In Black

by Robert Essig

Chase thought he’d been hired to do some painting, but when the paint dried, it created a black void through which was a chamber. Suffering abounds, but Chase manages to escape with his life…and the strange black paint. Needles is a town that time seems to have forgotten. Run down, desperate—the perfect place for Paul to pimp out his girlfriend and close enough to Laughlin for him to gamble away her earnings. When he discovers the eerie black paint, he creates a depraved brothel in a hidden void and hightails it to Vegas to make some real dough. Chase spends his fugitive life in search for his missing wife and the black paint. After requesting the help of someone he is loath to work with, he finds himself driving through the desert to Sin City for a showdown like no other. He was warned about the black paint, but didn’t listen. Now he has to find and destroy it before more innocent lives succumb to its unfathomable darkness.

Genres: Horror

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2015

About the author

Robert Essig is the author of 30 books such as Baby Fights, Disco Rice, and Master of Bodies, which was nominated for a Splatterpunk Award. He has published over 130 short stories and edited three anthologies. Robert lives with his family in east Tennessee.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very different than the normal horror fare. And honestly, who hasn’t tangoed with some interdimensional paint? Oh, just me then? Anyway, the story jumps right into the premise within the first few chapters. Chase just showed up to Keri’s house to paint some doors. Why couldn’t it have been that simple? And then we meet Leah, Paul, Lindsay, Brent, Randy, and Kyle. Paul is just the epitome of disgusting and you hate him. Brent and his friends have some really good dynamics with one another, making their eventual conflicts seem more meaningful. Leah is troubled, but you want to see her clean herself up and not give into her anger and vices. But despite which character the story focuses on at a given time, Essig makes you feel a wide variety of emotions. And that’s important to keep you honed in on the stakes of this unique plot. The creatures were distinct and this other realm that the paint brought you into reminding me of something from Wishmaster or Hellraiser. I did want some more background on Chase, which may have been good to put in directly before the issue at Keri’s house. It would have also helped the reader understand more about some of his decisions and relationship with Leah. And there were a handful of formatting issues and grammatical errors on the eBook version, which were distracting at times. But overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely check out Robert Essig’s other works.

[Amit · Rating 5 out of 5]

JESUS! JESUS!! JESUS!!!

How the hell I haven't find that book or say the author earlier! This was a gem, a real gem of horror. What it did was just f**king my brain with total massacre. Sick the tale, I f**king loved it...

So this was my last book read of 2020 and guess what it did ended with a great twist which I never thought of. The story somehow I find very strange and immediately it went to the main plot of the story, which was really surprising and of course very engaging too. Chase being hired for painting and he was on to it. But when he found the person who hired him as something extraterrestrial being it was all he could do to survive himself while also dealing with that black paint. From just then his life turned into somewhat else and he got no time to regret but accept it. In the meantime there emerged 3 characters the brutal bully guy Brent and his two innocently friend named Kyle and Randy. When a bully sick bust**d like Brent got the power which they shouldn't have you can imagine how the thing gone by then. Which exactly happened in here. It was a total carnage of bloody hell. I have no desire to elaborate the scenario here. Back to Chase while somehow in an event he loses his wife Leah, Chase couldn't deal with this pain and after multiple trying of search about his wife in desperation he seeks help to something that he always wanted to regret but couldn't. The main twist actually start from here and I bet whoever reading this book now would end up messing up with their mind and maybe loving the tale too. Who knows! But for me it was great, too much to say regarding the fact this was truly a great finishing for me of year 2020. Then again Loved it...

5 - 100%...

[Evans Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover art of Robert Essig's IN BLACK promises 80's-style pulp horror, and that is exactly what it delivers. With a truly original premise (at least one I've never encountered before), this breezy novel gives you everything you'd want and expect from a vintage pulp horror novel, including a parade of despicable characters trapped in a highly unlikely circumstances (but fun regardless), all ready to entertain you with deplorable acts of mayhem until the final page.
There is a lot of imagination on display in these pages, and the author boldly reaches for the sky with the big reveal and just barely makes it work. I appreciate the sense of daring, and for me the denouement was perfectly fitting.
Highly recommended horror that doesn't take itself too seriously - fans of Bentley Little, Bryan Smith and Richard Laymon should enjoy this immensely.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The dead ones. They're lucky." an example pulled from the pages of Robert Essig's In Black. Be warned, this book is twisted, dark and addictive. The tale of a man named Chase and his encounter with a key of sorts that unlocks mysteries of the universe, skips the usual tropes and slaps organized religion in the face. Essig has succeeded in surprising me as I'm sure he'll surprise other readers. Well written, well paced and thoroughly twisted, In Black is sure to please readers of horror and Bizzaro alike.

[Stefanie Von Guest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Interesting concept and kept me reading to find out just what was going on. A relatively short read but even so the characters had their own personalities and were all very different. A cool and twisted idea though the ending was a little lacklustre. I'd recommend this to people looking for horror with a more bizarre and out there plot.

[Shannon Zablocki · Rating 5 out of 5]

i couldn't put this book down, it was so good with so many twists and turns.