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Special X #10
Bed of Nails
From deep within the high-security ward of a mental hospital, the Ripper plots revenge against Inspector Zinc Chandler. When Chandler responds to a bizarre murder at a hotel in Vancouver - a Hollywood producer suspended upside down like the Hanged Man card in a tarot deck, with a crown of nails hammered into his head - the Mountie becomes enmeshed in a deadly battle with the most implacable of psychotic enemies.
To solve that murder and the horrific killings that follow at the foot of Maltby Cemetery's 13 Steps to Hell and Ted Bundy's house, Chandler must look back in time to 1888, when London was terrorized by its own demented Ripper, and into the weird world of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.
His search takes him from a high-speed car chase with guns blazing in the streets of Vancouver to the fantasy realm of the Goths at the World Horror Convention in Seattle to a nail-biting climax in the Kingdom of Bones on the cannibal island of Tangaroa in the South Pacific, where Survivor is the game and Chandler an unwilling contestant.
* * *
"BED OF NAILS electroshocks the reader into turning pages long into the night. It's a get-under-your-skin thriller with machine-gun dialogue and impressive real-world research. It's one heck of a ride, and definitely not for the faint of heart." - CNN
"Nerve-wracking. BED OF NAILS blends cunning whodunits with creepy psychos derived from Slade's criminal defense history." - Cemetery Dance
"Michael Slade is undeniably the best thriller writer of our generation." - Del Howison, Dark Delicacies
"BED OF NAILS is a paean to South Seas cannibalism. You’re never quite sure who the killer is until all the stops are pulled out in the thrilling climax. This bloody good yarn is well told, and seamlessly blends intensely researched historical fact with present day drama jacked up with brains, twisted sex, and buckets of gore." - Rue Morgue
"Slade's winning style is to reach down deep into his soul, find something that scares the hell out of him, and spin it into a story that will resonate." - The Vancouver Sun
"In 2001, Michael Slade was guest of honor at the World Horror Convention in Seattle. That conference forms the backdrop for BED OF NAILS. Slade is a raconteur par excellence who moves effortlessly from elaborating gruesome criminal cases to exploring scary cannibal caves in the South Pacific." - Montreal Mirror
"Now for something you can sink your teeth into. BED OF NAILS takes horror to a new level, with grisly murders and kinky sex." - Rose & Thorn
"BED OF NAILS could stand tall beside the horror-ific works of Stephen King." - Halifax Daily News
"A graphic, unflinching novel full of action, suspense, and intensity that turns the screws on its readers." - The Georgia Straight
"More squirm than a bucketful of worms. What makes Slade tales so addictive is not just the well-written shocks, but also the well-thought-out whodunits." - The Outlook
"Michael Slade is the king of psycho-thrillers, and BED OF NAILS contains incredible imagery that will give readers nightmares. Crime addicts who relish monsters wearing a human face must read a Michael Slade novel." – Harriet Klausner, Amazon
* * *
Criminal lawyer Michael Slade has acted in over a hundred murder cases. He specializes in the law of insanity, and argued the last hanging appeal in the Supreme Court.
Slade was guest of honor at both the Bloody Words Crime Convention in 2011 and the World Horror Convention in 2001. He teaches "How to Write a Mystery Thriller" at Simon Fraser University.
Slade was guest speaker at the international Police Leadership Conference and several RCMP regimental dinners. Reader’s Digest "The Slade books have developed a strong following among police officers because of their strict adherence to proper police procedure."
Researching BED OF NAILS took Slade into the overgrown 18th century cannibal caves on Atiu, one of the Cook Islands in the S
To solve that murder and the horrific killings that follow at the foot of Maltby Cemetery's 13 Steps to Hell and Ted Bundy's house, Chandler must look back in time to 1888, when London was terrorized by its own demented Ripper, and into the weird world of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.
His search takes him from a high-speed car chase with guns blazing in the streets of Vancouver to the fantasy realm of the Goths at the World Horror Convention in Seattle to a nail-biting climax in the Kingdom of Bones on the cannibal island of Tangaroa in the South Pacific, where Survivor is the game and Chandler an unwilling contestant.
* * *
"BED OF NAILS electroshocks the reader into turning pages long into the night. It's a get-under-your-skin thriller with machine-gun dialogue and impressive real-world research. It's one heck of a ride, and definitely not for the faint of heart." - CNN
"Nerve-wracking. BED OF NAILS blends cunning whodunits with creepy psychos derived from Slade's criminal defense history." - Cemetery Dance
"Michael Slade is undeniably the best thriller writer of our generation." - Del Howison, Dark Delicacies
"BED OF NAILS is a paean to South Seas cannibalism. You’re never quite sure who the killer is until all the stops are pulled out in the thrilling climax. This bloody good yarn is well told, and seamlessly blends intensely researched historical fact with present day drama jacked up with brains, twisted sex, and buckets of gore." - Rue Morgue
"Slade's winning style is to reach down deep into his soul, find something that scares the hell out of him, and spin it into a story that will resonate." - The Vancouver Sun
"In 2001, Michael Slade was guest of honor at the World Horror Convention in Seattle. That conference forms the backdrop for BED OF NAILS. Slade is a raconteur par excellence who moves effortlessly from elaborating gruesome criminal cases to exploring scary cannibal caves in the South Pacific." - Montreal Mirror
"Now for something you can sink your teeth into. BED OF NAILS takes horror to a new level, with grisly murders and kinky sex." - Rose & Thorn
"BED OF NAILS could stand tall beside the horror-ific works of Stephen King." - Halifax Daily News
"A graphic, unflinching novel full of action, suspense, and intensity that turns the screws on its readers." - The Georgia Straight
"More squirm than a bucketful of worms. What makes Slade tales so addictive is not just the well-written shocks, but also the well-thought-out whodunits." - The Outlook
"Michael Slade is the king of psycho-thrillers, and BED OF NAILS contains incredible imagery that will give readers nightmares. Crime addicts who relish monsters wearing a human face must read a Michael Slade novel." – Harriet Klausner, Amazon
* * *
Criminal lawyer Michael Slade has acted in over a hundred murder cases. He specializes in the law of insanity, and argued the last hanging appeal in the Supreme Court.
Slade was guest of honor at both the Bloody Words Crime Convention in 2011 and the World Horror Convention in 2001. He teaches "How to Write a Mystery Thriller" at Simon Fraser University.
Slade was guest speaker at the international Police Leadership Conference and several RCMP regimental dinners. Reader’s Digest "The Slade books have developed a strong following among police officers because of their strict adherence to proper police procedure."
Researching BED OF NAILS took Slade into the overgrown 18th century cannibal caves on Atiu, one of the Cook Islands in the S
480 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Michael Slade
31 books267 followersSlade on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountieNoir
Slade on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MountieNoir
Criminal lawyer MICHAEL SLADE has acted in over one hundred murder cases. His specialty is the law of insanity. He argued the last death penalty case in Canada’s highest court.
Backed by his forensic experience, Slade’s Special X and Wyatt Rook thrillers fuse the genres of police and legal procedure, whodunit and impossible crime, suspense, history, and horror.
Slade was guest of honor at both the Bloody Words crime convention and the World Horror Convention. As Time Out puts it, “A thin line separates crime and horror, and in Michael Slade’s thrillers, the demarcation vanishes altogether.”
Slade was guest speaker at the international Police Leadership Conference and several RCMP regimental dinners. As Reader’s Digest puts it, “The Slade books have developed a strong following among police officers because of their strict adherence to proper police procedure.”
For the stories behind his plots, visit Slade’s Morgue at www.specialx.net.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 25, 2009
Gruesome, demented, truly psychotic story line. Not even in my most terrifyingly crazy thoughts could I come up with this type of story. Which I suppose is a good thing for me. Never have I been so disgusted and shocked at the capabilties of the human mind. But it sure made for a great story! Just when I thought it couldn't get any more gross, it did. And there was a good mixture of violence, gore, sex, and mystery to keep the reader interested. Too much history though. I didn't really see the purpose of a lot of the history, and the parts that had a purpose could have been condensed. It was interesting, but distracted from the point of the plot; making the book a cross between a thriller and history of cannibalism. I would recommend this book if you want to be shocked and are trying to go vegetarian.
April 8, 2013
As always a great read. The Ripper is back. Even though he's still locked up his influence is all over this story. A real page turner set mostly around a horror convention. Will keep you guessing.
July 26, 2011
Bed Of Nails,"Michael Slade","0451411153","review","Gory. Violent. Filled with many Oh my"" moments. A great read. This book actually contains great advice for would-be writers. Worth the read on many levels. It's being moved to my reference section' in our home library."
Bed Of Nails,"Michael Slade","0451411153","review","Gory. Violent. Filled with many Oh my"" moments. A great read. This book actually contains great advice for would-be writers. Worth the read on many levels. It's being moved to my reference section' in our home library." Gory. Violent. Filled with many "Oh my!" moments. A great read. This book actually contains great advice for aspiring writers. Worth the read on may levels. It's been moved to my reference section in our home library.
Bed Of Nails,"Michael Slade","0451411153","review","Gory. Violent. Filled with many Oh my"" moments. A great read. This book actually contains great advice for would-be writers. Worth the read on many levels. It's being moved to my reference section' in our home library." Gory. Violent. Filled with many "Oh my!" moments. A great read. This book actually contains great advice for aspiring writers. Worth the read on may levels. It's been moved to my reference section in our home library.
February 21, 2016
Michael Slade, the pen name of Jay Clarke and his daughter Rebecca, is a master at blending extreme horror with mystery. Readers who are strictly in it for the blood-curdling twists and turns may not be able to emotionally and psychologically handle Slade's brand of graphic horror.
But for Slade's loyal fans, I believe Bed of Nails doesn't disappoint. Once again Royal Canadian Mountie Zinc Chandler is lured into a deadly trap by one or more suspects' bent on revenge. It takes him to a lonely island in the South Pacific where a small cast of conventioners play a lethal game of who's the psycho. Although Bed of Nails may be a notch or two under Slade's Ghoul, this reader is pleased that Slade continues to produce satisfyingly hair-raising graphic thrillers.
But for Slade's loyal fans, I believe Bed of Nails doesn't disappoint. Once again Royal Canadian Mountie Zinc Chandler is lured into a deadly trap by one or more suspects' bent on revenge. It takes him to a lonely island in the South Pacific where a small cast of conventioners play a lethal game of who's the psycho. Although Bed of Nails may be a notch or two under Slade's Ghoul, this reader is pleased that Slade continues to produce satisfyingly hair-raising graphic thrillers.
August 26, 2025
This is book 10 of the Special X crime thriller/horror series by Michael Slade.
As usual, a lot of research went into this one. This has history of the Cook Islands , cannibalism and various rituals and tribes, more Jack the Ripper history , the ins and outs of some Horror Conventions and a lot more.
We have the return of the psycho from the Ripper book ( book #4 in the series) and while locked up he has access to his lawyers and recruits someone to help him achieve his goal of getting revenge on Inspector Zinc Chander who is still struggling with the loss of Alexis.
there were really only 4 possibilities for the Killer/ Killers but the author did a good job of settingthings up where it made you guess and change your mind along the way. At the end of the day I knew atleast 1 of them but I didnt guess that ending.
It was a fun read. Its not on the top half of this series though.
3-3.5 Stars.
As usual, a lot of research went into this one. This has history of the Cook Islands , cannibalism and various rituals and tribes, more Jack the Ripper history , the ins and outs of some Horror Conventions and a lot more.
We have the return of the psycho from the Ripper book ( book #4 in the series) and while locked up he has access to his lawyers and recruits someone to help him achieve his goal of getting revenge on Inspector Zinc Chander who is still struggling with the loss of Alexis.
there were really only 4 possibilities for the Killer/ Killers but the author did a good job of settingthings up where it made you guess and change your mind along the way. At the end of the day I knew atleast 1 of them but I didnt guess that ending.
It was a fun read. Its not on the top half of this series though.
3-3.5 Stars.
August 27, 2022
In some ways I'm glad I read ripper before this one as in some ways this acts as a sequel.
Not wholly I think you would get along fine not having read previous books some which are referenced throughout...in fact it's probably the usual thing of giving a nod to the past for the faithful and also for new readers to check bits out.
Maybe my least favourite of the Slade books out of the four I've read so far...it's fine but I think suffers from a slower pace and lots of historic detail that though impressive I didn't always find was necessary.
Anyhow I will read on when I chance upon these books a mediocre Slade book if this is an example is still a decent read
Not wholly I think you would get along fine not having read previous books some which are referenced throughout...in fact it's probably the usual thing of giving a nod to the past for the faithful and also for new readers to check bits out.
Maybe my least favourite of the Slade books out of the four I've read so far...it's fine but I think suffers from a slower pace and lots of historic detail that though impressive I didn't always find was necessary.
Anyhow I will read on when I chance upon these books a mediocre Slade book if this is an example is still a decent read
June 5, 2024
This book was a page turner. Not for the faint of heart as it does depict gore vividly. However, I enjoyed the twist in the tale of the Ripper. It is a fun fictional piece of work and towards the end, I could not put the book down. If you are able to get past the gore, I highly recommend this book.
Read at your own risk!
Read at your own risk!
November 17, 2013
I was asked by Barnes and Noble to read this book, otherwise, I would have stopped after a short time. One character thinks that he is the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper. There is weird sex. One practice is pounding short nails into a victim's head while he is still alive. A Mountie is tortured and survives his ordeal. I should just have said that I refuse to review this. I did that once with a story with animals being tortured.
March 3, 2012
It was a nightmare book. If you like Jack the Ripper or stories from Whitechapel, this book is for you. I didn't like it much.. I put it down a couple times but decided to finish reading it as I had nothing else to read.
August 8, 2024
Utter garbage. What started out as a great series with Headhunter. The subsequent books slowly devolved into farcical crap. Note to author: Quit before you totally cheapen what was an impressive start.
February 2, 2016
Tough for me to read.too much about cannibals.
April 6, 2015
The ripper returns! Good follow up but not as good as Ripper.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews