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Assassin a
1st Sphere 1990 edition paperback fine book In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
11 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Hutson
112 books532 followersBritish horror novelist, including horror and urban thriller novels.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 13, 2022
Hutson is in top form for Assassin, with a fast moving plot and pages dripping with blood, cordite and excrement. There are a few levels to this story, and some I would have liked to see fleshed out more, but overall, one of his best novels. The rather odd prologue begins with a tower block being demolished in London and a crazy priest being evicted from a nearby decrepit church, screaming all the while about some saint's relic; then we have a glimpse of a rotting arm erupting from the demolition scene. WTF? It all comes together as the novel progresses.
The 'main' story involves a London Mobster named Harrison, who has 'settled' his differences with the other gangsters in the city, but someone is knocking off his crew one by one. Smelling a gang war, things heat up fast when Harrison fights back. Meanwhile, right at the beginning, we have the trial of a killer who is accused of hacking to death a family and kids; he shows no remorse whatsoever, claiming he is just one of many engaged in a deadly class war, out to off the 'rich parasites' plaguing the city. Finally, we have what must be zombies at the demolition site killing people (nastily I might add) to patch their rotting flesh with the skin and other bits like leatherface with the victims.
Hutson tosses in some other goodies, like the moll of Harrison having an affair with his driver, cops and their investigations into the 'nutters' killing rich people, and so forth. Hutson gives the story a frenetic pace while quoting lyrics from various metal bands of the era (Iron Maiden, Guns & Roses, etc.). You just know he was cranking metal in the background while typing this one out!
Look, you do not turn to Hutson for deep, moving fiction, but if are in the mood for a fast paced, splatter punk extravaganza mixing up zombies, hit men, mobsters and 'nutters', this is for you. Plus, this has perhaps one of the nastiest scenes I have read. Perhaps my favorite Hutson novel to date. 4 bloody, cordite reeking stars!!
The 'main' story involves a London Mobster named Harrison, who has 'settled' his differences with the other gangsters in the city, but someone is knocking off his crew one by one. Smelling a gang war, things heat up fast when Harrison fights back. Meanwhile, right at the beginning, we have the trial of a killer who is accused of hacking to death a family and kids; he shows no remorse whatsoever, claiming he is just one of many engaged in a deadly class war, out to off the 'rich parasites' plaguing the city. Finally, we have what must be zombies at the demolition site killing people (nastily I might add) to patch their rotting flesh with the skin and other bits like leatherface with the victims.
Hutson tosses in some other goodies, like the moll of Harrison having an affair with his driver, cops and their investigations into the 'nutters' killing rich people, and so forth. Hutson gives the story a frenetic pace while quoting lyrics from various metal bands of the era (Iron Maiden, Guns & Roses, etc.). You just know he was cranking metal in the background while typing this one out!
Look, you do not turn to Hutson for deep, moving fiction, but if are in the mood for a fast paced, splatter punk extravaganza mixing up zombies, hit men, mobsters and 'nutters', this is for you. Plus, this has perhaps one of the nastiest scenes I have read. Perhaps my favorite Hutson novel to date. 4 bloody, cordite reeking stars!!
October 15, 2024
It's been a while since I've read any Shaun Hutson, and this is considered one of his better books. We follow crime boss, Harrison, and his crew in the aftermath of a botched hit on the bosses life. Harrison seeks revenge and hires a hit man to take out the competition. We also follow a group of killers who are taking out the rich people of London in their crusade to rid the world of the scum that is the rich and famous, and Harrison is next on their list.
This isn't just a crime thriller as we read certain chapters of decaying men stalking the people of London, killing them for their skin to prevent their puturfried bodies from falling apart. So there is a lot going on, but it's not as convoluted as I'm making it sound in this review. It's an engrossing plot with plenty to keep you engaged. It has Some fantastic descriptive writing on the aftermath of shootouts and death, horrifying descriptions of these killers as their bodies decaying away and even some romance between the crime bosses girlfriend and one of his henchmen. It's non-stop action and adrenaline fuel around a well written story that keeps you guessing. I can see why this is considered one of Hutsons best novels. The ending is amazing and shows that not all stories need a happy ending.
This isn't just a crime thriller as we read certain chapters of decaying men stalking the people of London, killing them for their skin to prevent their puturfried bodies from falling apart. So there is a lot going on, but it's not as convoluted as I'm making it sound in this review. It's an engrossing plot with plenty to keep you engaged. It has Some fantastic descriptive writing on the aftermath of shootouts and death, horrifying descriptions of these killers as their bodies decaying away and even some romance between the crime bosses girlfriend and one of his henchmen. It's non-stop action and adrenaline fuel around a well written story that keeps you guessing. I can see why this is considered one of Hutsons best novels. The ending is amazing and shows that not all stories need a happy ending.
Want to read
October 18, 2017This copy is signed by Shaun Hutson.
June 17, 2025
This book is grotesque, over-the-top, and—like so much of his work—an absolute blast to read. Yes, some scenes are revolting, even by his standards (and that’s saying something). But what keeps me coming back to Hutson isn’t just the carnage. It’s the readability. People love to reduce him to “just” a gore guy as if his only writing worth reading is found in the most violent and splattery scenes. But that’s a lazy take.
Hutson’s real gift is plotting. His stories are propulsive, highly cinematic, and full of sharp turns that keep you locked in. The standout moment for me—and the writing highlight, without question—is the first car chase. It’s a hard sell to say that reading a car chase can rival watching one, especially without the roaring engines, dramatic cuts, or pounding score. But Hutson pulls it off. That scene is pure momentum. It reminded me of the battle sequences in his war novels written as Wolf Kruger, another place where his command of action writing really shines. Ultimately this isn’t my favorite of his books—though it is often considered one of his best—but it has some real ace scenes.
It’s hard to recommend Hutson casually. There’s not really a modern mass-market analogue for that kind of gleeful tongue in cheek ultra-violence. Maybe The Terrifier film series comes close, but even that lacks the same roguish cockney charm. I get it, saying “You’ve got to read this book, someone gets shot so violently that their vocal cords launch out the back of their neck and then a reanimated corpse assassin literally ejaculates maggots" isn’t exactly going to sell this to your book club. Not to mention that you can barely find copies of his books in the US. But the guy can write a fun story that absolutely clips. It’s like watching a great midnight movie. It’s really confounding that more of his work hasn’t been adapted for film. His stuff is horrifying and fun. To me, that makes Shaun Hutson a good writer and an even better read. Haters gonna hate!
Read on a hardcover with absolutely sick cover art and on archive.org.
Hutson’s real gift is plotting. His stories are propulsive, highly cinematic, and full of sharp turns that keep you locked in. The standout moment for me—and the writing highlight, without question—is the first car chase. It’s a hard sell to say that reading a car chase can rival watching one, especially without the roaring engines, dramatic cuts, or pounding score. But Hutson pulls it off. That scene is pure momentum. It reminded me of the battle sequences in his war novels written as Wolf Kruger, another place where his command of action writing really shines. Ultimately this isn’t my favorite of his books—though it is often considered one of his best—but it has some real ace scenes.
It’s hard to recommend Hutson casually. There’s not really a modern mass-market analogue for that kind of gleeful tongue in cheek ultra-violence. Maybe The Terrifier film series comes close, but even that lacks the same roguish cockney charm. I get it, saying “You’ve got to read this book, someone gets shot so violently that their vocal cords launch out the back of their neck and then a reanimated corpse assassin literally ejaculates maggots" isn’t exactly going to sell this to your book club. Not to mention that you can barely find copies of his books in the US. But the guy can write a fun story that absolutely clips. It’s like watching a great midnight movie. It’s really confounding that more of his work hasn’t been adapted for film. His stuff is horrifying and fun. To me, that makes Shaun Hutson a good writer and an even better read. Haters gonna hate!
Read on a hardcover with absolutely sick cover art and on archive.org.
March 25, 2017
Blood!? Blood. Crimson copper-smelling blood, his blood. Blood. Blood. Blood....and bits of sick.
July 22, 2009
First published back in 1988, Assassin was Hutson's twenty-third full-length novel (including the work under his pseudonym's Wolf Kruger, Stefan Rostov, Tom Lambret and Nick Blake). Assassin was a complete return to form for our Shaun, with this awesome roller-coaster of a ride that bursts splatter from every page. The storyline is fast-paced and totally gripping from the start, with a high level of violence and graphic depictions of his gruesome scenes. Running for 320 pages, Hutson holds you tight against the separate unfolding storylines that later merge to become a novel in the true style of splatterpunk.
Assassin is my favorite Hutson novel to date, combining a neck-breakingly paced storyline with outrageous extreme splatter gore. I would strongly recommended this to any fan of the splatterpunk genre who hasn't already read it.
Oh, and watch out for Hutson's nastiest moment of all time, with the prostitute and the zombie. Truly harrowing and revolting
Assassin is my favorite Hutson novel to date, combining a neck-breakingly paced storyline with outrageous extreme splatter gore. I would strongly recommended this to any fan of the splatterpunk genre who hasn't already read it.
Oh, and watch out for Hutson's nastiest moment of all time, with the prostitute and the zombie. Truly harrowing and revolting
November 23, 2014
I've read a few of Shaun Hutsons books .
I thought the book was very fast paced and never dull (hence the quick completion time ) I would recommend it for fans of authors such as James Herbert , although a word of caution some of the scenes depicted are quite graphic so you need a strong stomach I think to complete this book. The only negatives I would say are there are continuity errors , some of the characters are a bit one- dimensional and most glaringly of all there are some spelling mistakes however you can't really blame the author for this as it could well have been an editing mistake . I'm looking forward to reading more books by Shaun and hope some of the faults of this book are ironed out.
I thought the book was very fast paced and never dull (hence the quick completion time ) I would recommend it for fans of authors such as James Herbert , although a word of caution some of the scenes depicted are quite graphic so you need a strong stomach I think to complete this book. The only negatives I would say are there are continuity errors , some of the characters are a bit one- dimensional and most glaringly of all there are some spelling mistakes however you can't really blame the author for this as it could well have been an editing mistake . I'm looking forward to reading more books by Shaun and hope some of the faults of this book are ironed out.
August 16, 2024
This was a pretty rough and brutal entry in the works of Mr. Hutson. This had quite a few parts that made me cringe and shudder. Some choice bits being the walking dead hood, the female prostitute and the maggot climax. The ripping and tearing of flesh throughout, too. The young male prostitute and the dead gangster in the back of the car with the terrible stench was a stomach turner.
London is seeing some of its worst violence in memory. There is a gang war raging in the streets. There is also a Manson like cult ripping through the wealthy elite. To make matters worse, there are "Things" preying on everyone around them.
London is seeing some of its worst violence in memory. There is a gang war raging in the streets. There is also a Manson like cult ripping through the wealthy elite. To make matters worse, there are "Things" preying on everyone around them.
November 19, 2024
I first came across Shaun Huton's splatter punk brand of horror in the late-'80s with RELICS. It's been some 35 years since I read that. On a whim, I decided to revisit with ASSASSIN, which was written in 1988.
The start is a typical horror involving a burned out mad priest who has a secret that could lead to a terrible awakening of the dead. Abruptly the narrative shifts and we're following a gangland mob. The main protagonist is the driver who has been sleeping with the psychotic bosses young, attractive girlfriend. Tensions are high and that's before the hits on the gang start. It's like a dirty, low down British gangland B-movie liberally splashed with gruesome violence. There are high octane car chases through the West End of London, double crosses, paranoia, sexual violence, and lots of bullet sprayed carnage. There's also a sub-plot involving a gang of low life punk teens kidnapping and torturing to death the rich and famous under the spell of their imprisoned Manson like leader.
Somewhere in all this, the dead are walking among the shadows of a grimy back street London and taking retribution in terrible ways. How it all comes together is mostly satisfactory. I say 'mostly' because the returned dead angle feels little more than an awkward sub-plot, as if Hutson really wanted to write a straight up vicious gangland thriller but was bound by his publishers to include supernatural elements that he was best known for. Indeed, it is at this point in his career that Hutson started to crossover into thrillers although nothing of the sick visceral violence and death that helped make him infamous is lost in the transistion.
For all its cardboard characters and stock B-movie situations, ASSASSIN is an absolute blast to read. The writing is straight forward and concise with everything stripped to the bone and laid raw in all its ugliness. The chapters are short enough to keep you turning the pages in gleeful cackling delight. Hutson understands that you might have the rotting undead ejaculating maggots but it’s the every day person that is capable of committing real horror and evil. And in the case of ASSASSIN, evil has never been so much fun.
The start is a typical horror involving a burned out mad priest who has a secret that could lead to a terrible awakening of the dead. Abruptly the narrative shifts and we're following a gangland mob. The main protagonist is the driver who has been sleeping with the psychotic bosses young, attractive girlfriend. Tensions are high and that's before the hits on the gang start. It's like a dirty, low down British gangland B-movie liberally splashed with gruesome violence. There are high octane car chases through the West End of London, double crosses, paranoia, sexual violence, and lots of bullet sprayed carnage. There's also a sub-plot involving a gang of low life punk teens kidnapping and torturing to death the rich and famous under the spell of their imprisoned Manson like leader.
Somewhere in all this, the dead are walking among the shadows of a grimy back street London and taking retribution in terrible ways. How it all comes together is mostly satisfactory. I say 'mostly' because the returned dead angle feels little more than an awkward sub-plot, as if Hutson really wanted to write a straight up vicious gangland thriller but was bound by his publishers to include supernatural elements that he was best known for. Indeed, it is at this point in his career that Hutson started to crossover into thrillers although nothing of the sick visceral violence and death that helped make him infamous is lost in the transistion.
For all its cardboard characters and stock B-movie situations, ASSASSIN is an absolute blast to read. The writing is straight forward and concise with everything stripped to the bone and laid raw in all its ugliness. The chapters are short enough to keep you turning the pages in gleeful cackling delight. Hutson understands that you might have the rotting undead ejaculating maggots but it’s the every day person that is capable of committing real horror and evil. And in the case of ASSASSIN, evil has never been so much fun.
June 12, 2014
I was in a bookshop one day when this book caught my eye from the other side of the room. The cover is certainly eye catching and stands out on the shelf. I didn't even know what it was about but thought: 'I must read that book'. Well read it I did and I loved it. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of Shaun Hutson before and even more shocked to find out that this book was written before I was even born. Usually I'm quite hesitant to read books from so many years ago, unless it's a classic I fear they may feel dated or boring compared to today's books. Happy to say no such worries with this book. In a word it was brilliant.
I can't think of a book I have read as gruesome as this one, but researching Hutson it appears that that is what he does best. For me though it was fantastic and I couldn't get enough. One thing I read a lot of is crime fiction or books about London gangsters. What I haven't read about alongside those two things are zombies. So throw them into the story and what do you get? An absolutely relentless and very descriptive stormer of a read that takes you into its grasp, eats you up and then spits you out right at the very end feeling disoriented, probably nauseous and like you want to throw up but ready to do it all over again. I'm already seeking out my next Hutson read.
I honestly can't even attempt to describe what happens without ruining it for the reader. Safe to say unless you have a really strong stomach (or at least an empty one) do not pick up this book. As if the cover isn't warning enough... I am extremely eager to get my hands on the paperbacks, they are some of the best covers I've seen and I want them on my shelf. I wasn't sure I could fit this book into my review schedule but picked it up a few nights ago and was still reading as the sun started to come up! Gripping. Overall this book is very, very brutal, seriously disturbing and extremely graphic and I absolutely loved every single page of it.
I can't think of a book I have read as gruesome as this one, but researching Hutson it appears that that is what he does best. For me though it was fantastic and I couldn't get enough. One thing I read a lot of is crime fiction or books about London gangsters. What I haven't read about alongside those two things are zombies. So throw them into the story and what do you get? An absolutely relentless and very descriptive stormer of a read that takes you into its grasp, eats you up and then spits you out right at the very end feeling disoriented, probably nauseous and like you want to throw up but ready to do it all over again. I'm already seeking out my next Hutson read.
I honestly can't even attempt to describe what happens without ruining it for the reader. Safe to say unless you have a really strong stomach (or at least an empty one) do not pick up this book. As if the cover isn't warning enough... I am extremely eager to get my hands on the paperbacks, they are some of the best covers I've seen and I want them on my shelf. I wasn't sure I could fit this book into my review schedule but picked it up a few nights ago and was still reading as the sun started to come up! Gripping. Overall this book is very, very brutal, seriously disturbing and extremely graphic and I absolutely loved every single page of it.
August 13, 2018
Oh Shaun Hutson. Along with Stephen King, Shaun Hutson was a staple of my teenage years so when this one came up on the Kindle Daily Deal I thought to myself, why not. Let’s relive a bit of the past. The thing with Hutson books is that there is no messing around. Bish, bash, bosh – bodies, gore and more gore. I hope you’ll excuse my indulgence in reading this piece of urban gothic horror which originally came out in 1988.
A priest is pulled from a derelict church in East London proclaiming that hidden in the church is a thigh bone of a Saint, ‘…bone could bring life to the dead’. In Hutson’s books characters should know that insane priests actually talk sense and should be listened too, but they never learn. Things go from bad to worse as the church is pulled down and the area redeveloped. If you are a homeless alcoholic, a rent boy or a prostitute, I am sorry, but you are going to die in the most excruciating of ways. It is going to be the most painful and gore-filled death you can possibly imagine. Anyway, I think you get the idea.
Be prepared for criminal gangs a hitman and the living dead on the rampage dishing out death in a gore-splattered way that builds to an immense crescendo. Hutson never goes out with a whimper.
Did I enjoy reliving my ‘yoot’ as it were? I did but honestly, I cannot read many of these types of books now. As a one-off it was fun. If another comes up on a daily deal then I’ll probably get it but other than that I’ll be steering clear.
Addendum: Right at the beginning there is a full-stop in the wrong place and corners becomes comers. It happened again when burn became bum, so it seems that this Kindle version has an issue where it turns ‘rn’ to ‘m’. Fight becomes right. Tight instead of light. Grrrrr. I’ll stop there.
A priest is pulled from a derelict church in East London proclaiming that hidden in the church is a thigh bone of a Saint, ‘…bone could bring life to the dead’. In Hutson’s books characters should know that insane priests actually talk sense and should be listened too, but they never learn. Things go from bad to worse as the church is pulled down and the area redeveloped. If you are a homeless alcoholic, a rent boy or a prostitute, I am sorry, but you are going to die in the most excruciating of ways. It is going to be the most painful and gore-filled death you can possibly imagine. Anyway, I think you get the idea.
Be prepared for criminal gangs a hitman and the living dead on the rampage dishing out death in a gore-splattered way that builds to an immense crescendo. Hutson never goes out with a whimper.
Did I enjoy reliving my ‘yoot’ as it were? I did but honestly, I cannot read many of these types of books now. As a one-off it was fun. If another comes up on a daily deal then I’ll probably get it but other than that I’ll be steering clear.
Addendum: Right at the beginning there is a full-stop in the wrong place and corners becomes comers. It happened again when burn became bum, so it seems that this Kindle version has an issue where it turns ‘rn’ to ‘m’. Fight becomes right. Tight instead of light. Grrrrr. I’ll stop there.
November 1, 2022
Assassin is so ridiculously violent and plain nasty. Gang warfare, zombies and some anti rich serial killers leave the pages dripping with gore. Or as Shaun mentions numerous times, cordite, blood and excrement.
This is a wonderful read but sadly had moments of frustration. The zombies barely feature. Their contribution does work but I'd love to see more. Same for the anti rich kids, they were bloody horrible and contributed just enough to the plot to work but let us have more. Trim the love story between Carter and Tina, trim the odd lull in the middle with the mad hitman and add more zombies and serial killers. haha
I've read little from Shaun so unsure if there's a followup/spin off novel. There's plenty I'd like to see expanded upon but Assassin is still a solid story with a satisfying finale.
Assassin is a great read, an ultra violent crime thriller with a splash of horror. Without my issues with the story this would be an easy 5 star read. It's so sleazy, unapologetically 80s and screaming to be adapted. Statham has to play Carter.
This is a wonderful read but sadly had moments of frustration. The zombies barely feature. Their contribution does work but I'd love to see more. Same for the anti rich kids, they were bloody horrible and contributed just enough to the plot to work but let us have more. Trim the love story between Carter and Tina, trim the odd lull in the middle with the mad hitman and add more zombies and serial killers. haha
I've read little from Shaun so unsure if there's a followup/spin off novel. There's plenty I'd like to see expanded upon but Assassin is still a solid story with a satisfying finale.
Assassin is a great read, an ultra violent crime thriller with a splash of horror. Without my issues with the story this would be an easy 5 star read. It's so sleazy, unapologetically 80s and screaming to be adapted. Statham has to play Carter.
March 11, 2023
This was definitely a solid action book, but I did have several gripes: there were WAY too many characters involved and the POV gave me narrative whiplash at times. A lot of the bad guys just felt like caricatures, and the people we were supposed to be rooting for (Carter and Tina) were just so bland and uninteresting. The book is VERY violent, but I’ve now learned that gun violence just isn’t it. It’s boring, cold, and impersonal. I prefer my gore to be more sadistic and gruesome than just standard shoot-outs with exploding heads. Also, I wish there was more to the zombies. They were, by far, the most interesting aspect to the story. Still, I would recommend this to fans of The Godfather & the ending twist was FANTASTIC!
March 5, 2022
2.5 stars.
I'm convinced this was originally a straight Brit gangster thriller and that Hutson added in a zombie subplot to make it more marketable. It's set up at the beginning and then vanishes for the majority of the book, only to crop up again to be hastily dealt with in the finale.
Assassin features the most notorious sequence of Shaun Hutson's writing career: a zombie getting a blowjob from a prostitute and ejaculating maggots into her mouth. I'm pleased to say the moment lived up to the anti-hype.
The rest is mild throwaway dumb trashy fun. A comically stereotypical Brit gangster tale with the usual Hutson comic book ultraviolence. You get what you get with him.
I'm convinced this was originally a straight Brit gangster thriller and that Hutson added in a zombie subplot to make it more marketable. It's set up at the beginning and then vanishes for the majority of the book, only to crop up again to be hastily dealt with in the finale.
Assassin features the most notorious sequence of Shaun Hutson's writing career: a zombie getting a blowjob from a prostitute and ejaculating maggots into her mouth. I'm pleased to say the moment lived up to the anti-hype.
The rest is mild throwaway dumb trashy fun. A comically stereotypical Brit gangster tale with the usual Hutson comic book ultraviolence. You get what you get with him.
February 9, 2018
As speedy as a bullet
Great horror/thriller with action and interest every page. Fast paced with gruesome detail regarding the killings, normal in Hutson novels. One of his best in my opinion.
Great horror/thriller with action and interest every page. Fast paced with gruesome detail regarding the killings, normal in Hutson novels. One of his best in my opinion.
June 23, 2023
In Londen is er een enorme strijd tussen de gangs gaande. Op straat vinden schietpartijen plaats en niemand weet wie er achter de aanvallen zit. Vooral Frank Harrison lijkt het doelwit te zijn. Iemand probeert uit alle macht hem van de aardbodem te laten verdwijnen. Maar wie?
Dit boek was gruwelijk. Gelukkig op een goede manier. Het was misschien wel het meest gedetailleerde boek dat ik ooit las. Vooral één passage liet me haast kokhalzen en dat komt van iemand die toch wel alles gezien en gelezen dacht te hebben. Zelfs het terugdenken aan die passage laat me gruwelen. Niet omdat het eng was, maar puur omdat het zo'n smerig beeld vormde. Bah. Het verhaal daarentegen was niet super, maar gelukkig ook niet saai. Het liep goed door, ook al had ik aan het begin nog wel even moeite om een goed beeld te vormen van wie wie was en waar het nou eigenlijk over ging. De ontknoping was verrassend en maakte het enigszins verwarrende verhaal aan het begin weer goed. Ik ga zeker meer boeken van Shaun Hutson lezen!
Dit boek was gruwelijk. Gelukkig op een goede manier. Het was misschien wel het meest gedetailleerde boek dat ik ooit las. Vooral één passage liet me haast kokhalzen en dat komt van iemand die toch wel alles gezien en gelezen dacht te hebben. Zelfs het terugdenken aan die passage laat me gruwelen. Niet omdat het eng was, maar puur omdat het zo'n smerig beeld vormde. Bah. Het verhaal daarentegen was niet super, maar gelukkig ook niet saai. Het liep goed door, ook al had ik aan het begin nog wel even moeite om een goed beeld te vormen van wie wie was en waar het nou eigenlijk over ging. De ontknoping was verrassend en maakte het enigszins verwarrende verhaal aan het begin weer goed. Ik ga zeker meer boeken van Shaun Hutson lezen!
November 24, 2015
This is my third Shaun Hutson book I ve read so far, just discovered this author and I like the simplicity of his writing and the pace of it. It has being described as splatterpunk I thik and it is very gory. I thought the medical descriptions of injuries from shootings, stabbings were a bit too, well medical! But overall I enjoyed this book, it aint no classic but it was a lot of fun and a real page turner
January 13, 2018
3-1/2 stars and splatter Punk ,very violent , gory crime thriller . Weird story that blend to many genera . But into gore and violence and can stomach it
May 3, 2015
I think that though it took time to build, it still held all of Shaun Hutsons horror/thriller/gangster elements.
bit spoiler:: Shaun Hutson says the end was all his, but I feel it reminds me to much to the famous 'skin over face scene in Silents of the Lames.
I did like the assassin lisening to rock while taking out his 'pray', or 'clients', and I loved the way the car chases were written.
bit spoiler:: Shaun Hutson says the end was all his, but I feel it reminds me to much to the famous 'skin over face scene in Silents of the Lames.
I did like the assassin lisening to rock while taking out his 'pray', or 'clients', and I loved the way the car chases were written.
July 27, 2011
Another book i would never have read if nto for my sister lending it to me. This is primarily a crime novel but with a darker, out of this world undertone. It is very absorbing, yet quite explicit but does not fail to draw you into the story and the rollercoaster of events that it entails.
February 2, 2013
Hutson at his best a story of dead gangsters reeking havoc on the streets of London
February 18, 2014
Great read. Serial killers, gangland wars and zombies. What more could you ask for?
July 29, 2014
good read
February 3, 2015
first horror book I ever read (I think?)
first horro book I ever remember reading!
first horro book I ever remember reading!
July 30, 2016
Excellent Shaun Hutson blood and guts thriller. This is how to tell a story with the comment " do not read this unless you have a strong stomach ".
Love it, I am now going to find more of his books.
Love it, I am now going to find more of his books.
February 10, 2017
Excellent book as expected from Shaun
December 19, 2017
Creepy but good...if you like detailed results of gunshots.
March 5, 2024
Here, on Goodreads, and elsewhere, this book has garnered a lot of very positive reviews, including very many five star reviews. So, I guess, it works for a lot of people. And there's the thing - with Shaun Hutson you know what to expect, so if (I guess, like me) you're reading in the hope of getting something different then you are going to be disappointed.
There are many reviews detailing the plot, so I won't go into it in much depth, suffice to say we have a vaguely explained way of bringing a few dead murdered gangsters back to life, just at the same time as there's a gang war in London, just at the same time as there's a criminal gang determined to randomly slaughter rich people. What all of this means is there's a lot - an awful lot - of capacity to create very gruesome and highly detailed violent scenes, gore and blood-splatter in vast quantities with each bullet, or drill through the knee, explained in great detail and to hell with any idea of subtlety, good taste, keeping the narrative pace going, or building tension. We're either in the midst of violence, sex, or some very cliched London gangsters talking about violence or sex.
The plot kind of makes sense, but of course it's wholly unrealistic and there's not even a nod to realism. Characters, like the plot, are just there to either act out the sex or violence and are all pretty cliched. Setting is okay, but again are really just places for sex and violence to take place in.
In the end, or actually, a long way before the end, all this violence gets very boring. Very boring. The novel needed some tension, some suspense, something to keep us turning the pages. Really, I guess, the novel needed someone we could like and root for.
Anyway, like I said at the start, one knows what one is getting with Shaun Hutson and if one hopes for something else then one should be buying something else...
There are many reviews detailing the plot, so I won't go into it in much depth, suffice to say we have a vaguely explained way of bringing a few dead murdered gangsters back to life, just at the same time as there's a gang war in London, just at the same time as there's a criminal gang determined to randomly slaughter rich people. What all of this means is there's a lot - an awful lot - of capacity to create very gruesome and highly detailed violent scenes, gore and blood-splatter in vast quantities with each bullet, or drill through the knee, explained in great detail and to hell with any idea of subtlety, good taste, keeping the narrative pace going, or building tension. We're either in the midst of violence, sex, or some very cliched London gangsters talking about violence or sex.
The plot kind of makes sense, but of course it's wholly unrealistic and there's not even a nod to realism. Characters, like the plot, are just there to either act out the sex or violence and are all pretty cliched. Setting is okay, but again are really just places for sex and violence to take place in.
In the end, or actually, a long way before the end, all this violence gets very boring. Very boring. The novel needed some tension, some suspense, something to keep us turning the pages. Really, I guess, the novel needed someone we could like and root for.
Anyway, like I said at the start, one knows what one is getting with Shaun Hutson and if one hopes for something else then one should be buying something else...
October 20, 2020
I first came across author Shaun Hutson's gory brand of horror when I was a teenager, devouring everything horror related that I could get my hands on. The first book I read of his was SLUGS and was immediately blown away by the sex and gore that was liberally splashed across the pages. I read a couple of other books by him - BREEDING GROUND, EREBRUS, SPAWN - and then moved onto other names. Flash-forward thirty some years and independent publisher Caffeine Nights are bringing a ton of his books back into publication. I've picked up as many of them as I could and have been slowly going through them. ASSASSIN was one of the first on my TBR pile. Hutson has always stated that his first love is cinema and you can tell from the way he writes. It's extremely cinematic and you can see the story unfolding in your mind. This book starts off really strong but loses its way at the mid-point and, unfortunately, never recovers.
Frank Harrison is a London gang boss who is being targeted for assassination from an unknown rival. Meanwhile, a group of anti-capitalist terrorists are targeting the rich for murder and doing so in gruesome fashion. Add in the destruction of a block of flats that unleashes a supernatural evil and you've got mayhem in the city of London. There's the makings of a great story in here, but the three plot points don't really come together well. The supernatural element is really cool but it's poorly handled in the middle section of the book, disappearing for a good chunk of time before reappearing at the end. It's still a fun read and that's largely due to Hutson's prose and gory violence, but ASSASSIN is one of his lesser books.
Frank Harrison is a London gang boss who is being targeted for assassination from an unknown rival. Meanwhile, a group of anti-capitalist terrorists are targeting the rich for murder and doing so in gruesome fashion. Add in the destruction of a block of flats that unleashes a supernatural evil and you've got mayhem in the city of London. There's the makings of a great story in here, but the three plot points don't really come together well. The supernatural element is really cool but it's poorly handled in the middle section of the book, disappearing for a good chunk of time before reappearing at the end. It's still a fun read and that's largely due to Hutson's prose and gory violence, but ASSASSIN is one of his lesser books.
January 9, 2019
I liked how fast paced it was. I was never bored with pages and pages of descriptions which was so refreshing. This was my first Shaun Hutson novel and I am very impressed. I normally don't go for such gory books but this was good.
*Spoilers Below*
I wasn't a massive fan of was how many characters there were, I know the names became more significant near the end but it made it hard for me to keep track of what was happening near the start.
I loved the main plot with Carter, Harrison and Tina, and the gory details were were written so realistically!
I am, however, a little confused about what happens in the last two pages, does Carter turn into a 'living corpses'?
*Spoilers Below*
I wasn't a massive fan of was how many characters there were, I know the names became more significant near the end but it made it hard for me to keep track of what was happening near the start.
I loved the main plot with Carter, Harrison and Tina, and the gory details were were written so realistically!
I am, however, a little confused about what happens in the last two pages, does Carter turn into a 'living corpses'?
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