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The Devil's Guests
The Devil's Guests From outside the hotel looks like any other in the city. Inside though, a maze of ever-changing corridors, rooms filled with death, traps and - behind the reception desk with a welcoming smile, a sadistic owner who can not wait to help his guests check-out permanently. From the twisted imagination of Matt Shaw, and partly based on the serial killer H. H. Holmes, comes a new extreme horror and a new way of telling the story. While Shaw writes the part of Henry, the sadistic serial killer, he has invited some leading horror authors to write their own characters - introducing them to the hotel before Shaw finishes the story off. This is not an anthology. This is one story with guest authors. With Guest Chapters written by Jeff Strand, Wrath James White, Kealan Patrick Burke, Shane Mckenzie, Sam West, Wade H. Garrett Ryan Harding, Armand Rosamilia, David Moody Gary McMahon Jasper Bark and Mark Tufo! WARNING This is not a pleasant story. This is an extreme horror with many disturbing and violent scenes. If you are easily offended, or shocked, please do not purchase this title.
- GenresHorror
196 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2017
129 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Matt Shaw
529 books2,201 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 13, 2022
First 1/2 of the book 4.5⭐️
Second 1/2 4 ⭐️ I loved Duncan Ralston’s and Wade Garrett’s story. Wasn’t a fan of the first two stories personally. Overall a great book
Second 1/2 4 ⭐️ I loved Duncan Ralston’s and Wade Garrett’s story. Wasn’t a fan of the first two stories personally. Overall a great book
March 20, 2017
Graphic, Gore, Hotel
All I can say is wow!!! I first heard about this killer HH. Holmes from the podcast Sword and Scale. This book was well written and entertaining. Very graphic and gory but I expected nothing else from these authors. The book is about a sinister man that owns a hotel but has very strange methods that he likes to perform on people. The bonus stories were awesome I recommend this book to anyone that can stomach vile acts.
All I can say is wow!!! I first heard about this killer HH. Holmes from the podcast Sword and Scale. This book was well written and entertaining. Very graphic and gory but I expected nothing else from these authors. The book is about a sinister man that owns a hotel but has very strange methods that he likes to perform on people. The bonus stories were awesome I recommend this book to anyone that can stomach vile acts.
February 10, 2017
Hardcore horror author Matt Shaw brings some impressive horror talent to write individual chapters involving hotel guests that meet untimely and gruesome deaths at the hands of a Norman Bates-type owner. I think Shaw would have been more effective to write the book himself or allow the guest writers to have their own original stories in a hotel of horror anthology, because many of the stories did not fit very organically into the overall narrative.
The strongest stories, for me, came towards the end, with the best three being written by Jasper Bark, Wrath James White, and Mark Tufo, with honorable mentions to authors Sam West, Kealan Patrick Burke, and Jeff Strand, for their strong contributions. The remaining authors were all solid as well, but not quite at the level as the ones I mentioned. Still, this was an enjoyable read and contained some rather wildly inventive torture sequences. The ending felt too short and overall could have used some additional editing or smoothing out. I would still recommend this book, especially with the amount of quality horror authors involved.
The strongest stories, for me, came towards the end, with the best three being written by Jasper Bark, Wrath James White, and Mark Tufo, with honorable mentions to authors Sam West, Kealan Patrick Burke, and Jeff Strand, for their strong contributions. The remaining authors were all solid as well, but not quite at the level as the ones I mentioned. Still, this was an enjoyable read and contained some rather wildly inventive torture sequences. The ending felt too short and overall could have used some additional editing or smoothing out. I would still recommend this book, especially with the amount of quality horror authors involved.
February 27, 2017
This is a great idea for a book, with a main narrative and guest authors contributing pieces about the guests of the hotel. As with any anthology or collaboration the pieces were too uneven for me to truly enjoy. Wade Garrett's chapter, the first following the prologue, was an example of the kind of extreme horror I don't care for, a cataloging of torture and cruelties with no connection to the characters that left me bored and with a bad first impression. It wasn't until half way through that the quality picked up for me, with excellent contributions from Kealan Patrick Burke, Wrath James White, Jeff Strand, and Shane McKenzie. There is some good stuff here, and I would recommend it for fans of the individual authors, but as a complete novel it didn't work for me.
September 20, 2018
A horror anthology that is woven together beautifully???? I never believed it possible but I stand corrected. It’s vicious spine tingling skin crawling horror deliciousness all in one place. A must read and for me a must re read
January 21, 2019
I purchased this book at Killercon from the author. He told me the book was very loosely based on HH Holmes so I was intrigued. I fully expected the story setting to be during the turn of the century. To my surprise, it was set in today's world with all of our technical advancements at the disposal of this killer. Some of the chapters left me stunned and I had to catch my breath. Definitely not for the faint of heart. If you love gore and brutality, this book is for you!
May 6, 2018
A cool concept and a cool book. I can't imagine the work that went in so much material in line. I thought the authors did a nice job keeping a consistent tone throughout and my compliments to Matt Shaw for his organizational work, here. This is an intense story, gruesome at times but all throughout, impactful and frightening. And as a bonus - several free short stories at the end!
July 22, 2017
Fantastic Collaboration
There is nothing about this collaboration not to enjoy. From the demented Henry to the bonus at the end. It is perfect and I hope they do similar works together in the very near future.
There is nothing about this collaboration not to enjoy. From the demented Henry to the bonus at the end. It is perfect and I hope they do similar works together in the very near future.
November 22, 2017
If you like splatterpunk, you'll love this multi-author collection that follows a murderous hotel owner as he cruelly dispatches his guests. The collection ends with "Filthy Movie," which is probably the most violent story that I've read . . . and I've read a lot of violent stories.
July 4, 2017
Excellent
Great authors with an excellent story similar to the serial killer H.H.Holmes. Extreme horror stories added and lots of sex. Enjoy!
Great authors with an excellent story similar to the serial killer H.H.Holmes. Extreme horror stories added and lots of sex. Enjoy!
January 22, 2018
Disturbing as heck, but completely enjoyable. I would recommend if you don't mind depravity and some gore you know, light reading. :)
May 20, 2021
Didn't keep me enthralled to be honest. Good concept for the book. But could have made more of why the hotel was there. Such a lot of potential but seemed to be wasted.
February 11, 2017
I loved this book, was excited about Wade Garrett doing a piece as his shit is so damn good, another great read, Matt Shaw never disappoints
February 8, 2017
Extreme horror at it's best
The Devil's guests is a story with lots of different authors. Matt Shaw wrote the main story and the other authors Jeff strand, Wrath James White, Kealan Patrick Burke, Shane McKenzie, Sam West, Wade H Garrett, Ryan Harding, Armand Rosamilia, David Moody, Gary McMahon, Jasper Bark and Mark Tufo had guest chapters.
It works really well and flowed despite all the different authors. It is very sick and twisted. Based on the murder hotel by H.H.Holmes. Some of the scenes are so disgusting I gagged
Really enjoyed the bonus material at the end. I can see why the shorten story was used
The Devil's guests is a story with lots of different authors. Matt Shaw wrote the main story and the other authors Jeff strand, Wrath James White, Kealan Patrick Burke, Shane McKenzie, Sam West, Wade H Garrett, Ryan Harding, Armand Rosamilia, David Moody, Gary McMahon, Jasper Bark and Mark Tufo had guest chapters.
It works really well and flowed despite all the different authors. It is very sick and twisted. Based on the murder hotel by H.H.Holmes. Some of the scenes are so disgusting I gagged
Really enjoyed the bonus material at the end. I can see why the shorten story was used
April 19, 2017
THAT was CRAZY gory and sadistic!!! The first murder, especially, (the couple.....) was outta sight SADISTIC!!! 😳😳😳 There were a few "huhs" that I just didn't get but it's still damn creepy and gory so a full five stars from me!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews