I'd have liked to see her meeting Burgess and being along for the trip so I could see more of her strange habits. However I found The Angels so annoying that I actually wanted to kill them. I didn't really get the scenes between them and Charlie and what the purpose of them was for the plot.
I did struggle with the book in parts so overall I didn't know whether to give it 2, 2.5 or 3 stars when I finished it. I'm still struggling to rate it. For me the humour fell totally flat but of course what we find funny is a purely personal thing and that doesn't mean that the writing wasn't funny so I'm sure others will be amused by it. I didn't find Charlie funny at all and ploughing through a few of his unfunny routines through the book didn't greatly entertain me. I really hated The Angels but liked the other side characters. I also wasn't greatly keen on the sex scenes with Charlie and Sylvia which added nothing to the story and I skimmed past them. I did finish the book to see what happens, and there were a few things I did like in it but the struggles I had with it means I have little option but to drop the star rating accordingly.
The one thing I did find is that there was nothing wrong with the actual writing style or story development and as I do have other books by the author on my ereader, I might well try something else by Mr West in the future as he seems to write a mix of genres and something else may suit me better.
Charlie is a fading comic in a club who is struggling with his audience who don't seem to find anything funny, especially him. He takes the fateful decision to pick on a man in the audience with a dodgy comb-over, hoping to get the crowd laughing at him. Sadly for Charlie the crowd don't laugh anyway and the angry man confronts him after the show about his rudeness. Charlie is unrepentant even when the man reveals himself to be a demon and will get revenge on him and the people he loves. It soon becomes clear that the man is a demon and he will not stop until he gets Charlie.
The demon Kobal tells Charlie that he intends to destroy his life and Charlie quickly believes it when someone he cares about dies suddenly and the gleeful demon makes an appearance at the funeral. He has to turn to one of his fellow comics for help to protect him and his daughter Serena but Kobal ensures that everything Charlie does goes wrong causing all kinds of problems for him to deal with.
The main problem I had was that I didn't really like the MC Charlie or find him funny. Part of this is down to the fact that I have a particular dislike for comics in real life who decide to make bitchy comments to members of the audience about their appearance. These people have no regard for how upsetting or humiliating this can be for someone who just wanted a night out, as long as they get the cheap laugh for it. This was pretty much how I felt about Charlie and it was hard to feel any sympathy for the mess he was in. He is struggling as a comic because he isn't really much good and his act is tanking badly in front of his latest audience. He decides that picking on a man in the audience and slagging off his comb-over is a good way to get the crowd going, which is a pretty nasty thing to do. It was like watching a train wreck as Charlie gets more insulting and desperate and only infuriates the man. It was Charlie's loved ones that I actually had sympathy for.
It was the side characters that I actually found more interesting. The mysterious Kenneth only appeared briefly as the strange neighbour but he was the one that I really wanted to find out more about and I was a bit disappointed that we never got his back story by the time the book finished. I like the foul mouthed, foul mannered Burgess who managed to be naturally funnier than Charlie ever was and tries to help with the demon problem. His ex Celia, Serena's mother was also quite interesting in the little bursts that we got of her. I'd have liked to see her meeting Burgess and being along for the trip so I could see more of her strange habits. However I found The Angels so annoying that I actually wanted to kill them. I didn't really get the scenes between them and Charlie and what the purpose of them was for the plot.
I did struggle with the book in parts so overall I didn't know whether to give it 2, 2.5 or 3 stars when I finished it. I'm still struggling to rate it. For me the humour fell totally flat but of course what we find funny is a purely personal thing and that doesn't mean that the writing wasn't funny so I'm sure others will be amused by it. I didn't find Charlie funny at all and ploughing through a few of his unfunny routines through the book didn't greatly entertain me. I really hated The Angels but liked the other side characters. I also wasn't greatly keen on the sex scenes with Charlie and Sylvia which added nothing to the story and I skimmed past them. I did finish the book to see what happens, and there were a few things I did like in it but the struggles I had with it means I have little option but to drop the star rating accordingly.
The one thing I did find is that there was nothing wrong with the actual writing style or story development and as I do have other books by the author on my ereader, I might well try something else by Mr West in the future as he seems to write a mix of genres and something else may suit me better.
February 23, 2017
Charlie is having a bad day a really bad day . He is a comic but honestly not a good comic. He is bombing at being a comic , Until the night he picked on the wrong person . Don't ever mess the guy with the comb over , he might just be a demon that can make your life a living hell.
So begins the twisted tale of Charlie and his dissent into hell . The author takes a very humorous take on the horror twist . I like how the author added humor to the horror genre in a good mashup. The main character Charlie is such a fun character to read . He is such a messed up mess and it takes awhile for him to realize that he is being tortured by a demon . He just goes about his business and while bad things are starting to happen . Kobal is the demon who takes on Charlie . He is one grumpy demon. He has had a hard life and is taking it out on Charlie .
The story has a great mash up of horror and humor . The author takes us on a ride that mixes humor , tragedy . horror and drama . The characters are well written and the story is fast paced . You will be rooting for the good guy . But honestly you start to think he isn't going to come out of it alive . You will be embroiled in the characters and the story . I will say this you will have to read the book to see if Charlie and his daughter make it out alive . Also what happens to Kobal . You will be surprised .
So begins the twisted tale of Charlie and his dissent into hell . The author takes a very humorous take on the horror twist . I like how the author added humor to the horror genre in a good mashup. The main character Charlie is such a fun character to read . He is such a messed up mess and it takes awhile for him to realize that he is being tortured by a demon . He just goes about his business and while bad things are starting to happen . Kobal is the demon who takes on Charlie . He is one grumpy demon. He has had a hard life and is taking it out on Charlie .
The story has a great mash up of horror and humor . The author takes us on a ride that mixes humor , tragedy . horror and drama . The characters are well written and the story is fast paced . You will be rooting for the good guy . But honestly you start to think he isn't going to come out of it alive . You will be embroiled in the characters and the story . I will say this you will have to read the book to see if Charlie and his daughter make it out alive . Also what happens to Kobal . You will be surprised .
March 9, 2016
Charlie Broadmoor is a divorced, mediocre stand-up comedian just looking for a break. But during a set, when things aren't going well, he makes the mistake of poking fun at a member of the audience. Normally he'd just end up with an upset patron. But when his target is an easy-to-anger demon, the consequences are much higher. This demon doesn't have a sense of humor about himself. Suddenly, Charlie finds himself the target of a demon who makes it known he will enjoy watching Charlie suffer. Can Charlie get the demon off his tail before his entire life falls apart?
This one just did not work for me. First, Charlie wasn't a very sympathetic character, and he certainly wasn't before the demon showed up. It's difficult to feel invested when you don't have any reason to root for the main character. Second, the character of the demon just seems weak and inconsistent. There was no sense of fear or danger from him most of the time--he mostly felt like a joke. And third, the very graphic description of what Charlie sees in hell didn't seem in keeping with the tone of the story and felt very out of place. The idea here is an interesting one, that's for sure. But it just doesn't quite come together in the execution.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
This one just did not work for me. First, Charlie wasn't a very sympathetic character, and he certainly wasn't before the demon showed up. It's difficult to feel invested when you don't have any reason to root for the main character. Second, the character of the demon just seems weak and inconsistent. There was no sense of fear or danger from him most of the time--he mostly felt like a joke. And third, the very graphic description of what Charlie sees in hell didn't seem in keeping with the tone of the story and felt very out of place. The idea here is an interesting one, that's for sure. But it just doesn't quite come together in the execution.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
March 21, 2016
Charlie’s having another bad day in a long line of them when he makes the fateful decision to poke fun at a nightclub customer during his stand-up comedy routine. Unfortunately for him, the customer happens to be a demon who has zero sense of humor when it comes to being mocked by humans. Charlie’s just made a dangerous enemy and the demon is determined to get revenge by taking everything from him.
From this point, the reader dives into an exciting story! It takes Charlie a while before he believes there’s really such a thing as an all-powerful demon, but when his loved ones start dying, he realizes the “impossible” is actually happening. Nothing in Charlie’s life means more to him than his daughter. With the demon promising to get her too, Charlie must do everything in his power to learn about demons and how to get rid of one before he loses everything that matters to him. But how does a mere mortal battle a demon? With magic of course!
As with all his books, author Stuart West manages to combine humor, tragedy, horror, and drama in a masterful way. This book offers unique characters embroiled in a frightening story. You’ll be rooting for Charlie to win…and it doesn’t look good there for a while. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens to Charlie, his daughter, and the dangerous demon. Highly recommended!
From this point, the reader dives into an exciting story! It takes Charlie a while before he believes there’s really such a thing as an all-powerful demon, but when his loved ones start dying, he realizes the “impossible” is actually happening. Nothing in Charlie’s life means more to him than his daughter. With the demon promising to get her too, Charlie must do everything in his power to learn about demons and how to get rid of one before he loses everything that matters to him. But how does a mere mortal battle a demon? With magic of course!
As with all his books, author Stuart West manages to combine humor, tragedy, horror, and drama in a masterful way. This book offers unique characters embroiled in a frightening story. You’ll be rooting for Charlie to win…and it doesn’t look good there for a while. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens to Charlie, his daughter, and the dangerous demon. Highly recommended!
March 18, 2016
A small-time stand-up comic makes the biggest mistake of his life. And no, it’s not that he actually made the questionable decision to become a stand-up comic. It’s that he ticked off a demon.
Author Stuart West once again brings the funny (and the action) in his latest book. Charlie Broadmoor is the ill-fated comedian unwillingly pitted against Kobal, the demon with a comb-over. Charlie watches as Kobal toys with his loved ones, seemingly helpless to stop the demon’s antics. When Kobal goes after Charlie’s young daughter, things get serious.
As always, Mr. West creates compelling characters and unique situations, enhanced by his devilish sense of humor.
Author Stuart West once again brings the funny (and the action) in his latest book. Charlie Broadmoor is the ill-fated comedian unwillingly pitted against Kobal, the demon with a comb-over. Charlie watches as Kobal toys with his loved ones, seemingly helpless to stop the demon’s antics. When Kobal goes after Charlie’s young daughter, things get serious.
As always, Mr. West creates compelling characters and unique situations, enhanced by his devilish sense of humor.
March 19, 2016
I never hesitate to nab West's books as I know they're going to take me for a great ride. Funny, great characters, and always a story that pulls me in--that's what I know I'm in for, and Demon is a perfect example of his craft. It reminds me a bit of Louis CK meets Supernatural. The demons aren't in any way nice (or sexy in some kind of paranormal romance vein), and Charlie, the main character, has every reason to be scared out of his mind. The wild ride that continues from there had me both laughing, and white-knuckling my kindle as I hoped they'd survive. It's all kind of crazy, sprinkled with belly laughs and some gore. Absolutely recommend this read!
July 22, 2016
Author Stuart R. West takes on two challenging genres in this novel - horror and comedy - and delivers chills and laughs with aplomb. The central relationship between the flawed, self deprecating protagonist (Charlie the failing stand-up comic) and his daughter Serena provides the heart for this tale of demonic revenge. More Faustian farce than Faustian pact, Demon With A Comb-Over is an energetic read, packed with sardonic wit and enough claret to keep those heckling for "more gore!" happy.
March 21, 2016
This is truly one of the funniest books I have ever read. It's up there with James Thurber and Jeff Kinney (but in a much more grownup way). I laughed so hard, I had to keep wiping my eyes and my kids kept complaining that I was laughing too loud. Not my fault. Mr. West's fault. This is a must read. I foresee this book to be a well-loved comedy. If you like Woody Allen movies, you'll love this.
March 30, 2016
Excellent Genre Mashup
What a charming book. I know that may sound odd, but the author creates characters that you genuinely care for, especially Charlie. I would have liked more of Kobal and Charlie having conversations, since that was the most enjoyable part of the book.
Hats off to the author for a wonderfully original idea and great execution.
What a charming book. I know that may sound odd, but the author creates characters that you genuinely care for, especially Charlie. I would have liked more of Kobal and Charlie having conversations, since that was the most enjoyable part of the book.
Hats off to the author for a wonderfully original idea and great execution.
February 24, 2016
A horror novel with a sense of humor
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/demon-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/demon-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews