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Cold Calling
You spend your days staring into a computer screen, trying to sell life insurance to young couples with new babies.
You spend your nights staring into a computer screen, extracting filth from and injecting bile into the internet.
You still live with the same dickhead housemate you went to university with.
Your only respite from computer screens are nights spent getting smashed with him at student bars, watching him prance around, trying to pull much younger girls.
Your life sucks and you suck at it.
One drunken night, you try something new.
Something terrible.
But something that brings you new energy, new drive, new desires.
You start eating the young.
You spend your nights staring into a computer screen, extracting filth from and injecting bile into the internet.
You still live with the same dickhead housemate you went to university with.
Your only respite from computer screens are nights spent getting smashed with him at student bars, watching him prance around, trying to pull much younger girls.
Your life sucks and you suck at it.
One drunken night, you try something new.
Something terrible.
But something that brings you new energy, new drive, new desires.
You start eating the young.
89 pages, Paperback
Published January 10, 2017
9 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Haydn Wilks
10 books128 followersThe Welsh Irvine Welsh. The ginger Jack Kerouac.
The broke Bret Easton Ellis.
The Sartre of the South Wales Valleys.
A cynical millennial author from Wales whose immense literary talent is only outsized by his overwhelming sense of entitlement.
HAYDN WILKS’ novels include the infanticidal indictment of low-wage late capitalist UK call centers COLD CALLING, the drug-guzzling cryptocurrency-fuelled global sex crime spree of MOON BOYS (a.k.a. $HITCOIN), and the self-aggrandizing / self-loathing gonzo autofictional lockdown novel HIRAETH.
The broke Bret Easton Ellis.
The Sartre of the South Wales Valleys.
A cynical millennial author from Wales whose immense literary talent is only outsized by his overwhelming sense of entitlement.
HAYDN WILKS’ novels include the infanticidal indictment of low-wage late capitalist UK call centers COLD CALLING, the drug-guzzling cryptocurrency-fuelled global sex crime spree of MOON BOYS (a.k.a. $HITCOIN), and the self-aggrandizing / self-loathing gonzo autofictional lockdown novel HIRAETH.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
July 17, 2017
People will put up with all manner of perversion, all manner of fucked-up-ness, they’ll positively revel in it, but what people won’t tolerate is boredom.
To a certain extent, I did enjoy this, but I don't feel comfortable saying that due to the depravity and obscenity of it. This certainly has some American Psycho vibes to it, a book which I thoroughly enjoyed, but Cold Calling somehow seems to excel Bateman's darkness with Rhys' spur-of-the-moment crime. I suppose because in American Psycho, there is a clear underlying cultural message and in Cold Calling, that same message doesn't get across so easily, if it's even there at all.
Wilks' writing is good, there's no doubt about that, he keeps you reading and wanting more no matter how disturbed you feel. There's a card game scene in the middle of the novel that I got a bit tired with, but it was to develop the growing anger, boredom and hatred inside of Rhys.
This is definitely NOT one for the squeamish. I'm not surprised this has several low ratings, it's certainly a difficult novel to handle and is only going to be enjoyed by a very niche market.
One thing I really love about this book is the gruesome cover art!
Thanks to Haydn Wilks for sending me a copy in exchange for a review!
To a certain extent, I did enjoy this, but I don't feel comfortable saying that due to the depravity and obscenity of it. This certainly has some American Psycho vibes to it, a book which I thoroughly enjoyed, but Cold Calling somehow seems to excel Bateman's darkness with Rhys' spur-of-the-moment crime. I suppose because in American Psycho, there is a clear underlying cultural message and in Cold Calling, that same message doesn't get across so easily, if it's even there at all.
Wilks' writing is good, there's no doubt about that, he keeps you reading and wanting more no matter how disturbed you feel. There's a card game scene in the middle of the novel that I got a bit tired with, but it was to develop the growing anger, boredom and hatred inside of Rhys.
This is definitely NOT one for the squeamish. I'm not surprised this has several low ratings, it's certainly a difficult novel to handle and is only going to be enjoyed by a very niche market.
One thing I really love about this book is the gruesome cover art!
Thanks to Haydn Wilks for sending me a copy in exchange for a review!
July 4, 2017
Need some time to erm.....digest this! It was horrible. In a highly entertainingly sick kinda way!
So, Cold Calling is a short and not at all sweet story of a psychopathic white-collar employee who basically looses the plot.
God help you if he calls to offer you life insurance and you piss him off.
With elements of American Psycho (the movie I've seen, the book is TBR) this book is absolutely gross. It's sick and twisted and, for me, extremely enjoyable. Does that make me sick and twisted too?! I think not, because I could never write a story like this and the content is shocking. On various occasions I think the author went too far.
The writing style was very British and raw, with countless laugh out loud moments. Even the horrific gore had proper comedy overtones which I enjoyed immensely.
This is not a book for the easily freaked out, or for those of a nervous disposition. It would disgust and appal many readers. This is blood and guts at its very best. Or worst.
Cold Calling ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am left wondering what will happen to our protagonist.
I'd like to thank the author, Haydn Wilks for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
So, Cold Calling is a short and not at all sweet story of a psychopathic white-collar employee who basically looses the plot.
God help you if he calls to offer you life insurance and you piss him off.
With elements of American Psycho (the movie I've seen, the book is TBR) this book is absolutely gross. It's sick and twisted and, for me, extremely enjoyable. Does that make me sick and twisted too?! I think not, because I could never write a story like this and the content is shocking. On various occasions I think the author went too far.
The writing style was very British and raw, with countless laugh out loud moments. Even the horrific gore had proper comedy overtones which I enjoyed immensely.
This is not a book for the easily freaked out, or for those of a nervous disposition. It would disgust and appal many readers. This is blood and guts at its very best. Or worst.
Cold Calling ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am left wondering what will happen to our protagonist.
I'd like to thank the author, Haydn Wilks for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2020
Sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review and all that jazz...
This is a beautifully crafted descent into darkness, a measured deterioration of all that is right. So much new literature is poorly written, but this uses language to draw you in and spit you back out again. Something it accomplishes in the blink of an eye, impossible to put down.
Read if you like to be challenged, if you like your darkest parts explored and if you like to be drawn downwards at the speed of a runaway train. Do not read if you like puppies and flowers on every page.
This is a beautifully crafted descent into darkness, a measured deterioration of all that is right. So much new literature is poorly written, but this uses language to draw you in and spit you back out again. Something it accomplishes in the blink of an eye, impossible to put down.
Read if you like to be challenged, if you like your darkest parts explored and if you like to be drawn downwards at the speed of a runaway train. Do not read if you like puppies and flowers on every page.
February 6, 2017
I would like to thank Haydn Wilks for the opportunity to read your book for an honest review.
Have you read too close by Gayle Curtis? If you did and you liked it this book is for you. I thought Too Close was near the knuckle. Cold calling is below the belt and then deeper.
This book is so dark you need a flood light to help you get out of it.
It is sick as grotesque but really addictive. If you like horror/slasher movies/ Quintin Tarintino then this book is for you. Which is probably why I quite liked it. To be fair some of it was a little too much for me and they were the bits that I had to skip. But most of it was fine.
Haydn is twisted and is an absolute master at captivating people and not letting you leave until the last line.
Not recommended for the faint hearted. Who are Squamish and put off by fouls language of things that are so far beyond twisted and grotesque that it had your tummy tied in knots. This is not to be read lightheartedly. But for a debut novel. Boy it packs a punch and more.
Thank you again for letting me read this book. I look forward to discovering more from you in the future.
Happy reading everyone
Have you read too close by Gayle Curtis? If you did and you liked it this book is for you. I thought Too Close was near the knuckle. Cold calling is below the belt and then deeper.
This book is so dark you need a flood light to help you get out of it.
It is sick as grotesque but really addictive. If you like horror/slasher movies/ Quintin Tarintino then this book is for you. Which is probably why I quite liked it. To be fair some of it was a little too much for me and they were the bits that I had to skip. But most of it was fine.
Haydn is twisted and is an absolute master at captivating people and not letting you leave until the last line.
Not recommended for the faint hearted. Who are Squamish and put off by fouls language of things that are so far beyond twisted and grotesque that it had your tummy tied in knots. This is not to be read lightheartedly. But for a debut novel. Boy it packs a punch and more.
Thank you again for letting me read this book. I look forward to discovering more from you in the future.
Happy reading everyone
February 7, 2017
Be warned. This novel is sick and grotesque; but utterly addictive. Haydn Walks is sick; and an exceptional captivator.
So Rhys Davies is a bit of a psycho, really, but not like Patrick Bateman premeditated type psycho (American Psycho). Rhys is an ordinary, boring guy in an ordinary, boring world. Then one day he accidentally does something a bit mad (understatement), and then his psych spirals out of control to do more sporadic stuff to "normalise" things. Whilst maintaining some kind of co-existence with normality.
I can't give too much away about this, you have to read it for yourself - if you aren't squeamish! Yes, the subject matter is horrifically shocking, but Wilks has such a way of making his words just flow that you actually can't stop reading no matter how disgusted you are.
Definitely not recommended for people who are offended by foul language, masturbation or other things beyond your imagination.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a free advance review copy.
PS I didn't give this 4/5 because I'm scared of what the author may do to me ;-)
So Rhys Davies is a bit of a psycho, really, but not like Patrick Bateman premeditated type psycho (American Psycho). Rhys is an ordinary, boring guy in an ordinary, boring world. Then one day he accidentally does something a bit mad (understatement), and then his psych spirals out of control to do more sporadic stuff to "normalise" things. Whilst maintaining some kind of co-existence with normality.
I can't give too much away about this, you have to read it for yourself - if you aren't squeamish! Yes, the subject matter is horrifically shocking, but Wilks has such a way of making his words just flow that you actually can't stop reading no matter how disgusted you are.
Definitely not recommended for people who are offended by foul language, masturbation or other things beyond your imagination.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a free advance review copy.
PS I didn't give this 4/5 because I'm scared of what the author may do to me ;-)
March 12, 2017
Just finished reading “Cold Calling” by Haydn Wilks. I would first like to thank Haydn for gifting me an eCopy of this book.
Go ahead, read this book...I dare you. This is a deeply disturbing, dark, gritty and at times difficult to read tale. Told in a second person narrative you enter the mindset of a very disturbing young man. If you are easily offended, this may not be a read for you as it leaves very little to the imagination and is rather up front and in you face. If you are not accustomed to reading British Authors it might help if you have at your disposal a dictionary of urban slang for the United Kingdom. I read quite a lot of British Authors, but I must admit there were some phrases that were new to me (and I don’t mind that at all, as I look at reading as a learning experience). This is hands down, one of the best Horror/Psychological Thrillers I’ve read in quite some time. I’ve not read anything by Haydn prior to this, but I most certainly will be adding him to my list of Authors to look out for, and read more of.
Synopsis (from back cover): You spend your days staring into a computer screen, trying to sell life insurance to young couples with new babies.
You spend your nights staring into a computer screen, extracting filth from and injecting bile into the internet.
You still live with the same dickhead housemate you went to university with.
Your only respite from computer screens are nights spent getting smashed with him at student bars, watching him prance around, trying to pull much younger girls.
Your life sucks and you suck at it.
One drunken night, you try something new.
Something terrible.
But something that brings you new energy, new drive, new desires.
You start eating the young.
Go ahead, read this book...I dare you. This is a deeply disturbing, dark, gritty and at times difficult to read tale. Told in a second person narrative you enter the mindset of a very disturbing young man. If you are easily offended, this may not be a read for you as it leaves very little to the imagination and is rather up front and in you face. If you are not accustomed to reading British Authors it might help if you have at your disposal a dictionary of urban slang for the United Kingdom. I read quite a lot of British Authors, but I must admit there were some phrases that were new to me (and I don’t mind that at all, as I look at reading as a learning experience). This is hands down, one of the best Horror/Psychological Thrillers I’ve read in quite some time. I’ve not read anything by Haydn prior to this, but I most certainly will be adding him to my list of Authors to look out for, and read more of.
Synopsis (from back cover): You spend your days staring into a computer screen, trying to sell life insurance to young couples with new babies.
You spend your nights staring into a computer screen, extracting filth from and injecting bile into the internet.
You still live with the same dickhead housemate you went to university with.
Your only respite from computer screens are nights spent getting smashed with him at student bars, watching him prance around, trying to pull much younger girls.
Your life sucks and you suck at it.
One drunken night, you try something new.
Something terrible.
But something that brings you new energy, new drive, new desires.
You start eating the young.
January 23, 2017
I received a free copy of the ebook from the author in exchange for my honest review. This review or a version of it is posted on Amazon, Goodreads, and my Wordpress blog, TheCeaselessReaderWrites.
Cold Calling is not a pleasant story, and it is a difficult read, but it’s a not a bad book.
Let me explain. It’s not pleasant because, although not immediately apparent, it’s a horror story. It’s difficult for a couple of reasons. The story is told in a rapid-fire, second-person, semi-stream of consciousness style that serves to allow the reader into protagonist Rhys Davies’ head and understand his existential pain. The first part of the book repeats Davies’ daily routine ad nauseum: he wakes up, often late, then spends his workday at a mind-numbingly, soul-suckingly, pointless job at a call center; goes home, listens to a couchbound, t.v.-addicted roommate drone on endlessly about her meaningless day at a similarly demeaning job; retires to his bedroom and plugs in to the Internet, where he spends hours alternating between trolling relentlessly on multiple social media platforms and browsing increasingly depraved porno sites and engaging in self-abuse; goes out clubbing with his other despised roommate, drinks himself into a stupor; and finally stumbles home and tumbles into bed. Again. And again. And over and over and over again. As I said, ad nauseum.
But therein lies Mr. Wilks’ genius in this story. Just as that routine was becoming so boring that I was about to give up on the book, Davies’ actions veer off into the unspeakable, and it becomes apparent that the seemingly endless repetition of banality and depravity is necessary to establish the reason for Davies’ psychotic break. The second reason Cold Calling is difficult is because the acts that Davies commits once he finally breaks are truly, despicably, horrible, and his justifications for repeating those acts in escalating orgies of violence are deeply disturbing. No spoilers here; you’ll have to read the book to see how horrifying it really is.
Finally, just as in Wilks’ prior novel, The Death of Danny Daggers, which I also enjoyed and reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon, Cold Calling is full of spelling and grammatical errors, which at times become distracting, at least for this English major and former adjunct professor. Mr. Wilks, if you read this review, I’m offering my services as a copy editor on your next project if you’re interested. You already know how to reach me; just let me know.
I don’t end 3-star or better reviews on a bad note, so I’ll finish by saying this: I’ve been reading horror fiction since I was a pre-teen, and this was the first story in years to really shock me.
Cold Calling is not a pleasant story, and it is a difficult read, but it’s a not a bad book.
Let me explain. It’s not pleasant because, although not immediately apparent, it’s a horror story. It’s difficult for a couple of reasons. The story is told in a rapid-fire, second-person, semi-stream of consciousness style that serves to allow the reader into protagonist Rhys Davies’ head and understand his existential pain. The first part of the book repeats Davies’ daily routine ad nauseum: he wakes up, often late, then spends his workday at a mind-numbingly, soul-suckingly, pointless job at a call center; goes home, listens to a couchbound, t.v.-addicted roommate drone on endlessly about her meaningless day at a similarly demeaning job; retires to his bedroom and plugs in to the Internet, where he spends hours alternating between trolling relentlessly on multiple social media platforms and browsing increasingly depraved porno sites and engaging in self-abuse; goes out clubbing with his other despised roommate, drinks himself into a stupor; and finally stumbles home and tumbles into bed. Again. And again. And over and over and over again. As I said, ad nauseum.
But therein lies Mr. Wilks’ genius in this story. Just as that routine was becoming so boring that I was about to give up on the book, Davies’ actions veer off into the unspeakable, and it becomes apparent that the seemingly endless repetition of banality and depravity is necessary to establish the reason for Davies’ psychotic break. The second reason Cold Calling is difficult is because the acts that Davies commits once he finally breaks are truly, despicably, horrible, and his justifications for repeating those acts in escalating orgies of violence are deeply disturbing. No spoilers here; you’ll have to read the book to see how horrifying it really is.
Finally, just as in Wilks’ prior novel, The Death of Danny Daggers, which I also enjoyed and reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon, Cold Calling is full of spelling and grammatical errors, which at times become distracting, at least for this English major and former adjunct professor. Mr. Wilks, if you read this review, I’m offering my services as a copy editor on your next project if you’re interested. You already know how to reach me; just let me know.
I don’t end 3-star or better reviews on a bad note, so I’ll finish by saying this: I’ve been reading horror fiction since I was a pre-teen, and this was the first story in years to really shock me.
February 5, 2017
Thanks to Haydn Wilks for sending me this ebook in return for an honest review.
Where do I begin? This isn't for the faint hearted, it's deep dark and incredibly murky. The subject matter is much like many other horror/thriller books out there but this was more than that, it was disturbing to the point of nauseating.
Repetitive to the point of irritation at times and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs as it was just more of the same. Crude rather than just plain rude, more than I felt necessary to the plot. I'm not saying swearing when required isn't okay but this was over and above the mark for me personally.
Quite simply if someone asked me to recommend a book this wouldn't be it.
Where do I begin? This isn't for the faint hearted, it's deep dark and incredibly murky. The subject matter is much like many other horror/thriller books out there but this was more than that, it was disturbing to the point of nauseating.
Repetitive to the point of irritation at times and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs as it was just more of the same. Crude rather than just plain rude, more than I felt necessary to the plot. I'm not saying swearing when required isn't okay but this was over and above the mark for me personally.
Quite simply if someone asked me to recommend a book this wouldn't be it.
November 15, 2017
What did I just read?
Let's start off with the good.
Haydn Wilks does a splendid job of portraying Rhys' frame of mind as he spirals through the depths of depravity, fuelled by the belief/realization that he is simply a cog on the machine of consumerism, conformity, propaganda, and mundaneness, walking through life as a zombie spectator.
Additionally the portrayal is made even eerier with the first person narration carried out as ‘You…’ and not ‘I…’. On top of that the story is told hell to leather in what feels like a single paragraph, which only reflects the stage of autonomy that the protagonist seems to have entered into.
All in all I think the story was relayed exceptionally well. However…… had I known I was going to be subjected to this level of depravity, this far out of my comfort level, I don’t think I would have undertaken this journey. Had I known that I was going to have to go to sleep after reading the first delve into insanity, I might have had second thoughts.
I was also a little taken aback by the pointlessness of the ending, but then what better way to finish what was ultimately a journey down pointlessness, touché
Haydn, I trust you don’t take this review as rejection, and I trust you don’t treat rejection the same way as Rhys ;). Yes, I will be locking my door tonight and turning the baby monitor up extra loud……
Let's start off with the good.
Haydn Wilks does a splendid job of portraying Rhys' frame of mind as he spirals through the depths of depravity, fuelled by the belief/realization that he is simply a cog on the machine of consumerism, conformity, propaganda, and mundaneness, walking through life as a zombie spectator.
Additionally the portrayal is made even eerier with the first person narration carried out as ‘You…’ and not ‘I…’. On top of that the story is told hell to leather in what feels like a single paragraph, which only reflects the stage of autonomy that the protagonist seems to have entered into.
All in all I think the story was relayed exceptionally well. However…… had I known I was going to be subjected to this level of depravity, this far out of my comfort level, I don’t think I would have undertaken this journey. Had I known that I was going to have to go to sleep after reading the first delve into insanity, I might have had second thoughts.
I was also a little taken aback by the pointlessness of the ending, but then what better way to finish what was ultimately a journey down pointlessness, touché
Haydn, I trust you don’t take this review as rejection, and I trust you don’t treat rejection the same way as Rhys ;). Yes, I will be locking my door tonight and turning the baby monitor up extra loud……
June 24, 2023
This is the third of Haydn's books I've read.
At first I was was horrified - in a good way - at just how well it took me back to the shittiness of working in call centres and awful McJobs.
Then, the 'twist' happened so nonchalenty that I had to go back and re-read it, to make sure I'd got it properly.
Things just got more and more extreme - to the point that I was worrying about the author a bit... but I still couldn't stop reading.
And the shithead scene was the most tense card game I've ever read - totally blew Casino Royale out of the water! ;)
At first I was was horrified - in a good way - at just how well it took me back to the shittiness of working in call centres and awful McJobs.
Then, the 'twist' happened so nonchalenty that I had to go back and re-read it, to make sure I'd got it properly.
Things just got more and more extreme - to the point that I was worrying about the author a bit... but I still couldn't stop reading.
And the shithead scene was the most tense card game I've ever read - totally blew Casino Royale out of the water! ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2017
Without doubt the most horrifying horror story I've ever read.
February 7, 2017
Having belted through this at a speed bordering compulsion I cannot fail to give it three stars, but this has been a tricky decision for this is an extremely shocking book. New parents should not read it. It is really a novella, written without chapters but with some long, sub-stream of consciousness paragraphs.
I read Haydn's previous 'The Death of Danny Daggers' with some pleasure, although following a doubtful start. This latter book included some nasty violence, but nothing compared with this. Comparing it with American Psycho (read my review here), Patrick Bateman perpetrates nothing like this, apart from possibly the bit with the rat. I gather it's a horror writer's occupational hazard to be accused of having a sick mind, but also that most such writers are the sweetest of people. This story might be gross and it is, but it also makes some strong points about modern life, culture and work.
Work in call centres that is, where Haydn Wilks has found employment previously. The concentrated, soul-destroying tedium of it. Journalist Owen Jones spends quite a lot of time on this matter in his books 'Chavs' and 'The establishment and how it gets away with it' and I'd recommend cross-referencing this to those. 'Danny Daggers' also contains lengthy call centre sequences.
In 'Cold Calling' we see an apparently ordinary young man brutalised and turned psychotic by the mundanity and hopelessness of his squalid and prospectless existence. Out of work that is spent in front of a computer, he spends his leisure time in front of a computer trolling better people or masturbating to extreme porn. Dragged outside by his friends, there is the more old-fashioned pursuits of boozing and chasing women. The more perspicacious friends have nicknamed him 'Sicko': if only they fully realised how appropriate this is.
Nothing that has happened to him justifies the character's behaviour.
Starting with an opportunistic crime 'Sicko' becomes obsessed with his deviancy and its results. He appears to have no empathy or guilt. Using information gleaned at work he plans and carries out more crimes. As his mistakes pile up, capture seems inevitable but he goes on. The products of his crimes appear to impart almost super-human powers bringing success at work and great sex; but soon this pales and the final decline begins.
There is humour but it is extremely dark. Trying to manage a corpse that is beginning to prutresce when you live in a shared house might possibly be challenging, but is it funny? I do like the celebrity branded products being sneaked in; I wonder if Heston and Gordon have noticed. A man carrying a fridge freezer home unaided requires a suspension of disbelief.
After a final burst of the old ultra-violence using one standard and one somewhat original weapon, 'Sicko' runs, using a Megabus as a getaway vehicle. As with mobile 'phone models in 'Danny Daggers', certain aspects of 'Cold Calling' mean that it will be dated easily. With our anti-hero now in London but with an easily followed trail back to the scene of carnage in Cardiff, it is clear that his fate is pretty much sealed, a fact that he seems reluctant to embrace. The plot is not fully concluded, which might give scope for a sequel.
A new proof-reader might be in order as the book contains a couple of your-you're errors, plus prostate has become prostrate at one point. These could get past anyone.
As a former housing management person, I have a pretty strong stomach and have also read a lot of horror material in the past. People without this background should take care with this book. Perhaps it's a book that needs to be written, but it won't solve anything; people will have to continue to work in call centres because there's nothing else to do. Despite everything, hardly any of these people will become homicidal maniacs.
There's a fine line between laying it on thick to good effect and gratuitous and this book gets very close to that line. However, it does make some strong points using a character with no redeeming features. It is well-written in a compelling if bleak style and the narrative is well-structured. Let's just hope that this story does not come true. I'm afraid Haydn's books might become a guilty pleasure for me.
I read Haydn's previous 'The Death of Danny Daggers' with some pleasure, although following a doubtful start. This latter book included some nasty violence, but nothing compared with this. Comparing it with American Psycho (read my review here), Patrick Bateman perpetrates nothing like this, apart from possibly the bit with the rat. I gather it's a horror writer's occupational hazard to be accused of having a sick mind, but also that most such writers are the sweetest of people. This story might be gross and it is, but it also makes some strong points about modern life, culture and work.
Work in call centres that is, where Haydn Wilks has found employment previously. The concentrated, soul-destroying tedium of it. Journalist Owen Jones spends quite a lot of time on this matter in his books 'Chavs' and 'The establishment and how it gets away with it' and I'd recommend cross-referencing this to those. 'Danny Daggers' also contains lengthy call centre sequences.
In 'Cold Calling' we see an apparently ordinary young man brutalised and turned psychotic by the mundanity and hopelessness of his squalid and prospectless existence. Out of work that is spent in front of a computer, he spends his leisure time in front of a computer trolling better people or masturbating to extreme porn. Dragged outside by his friends, there is the more old-fashioned pursuits of boozing and chasing women. The more perspicacious friends have nicknamed him 'Sicko': if only they fully realised how appropriate this is.
Nothing that has happened to him justifies the character's behaviour.
Starting with an opportunistic crime 'Sicko' becomes obsessed with his deviancy and its results. He appears to have no empathy or guilt. Using information gleaned at work he plans and carries out more crimes. As his mistakes pile up, capture seems inevitable but he goes on. The products of his crimes appear to impart almost super-human powers bringing success at work and great sex; but soon this pales and the final decline begins.
There is humour but it is extremely dark. Trying to manage a corpse that is beginning to prutresce when you live in a shared house might possibly be challenging, but is it funny? I do like the celebrity branded products being sneaked in; I wonder if Heston and Gordon have noticed. A man carrying a fridge freezer home unaided requires a suspension of disbelief.
After a final burst of the old ultra-violence using one standard and one somewhat original weapon, 'Sicko' runs, using a Megabus as a getaway vehicle. As with mobile 'phone models in 'Danny Daggers', certain aspects of 'Cold Calling' mean that it will be dated easily. With our anti-hero now in London but with an easily followed trail back to the scene of carnage in Cardiff, it is clear that his fate is pretty much sealed, a fact that he seems reluctant to embrace. The plot is not fully concluded, which might give scope for a sequel.
A new proof-reader might be in order as the book contains a couple of your-you're errors, plus prostate has become prostrate at one point. These could get past anyone.
As a former housing management person, I have a pretty strong stomach and have also read a lot of horror material in the past. People without this background should take care with this book. Perhaps it's a book that needs to be written, but it won't solve anything; people will have to continue to work in call centres because there's nothing else to do. Despite everything, hardly any of these people will become homicidal maniacs.
There's a fine line between laying it on thick to good effect and gratuitous and this book gets very close to that line. However, it does make some strong points using a character with no redeeming features. It is well-written in a compelling if bleak style and the narrative is well-structured. Let's just hope that this story does not come true. I'm afraid Haydn's books might become a guilty pleasure for me.
January 16, 2017
This is not a book for the faint-hearted, be warned right now. The violence is graphic and perverse, the language gritty to say the least and much of the activities of the main character hard to witness. But it is also a very fine piece of writing indeed – even if it made me want to look away at times. It’s the sorry tale of a young disaffected man called Rhys Davies who has a mind-numbingly tedious job in a Cardiff call centre. His life is going nowhere, his days filled with the same meaningless round of work, drinking, internet porn and venting his frustration on social media sites. No hope and no purpose. Until one day it all gets too much for him and he starts to vent his frustration in a more physical way. The book steps perilously close to the line between literary fiction and horror porn and it is only thanks to Haydn Wilks’ obvious literary skill that the book never quite crosses that line. Even though Rhys is such an unpleasant character, the reader can’t help having some empathy for him. For those on the edges of society life can indeed feel unredeemably bleak and pointless and it’s no wonder that sometimes an individual will snap. I very much enjoyed Haydn Wilks’ earlier book The Death of Danny Daggers and although this one is much darker and more disturbing, it again explores alienation and disaffection, and I found both books moving and quite shocking depictions of contemporary society.
January 15, 2017
How to describe this book ? In many ways it defies categorisation. It will both shock you and humour you. You will see Tarantino in its pages and it also has that edginess of Trainspotting. At its heart it is a critique of the aimless and meaningless existence of those who are at the margins of society. The prose is tight, edgy and authentic. Prepare to be shocked. If you are tired of the very safe and predictable style of so much modern literature go on this journey to the margins of life in Cardiff.
February 7, 2017
It has taken me a while to figure out how to review this book. It is a horror story, and as such, is very successful. Some of the things described are horrific, but they're supposed to be so that we see the depraved indifference of the main character. Is he crazy? I wondered that through the book. On the one hand, you can say that anyone who does the things in this book is crazy; on the other hand, he does so with precise planning, but then stumbles through the immediate afterward of his acts. Does that make him sane? I don't know. You decide.
The book tells the story of Rhys. He works in a call center making cold calls to people to sell insurance. The story is told in such a way that is almost frantic. It's a whirlwind. You don't know how much time goes by; you just know his life is empty and meaningless and each day is exactly like the last.
The fast-paced, frantic story-telling is repeated throughout the story. I felt breathless reading it at times because it just keeps going, whether it's the boredom and emptiness of this man's life or the other activities he's involved in. It's an interesting way of telling the story. One example of this occurs pretty near the middle of the book and pretty much divides the two halves of Rhys' story.
He is with friends and some girls and they agree to play a card game. The game goes round in circles and is played very quickly. This game is a metaphor for what is happening in this man's life. Round and round, over and over, some rules apply while others don't, and there is no reward in the end. The problem is that Rhys wants the reward.
He discovers something that gives him a reward or at least a feeling of fulfillment. He is quite proficient at coming up with ways to use the items he acquires. He even makes his roommates complicit in his crime and that gives him a feeling of power. He feels so full of life that when he goes to work he almost breaks records for closing the most deals, in a job that he absolutely hated at the beginning of the book. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last long and he needs to find a way to get it back.
And so repeat.
The repetition is an effective method of telling the story because it works whether it is describing his job and his life, the game, or the things he does. They're all told almost in one sentence. In fact, I don't remember if there is any punctuation in these repetitive parts. It's effective if there isn't; it's effective if there is because you're reading so quickly you may not notice it. I didn't.
I struggled with whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. It is a horror story and a good one. Thinking about it sometimes gets me nauseated. That is a good horror story in my book. But, there are some good things that happen to Rhys in the book, but they don't stop him from doing what he does. He thinks the good things are the result of the other things he does--and I guess that would make sense to him because nothing ever changed in his life before he took these actions.
But the ending goes a little sideways. It certainly wasn't what I expected, and I don't think it flowed with the rest of the story.
If you like horror stories, then by all means, read this book. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself before you read it. If you're only into horror stories a little bit, skip this one because it is intense.
I received this book from the author in return for an honest review.
The book tells the story of Rhys. He works in a call center making cold calls to people to sell insurance. The story is told in such a way that is almost frantic. It's a whirlwind. You don't know how much time goes by; you just know his life is empty and meaningless and each day is exactly like the last.
The fast-paced, frantic story-telling is repeated throughout the story. I felt breathless reading it at times because it just keeps going, whether it's the boredom and emptiness of this man's life or the other activities he's involved in. It's an interesting way of telling the story. One example of this occurs pretty near the middle of the book and pretty much divides the two halves of Rhys' story.
He is with friends and some girls and they agree to play a card game. The game goes round in circles and is played very quickly. This game is a metaphor for what is happening in this man's life. Round and round, over and over, some rules apply while others don't, and there is no reward in the end. The problem is that Rhys wants the reward.
He discovers something that gives him a reward or at least a feeling of fulfillment. He is quite proficient at coming up with ways to use the items he acquires. He even makes his roommates complicit in his crime and that gives him a feeling of power. He feels so full of life that when he goes to work he almost breaks records for closing the most deals, in a job that he absolutely hated at the beginning of the book. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last long and he needs to find a way to get it back.
And so repeat.
The repetition is an effective method of telling the story because it works whether it is describing his job and his life, the game, or the things he does. They're all told almost in one sentence. In fact, I don't remember if there is any punctuation in these repetitive parts. It's effective if there isn't; it's effective if there is because you're reading so quickly you may not notice it. I didn't.
I struggled with whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. It is a horror story and a good one. Thinking about it sometimes gets me nauseated. That is a good horror story in my book. But, there are some good things that happen to Rhys in the book, but they don't stop him from doing what he does. He thinks the good things are the result of the other things he does--and I guess that would make sense to him because nothing ever changed in his life before he took these actions.
But the ending goes a little sideways. It certainly wasn't what I expected, and I don't think it flowed with the rest of the story.
If you like horror stories, then by all means, read this book. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself before you read it. If you're only into horror stories a little bit, skip this one because it is intense.
I received this book from the author in return for an honest review.
April 12, 2023
It was certainly an interesting choice by the author to use the second person in this book. This choice in style certainly had an immediate effect on me, sucking me right into the story.
However, what brought me out of the story were inconsistencies and small stumbling blocks which made me raise my eyebrows.
Many other reviews here have already addressed the depravity of the main character, and to be honest, none of it stuck to me quite as much as his unhygienic lifestyle. I've read 'Crossed', I watched Slasher movies, and I read splatterpunk, to sum it up: I am not disturbed by the trivial matter of violence in fiction.
I know that over-the-top violence is used quite often as a cheap way to elicit strong emotions from the reader, but when you're a reader who is used to violence and who isn't squeamish, it opens up your eyes to see other things. Some things which stood out to me were the long run-on sentences (most likely to show how monotone and boring the main character's life is apart from eating babies), or the way the main character 'cooks'.
Often I stopped and wondered: is this possible?
In one instance he just shoves an entire baby in the slow cooker and I had to actually look up if you could put something, guts and everything into a slow cooker. Another thing which was bugging me the entire time was the fact that the baby at the start was put in the oven and fed to his housemate who thought it was chicken, and all I could think of was: 'That can't be right, people don't taste like chicken! People taste like pork! That's why it is called 'long-pork'.'
Another thing I took notice of was the main character's attachment to his laptop and the internet, but more than that this annoying habit and the constant reminder that his laptop is so OLD and decrepit that he has to use scissors to turn it on. All I could think of was: buy a new laptop, dude. Even a used one. Or get it repaired. Especially strange when it seems that the main character seems to be living in modern times and uses otherwise modern technology, but uses an old laptop from what I can only assume to be the early 90s/2000s.
Then there are his crimes, which are never noticed, he never fears the police, which in this universe seem to be completely incompetent (Is he indirectly criticizing the British police force as ineffective and incompetent? Is it a social commentary on the apathy of society as a whole?), and he just carries around baby corpses in his backpack and discards their clothes, without anyone noticing, not even his flatmates.
It is just that this entire story makes it hard for me to suspend my disbelief, which really hindered me from enjoying this work, even though there are times when the writing shines and there is some interesting introspection, especially at the end.
However, what brought me out of the story were inconsistencies and small stumbling blocks which made me raise my eyebrows.
Many other reviews here have already addressed the depravity of the main character, and to be honest, none of it stuck to me quite as much as his unhygienic lifestyle. I've read 'Crossed', I watched Slasher movies, and I read splatterpunk, to sum it up: I am not disturbed by the trivial matter of violence in fiction.
I know that over-the-top violence is used quite often as a cheap way to elicit strong emotions from the reader, but when you're a reader who is used to violence and who isn't squeamish, it opens up your eyes to see other things. Some things which stood out to me were the long run-on sentences (most likely to show how monotone and boring the main character's life is apart from eating babies), or the way the main character 'cooks'.
Often I stopped and wondered: is this possible?
In one instance he just shoves an entire baby in the slow cooker and I had to actually look up if you could put something, guts and everything into a slow cooker. Another thing which was bugging me the entire time was the fact that the baby at the start was put in the oven and fed to his housemate who thought it was chicken, and all I could think of was: 'That can't be right, people don't taste like chicken! People taste like pork! That's why it is called 'long-pork'.'
Another thing I took notice of was the main character's attachment to his laptop and the internet, but more than that this annoying habit and the constant reminder that his laptop is so OLD and decrepit that he has to use scissors to turn it on. All I could think of was: buy a new laptop, dude. Even a used one. Or get it repaired. Especially strange when it seems that the main character seems to be living in modern times and uses otherwise modern technology, but uses an old laptop from what I can only assume to be the early 90s/2000s.
Then there are his crimes, which are never noticed, he never fears the police, which in this universe seem to be completely incompetent (Is he indirectly criticizing the British police force as ineffective and incompetent? Is it a social commentary on the apathy of society as a whole?), and he just carries around baby corpses in his backpack and discards their clothes, without anyone noticing, not even his flatmates.
It is just that this entire story makes it hard for me to suspend my disbelief, which really hindered me from enjoying this work, even though there are times when the writing shines and there is some interesting introspection, especially at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2017
I got this book free in return for an honest review.
This review contains spoilers.
I have read Haydn Wilks' previous novel and quite enjoyed it and have also read Vol 1 of his Americosis series, which I really liked and have just discovered that the other 3 novellas in the series are also available.
Rhys Davies works at a call centre selling insurance to young couples and his evenings are spent in his locked bedroom at his shared house, pouring bile and vitriol onto Twitter and Facebook and then wanking off to internet porn. His only other outlet is going out and getting drunk with his 'mates' Dave and Branston, both of whom he despises, as he has to endure their childish antics, as they try to get off with young female students. His life is meaningless and going nowhere, he is on an endless treadmill of boredom until one night in a drunken stupor, he enters the home of one of his prospective customers and returns home to discover he has committed an unspeakable atrocity, which he then goes on to compound even further. He finds that this act has invigorated him and adds some much needed spark to his life. However this high only lasts so long and he has to commit a further crimes in order to satiate his needs. When he does come down however, the lows are even worse and he finds himself trawling the internet for even more depraved and disgusting acts to view so that he can satisfy his cravings.
I usually enjoy the offbeat whether it be music, film, tv or books and am not easily shocked, however I did find myself having second thoughts about continuing reading after Rhys commits his initial crime, as I did find it in pretty poor taste. Maybe its because I'm a fairly recent grandfather or because as a retired Crime Scene Examiner I used to find crimes against babies and children the most difficult to deal with. I'm not sure. Reading the rest of the novel was a bit like watching a horror movie through your fingers, as you don't want to see the gore and violence but still want to find out what happens in the end. I know it's fiction but I didn't really find any perverse humour in the situation and the book just seemed to descend further and further into the black hole of depression that is Rhys Davies' mind.
On a brighter note, I do intend reading the rest of Wilks' Americosis series and this hasn't put me off reading any future novels of his but I'm afraid this one was just a step too far for me.
This review contains spoilers.
I have read Haydn Wilks' previous novel and quite enjoyed it and have also read Vol 1 of his Americosis series, which I really liked and have just discovered that the other 3 novellas in the series are also available.
Rhys Davies works at a call centre selling insurance to young couples and his evenings are spent in his locked bedroom at his shared house, pouring bile and vitriol onto Twitter and Facebook and then wanking off to internet porn. His only other outlet is going out and getting drunk with his 'mates' Dave and Branston, both of whom he despises, as he has to endure their childish antics, as they try to get off with young female students. His life is meaningless and going nowhere, he is on an endless treadmill of boredom until one night in a drunken stupor, he enters the home of one of his prospective customers and returns home to discover he has committed an unspeakable atrocity, which he then goes on to compound even further. He finds that this act has invigorated him and adds some much needed spark to his life. However this high only lasts so long and he has to commit a further crimes in order to satiate his needs. When he does come down however, the lows are even worse and he finds himself trawling the internet for even more depraved and disgusting acts to view so that he can satisfy his cravings.
I usually enjoy the offbeat whether it be music, film, tv or books and am not easily shocked, however I did find myself having second thoughts about continuing reading after Rhys commits his initial crime, as I did find it in pretty poor taste. Maybe its because I'm a fairly recent grandfather or because as a retired Crime Scene Examiner I used to find crimes against babies and children the most difficult to deal with. I'm not sure. Reading the rest of the novel was a bit like watching a horror movie through your fingers, as you don't want to see the gore and violence but still want to find out what happens in the end. I know it's fiction but I didn't really find any perverse humour in the situation and the book just seemed to descend further and further into the black hole of depression that is Rhys Davies' mind.
On a brighter note, I do intend reading the rest of Wilks' Americosis series and this hasn't put me off reading any future novels of his but I'm afraid this one was just a step too far for me.
September 3, 2022
Cold Calling was an odd little novella. A few pages in, and I honestly wondered what I was reading, and how long I would stick with it. That it was coarse and crude wasn't a problem, and neither was its total lack of tolerable (much less likable) characters. Instead, it was the staccato, stream-of-consciousness, rambling narrative that bothered me the most. It reminded me of authors like Ellis, Palahniuk, or Welsh. I've never finished a single novel by any of them, and I doubt I ever will.
What kept me reading was a shared sense of call center camaraderie and an honest curiosity about what made other reviewers so horribly squeamish and disgusted. And then, all of a sudden, Haydn Wilks drops a single, game-changing paragraph that's almost easy to miss. In fact, I was a few paragraphs past it before I started to question what was going on, how we got there, and what I missed.
Suddenly, what started out as a story of boring banality - a mind-numbing tale of a dead-end job, endless smoke breaks, annoying roommates, and internet porn - becomes something freakish and filthy. From that single paragraph arises a tale of murder, infanticide, cannibalism, and more. It's bleak, black humor, told with a bit of hidden wit, but it's also subject matter that will be distasteful to many readers. It's not just the story that changes, however, it's also the storytelling. It still has that rambling, stream-of-consciousness aspect to it, but it becomes less abrupt and more prolonged. Sentences become longer, thought begin to pile upon thoughts, and the short, 4-or-5 line paragraphs stretch out to fill a page. The story doesn't just get inside your head, it drags you inside the narrator's.
Cold Calling is a hard story to enjoy. In fact, if you take any enjoyment from it at all, then you should likely self-register with the authorities as a potential serial killer. It is, however, a storytelling effort to admire, a literary excursion that takes you far outside your comfort zone and then dumps you on the curb, naked, wounded, and scarred.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
What kept me reading was a shared sense of call center camaraderie and an honest curiosity about what made other reviewers so horribly squeamish and disgusted. And then, all of a sudden, Haydn Wilks drops a single, game-changing paragraph that's almost easy to miss. In fact, I was a few paragraphs past it before I started to question what was going on, how we got there, and what I missed.
Suddenly, what started out as a story of boring banality - a mind-numbing tale of a dead-end job, endless smoke breaks, annoying roommates, and internet porn - becomes something freakish and filthy. From that single paragraph arises a tale of murder, infanticide, cannibalism, and more. It's bleak, black humor, told with a bit of hidden wit, but it's also subject matter that will be distasteful to many readers. It's not just the story that changes, however, it's also the storytelling. It still has that rambling, stream-of-consciousness aspect to it, but it becomes less abrupt and more prolonged. Sentences become longer, thought begin to pile upon thoughts, and the short, 4-or-5 line paragraphs stretch out to fill a page. The story doesn't just get inside your head, it drags you inside the narrator's.
Cold Calling is a hard story to enjoy. In fact, if you take any enjoyment from it at all, then you should likely self-register with the authorities as a potential serial killer. It is, however, a storytelling effort to admire, a literary excursion that takes you far outside your comfort zone and then dumps you on the curb, naked, wounded, and scarred.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
February 12, 2017
Haydn Wilks has developed as a writer since penning The Death of Danny Daggers. Cold Calling offers up a much more focused plot and a provocative story and conclusion.
The main character, Rhys Davies, is well developed as a young call center phone jockey who faces constant rejection from his prospects, and then goes home to plug into the world wide web as a typical cowardly troll and as an active participant in internet porn. No surprisingly, Davies is empty and unfulfilled in the soul-killing activities he's chosen and the job that seems to eat away at his spirit day by day.
Davies is an island. He doesn't share any camaraderie with his office mates, is at constant odds with the quota-driven supervisors he answers to, and barely tolerates his house mates. He lives almost entirely in his head - which, I've heard it be said, is a very dangerous neighborhood.
When he finally snaps - because what else CAN he do - he finds relieve and takes strength in one of the most disturbing, tabu acts imaginable. But why? Why did the act give him a new, on-top-of-the-world feeling? What was it about his victims that gave him what he needed?
Haydn Wilks gives us a brutal and biting look at a dirty corner of modern life. In the vein of Brett Easton Ellis and perhaps even Irvine Welsh, he illustrates how empty life today can be and gives us a very polished - albeit disturbing - story.
The main character, Rhys Davies, is well developed as a young call center phone jockey who faces constant rejection from his prospects, and then goes home to plug into the world wide web as a typical cowardly troll and as an active participant in internet porn. No surprisingly, Davies is empty and unfulfilled in the soul-killing activities he's chosen and the job that seems to eat away at his spirit day by day.
Davies is an island. He doesn't share any camaraderie with his office mates, is at constant odds with the quota-driven supervisors he answers to, and barely tolerates his house mates. He lives almost entirely in his head - which, I've heard it be said, is a very dangerous neighborhood.
When he finally snaps - because what else CAN he do - he finds relieve and takes strength in one of the most disturbing, tabu acts imaginable. But why? Why did the act give him a new, on-top-of-the-world feeling? What was it about his victims that gave him what he needed?
Haydn Wilks gives us a brutal and biting look at a dirty corner of modern life. In the vein of Brett Easton Ellis and perhaps even Irvine Welsh, he illustrates how empty life today can be and gives us a very polished - albeit disturbing - story.
February 1, 2024
Utterly vile, depraved, disturbing, sickening, disgusting filth. The literary equivalent of a video nasty and I feel seedy for having read it. Five stars, would absolutely read again.
It’s often a gamble reading early works from authors where you’ve only read their latest books. In some cases they hadn’t quite found the magic you enjoy in their subsequent works, in others they simply hadn’t matured enough as a writer or honed their craft enough yet. So having only previously read Wilks’ most recent books I didn’t know what to expect from Cold Calling. However, everything I love about $hitcoin and HIRAETH is all here. There’s something wonderfully cathartic in tagging along with truly depraved and despicable characters in books and as far as utter bastards go, our main character in Cold Calling is the worst in the best possible way.
It’s clear Wilks is influenced heavily by the likes of Welsh, Easton-Ellis, Palahniuk and Murakami (not that one), and it’s especially evident in Cold Calling, but I feel he also has his own distinct style and voice that make his books unique and so much fun to read. Even though it’s short in length, I had a blast reading Cold Calling, the ending is beautifully meta, and I devoured this faster than a slow cooked Chipping Sodbury baby.
It’s often a gamble reading early works from authors where you’ve only read their latest books. In some cases they hadn’t quite found the magic you enjoy in their subsequent works, in others they simply hadn’t matured enough as a writer or honed their craft enough yet. So having only previously read Wilks’ most recent books I didn’t know what to expect from Cold Calling. However, everything I love about $hitcoin and HIRAETH is all here. There’s something wonderfully cathartic in tagging along with truly depraved and despicable characters in books and as far as utter bastards go, our main character in Cold Calling is the worst in the best possible way.
It’s clear Wilks is influenced heavily by the likes of Welsh, Easton-Ellis, Palahniuk and Murakami (not that one), and it’s especially evident in Cold Calling, but I feel he also has his own distinct style and voice that make his books unique and so much fun to read. Even though it’s short in length, I had a blast reading Cold Calling, the ending is beautifully meta, and I devoured this faster than a slow cooked Chipping Sodbury baby.
February 5, 2017
He's a young man with a life that is going nowhere. He's a telemarketer for life insurance. He has the same roommate that he's had for 7 years. When he's not working, he's locked in his room watching porn. When he's in the mood, he spews ugly filth into social networks like Facebook.
Life just sucks!
And then one night he does the unthinkable. He gets drunk ..so, that's not the unthinkable.
He does something new and exciting to him. Something that sets him apart from almost everyone else.
No spoilers ... but it turned my stomach. The depravity is more than I can handle. I found myself skipping pages, a few chapters, looking for something redeemable for my peace of mind.
This book is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's dark, it's depressing, and the subject matter is revolting. The language is rough, but that didn't bother me.
Looking at a few other reviews, to ensure that I am normal, I found several people who found this story humorous. I did not. I found it more along the lines of horror. And I don't do horror well at all.
Warning ... read at the peril of your own sanity.
I wish to thanks the author who requested that I read and review. The opinion expressed here is unbiased and entirely my own.
Life just sucks!
And then one night he does the unthinkable. He gets drunk ..so, that's not the unthinkable.
He does something new and exciting to him. Something that sets him apart from almost everyone else.
No spoilers ... but it turned my stomach. The depravity is more than I can handle. I found myself skipping pages, a few chapters, looking for something redeemable for my peace of mind.
This book is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's dark, it's depressing, and the subject matter is revolting. The language is rough, but that didn't bother me.
Looking at a few other reviews, to ensure that I am normal, I found several people who found this story humorous. I did not. I found it more along the lines of horror. And I don't do horror well at all.
Warning ... read at the peril of your own sanity.
I wish to thanks the author who requested that I read and review. The opinion expressed here is unbiased and entirely my own.
February 7, 2017
Received ARC from Haydn for review (honest review).
I have read another one of Haydns books and I was looking forward to reading this,as blurb given by Haydn sounded interesting.
I was not sure what to expect as the first book was quite gritty.Well this was way beyond gritty.Some parts are not for the squeamish and quite revolting really.It took a turn and kept going down a strange road that I had not even thought about.
It centres around the main characters from a Call Centre and the daily drudge of Cold Calling.The characters are numerous and varied,some interesting and others not quite so much.
The main character likes his laptop lots more than anyone should and this keeps him locked away most nights,until he goes out to the pub.This is where thing take a drastic turn and I was left with a strange gut feeling that this was not my type of read.
At this point I had to skip some bits and jump in and out to see where things went , just so I could see what was going to happen.
I have to say I did finish,although I probably missed some stuff,but the book was different to what I normally read.
Did I like it.......Jury is out on that one.
I have read another one of Haydns books and I was looking forward to reading this,as blurb given by Haydn sounded interesting.
I was not sure what to expect as the first book was quite gritty.Well this was way beyond gritty.Some parts are not for the squeamish and quite revolting really.It took a turn and kept going down a strange road that I had not even thought about.
It centres around the main characters from a Call Centre and the daily drudge of Cold Calling.The characters are numerous and varied,some interesting and others not quite so much.
The main character likes his laptop lots more than anyone should and this keeps him locked away most nights,until he goes out to the pub.This is where thing take a drastic turn and I was left with a strange gut feeling that this was not my type of read.
At this point I had to skip some bits and jump in and out to see where things went , just so I could see what was going to happen.
I have to say I did finish,although I probably missed some stuff,but the book was different to what I normally read.
Did I like it.......Jury is out on that one.
February 7, 2017
This was second time reading a Wilks book, and unlike The Death of Danny Daggers, this one will not be for everybody. Part American Psycho, part Irvine Welsh, and part Jack Ketchum, Cold Calling is a disturbing book on many levels. I won't ruin any of the plot, but there were a few times I struggled to keep going and I have a pretty rock hard disposition with books.
Needless to say, if you like dark dark, or can handle disturbing themes, the book offers a really amazing look into true depravity.
The choice of writing the book in second-person narrative was interesting, and compounded the unease I felt throughout, because "you" are doing and experiencing all these things. It is a writing style that is hard to perfect and I think it works exactly like Wilks wanted it to.
Again, be warned this book is pretty graphic in parts, but that shouldn't detract from its merits as a dark, gritty, and at times disgustingly perverse look at human nature.
Needless to say, if you like dark dark, or can handle disturbing themes, the book offers a really amazing look into true depravity.
The choice of writing the book in second-person narrative was interesting, and compounded the unease I felt throughout, because "you" are doing and experiencing all these things. It is a writing style that is hard to perfect and I think it works exactly like Wilks wanted it to.
Again, be warned this book is pretty graphic in parts, but that shouldn't detract from its merits as a dark, gritty, and at times disgustingly perverse look at human nature.
March 21, 2017
I'd previously read one of the authors previous books, and quite enjoyed it. I was not, however, expecting this. He's got so dark.. This is not a book for anyone who is squeamish, fainthearted, or even nauseas at the sight of blood.
Rhys works in a soul destroying call centre, trying to sell insurance. At night he watches porn and trolls the net. Days drift into each other, and boredom is killing him. One night, while out on the booze, he goes a little too far, and does something that's going to completely change, not just his life, but a lot of others. He doesn't so much go American Psycho, more Welsh nutter.
If this was handled in less subtle hands, this would be horror porn of the Matt Shaw school, but Wilks has the ability to keep just the right side of the line. Saying that, it's still a very dark, very visceral book. A lot of this is to do with the first person narrative, which to a certain extent, makes sense of the senselessness. It's disturbing, but it's all there for a reason.
It's a real step forward from Danny Daggers, and it's going to be interesting to see where he goes from here. Especially as the ending is very open, it would be possible to see a sequel coming.
Rhys works in a soul destroying call centre, trying to sell insurance. At night he watches porn and trolls the net. Days drift into each other, and boredom is killing him. One night, while out on the booze, he goes a little too far, and does something that's going to completely change, not just his life, but a lot of others. He doesn't so much go American Psycho, more Welsh nutter.
If this was handled in less subtle hands, this would be horror porn of the Matt Shaw school, but Wilks has the ability to keep just the right side of the line. Saying that, it's still a very dark, very visceral book. A lot of this is to do with the first person narrative, which to a certain extent, makes sense of the senselessness. It's disturbing, but it's all there for a reason.
It's a real step forward from Danny Daggers, and it's going to be interesting to see where he goes from here. Especially as the ending is very open, it would be possible to see a sequel coming.
March 7, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
Cold Calling is a novel is a gritty, dark and somewhat disturbing read. It takes a look at the darker side of humanity, pulling it kicking and screaming into the forefront of the page. Written in second person, it allows the reader no chance to escape and ensures that you are right at the heart of the action.
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I’m not a squeamish person but when I saw how far the main character had fallen, I wasn’t sure if it would work. But it did and the writing style mixed with the gritty realism made sure this book really sunk its claws into you.
Plot
The book is about a man who is living a dull, uninspiring existence. His life follows a singular routine, with very little variation from it and he is wonder what the point of it all is. The novel starts with him in this state of mind and follows him as he gradually spirals down to the point where he takes a leap from which there is no return and starts to kill and eat people.
The book itself is fairly short and took me about two hours to read. This length fit the story perfectly. I think if it had been any longer, it would have felt a bit drawn out, but instead the descent of the main character into the darkest side of his psyche felt really well paced.
Characters
The main character in this book is a sociopathic entity who is incredibly unlikeable, but in a compelling manner. You end up wanting to see how much worse he can get, especially when he seems to be improving. However, I did find that, by the end of the novel, I still knew very little about him. I could see the actions, but not really the person who committed them.
The same was true for the other characters. There were names and repeated actions (for example, his housemate watching tv every time he comes home from work), but there did not feel like there was too much else too them. This ended up lessening the impact of one of the later scenes for me.
While I can see why the novel has been written like this (we’re seeing through the eyes of a sociopath so there aren’t going to be many emotional connections) it did leave me feeling a little disconnected from the novel. This may work for some people, but I found that it lessened my enjoyment of the book.
Final thoughts
Cold Calling is a gritty thriller which explores the darker side of humanity in a manner that holds no bars. There are echoes of American Psycho within the pages, but ultimately the style is true to the author. I do feel that there were places which could have been improved, however these were mostly down to personal preference. A word of warning though, if you are someone who is not a big fan of grisly reads, then this is probably not the book for you.
Summary
Cold Calling is a novel is a gritty, dark and somewhat disturbing read. It takes a look at the darker side of humanity, pulling it kicking and screaming into the forefront of the page. Written in second person, it allows the reader no chance to escape and ensures that you are right at the heart of the action.
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I’m not a squeamish person but when I saw how far the main character had fallen, I wasn’t sure if it would work. But it did and the writing style mixed with the gritty realism made sure this book really sunk its claws into you.
Plot
The book is about a man who is living a dull, uninspiring existence. His life follows a singular routine, with very little variation from it and he is wonder what the point of it all is. The novel starts with him in this state of mind and follows him as he gradually spirals down to the point where he takes a leap from which there is no return and starts to kill and eat people.
The book itself is fairly short and took me about two hours to read. This length fit the story perfectly. I think if it had been any longer, it would have felt a bit drawn out, but instead the descent of the main character into the darkest side of his psyche felt really well paced.
Characters
The main character in this book is a sociopathic entity who is incredibly unlikeable, but in a compelling manner. You end up wanting to see how much worse he can get, especially when he seems to be improving. However, I did find that, by the end of the novel, I still knew very little about him. I could see the actions, but not really the person who committed them.
The same was true for the other characters. There were names and repeated actions (for example, his housemate watching tv every time he comes home from work), but there did not feel like there was too much else too them. This ended up lessening the impact of one of the later scenes for me.
While I can see why the novel has been written like this (we’re seeing through the eyes of a sociopath so there aren’t going to be many emotional connections) it did leave me feeling a little disconnected from the novel. This may work for some people, but I found that it lessened my enjoyment of the book.
Final thoughts
Cold Calling is a gritty thriller which explores the darker side of humanity in a manner that holds no bars. There are echoes of American Psycho within the pages, but ultimately the style is true to the author. I do feel that there were places which could have been improved, however these were mostly down to personal preference. A word of warning though, if you are someone who is not a big fan of grisly reads, then this is probably not the book for you.
February 26, 2017
I agree with most of my goodreads pal Denny's review below.
Just don't read it if you are easily shocked by psychotic behaviour.
It was refreshingly different from anything else i've been reading of late and i enjoyed it (although not as much as Danny Daggers).
I wonder if the seeds of this tale were conceived in the electronic millhouses endured during the author's 'year flitting between call centre firings'....
Haydn Wilks makes me think a bit of irvine Welsh. a kinda welsh version of Welsh if you will...
Just don't read it if you are easily shocked by psychotic behaviour.
It was refreshingly different from anything else i've been reading of late and i enjoyed it (although not as much as Danny Daggers).
I wonder if the seeds of this tale were conceived in the electronic millhouses endured during the author's 'year flitting between call centre firings'....
Haydn Wilks makes me think a bit of irvine Welsh. a kinda welsh version of Welsh if you will...
February 6, 2017
Having read Haydn Wilks before this one took me by surprise as some have already said it's not for the faint hearted. Would say it's more a horror story detailing one young mans downward spiral from call centre worker to killer
August 8, 2017
Vile. Hated it.
Thought I was going to read something crossed between Irvine Welsh and American Psycho.... this was much more deranged and quite frankly bloody distressing.
I won't be reading any more Haydn Wilks books, even if he is Welsh.
Thought I was going to read something crossed between Irvine Welsh and American Psycho.... this was much more deranged and quite frankly bloody distressing.
I won't be reading any more Haydn Wilks books, even if he is Welsh.
March 14, 2023
This is one man's descent into darkness and its disturbing
June 13, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
I'd say this read was a solid 3/3.5 stars.
I knew going into this book that it would be weird and kind of f*cked up (based on other reviews) but the main grotesque part was NOT at all what I had in envisioned -- it took me a bit to get through the first part & I kept setting it down because there were only so many times I could read about the main character (Rhys) hating his life, working at a dead end job, & masturbating.
But after I got through the first cannibalism adventure he had & the pace started to pick up I was kind of excited to see what happened next & finished it pretty quickly. Which is like a testament to the author, but also made me feel a bit weird/guilty. In some ways it reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, with the ultra-violence, & protagonist feeling little if any moral guilt at what he was doing.
But, every so often, the book would also be insightful when making references to current events, negative sentiments about immigrants, and the effects of capitalism. I thought this was really necessary, because without it there wasn't really any reason for Ryhs to act out in the way that he did and in such a repetitive & methodic manner (since as far as we know he never showed any previous signs for being a serial killer before his first episode). Then there were the briefest moments when the author would mention Rhys' family/life before living with his flatmates and I wanted to know so much more! It was like the author was teasing us saying "hey, I know you want to figure out what about this guy's family life made his so f*cked up, so I'll give you just the slightest bit of info."
At the same time, Ryhs was kind of all over the place (both literally & figuratively), so in some ways to me it felt like his "acting out & going against the mainstream mantra" was more of a trope & less of a fully fleshed out explanation for his actions. My feelings on this were furthered by some specifics of his actions & methodology that didn't seem to match up. For example, his first act of ultra-violence made sense -- he was spurned & took it too personally, was bored & needed to feel something, etc. I could even understand where Rhys was coming from when he tried cannibalism for the first time -- new, albeit disgusting, experience. However, I was like wtf when all of a sudden his new purpose in life was to eat baby's because he all of a sudden liked how they tasted like pork --> like getting the slow cooker & fridge (which let's be honest after a month when the electric bill came back his flatmates would've noticed something was amiss & his gig would've be up). His whole new mission for living was to eat babies. This is just not how cannibalism works!! I've studied a number of different cultures that engage in cannibalism and, aside from the rare movie or sitcom, have never heard of any real-life examples of a human trying flesh for the first time and then going crazy for human flesh. It reminded me of that Always Sunny Episode which is so far fetched that for some of these sections in the book, it made me laugh rather than be astonished!
Anyways, the plot is pretty insane, but overall the book was well-written and engaging in its own way that I kind of liked it. Definitely not something I would want to read again or delve into this genre a whole lot. The author did bring up some relevant points and critiques of our current society that were interesting, but then lost me with the lack of realism, reliance on tropes, and not thinking through some of the details during a number of parts throughout the piece.
I'd say this read was a solid 3/3.5 stars.
I knew going into this book that it would be weird and kind of f*cked up (based on other reviews) but the main grotesque part was NOT at all what I had in envisioned -- it took me a bit to get through the first part & I kept setting it down because there were only so many times I could read about the main character (Rhys) hating his life, working at a dead end job, & masturbating.
But after I got through the first cannibalism adventure he had & the pace started to pick up I was kind of excited to see what happened next & finished it pretty quickly. Which is like a testament to the author, but also made me feel a bit weird/guilty. In some ways it reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, with the ultra-violence, & protagonist feeling little if any moral guilt at what he was doing.
But, every so often, the book would also be insightful when making references to current events, negative sentiments about immigrants, and the effects of capitalism. I thought this was really necessary, because without it there wasn't really any reason for Ryhs to act out in the way that he did and in such a repetitive & methodic manner (since as far as we know he never showed any previous signs for being a serial killer before his first episode). Then there were the briefest moments when the author would mention Rhys' family/life before living with his flatmates and I wanted to know so much more! It was like the author was teasing us saying "hey, I know you want to figure out what about this guy's family life made his so f*cked up, so I'll give you just the slightest bit of info."
At the same time, Ryhs was kind of all over the place (both literally & figuratively), so in some ways to me it felt like his "acting out & going against the mainstream mantra" was more of a trope & less of a fully fleshed out explanation for his actions. My feelings on this were furthered by some specifics of his actions & methodology that didn't seem to match up. For example, his first act of ultra-violence made sense -- he was spurned & took it too personally, was bored & needed to feel something, etc. I could even understand where Rhys was coming from when he tried cannibalism for the first time -- new, albeit disgusting, experience. However, I was like wtf when all of a sudden his new purpose in life was to eat baby's because he all of a sudden liked how they tasted like pork --> like getting the slow cooker & fridge (which let's be honest after a month when the electric bill came back his flatmates would've noticed something was amiss & his gig would've be up). His whole new mission for living was to eat babies. This is just not how cannibalism works!! I've studied a number of different cultures that engage in cannibalism and, aside from the rare movie or sitcom, have never heard of any real-life examples of a human trying flesh for the first time and then going crazy for human flesh. It reminded me of that Always Sunny Episode which is so far fetched that for some of these sections in the book, it made me laugh rather than be astonished!
Anyways, the plot is pretty insane, but overall the book was well-written and engaging in its own way that I kind of liked it. Definitely not something I would want to read again or delve into this genre a whole lot. The author did bring up some relevant points and critiques of our current society that were interesting, but then lost me with the lack of realism, reliance on tropes, and not thinking through some of the details during a number of parts throughout the piece.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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