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Ladies' Night
Ladies' Night is a non-stop rollercoaster ride of sheer nerve rattling terror, previously deemed too violent for mass market publication. In this modern tale of the ages-old battle of the sexes carried to the extreme, Jack Ketchum again provides readers with an excursion into horror as relentless as a John Woo film. Tom Braun and his wife Susan aren't exactly a picturesque couple. Thus it comes as no surprise that Tom continually spends late evenings in bars and cheats on his wife. Unfortunately, their son Andy is caught in the middle of his parent's childish banter and family chaos. One life-altering evening turns this family's, along with most of New York's, perceptions on the nuclear family and male/female relationships upside down. When a tanker trunk with "Ladies Inc." emblazoned on the side crashes in a quiet area in New York, an area it doesn't have authorization to be in, it liberally spills its contents all over the road and into the surrounding atmosphere. The local authorities deem the contents of the spill to be safe, based merely on the assumption that products coming from a women's label are more than likely benign. Moreover, the smell emanating from the spill is one of sweet cherry, similar to lollipops, which must of course be harmless if not favorable. This aforementioned assumption proves fatally incorrect. The chemical load the truck was hauling procures a discomfiting, bestial effect in women, forcing them to savagely attack males in their vicinity. Be they former friend or foe. Tom, while at a local bar, absorbs the evening's strange turn of events with traumatizing clarity as he witnesses first hand the metamorphosis of surrounding women into gruesomely instinctual brutes and mantis-like predators. He must get home to his son Andy, who is currently alone with his wife Susan. Hopefully before it is too late.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
53 people are currently reading
1278 people want to read
About the author
Jack Ketchum
199 books2,969 followersDallas William Mayr, better known by his pen name Jack Ketchum, was an American horror fiction author. He was the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. His novels included Off Season, Offspring, and Red, which were adapted to film. In 2011, Ketchum received the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award for outstanding contribution to the horror genre.
A onetime actor, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk, Ketchum credited his childhood love of Elvis Presley, dinosaurs, and horror for getting him through his formative years. He began making up stories at a young age and explained that he spent much time in his room, or in the woods near his house, down by the brook: "[m]y interests [were] books, comics, movies, rock 'n roll, show tunes, TV, dinosaurs [...] pretty much any activity that didn't demand too much socializing, or where I could easily walk away from socializing." He would make up stories using his plastic soldiers, knights, and dinosaurs as the characters.
Later, in his teen years, Ketchum was befriended by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, who became his mentor.
Ketchum worked many different jobs before completing his first novel (1980's controversial Off Season), including acting as agent for novelist Henry Miller at Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
His decision to eventually concentrate on novel writing was partly fueled by a preference for work that offered stability and longevity.
Ketchum died of cancer on January 24, 2018, in New York City at the age of 71.
A onetime actor, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk, Ketchum credited his childhood love of Elvis Presley, dinosaurs, and horror for getting him through his formative years. He began making up stories at a young age and explained that he spent much time in his room, or in the woods near his house, down by the brook: "[m]y interests [were] books, comics, movies, rock 'n roll, show tunes, TV, dinosaurs [...] pretty much any activity that didn't demand too much socializing, or where I could easily walk away from socializing." He would make up stories using his plastic soldiers, knights, and dinosaurs as the characters.
Later, in his teen years, Ketchum was befriended by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, who became his mentor.
Ketchum worked many different jobs before completing his first novel (1980's controversial Off Season), including acting as agent for novelist Henry Miller at Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
His decision to eventually concentrate on novel writing was partly fueled by a preference for work that offered stability and longevity.
Ketchum died of cancer on January 24, 2018, in New York City at the age of 71.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 132 reviews
September 15, 2024
I finished reading "Ladies' Night" originally published October 2000 a quarter of a century ago. It was in fact his second novel but was rejected by his publisher at the time as being "too shocking and brutally violent". The book was also a hefty 400 pages in length. The more interesting findings I will include in my upcoming book review. Ketchum's view of his novel dwindled down to a mere 160 pages was pretty much in line with his publishing buddies that Ladies' Night was nothing short of a "nonstop rollercoaster ride of sheer nerve rattling terror"... Ketchum nailed it when he dubbed it a " terrific read with a breakneck pace and non-stop action...pulse pounding violent actions oriented horror". I loved that Ketchum used the book title he wanted and the tagline that captured his imagination: In the war between men and women the " Shooting has Begun". My book reviews will be posted over the next couple days. This short burst of unadulterated horror interspersed with bits of chilling commentary by the author screamed loudly and clearly for the Five Stars I rated it as it deserved.
September 16, 2021
Story 4/5
Narration 5/5
I liked it!
I recommend it.
Narration 5/5
I liked it!
I recommend it.
August 20, 2016
Oh, yes, it's ladies night
And the feeling's right
Oh, yes, it's ladies night
Oh, what a night!
(Oh, what a night!)
And then a truck accident spilled some crazy liquid, spewing forth toxic vapors into the air causing all the women folk to go nuts and start chopping people up. Yep, this was about what I thought it was going to be. A non-stop festival of senseless violence and blood.
According to the prologue, this was Ketchum’s sophomore effort and at one at one time was about 4 times as long. It was cut way way down years later in order to get it published. I can’t help but be a little curious about the missing pages for this one. I also can’t help but wonder if I would have liked it a lot more if it was written by another author instead of Ketchum. Ketchum raises the bar pretty high and maybe my expectations were a wee off. Who knows. It was not bad, just not Ketchum good.
I am giving this one 2.5 Stars and rounding it up to 3 because I was in the mood for a bit of senseless violence and there was no shortage of that here.
And the feeling's right
Oh, yes, it's ladies night
Oh, what a night!
(Oh, what a night!)
And then a truck accident spilled some crazy liquid, spewing forth toxic vapors into the air causing all the women folk to go nuts and start chopping people up. Yep, this was about what I thought it was going to be. A non-stop festival of senseless violence and blood.
According to the prologue, this was Ketchum’s sophomore effort and at one at one time was about 4 times as long. It was cut way way down years later in order to get it published. I can’t help but be a little curious about the missing pages for this one. I also can’t help but wonder if I would have liked it a lot more if it was written by another author instead of Ketchum. Ketchum raises the bar pretty high and maybe my expectations were a wee off. Who knows. It was not bad, just not Ketchum good.
I am giving this one 2.5 Stars and rounding it up to 3 because I was in the mood for a bit of senseless violence and there was no shortage of that here.
October 6, 2020
Bloody Brilliant!
This was a great read, fast paced gory and fun, I couldnt put it down. Full moon, women gone crazy, blood, guts....Perfect! 🖤
This was a great read, fast paced gory and fun, I couldnt put it down. Full moon, women gone crazy, blood, guts....Perfect! 🖤
July 1, 2016
I idolize Ketchum but this was probably the worst novel I've read by him. Straightforward horror that introduces little story and then it's non-stop stabby stabby until the end. It was short but didn't have the punch of Off Season. Not even close.
(I had to borrow the stabby stabby thing from Kelly. I should return it before her boar gets angry.)
(I had to borrow the stabby stabby thing from Kelly. I should return it before her boar gets angry.)
June 5, 2017
This was a really enjoyable read. I know what your thinking!? This is the same author that wrote THAT book... 'The Girl next door.' And I will admit I'm still trying to gather the mind will to read it. I guess I will one day who knows?
But anyways, after reading Off season this to me was a really light read compared to some of his other works, it's Still the classic Jack Ketchum style of way bloody out there With gut's and gore! And all that Classic splatterpunk style he's well known for, but it was funny!
I had vision's of what Shaun and the dead could be like if it had a splatterpunk theme! I'm not going to give too much away, I try to never do that. But if your into your splatterpunk I highly recommend this!
But anyways, after reading Off season this to me was a really light read compared to some of his other works, it's Still the classic Jack Ketchum style of way bloody out there With gut's and gore! And all that Classic splatterpunk style he's well known for, but it was funny!
I had vision's of what Shaun and the dead could be like if it had a splatterpunk theme! I'm not going to give too much away, I try to never do that. But if your into your splatterpunk I highly recommend this!
June 6, 2014
Oh God Bless You Jack Ketchum! As part of The WWEnd Roll-Your-Own Reading Challenge I signed up for the 2014 Grand Masters Reading Challenge and I have been reading some real doozies lately. Dan Simmons was full of bloated descriptions, Tannith Lee was a shallow love story, and Robert Silverberg was a pompous bore. But Than Ladies Night came along and the reading list was saved! This novel is the kind I love to devour. Once I picked it up I was unable to put it down. I finished it in 24 glorious hours.
It’s a dark and stormy night. Ok, you got me it was not a dark and stormy night. It was just your typical NYC early evening, and there has been a tanker truck accident in a residential area. Now the roads had been clearly marked for no commercial traffic, but the police can hardly ticket the driver because he was killed by the accident. The over turned tanker is leaking a sweet artificial cherry scented liquid into the streets, but no one seems concerned. This is how Ladies Night starts and it is the calmest part of the novel.
We are introduced to Tom, an editor and failed writer who we are introduced to while he is getting ready to step out on his wife Susan for a little one night stand. This was not the first time he had done this and everyone involved knows that this is a family in crisis. Including Tom and Susan’s son Andy. We are introduced to various people in the building in NY City that Tom and family live in. The first third of the novel is introduction to the various characters that will be playing part in the evening festivities. And it is just one evening. The entire novel takes place over the course of one night.
Little Bit of a SPOILER here. It turns out that the tanker was full of a secret chemical weapon created by our military to use on foreign soil, as a way to destroy and demoralize the enemy. It is an air born chemical that turns the female population into blood thirsty killers. Thus forcing the enemy to kill their own women or be killed by them in turn. Pretty blood-thirsty stuff. END OF SPOILER
I just adored this novel. There has been criticism about how this novel is misogynistic, but I have to disagree most hardily. For most of the novel the Ladies gave back way more than they got. If anything this novel glorifies that women can and will be just as blood thirsty as men given the right set of circumstances.
Jack Ketchum is known as a “splatterpunk” novelist and there is A LOT of violence in this novel, but I did not think it went over the top. The truth is I could have handled a lot more. There was not violence just for the sake of violence. I felt the killings showed nicely the transition the women went through as the chemical worked more and more into their system. The more overcome they became by the chemical, the more violent they became.
As for the various characters in the novel itself, all of them were nicely fleshed out. The only exception to this was the character of Lederer. He is a police officer and is introduced at the beginning of the novel during the chemical spill. He appears to be a major character but he only shows up sporadically. To me he felt like the character in any Shakespeare tragedy who’s only job it is come in at the end of the novel and cleans up all the dead bodies. In Ladies Night he performed the same duties as Horatio at the end of Hamlet. You know all these people are dead on the stage, and someone has to give it an ending. Now in the introduction, Mr. Ketchum said this novel originally came in at over 400 pages, so it could be the Lederer was more fleshed out at the beginning and was a casualty of the editor’s pen.
In conclusion all I can say is I hope the rest of the Grand Master books I read are as entertaining as Ladies Night by Jack Ketchum was.
It’s a dark and stormy night. Ok, you got me it was not a dark and stormy night. It was just your typical NYC early evening, and there has been a tanker truck accident in a residential area. Now the roads had been clearly marked for no commercial traffic, but the police can hardly ticket the driver because he was killed by the accident. The over turned tanker is leaking a sweet artificial cherry scented liquid into the streets, but no one seems concerned. This is how Ladies Night starts and it is the calmest part of the novel.
We are introduced to Tom, an editor and failed writer who we are introduced to while he is getting ready to step out on his wife Susan for a little one night stand. This was not the first time he had done this and everyone involved knows that this is a family in crisis. Including Tom and Susan’s son Andy. We are introduced to various people in the building in NY City that Tom and family live in. The first third of the novel is introduction to the various characters that will be playing part in the evening festivities. And it is just one evening. The entire novel takes place over the course of one night.
Little Bit of a SPOILER here. It turns out that the tanker was full of a secret chemical weapon created by our military to use on foreign soil, as a way to destroy and demoralize the enemy. It is an air born chemical that turns the female population into blood thirsty killers. Thus forcing the enemy to kill their own women or be killed by them in turn. Pretty blood-thirsty stuff. END OF SPOILER
I just adored this novel. There has been criticism about how this novel is misogynistic, but I have to disagree most hardily. For most of the novel the Ladies gave back way more than they got. If anything this novel glorifies that women can and will be just as blood thirsty as men given the right set of circumstances.
Jack Ketchum is known as a “splatterpunk” novelist and there is A LOT of violence in this novel, but I did not think it went over the top. The truth is I could have handled a lot more. There was not violence just for the sake of violence. I felt the killings showed nicely the transition the women went through as the chemical worked more and more into their system. The more overcome they became by the chemical, the more violent they became.
As for the various characters in the novel itself, all of them were nicely fleshed out. The only exception to this was the character of Lederer. He is a police officer and is introduced at the beginning of the novel during the chemical spill. He appears to be a major character but he only shows up sporadically. To me he felt like the character in any Shakespeare tragedy who’s only job it is come in at the end of the novel and cleans up all the dead bodies. In Ladies Night he performed the same duties as Horatio at the end of Hamlet. You know all these people are dead on the stage, and someone has to give it an ending. Now in the introduction, Mr. Ketchum said this novel originally came in at over 400 pages, so it could be the Lederer was more fleshed out at the beginning and was a casualty of the editor’s pen.
In conclusion all I can say is I hope the rest of the Grand Master books I read are as entertaining as Ladies Night by Jack Ketchum was.
August 27, 2009
I must first say I am a huge Jack Ketchum fan. Read all his book and “Ladies’ Night” was the last one.
After two chapters I was lost. I even had to look up his book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble to see if maybe it was a short story book or if it really was meant to be a complete story.
By the fifth chapter there still isn’t anything that ties the chapters together. We aren’t introduced to any of the characters, unless you count telling us their names an introduction.
By page 74 I knew that if I were to put the book down and never pick it up again nothing would be lost. I wouldn’t be left wondering how the book ended, or who was still alive/dead. It really is that bad.
The only real exciting part about this book is that I caught at least two glaring typos that made me stop and re-read the sentences over and over. With this book, not such a good thing.
Overall, I was hugely disappointed by this “story”. It’s in quotes because it doesn’t have a plot. Nothing. The entire book is full of knifings, killing, and utter mayhem. But since you really don’t know the characters you don’t tend to care what happens to them. Okay he died, next… This reminds me a “story” an angry teenager would write. Lots of blood and guts, but no real substance.
July 26, 2021
A short, violent novella by one of the masters of horror.
June 3, 2025
3.5 Ladies' Night is the inspired tale of what might happen if there were a gas that made women turn into homicidal, sex-crazed demons and it was let loose in New York City. What would that look like? In the capable hands of Jack Ketchum, even the dumbest idea can be good. It's almost more like a zombie movie and ends with crazy splatter violence, but it's psychological!
This is a massively cut-down rewrite of a book the author wrote early in his career. It's a grindhouse B-movie in story and has a reputation for being woman-hating. But the women are all normal before they snap; this is really a book about how the men react as their illusions of femininity are shattered. It says a lot about the era of readers who thought the sexist men were the heroes, and that the book was endorsing their views, or that this book was 'for' slasher violence. It's comparatively amateurish for the author, however, and touches on ideas that will be better explored later, but it is a gross, stupid fun monster movie where the monsters are women.
This is a massively cut-down rewrite of a book the author wrote early in his career. It's a grindhouse B-movie in story and has a reputation for being woman-hating. But the women are all normal before they snap; this is really a book about how the men react as their illusions of femininity are shattered. It says a lot about the era of readers who thought the sexist men were the heroes, and that the book was endorsing their views, or that this book was 'for' slasher violence. It's comparatively amateurish for the author, however, and touches on ideas that will be better explored later, but it is a gross, stupid fun monster movie where the monsters are women.
June 10, 2019
Nope. I love Ketchum as a writer but this one just didn't work for me. I know the synopsis basically tells you this is full of violence, I found the synopsis better written the the novella itself.
Every page is full of violence, which honestly I don't mind... especially when you're forewarned on both side of the cover of the book. However, whatever backstory, plot or character development is completely lost amid the continual bloody acts splattered across the pages. Where's the why, how and really anything to accompany this? We know something happens where the ladies become crazed and even the little girls get amazingly strong and violent towards all the men and that's about it.
All I can say is that what I got from this book was that if you smell anything that resembles cherry lollipops, it's probably best to get the fuck out of dodge.
Every page is full of violence, which honestly I don't mind... especially when you're forewarned on both side of the cover of the book. However, whatever backstory, plot or character development is completely lost amid the continual bloody acts splattered across the pages. Where's the why, how and really anything to accompany this? We know something happens where the ladies become crazed and even the little girls get amazingly strong and violent towards all the men and that's about it.
All I can say is that what I got from this book was that if you smell anything that resembles cherry lollipops, it's probably best to get the fuck out of dodge.
May 11, 2011
When a truck with a certain liquid crashes, and this substidy flooding all over the streets, all women around go berserk. Turning into ultraviolence creatures attacking and kill every man on their path..
While this happens, Tom Braun is in a bar, surrounded by women....
Quite a fun read, and for who is known with Ketchum's work, this one as well is interlard with over the top violence. This plot is not original, and after the short intro of Tom in the Bar, hell breaks loose...
Read this when you're angry! ;)
While this happens, Tom Braun is in a bar, surrounded by women....
Quite a fun read, and for who is known with Ketchum's work, this one as well is interlard with over the top violence. This plot is not original, and after the short intro of Tom in the Bar, hell breaks loose...
Read this when you're angry! ;)
March 23, 2019
Jack Ketchum wrote some great horror fiction in his time. This, however, isn't one of those. When the author's introduction about the history of the book and the writing/editing process is more interesting and well written than the novel proper, you know you've got some problems.
Ladies Night is a pretty violent and crazy story. The plot is simple and doesn't deviate from the premise one iota; one night, all the women of New York turn into blood thirsty killers, using their allure to trap men and brutally murder them. It's a battle of the sexes which doesn't have a whole lot of rhyme nor reason, just sexual innuendo and extreme violence.
There's a story somewhere beneath the bloodshed but it's lost amid the violence. Same goes with any character depth; there are hints of character backstory but they're quickly brushed aside in favor of action orientated murder scenes.
My rating: 2/5 stars. If you want to read Jack Ketchum read Off Season, The Woman, or The Girl Next Door.
Ladies Night is a pretty violent and crazy story. The plot is simple and doesn't deviate from the premise one iota; one night, all the women of New York turn into blood thirsty killers, using their allure to trap men and brutally murder them. It's a battle of the sexes which doesn't have a whole lot of rhyme nor reason, just sexual innuendo and extreme violence.
There's a story somewhere beneath the bloodshed but it's lost amid the violence. Same goes with any character depth; there are hints of character backstory but they're quickly brushed aside in favor of action orientated murder scenes.
My rating: 2/5 stars. If you want to read Jack Ketchum read Off Season, The Woman, or The Girl Next Door.
June 2, 2015
I could go for a cherry flavoured lollipop...
April 23, 2012
You know, I don't know how I feel about this book. From a purely objective standpoint, it's a fun little zombie story, and I enjoy fun little zombie stories. But I can't completely separate myself from my feminist viewpoints, so as such, tend to read everything through that lens. And that's where I run into trouble with a few things in this book, mostly Elizabeth and the mother.
Was Elizabeth killed because she was desireable? Was the mother killed for being a shrew? Were they punished because of the continum they presented to the father, Elizabeth playing the whore and the mother playing the unatainable, hated for being untainted Madonna? The deaths of all of the other myriad women didn't trouble me because they weren't fleshed out much. Even the rape vicitm seemed to be painted with some degree of pity; we felt less badly when she ran over men with reckless abandon because she had reasons even before she was infected.
Granted, I'm inclined to believe that Ketchum decided to simply kill off all the women because it's a zombie story. People don't tend to live through zombie attacks. Technically, both sexes had a pretty heavy death toll, but in the end the men won.
As they tend to do.
In short: it's a fun little zombie romp, heavy on the fear that's ingrained within all men of women's sexuality.
Was Elizabeth killed because she was desireable? Was the mother killed for being a shrew? Were they punished because of the continum they presented to the father, Elizabeth playing the whore and the mother playing the unatainable, hated for being untainted Madonna? The deaths of all of the other myriad women didn't trouble me because they weren't fleshed out much. Even the rape vicitm seemed to be painted with some degree of pity; we felt less badly when she ran over men with reckless abandon because she had reasons even before she was infected.
Granted, I'm inclined to believe that Ketchum decided to simply kill off all the women because it's a zombie story. People don't tend to live through zombie attacks. Technically, both sexes had a pretty heavy death toll, but in the end the men won.
As they tend to do.
In short: it's a fun little zombie romp, heavy on the fear that's ingrained within all men of women's sexuality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2011
2.75
Review proper to come ... I've got to think on this a while.
Notes:
Definitely a B movie in the making.
Very violent & sexual adolescent misogynistic fantasy elements which made me feel a little uncomfortable at times.
Too many unanswered questions/situation. I do believe though that not everything needs an explanation as this is how real life is. Sometimes there is no present answer.
A few 'ugh' moments causing a very distasteful expression while reading in public places.
Sounds as if i didn't like this but I did actually enjoy this one enough to want to continue reading even with the distasteful elements. Also felt a lot of reality in the reactions and feelings felt by the characters albeit they were not well developed. Then again it was a short novel therefore I guess that could be why.
Even felt the hatred from Andy for women and totally understood and wondered if the situation could ever be gotten over and if a man/boy/child could trust or want to be with a woman again.
I will definitely read another from this author...in fact will be reading Off Season.
Reading thru notes I think this will do for the review.
At £2.15 definitely worth a read!
Review proper to come ... I've got to think on this a while.
Notes:
Definitely a B movie in the making.
Very violent & sexual adolescent misogynistic fantasy elements which made me feel a little uncomfortable at times.
Too many unanswered questions/situation. I do believe though that not everything needs an explanation as this is how real life is. Sometimes there is no present answer.
A few 'ugh' moments causing a very distasteful expression while reading in public places.
Sounds as if i didn't like this but I did actually enjoy this one enough to want to continue reading even with the distasteful elements. Also felt a lot of reality in the reactions and feelings felt by the characters albeit they were not well developed. Then again it was a short novel therefore I guess that could be why.
Even felt the hatred from Andy for women and totally understood and wondered if the situation could ever be gotten over and if a man/boy/child could trust or want to be with a woman again.
I will definitely read another from this author...in fact will be reading Off Season.
Reading thru notes I think this will do for the review.
At £2.15 definitely worth a read!
August 28, 2016
I read a couple of other Jack Ketchum novels a few years ago. This one had been sitting on my shelves for over 10 years so finally got around to reading it. The story was reminiscent of Richard Laymon's novels that I usually enjoy even though they are basically mindless gore fests filled with blood and sex. This one was in that vein. The story took place in NYC where a spill from a tanker truck unleashed a chemical that only affected women and turned them into savage lustful killing machines! The whole story takes place during one night and was full of the usual gore as the zombie women unleashed their fury on the men of New York. Basically, this too was a mindless story that could be read in a few hours with not too much to recommend it!
March 13, 2013
No a quite zombie story, this was more along the lines of the movie The Crazies by Romero, and really, this novel felt like a B movie. But it was a fine "point A to point B" book with plenty of action.
I don't know why there is so much whining about violence and sex in some of the other reviews - what did the readers expect?
I don't know why there is so much whining about violence and sex in some of the other reviews - what did the readers expect?
December 16, 2024
Ketchum sure had a way with words.
This is a reread for me, but I don't recall ever reading that intro from the author. That made the book feel extra special
This is a reread for me, but I don't recall ever reading that intro from the author. That made the book feel extra special
May 29, 2016
"By far the winds blew strongest west to southeast - the cool ocean breeze out of the east stopped them dead, forcing steel-and-concrete superheated air up to the cloudless sky like an uppercut to the chin of a boxer"
If horror were a boxer, then Mr Ketchum is most definitely the one delivering a swift uppercut to the jaw.
Ketchum writes raw, and he writes nasty. But at the same time he floats and dances his way through each page with such skill and momentum that you can't help but walk/stagger away feeling breathless, exhausted, and a little scarred.
And while Ladies Night doesn't represent Ketchum delivering a first round knock out, there's undeniable fun to be had in this short novella.
Highlights include some impressive set pieces, dark humour (as always) and bucket loads of gore. Speaking of gore however; I must admit I found this to be a little weaker than some of his other work (namely the Dead River Trilogy). This is primarily due to two reasons:
1. I'm a sick bastard and love some good old gore.
2. Character development.
One of the things I think Ketchum does really well is building up a character (sometimes in just a few pages), making you like them, and then making you bear witness as they are horrifically dispatched. Ketchum is the master of this and I love him for it.
Unfortunately due to the fast pace and/or length I really didn't give a tin shit who lived or died. And that's always a problem.
So if you fancy reading what is essentially a series of set pieces where women make men their bitches in pretty much every possible way, give this a read. You will probably enjoy the shit out of it ;-)
If horror were a boxer, then Mr Ketchum is most definitely the one delivering a swift uppercut to the jaw.
Ketchum writes raw, and he writes nasty. But at the same time he floats and dances his way through each page with such skill and momentum that you can't help but walk/stagger away feeling breathless, exhausted, and a little scarred.
And while Ladies Night doesn't represent Ketchum delivering a first round knock out, there's undeniable fun to be had in this short novella.
Highlights include some impressive set pieces, dark humour (as always) and bucket loads of gore. Speaking of gore however; I must admit I found this to be a little weaker than some of his other work (namely the Dead River Trilogy). This is primarily due to two reasons:
1. I'm a sick bastard and love some good old gore.
2. Character development.
One of the things I think Ketchum does really well is building up a character (sometimes in just a few pages), making you like them, and then making you bear witness as they are horrifically dispatched. Ketchum is the master of this and I love him for it.
Unfortunately due to the fast pace and/or length I really didn't give a tin shit who lived or died. And that's always a problem.
So if you fancy reading what is essentially a series of set pieces where women make men their bitches in pretty much every possible way, give this a read. You will probably enjoy the shit out of it ;-)
March 1, 2020
Horror novel or ultimate female fantasy LOL. I read the Introduction by Ketchum and understand this book was a bit of a messy shit show and took quite a bit of churning and re-churning to get out. Yes, its not as good as his other works, but damn... I really like it regardless! Great idea and I would love to see it expanded upon from the vilenesses perspective! Kill 'em all!
June 13, 2020
I like Jack ketchum alot. This just didnt do it for me though.
March 10, 2021
Similar premise to "The Fog" by J. Herbert and "One Rainy Night" by R. Laymon, but worse than those two combined. And being worse than Herbert in literary terms is no mean feat in my book.
But it's also entirely possible that I'm just not *that* into splatterpunk.
But it's also entirely possible that I'm just not *that* into splatterpunk.
October 18, 2023
Tohle byla jedna velka paradni jizda. Po havarii kamionu s necim, co nevime co je, vetsine zen svihne a stanou se z nich krvelacne bestie. A jeden typek, ktery to nema doma tak uplne ok, se snazi dostat domu a zachranit syna. Krasne se cetlo, detailu tak akorat. Oddechovka, kterou fakt muzu.
July 3, 2021
This was my least favorite book by Jack Ketchum to date. It felt like it didn't have any point, and nothing was explained. It was just senseless violence against women.
March 26, 2022
Jack Ketchum on steroids with this book. A fun and gore ridden horror.
August 2, 2024
the setup is fine but once it POPS OFF this is just a litany of "fucked up violence" indistinguishable from any other flopsweat exxxtreme horror stuff :—|
October 29, 2025
I really liked the writing and the story. Probably the most fun Ketchum novel so far...
October 18, 2021
I believe I have now read EVERY Jack Ketchum book. This was one of the last ones!
This one was good.
Intense, violent, wicked.
Felt a little repetitive, but was visceral.
4.2/5
This one was good.
Intense, violent, wicked.
Felt a little repetitive, but was visceral.
4.2/5
Displaying 1 - 29 of 132 reviews