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Shackled
The true extent of human evil is revealed in this suspenseful thriller in which children are stolen—and sold online
Children disappear all the time—but where do they go?
While covering a missing-child case for a tabloid newspaper, washed-up reporter Bentley Noble accidentally stumbles upon a horrifying lead. What he thought was a single kidnapping leads him to discover a human trafficking ring, specializing in sexually obedient children. Noble slowly uncovers a society so depraved that it can only be classified as evil; its members are no ordinary pedophiles, but rather professionals. United by their Satanist beliefs, they’re willing to use any means necessary to train their “merchandise”—and keep Noble from uncovering their business.
With the help of a hacker, a researcher, and a true-crime writer, Noble descends into the dark world of human trafficking. But in order to destroy it, he’ll have to gamble not only his life, but also his sanity.
Shackled , author Ray Garton’s most controversial work yet, is not for the faint of heart—or stomach.
Children disappear all the time—but where do they go?
While covering a missing-child case for a tabloid newspaper, washed-up reporter Bentley Noble accidentally stumbles upon a horrifying lead. What he thought was a single kidnapping leads him to discover a human trafficking ring, specializing in sexually obedient children. Noble slowly uncovers a society so depraved that it can only be classified as evil; its members are no ordinary pedophiles, but rather professionals. United by their Satanist beliefs, they’re willing to use any means necessary to train their “merchandise”—and keep Noble from uncovering their business.
With the help of a hacker, a researcher, and a true-crime writer, Noble descends into the dark world of human trafficking. But in order to destroy it, he’ll have to gamble not only his life, but also his sanity.
Shackled , author Ray Garton’s most controversial work yet, is not for the faint of heart—or stomach.
656 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 1997
29 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
About the author
Ray Garton
180 books563 followersRay Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 18, 2017
This hardcover is numbered 346 of 400 copies signed by Ray Garton.
July 30, 2016
This one is about as brutal as it gets. Every bad thing that could possibly happen, happens. In spades. Yep, this baby has it all.
The narrator for this one sucked sweaty donkey balls. Clocking in at over 24-1/2 fricking hours, that was a big problem for me. I honestly don’t know why I listened to the whole thing. Evidently, I didn’t have anything better to do. I wish I would have read it instead, because the story was good and dark, but it lost at least a full star for the Toontown-esque narration clusterf*ck.
The narrator for this one sucked sweaty donkey balls. Clocking in at over 24-1/2 fricking hours, that was a big problem for me. I honestly don’t know why I listened to the whole thing. Evidently, I didn’t have anything better to do. I wish I would have read it instead, because the story was good and dark, but it lost at least a full star for the Toontown-esque narration clusterf*ck.
August 31, 2020
This is that very rare thing: a genuinely horrifying horror novel. This extremely harrowing tale of a dark network of abuse behind a series of child abductions and the tabloid journalist who stumbles upon it chilled me to the bone and I’ll definitely be reading more by Ray Garton.
February 19, 2017
Great book, Ray Garton hasn't let me down yet. Well written novels about Satanists and pedophiles always make for an emotional, extremely disturbing read. Not many happy moments in this one, and even though the bad guys get their asses handed to them, I would of been happier if they had suffered more. I'll remember this one for a long time.
August 17, 2019
This is not a book for everyone. It's graphic, depressing, horrifying, and generally disturbing. But it's also extraordinarily well-crafted to give even the most jaded of horror fans a high-quality case of the heebie-jeebies.
There are certainly some things we can nit-pick about this book. Characters do seem to drift in and out of the novel's focus from time to time and the elements (thankfully a relatively minor part of the book) related to computers and technology reflects an outdated view of the Internet which was never wholly accurate to begin with. That having been said, these flaws can easily be ignored because the book exposes the reader to an entirely human yet completely monstrous evil in a manner that will haunt the reader for years to come because, as outrageous as the novel's plot seems on some level, it contains an underlying plausibility that isn't easily shaken off. Indeed, while certain technological elements are well-outdated, the novel itself seems to be gaining all new relevance as newspapers continually run stories about incidents that strike uncomfortably close to the novel's subject matter.
I've been a reader of horror novels for many years and it's not often that one manages to actually frighten or disturb me. This one succeeded and kept me up all night reading. If you're a fan of such novels as Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door or J.F. Gonzalez's Survivor, or even if you're simply looking for a truly terrifying read, Shackled would be an excellent choice.
Highly recommended.
There are certainly some things we can nit-pick about this book. Characters do seem to drift in and out of the novel's focus from time to time and the elements (thankfully a relatively minor part of the book) related to computers and technology reflects an outdated view of the Internet which was never wholly accurate to begin with. That having been said, these flaws can easily be ignored because the book exposes the reader to an entirely human yet completely monstrous evil in a manner that will haunt the reader for years to come because, as outrageous as the novel's plot seems on some level, it contains an underlying plausibility that isn't easily shaken off. Indeed, while certain technological elements are well-outdated, the novel itself seems to be gaining all new relevance as newspapers continually run stories about incidents that strike uncomfortably close to the novel's subject matter.
I've been a reader of horror novels for many years and it's not often that one manages to actually frighten or disturb me. This one succeeded and kept me up all night reading. If you're a fan of such novels as Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door or J.F. Gonzalez's Survivor, or even if you're simply looking for a truly terrifying read, Shackled would be an excellent choice.
Highly recommended.
December 28, 2011
I've yet to read anything by Ray Garton that hasn't been great. This was definitely his darkest and most intense work I've read yet. I would only recommend this to hardened horror/thriller readers with iron constitutions. Beyond the extremely depressing and heartbreaking aspects of the tale, its a solidly constructed, multi faceted thriller that will have you reading as quickly as possible to reach the conclusion. I thought the ending was great, though I wish more of the bad guys paid for their wrongdoings a little more extremely. Yet another great book by Ray Garton, an author who is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the horror and suspense genres.
April 13, 2021
I first became aware of this book when I saw the book discussed within a Booktuber's list of most disturbing novels he had read. Shackled certainly was disturbing alright. At times, the extreme violence and the perversion felt a bit titillating and gratuitous, but I thought Ray Garton did an amazing job of writing a combination horror / detective novel. I also found it interesting how Ray Garton obviously based the character of Dr Corbus on Colonel Michael Aquino, a US army officer who was involved with the psychological aspect of black ops in Vietnam and who was also the founder of The Temple of Set, a Satanic temple.
January 2, 2015
My New Third Favorite Book
If you can get through the pitifully-too-small type, you'll love this shocker. Words can't describe how much of a mindfuck it is. When I started it, it was my most-favorite book ever, and just 'cause I changed my mind later doesn't mean it ended weakly--quite the opposite. Everything you ever feared from Satanists dwells in this volume. Weak stomachs beware!
If you can get through the pitifully-too-small type, you'll love this shocker. Words can't describe how much of a mindfuck it is. When I started it, it was my most-favorite book ever, and just 'cause I changed my mind later doesn't mean it ended weakly--quite the opposite. Everything you ever feared from Satanists dwells in this volume. Weak stomachs beware!
Read
July 4, 2021I'm not 100% sure why I read this except that it got great reviews and was on a list of disturbing books (which I'm always a sucker for). It was fine though I find the whole idea of the Satanic cabal laughable at best so it really took me out of the narrative. Putting that aside, it was a quick, decent read that I'll probably never go back to.
February 8, 2021
A great read, although the subject matter is quite intense. Very long for a Garton book and it takes its time getting there. Warning: Don’t start the last 150 pages or so unless you have time to finish it. One of Garton’s finest, IMO. Highly recommended.
July 31, 2019
Ray Garton always delivers, and SHACKLED is no exception.
A tabloid reporter uncovers a scheme where children are being kidnapped and brainwashed and forced into the sex/pornography industry, under the guise of what appears to be Satanism. A pastor's son is taken, and he teams up with the reporter and some others to get to the bottom of this nasty web of seediness and get his son back.
I've been trying to decide how I would classify this novel. Garton is likely most well known for his brilliant horror novels LIVE GIRLS and RAVENOUS, and he's pumped out several other gems like THE NEW NEIGHBOR and THE LOVELIEST DEAD. I've read the sequels to LIVE GIRLS and RAVENOUS, both of which are top quality as well. He also writes some thrillers, like TRAILER PARK NOIR (delightfully twisted little tale) and others, and while the story falls more in line with the thrillers in his bibliography, I've just about decided this one must be considered horror.
SHACKLED is brutal, unflinching, uncompromising, and devastating. Garton slaps you around for a while, knocks the wind out of you, and while you're on the ground trying to recover, he gives you a nice triple-kick to the gut to make sure you don't forget him. And it was absolutely perfectly executed. You get to know a young girl and a very young boy who've been abducted and not only do you begin to care for them, but you actually come to love them. The main character shifts to a supporting role in the final third and this transition not only worked but felt seamless and was a nice break from the norm of watching your MC make it out unscathed. This guy is VERY scathed by book's end.
There are several unexpected developments along the way, the cast of characters is large and diverse, and Garton's signature frankness when it comes to depravity is on full display here. All aspects of this book work very well. While it was first published in the late 90s, I actually didn't feel it was terribly dated, even with the now outdated state of the internet chatrooms and such that lead our characters to uncover the sinister goings-on. It is a novel of its time but transcends that time very well because the characters are so well drawn that it all rings true. Horrifyingly so.
There were parts of this book that were hard to read, not because they were poorly constructed, but because Garton was making sure you looked at what he was showing you, reminding you that this kind of thing DOES happen in the real world, and all too often. The mechanics of the baddies' cover story may vary, but unfortunately, this is an all-too-real situation for many victims in the world, and I feel like he wanted to make me look at it and get me angry. And it worked. You want to get your hands on these vile villains, wring their necks, pull out their tracheas, and THEN get nasty with them. The idea that there are people so soulless in the world is haunting, and that reality is still weighing on me since finishing the book.
If you've read Garton before, you're aware of his talent. I couldn't be more pleased with my latest read, and if you haven't read this one yet, I urge you to do so. You'll have to grit your teeth more than once, hold your rage in check, but the way it all pans out is glorious and masterfully written by a true great in the genre. I don't think anyone should miss this, but be warned: Ray Garton doesn't blink. So don't think you're going to stare him down, especially in this one.
5/5 Stars.
A tabloid reporter uncovers a scheme where children are being kidnapped and brainwashed and forced into the sex/pornography industry, under the guise of what appears to be Satanism. A pastor's son is taken, and he teams up with the reporter and some others to get to the bottom of this nasty web of seediness and get his son back.
I've been trying to decide how I would classify this novel. Garton is likely most well known for his brilliant horror novels LIVE GIRLS and RAVENOUS, and he's pumped out several other gems like THE NEW NEIGHBOR and THE LOVELIEST DEAD. I've read the sequels to LIVE GIRLS and RAVENOUS, both of which are top quality as well. He also writes some thrillers, like TRAILER PARK NOIR (delightfully twisted little tale) and others, and while the story falls more in line with the thrillers in his bibliography, I've just about decided this one must be considered horror.
SHACKLED is brutal, unflinching, uncompromising, and devastating. Garton slaps you around for a while, knocks the wind out of you, and while you're on the ground trying to recover, he gives you a nice triple-kick to the gut to make sure you don't forget him. And it was absolutely perfectly executed. You get to know a young girl and a very young boy who've been abducted and not only do you begin to care for them, but you actually come to love them. The main character shifts to a supporting role in the final third and this transition not only worked but felt seamless and was a nice break from the norm of watching your MC make it out unscathed. This guy is VERY scathed by book's end.
There are several unexpected developments along the way, the cast of characters is large and diverse, and Garton's signature frankness when it comes to depravity is on full display here. All aspects of this book work very well. While it was first published in the late 90s, I actually didn't feel it was terribly dated, even with the now outdated state of the internet chatrooms and such that lead our characters to uncover the sinister goings-on. It is a novel of its time but transcends that time very well because the characters are so well drawn that it all rings true. Horrifyingly so.
There were parts of this book that were hard to read, not because they were poorly constructed, but because Garton was making sure you looked at what he was showing you, reminding you that this kind of thing DOES happen in the real world, and all too often. The mechanics of the baddies' cover story may vary, but unfortunately, this is an all-too-real situation for many victims in the world, and I feel like he wanted to make me look at it and get me angry. And it worked. You want to get your hands on these vile villains, wring their necks, pull out their tracheas, and THEN get nasty with them. The idea that there are people so soulless in the world is haunting, and that reality is still weighing on me since finishing the book.
If you've read Garton before, you're aware of his talent. I couldn't be more pleased with my latest read, and if you haven't read this one yet, I urge you to do so. You'll have to grit your teeth more than once, hold your rage in check, but the way it all pans out is glorious and masterfully written by a true great in the genre. I don't think anyone should miss this, but be warned: Ray Garton doesn't blink. So don't think you're going to stare him down, especially in this one.
5/5 Stars.
February 15, 2023
Shackled by Ray Garton; I have a tendency to over think things so as I was reading this at first I thought it was a patriarchal time capsule of 80’s sexual exploitation cliches, Satanic cult, children being kidnapped, powerful rich people in Los Angeles with underground torture complex build into their mansion. Well it was all of that and a bag of chips as the saying goes, along the way I started to enjoy this outlandish everything goes approach to this story instead of small and contained this was over-the-top explosive explicit violent and just a wild dark fantasy that seems to be just about right for the zeitgeist of a time of excess and extremes. Three stars it was an enjoyable little book but nothing much beyond a bloody National Enquirer Type of story taken to a 500 page extreme. I was entertained you want to keep reading and see where this leads but it becomes pretty improbable and crazy towards the end. Very Quentin Tarantino like story which kind of works but not enough for me to give it more than three stars.
July 11, 2024
This was good Garton but I thought it was a bit of an uneasy marriage between his schlocky sensibilities and a maximalist pitch black approach to the grim material. The final 150 pages of plot unfold with brutal efficiency that is really impressive. It's masterclass stuff and almost boosts it to 4-stars. I also admired Garton's "take no prisoners" approach to the characters - bad things happen to them in this book that most authors would have shied away from. It reminded me of how S. Craig Zahler treats his characters but ultimately Garton grafted onto Zahler isn't totally successful - he needed to more clearly pick a lane.
August 19, 2023
This is a foully unpleasant book about a ton of reprehensible people who almost all behave badly to one degree or another. It has Satanists and gangs and moral panic and conspiracy and smut and thinly veiled references to real people and it's not a nice book and I didn't much like it. It's competently written, decently plotted, the author remembers who all the characters are and tracks them from start to finish with some accuracy, and I suspect it met his goals. But I remember why I don't read lots of his books generally. Now, excuse me. I need a shower. I feel filthy.
September 9, 2021
This is a really superb, disturbing thriller focusing on child trafficking. Garton is a really accomplished pulp horror writer, and he does an excellent job of balancing graphic, disturbing but not pornographic depictions of sexual abuse with reasonably well-done plotting and characterization. Highly recommended, so long as you have the stomach for it.
April 19, 2022
An absolutely intense thrilling read.
As an avid reader of extreme horror and splatterpunk this novel despite not fitting in the rough category of either of those sub-genres gave me significant pause in reading it.
As a result Mr. Garton secured his status as one of my most favorite authors.
As an avid reader of extreme horror and splatterpunk this novel despite not fitting in the rough category of either of those sub-genres gave me significant pause in reading it.
As a result Mr. Garton secured his status as one of my most favorite authors.
May 2, 2024
An excellent book. I loved every one of its almost seven hundred pages. I bought it when it was first published in 2007. Very glad I finally got around to reading it. Don’t know why it took me so long. I have never read a bad book or story from Garton.
May 25, 2019
Really enjoyed this one. Pretty fucked up in places and certainly won't be for everyone!
December 16, 2019
As uncomfortable as the subject matter is, Ray Garton never fails to deliver. It doesn't matter if it's horror, supernatural, suspense, or otherwise. Ray Garton is master storyteller.
July 7, 2024
Amazing story, awful, terrible, hilarious, terrible audiobook narrator
October 3, 2020
This was a page-turner, despite the sometimes grody subject matter. But I could not STAND the way a lot of the dialogue was written. Is everybody cold? Are they cryin'? 'Cause every other person is talking about, "Wuh-well, I duh-don't nuh-know." And I haven't even mentioned the rather dated depiction of non-white speech. The Asian librarian is bad enough ("Weh, das plitty big. So you wan rook at newspaper articuhs?"), but this book's got a teenage black gal in here whose dialogue is typed to make her sound like John Coffee. "I s'pose I's mebbe nineteen."
July 11, 2010
It begins with the seemingly unrelated abductions of a young boy and a teenage runaway. But soon, a washed-up investigative journalist finds himself caught in the throes of a shadowy conspiracy aimed at the weakest, most vulnerable segments of society, and tied together with the communications capability of high technology to prey on—the shackled.
A good, fast read. What I like to call a "popcorn book." Reads fast and leaves you satisfied.
A good, fast read. What I like to call a "popcorn book." Reads fast and leaves you satisfied.
February 17, 2013
I'm halfway through the book... Wow! Talk about page-turner and characters that you can really sink your teeth into. I am rooting for little, brave Samuel and little-girl-lost Lacey... I hope she makes the right choices. More to come once I've finished this book. This may be my new favorite author... Along with Jeff Strand and JA Konrath/Jack Kilborn since I've read all the Laymon, Little, and Ketchum that I could find.
September 18, 2012
This was a deeply disturbing look at the underground world of child trafficking and satanism. The story grabbed me right from the beginning and didn't let me go until the very end. I found myself even reading faster just so I could find out how this story was going to end!!!
September 21, 2012
It started out kinda slow, but all in all I liked the book. Definitely a page turner with a simplistic easy-to-read style which made it easy to follow. I will definitely continue to read more of Ray Garton's books.
November 5, 2014
It was a very slow moving book but I finally finished it.. It could have been wrapped up in less time.. leave out what kind of sandwich they are eating on what kind of bread with what spread.. NOT NEEDED!!!!!
July 25, 2011
I love Ray Garton! Excellent book, but you could say that about pretty much anything he writes. Highly recommended.
December 19, 2011
This book has your interest from start to finish, very chilling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews