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Merciless
2020 Splatterpunk Award nominee for best novel
Psycho newlyweds Grant and Lindsey Weatherby are true crime junkies with a thirst to know what it feels like to kill for real. Young, prosperous, and good-looking, they are seen by friends and family as the perfect couple. No one sees the dark side to their love. After their wedding, they embark on a trip across the country. As their honeymoon gift to each other, they plan to abduct, torture, and kill a stranger. But what was planned as a controlled one-time event soon explodes into a spiraling orgy of bloody, nightmarish violence and depravity.
Psycho newlyweds Grant and Lindsey Weatherby are true crime junkies with a thirst to know what it feels like to kill for real. Young, prosperous, and good-looking, they are seen by friends and family as the perfect couple. No one sees the dark side to their love. After their wedding, they embark on a trip across the country. As their honeymoon gift to each other, they plan to abduct, torture, and kill a stranger. But what was planned as a controlled one-time event soon explodes into a spiraling orgy of bloody, nightmarish violence and depravity.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2019
97 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
103 books759 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 13, 2021
What a read. It been a little while since I've read a Bryan Smith novel and I'm glad I decided to read merciless because it was straight up brutal. I enjoyed this one a lot. Merciless lives I to its name that is for sure. If you want a book that just brings depravity, violence,and brutality just for the hell of it then check this one out you won't be disappointed.
October 23, 2023
4.5 stars. Oh boy, talk about extreme horror…
July 9, 2025
MERCILESS [2019] By Bryan Smith
My Review 5.0 Stars
This novel by the popular and prolific author of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror Bryan Smith garnered the most votes for our Group Read in July. There were several good selections nominated for this month on the Splatterpunk Horror Book Club. Bryan Smith is a two-time Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime novels and novellas, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, The Killing Kind, and many more.
This was the third novel I have read by Bryan Smith, having previously enjoyed “Depraved” and “The Killing Kind” on Buddy Reads. It is a difficult call, but I believe I liked “Merciless” the best of the three outstanding books.
Grindhouse published this extreme horror novel by Bryan Smith in the Fall of 2019. The title is believed to be derived from the lack of mercy demonstrated by the main female character Lindsey. But it could also be argued that both of the main characters were merciless. The book “Merciless” is not horror literature, but rather the propulsive and entertaining saga of young newlyweds who had planned a trailblazing road trip through the mountains and across the country for their honeymoon.
The attractive young couple both shared an interest in true crime and serial killers. Lindsey had a keen interest in a whole lot more than that but prudently took her time indoctrinating her boyfriend (now new hubby) into her more extreme and hands-on aspirations. Grant was essentially placating Lindsey and feigning an interest in hurting or killing a person. At least that is the way Grant looked at the situation before all hell broke loose. This was only an incredibly interesting read because of Bryan Smith’s deft handling of the character development of the people populating Lindsey and Grant’s orbit for the duration of the story. I will refrain from being specific but there are a number of people who are unwittingly within Lindsey’s sight line as the story progresses. Nothing positive can result from that state of affairs.
Smith manages to spin an everchanging climate for the deadly duo, even when they stop at his family’s cabin amidst the wilderness. The narrative sucked me in like an undertow and I was swept along for the whole trip. I enjoy reading about sociopaths and their psychopathy. Lindsey is characterized as a malignant narcissist who is an above average manipulative sociopath. Grant had been the recipient of a lot of manipulation by Lindsey, but he was persuaded to kill by some pretty superficial motivations. When an extreme stressor was applied, it ran through his defenses like a quarterback running for the finish line.
I really enjoyed and was entertained by attempting to guess how certain angles would play out, which of the two newlywed sadists would persevere, and particularly how karma would flip the script. I was unable to second guess the author which only made me smile. It was a terrific tale. The ending was perfect, simply perfect. This was just a “fun” read and not any weighty piece of writing that would require any emotional input. In other words, it is a book that is a page-turner, there is violence and sadistic acts performed throughout the story, but the reader is not obliged to care. The secondary characters are cardboard and not developed by the author. The reader is having fun because the situation keeps changing, and the eviler Lindsey and Grant become, the more fun it is to guess how or what their retribution is going to look like in the end.
CLEVER AND ENTERTAINING TALE ABOUT TWO YOUNG SOCIOPATHS EXPLORING THEIR TRUE NATURES
My Review 5.0 Stars
This novel by the popular and prolific author of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror Bryan Smith garnered the most votes for our Group Read in July. There were several good selections nominated for this month on the Splatterpunk Horror Book Club. Bryan Smith is a two-time Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime novels and novellas, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, The Killing Kind, and many more.
This was the third novel I have read by Bryan Smith, having previously enjoyed “Depraved” and “The Killing Kind” on Buddy Reads. It is a difficult call, but I believe I liked “Merciless” the best of the three outstanding books.
Grindhouse published this extreme horror novel by Bryan Smith in the Fall of 2019. The title is believed to be derived from the lack of mercy demonstrated by the main female character Lindsey. But it could also be argued that both of the main characters were merciless. The book “Merciless” is not horror literature, but rather the propulsive and entertaining saga of young newlyweds who had planned a trailblazing road trip through the mountains and across the country for their honeymoon.
The attractive young couple both shared an interest in true crime and serial killers. Lindsey had a keen interest in a whole lot more than that but prudently took her time indoctrinating her boyfriend (now new hubby) into her more extreme and hands-on aspirations. Grant was essentially placating Lindsey and feigning an interest in hurting or killing a person. At least that is the way Grant looked at the situation before all hell broke loose. This was only an incredibly interesting read because of Bryan Smith’s deft handling of the character development of the people populating Lindsey and Grant’s orbit for the duration of the story. I will refrain from being specific but there are a number of people who are unwittingly within Lindsey’s sight line as the story progresses. Nothing positive can result from that state of affairs.
Smith manages to spin an everchanging climate for the deadly duo, even when they stop at his family’s cabin amidst the wilderness. The narrative sucked me in like an undertow and I was swept along for the whole trip. I enjoy reading about sociopaths and their psychopathy. Lindsey is characterized as a malignant narcissist who is an above average manipulative sociopath. Grant had been the recipient of a lot of manipulation by Lindsey, but he was persuaded to kill by some pretty superficial motivations. When an extreme stressor was applied, it ran through his defenses like a quarterback running for the finish line.
I really enjoyed and was entertained by attempting to guess how certain angles would play out, which of the two newlywed sadists would persevere, and particularly how karma would flip the script. I was unable to second guess the author which only made me smile. It was a terrific tale. The ending was perfect, simply perfect. This was just a “fun” read and not any weighty piece of writing that would require any emotional input. In other words, it is a book that is a page-turner, there is violence and sadistic acts performed throughout the story, but the reader is not obliged to care. The secondary characters are cardboard and not developed by the author. The reader is having fun because the situation keeps changing, and the eviler Lindsey and Grant become, the more fun it is to guess how or what their retribution is going to look like in the end.
CLEVER AND ENTERTAINING TALE ABOUT TWO YOUNG SOCIOPATHS EXPLORING THEIR TRUE NATURES
August 8, 2023
SO MUCH FUN! Lindsay is an ICON.
September 7, 2022
This is without a single doubt, one of the most disturbing and traumatizing books I have ever read. Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart, it is brutal and graphic and there are A LOT of potential triggers throughout. It feels weird giving such a book 5 stars because I wouldn’t really say I enjoyed it in the typical sense you normally enjoy a book. My skin was crawling the whole way through and I often had to pause to collect myself while reading it because I was just so disturbed and horrified by what I was reading. Thank fucking god it’s fiction because I can’t even begin to process what kind of monster would do such things. I’m even a big slightly disturbed that an actual person made this story from their imagination, that must be one fucked up place to come up with such atrocities and I’m glad I’m not in Smith’s head. This book managed to evoke more emotion than me than any fiction book has in a long time, it’s been a long time since a book horrified me to this level!
February 14, 2022
I was going to give this 3 stars but bumped it to 4 for how unputdownable this novella was—I read it in one sitting. I’m a huge extreme-horror fan and don’t get squeamish easily, so I was all in for the masochism and violence. The ending of each chapter had me anxiously diving into the next one. Plus the story idea is brilliant. A newly wed couple decide to live out their true-crime obsessed fantasies by kidnapping, torturing, and killing random strangers. So as a whole, they are terrible people (but between the two, the woman is a freaking psychopath and terrifying).
I was personally upset by how the one POC character in this book was handled. However, after ranting/discussing the book with my husband and having him break down how not-far-from-reality the treatment of the POC character actually was, I had a slight change of heart. This book is about a cis-gendered white couple who are FULLY aware of their privilege and they hope to use it to literally get away with murder. That’s the horror.
…I’m still upset. But it’s Splatterpunk! Splatterpunk is upsetting. I’ve read worse. The whole point of the book is to display two very messed up people doing very messed up things to those who are innocent simply because they think they can get away with it. And that’s upsetting. I’m upset, and could always do without racial violence in my horror novels—especially when it’s written by white men. It’s something that triggers me as a WOC. But the book was still really good in my opinion. So I guess I can be upset and like a book at the same time??? I don’t know. Do with that what you will. I’m conflicted and my thoughts are all jumbled! Eventually I will have a more comprehensible review, but today it’s all feelings! 😂
I was personally upset by how the one POC character in this book was handled. However, after ranting/discussing the book with my husband and having him break down how not-far-from-reality the treatment of the POC character actually was, I had a slight change of heart. This book is about a cis-gendered white couple who are FULLY aware of their privilege and they hope to use it to literally get away with murder. That’s the horror.
…I’m still upset. But it’s Splatterpunk! Splatterpunk is upsetting. I’ve read worse. The whole point of the book is to display two very messed up people doing very messed up things to those who are innocent simply because they think they can get away with it. And that’s upsetting. I’m upset, and could always do without racial violence in my horror novels—especially when it’s written by white men. It’s something that triggers me as a WOC. But the book was still really good in my opinion. So I guess I can be upset and like a book at the same time??? I don’t know. Do with that what you will. I’m conflicted and my thoughts are all jumbled! Eventually I will have a more comprehensible review, but today it’s all feelings! 😂
May 11, 2020
Almost ...
The problem with the "extreme horror" genre is that character often takes a back seat to gore. That is the problem with Smith's book, too, which is maddening because there is some good writing here. Focusing on Lindsey, the female half of the murderous newlyweds, was a huge mistake. She's a cartoon and about as unbelievable as they come. Her partner in crime is far more interesting, and had characterization been important, Smith would've realized that.
There are some good moments in here, but they are lost in the blood, vomit, and scalpings. If you don't care about characters and just want to see where the author will dare to go, have it. If, on the other hand, you demand more, find something else to read.
The problem with the "extreme horror" genre is that character often takes a back seat to gore. That is the problem with Smith's book, too, which is maddening because there is some good writing here. Focusing on Lindsey, the female half of the murderous newlyweds, was a huge mistake. She's a cartoon and about as unbelievable as they come. Her partner in crime is far more interesting, and had characterization been important, Smith would've realized that.
There are some good moments in here, but they are lost in the blood, vomit, and scalpings. If you don't care about characters and just want to see where the author will dare to go, have it. If, on the other hand, you demand more, find something else to read.
January 16, 2025
i hated this so bad, that bs ending literally had me staring at the ceiling for like 3 minutes straight because what even was that???? i really wish i never read this.
April 3, 2024
I have never read a Bryan Smith novel until reading Merciless, but WOW. This was nothing short of a ★★★★★ star read. What an absolutely insane, violent book. I will slap this one down on the table immediately if someone asks me for an extreme horror rec.
This book was messy— in a good way. Bloody, violent, depraved, and psychotic. It didn’t take Smith much time to take me down the rabbit hole of what would become of Grant and Lindsey’s little “honeymoon adventure.” A beautiful cabin somewhere in the mountains becomes a slaughterhouse straight out of a horror film. A lot of people are ravaged in really sick ways.
The torture scenes are definitely intense, being that I found myself stopping a couple of times. They’re also quite drawn out. The drawn out aspect didn’t bother me much, I actually thought it was an appealing aspect of the story. Rushing a torture scene wouldn’t be very torturous, now would it? Smith does just fine with vividness, too… don’t worry, there will never be a time where you can’t see the violence and gore play out in your mind.
I was thoroughly engaged with Merciless even though it was a simple read that took place in a single setting. There’s not much world/character-building here, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this probably isn’t the book for you. I do appreciate that there was just enough here for me to see a storyline behind all the depravity and sickness, though. That’s always a plus, and ticks off the box that the author is more than just a gore whore, but a solid writer as well. Extreme horror writers always have to prove themselves, so I’m always rooting.
I definitely don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll wrap it up by saying if you’re into extreme horror, you’ll absolutely be into this bad boy. It’s a ruthless one. I’m glad I picked it up to read for spooky book month, and it’s closed out my reading for October. I will definitely be looking into other titles by Bryan Smith.
Also, I was rooting for you Jorge!!!!! WTF man.
This book was messy— in a good way. Bloody, violent, depraved, and psychotic. It didn’t take Smith much time to take me down the rabbit hole of what would become of Grant and Lindsey’s little “honeymoon adventure.” A beautiful cabin somewhere in the mountains becomes a slaughterhouse straight out of a horror film. A lot of people are ravaged in really sick ways.
The torture scenes are definitely intense, being that I found myself stopping a couple of times. They’re also quite drawn out. The drawn out aspect didn’t bother me much, I actually thought it was an appealing aspect of the story. Rushing a torture scene wouldn’t be very torturous, now would it? Smith does just fine with vividness, too… don’t worry, there will never be a time where you can’t see the violence and gore play out in your mind.
I was thoroughly engaged with Merciless even though it was a simple read that took place in a single setting. There’s not much world/character-building here, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this probably isn’t the book for you. I do appreciate that there was just enough here for me to see a storyline behind all the depravity and sickness, though. That’s always a plus, and ticks off the box that the author is more than just a gore whore, but a solid writer as well. Extreme horror writers always have to prove themselves, so I’m always rooting.
I definitely don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll wrap it up by saying if you’re into extreme horror, you’ll absolutely be into this bad boy. It’s a ruthless one. I’m glad I picked it up to read for spooky book month, and it’s closed out my reading for October. I will definitely be looking into other titles by Bryan Smith.
Also, I was rooting for you Jorge!!!!! WTF man.
November 28, 2019
This will not be a rant-y two star review. So if that’s what you’re here for, my apologies.
The book sucked me in. Action starts immediately and this couple is messed up.Love that the women in this book are kick-ass rather than the men running the show.
This is extreme horror so CW for lots of different things. If you’d like to know specifics, feel free to message me. Extreme doesn’t bother me. That’s not my issue with the book at all. And Smith can definitely turn a phrase.
Some of the scenes felt a bit drawn out and the back story for at least one of the side characters was clunky and rushed. Which is okay - it’s a short book, so there’s not a lot of time for that. The ending though, I kind of see what Smith was going for and it does connect to something at the beginning of the book but I was left like “COME ON - that’s it?” It really broke my experience.
Will I read more from this author? Absolutely.
The book sucked me in. Action starts immediately and this couple is messed up.Love that the women in this book are kick-ass rather than the men running the show.
This is extreme horror so CW for lots of different things. If you’d like to know specifics, feel free to message me. Extreme doesn’t bother me. That’s not my issue with the book at all. And Smith can definitely turn a phrase.
Some of the scenes felt a bit drawn out and the back story for at least one of the side characters was clunky and rushed. Which is okay - it’s a short book, so there’s not a lot of time for that. The ending though, I kind of see what Smith was going for and it does connect to something at the beginning of the book but I was left like “COME ON - that’s it?” It really broke my experience.
Will I read more from this author? Absolutely.
February 19, 2021
Over the top thrill killing. Sadistic cruel sexual violence. Not for the faint of heart. This came in my Night Worms package and was my least fave of the three books. Three stars because I was never bored but I normally wouldn't seek out this type of horror these days.
February 1, 2022
Newlyweds Grant and Lindsey embark on a cross country trip where they plan to kidnap, torture, and murder a complete stranger as their wedding gift to each other. That's an intense enough starting point, but things almost immediately go wrong (in every sense of the word.
The level of violence, cruelty, and depravity in this book is like nothing I've ever read. I lost count of the number of times I had an actual vocal reaction to what I was reading.
Nothing was off the table here and it just kept escalating. You'd think the daughter's role in the story was essentially over after being forced to miscarry after repeated stomps to the stomach, but no. What she then does in a misguided attempt to escape is somehow worse.
What really makes this book phenomenal is the ending. There's no happy ending, which no one could be surprised at, but Smith manages to save the cruelest part of the story for the one person you were rooting for.
As my official entry into extreme horror. This was perfect. No notes!
The level of violence, cruelty, and depravity in this book is like nothing I've ever read. I lost count of the number of times I had an actual vocal reaction to what I was reading.
Nothing was off the table here and it just kept escalating. You'd think the daughter's role in the story was essentially over after being forced to miscarry after repeated stomps to the stomach, but no. What she then does in a misguided attempt to escape is somehow worse.
What really makes this book phenomenal is the ending. There's no happy ending, which no one could be surprised at, but Smith manages to save the cruelest part of the story for the one person you were rooting for.
As my official entry into extreme horror. This was perfect. No notes!
January 26, 2021
This book is labeled "extreme Horror" so it's definitely full of disgustingly depraved acts by the two terrible newlyweds, but I did expect a little more gore and less fucking.
On the positive front the end was mostly satisfying and the baby doesn't die.
Not sure I'll check out more of this author though.
On the positive front the end was mostly satisfying and the baby doesn't die.
Not sure I'll check out more of this author though.
February 1, 2021
DNF
I knew this was “extreme horror” going in, but what I didn’t anticipate was the derogatory language towards POC used by the characters. Authors, you can show the depravity of your characters AND not make them racist POSs. Hard pass.
I knew this was “extreme horror” going in, but what I didn’t anticipate was the derogatory language towards POC used by the characters. Authors, you can show the depravity of your characters AND not make them racist POSs. Hard pass.
October 23, 2019
Well, this is the second novel with a scalping scene I have read in two days. Smith is really showing comparisons to Richard Laymon with this one. I found it interesting but these latest releases from Smith are getting very repetitive and more and more graphic. Nothing wrong with being graphic but, like Laymon before him, Smith genuinely knows how to put together a compelling plot, but when half the book is just drawn out torture scenes, it takes away from that a bit for me. The ending was the only thing that made this one stand out a bit. Other than that, just another novel full of creative torture scenes featuring the exact same characters just with different names.
February 15, 2021
DNF. I couldn't get past the racism, homophobia and pedophelia. After 75 pages, I knew the latter third wouldn't make up for what I already slogged through. The gore didn't bother me (admittedly, there wasn't much in what I read), but all of the characters were awful. All the men viewed women as sexual objects, and the one POC was simply relegated to his skin color. I couldn't be bothered finishing it because I didn't want to put up with the hateful deplorable character any more.
April 5, 2021
4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
This is a fast paced brutal book that drew my attention in very quickly. The synopsis itself I also found intriguing - newly married couple decide to find a person to torture and kill to seal their vows. So messed up.
This is the kind of book that examines the worst parts of humanity. The darkest most heinous parts which will have you recoiling with disgust. This is not a comfortable or enjoyable book to read.
This was my first Bryan Smith book and I will be sure to read more. He knows how to write. I was also impressed that he wrote his main female protagonist to be a strong character who led the night’s events.
This is not for the squeamish or those who can’t deal with body horror. Lots of gore. There were points where I had to set it aside, take a breather and pick it back up when I was ready.
My one gripe was was the ending. I can see what Smith was going for but it felt a bit rushed and too left field for me.
This is a fast paced brutal book that drew my attention in very quickly. The synopsis itself I also found intriguing - newly married couple decide to find a person to torture and kill to seal their vows. So messed up.
This is the kind of book that examines the worst parts of humanity. The darkest most heinous parts which will have you recoiling with disgust. This is not a comfortable or enjoyable book to read.
This was my first Bryan Smith book and I will be sure to read more. He knows how to write. I was also impressed that he wrote his main female protagonist to be a strong character who led the night’s events.
This is not for the squeamish or those who can’t deal with body horror. Lots of gore. There were points where I had to set it aside, take a breather and pick it back up when I was ready.
My one gripe was was the ending. I can see what Smith was going for but it felt a bit rushed and too left field for me.
May 16, 2021
Merciless, by Bryan Smith was pure and simply Mega WTF in the best ways at all times. I crushed this one in less than 24 hours, as I could not put it down. Every turn of the book sunk the narrative, and it's lush characters to gross, new depths. Breaks to eat, sleep, or relieve myself felt MUCH too daunting among the exhilarating thrill ride of this novel. I didn't want to leave my reading chair for anything. I was not to be disturbed.
As with most titles I've read from Grindhouse Press so far, Merciless hit me in all the right ways. It was incredibly fast, fun, and gory, but it had a ton of heart. I also was quite keen on the characters in this one. Smith managed to fill my heart up with a love for even the most evil of beings. There is also a SUPER powerful message that Smith conveys about perception. Merciless undoubtedly gets five stars from me and I recommend it with the highest regards!!
EXCELLENT READ, LOVED IT!!
As with most titles I've read from Grindhouse Press so far, Merciless hit me in all the right ways. It was incredibly fast, fun, and gory, but it had a ton of heart. I also was quite keen on the characters in this one. Smith managed to fill my heart up with a love for even the most evil of beings. There is also a SUPER powerful message that Smith conveys about perception. Merciless undoubtedly gets five stars from me and I recommend it with the highest regards!!
EXCELLENT READ, LOVED IT!!
July 9, 2025
July group read with Splatterpunk Goodreads group. A brief, yet excellent read that follows a newly wed couple of freshly married psychopaths from inception to their fate. Bryan Smith is a great author of horror, giving you enough brutality without ever relishing in the details focusing more on his characters. Well recommended for fans of classic splatter in the vein of Laymon and Ketchum.
January 17, 2021
I’m not the audience for this type of book (extreme horror). If you are into extreme horror and all sorts of messed up scenarios, this book is definitely for you. I like the basic premise of the story which is a newlywed true crime obsessed couple decide to kidnap and murder someone on their honeymoon. Some scenes were too disturbing for me to enjoy, but again this isn’t my favorite type of book. Definitely some thrills in there & if you can stomach anything, this might be for you! Rating 2 stars because I’m newer to horror & not sure where this lands with me.
June 1, 2021
This one is filled with brutality and desperation. It's laid out all in the open with no regrets. Bryan was one of the authors that got me interested in the genre and continues to not disappoint. Good story plot. Things twist and turn and keep you guessing.
November 12, 2021
No, just no. I should have stopped when there were hints of racism but the ending took the fucking cake. The only thing that made me finish it was because of all the twists and turns this story took but I just, no.
October 6, 2023
Well that was massively fucked up. Torture Porn at its finest.
November 5, 2025
'Merciless' by Bryan Smith is 186 pages of splatterpunk fun. While I wouldn't say that it brings anything "new" to the genre, it definitely holds up to similar stories.
Bryan Smith's writing style is straight foward and easy to consume. There isn't any flourishing psuedo-intellectual prose which makes this book enjoyable. When it comes to errors, I didn't notice anything personally. Toward the end - I did have difficulty mentally navigating one scene written as it changes perspective roughly three times.
This story is not written in chapters but changes in perspective roughly every 5 pages. The perspectives are from the handful of characters within. We have Grant (co-MC), Lindsey (MC), Jorge, Pierce, Piper, Kelsey, Rory, Vance (a baby with no perspective chapter), and -Mountain Man-. Without spoiling the book, all of these characters are locked in an irreversible scenario all because of Lindsey.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes! because it was a nice horrid diversion (like a slasher movie almost). Was it the most disgusting book I've read? No. Would I recommend this book? Yes, but only to someone who enjoys this sort of thing. I didn't "gag" because of this book and it doesn't come with a catalog of trigger warnings which is also a little refreshing. Of course, read at your own risk!
Book tidied up nicely in the end and it wasn't a trudge fest! Nice quick icky little autumn read.
Bryan Smith's writing style is straight foward and easy to consume. There isn't any flourishing psuedo-intellectual prose which makes this book enjoyable. When it comes to errors, I didn't notice anything personally. Toward the end - I did have difficulty mentally navigating one scene written as it changes perspective roughly three times.
This story is not written in chapters but changes in perspective roughly every 5 pages. The perspectives are from the handful of characters within. We have Grant (co-MC), Lindsey (MC), Jorge, Pierce, Piper, Kelsey, Rory, Vance (a baby with no perspective chapter), and -Mountain Man-. Without spoiling the book, all of these characters are locked in an irreversible scenario all because of Lindsey.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes! because it was a nice horrid diversion (like a slasher movie almost). Was it the most disgusting book I've read? No. Would I recommend this book? Yes, but only to someone who enjoys this sort of thing. I didn't "gag" because of this book and it doesn't come with a catalog of trigger warnings which is also a little refreshing. Of course, read at your own risk!
Book tidied up nicely in the end and it wasn't a trudge fest! Nice quick icky little autumn read.
February 10, 2021
This isn't the type of book I normally read, but it was included with my Night Worms subscription and I wanted to give it a try. I like branching out into new genres/sub-genres.
This is an "extreme horror", and the two main characters (newlyweds) are awful people. From the start, you aren't meant to like them. They're really into true crime and want to kidnap, torture, and murder someone over their honeymoon. They screw up their plan pretty much immediately.
The chapters are in a sort of 3rd person that skip to various characters, though you don't get a lot of insight. Also with some of the new chapters the character will re-hash what just happened or go into several pages of their backstory. It's not really the time for self-reflection, so this would take me out of the story a bit.
The ending is surprising but I actually kind of liked it. I only wish it had been hashed more throughout the book because it feels like it comes out of nowhere. Though I felt like the very last chapter makes reading the book feel a little pointless.
If you're into gore and/or monstrous main characters this is a fast read that you'd probably enjoy.
This is an "extreme horror", and the two main characters (newlyweds) are awful people. From the start, you aren't meant to like them. They're really into true crime and want to kidnap, torture, and murder someone over their honeymoon. They screw up their plan pretty much immediately.
The chapters are in a sort of 3rd person that skip to various characters, though you don't get a lot of insight. Also with some of the new chapters the character will re-hash what just happened or go into several pages of their backstory. It's not really the time for self-reflection, so this would take me out of the story a bit.
The ending is surprising but I actually kind of liked it. I only wish it had been hashed more throughout the book because it feels like it comes out of nowhere. Though I felt like the very last chapter makes reading the book feel a little pointless.
If you're into gore and/or monstrous main characters this is a fast read that you'd probably enjoy.
October 14, 2021
Huh. So. This book happened. I'm pretty sure this was my first foray into splatterpunk, and while I'm glad a gave this subgenre a shot, I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon. This book was exactly what it promised: bloody, cruel, action-packed and extreme. I couldn't stop reading, hence three stars; I wanted to take a shower after, hence the end of my brief splatterpunk journey. If quick pacing, gore and extreme human cruelty are things you seek in horror, this book does them really well! If you prefer your horror a little less gruesome, perhaps this isn't the read for you, as it wasn't for me.
July 8, 2025
The story is not very original. A couple that decides to kill people? Does Mick & Mallory Knox ring a bell?
But the book is definitely a page-turner. Well written, and with credible characters.
The ending seem to me a little "Deus ex machina", but it was brutal, and a "happy ending" in a horrible sort of way. Well, not for all characters...
But the book is definitely a page-turner. Well written, and with credible characters.
The ending seem to me a little "Deus ex machina", but it was brutal, and a "happy ending" in a horrible sort of way. Well, not for all characters...
August 28, 2024
dnf:
terrible, horrible, no good.
the writing is lacking style, very clunky, and too plain. i'm willing to suspend belief when reading fiction, but the payoff has to be worth it. you can try to get past the horrible job at characterization and overuse of present day references that make the reader do the heavy lifting of world building, but even then this book isn't giving you anything for all your hard work.
the racism and homophobia thrown in is also just weird and poorly done. the main female character remarks that she "hates everyone equally" but this corny take serves no purpose in the plot as she is constantly berating the man of color that is their first victim by making racist remarks. i could rant on this longer, but i'll refrain because i'd probably be putting more thought and analysis into her character than the author did.
was hoping to enjoy some indie horror... but all i got was a white woman who gets off to fucking her husband's gay relative in secret while being homophobic? no thanks
honestly all the complaints i have go back to the grade school level writing of the book. clunky sentences casually rattling off bigotry and using sex and violence as attention grabbers are some terrible writing strategies in my opinion.
i didn't understand how i happened to purchase a signed copy at the price of $6.... but now i see even that was a rip off
terrible, horrible, no good.
the writing is lacking style, very clunky, and too plain. i'm willing to suspend belief when reading fiction, but the payoff has to be worth it. you can try to get past the horrible job at characterization and overuse of present day references that make the reader do the heavy lifting of world building, but even then this book isn't giving you anything for all your hard work.
the racism and homophobia thrown in is also just weird and poorly done. the main female character remarks that she "hates everyone equally" but this corny take serves no purpose in the plot as she is constantly berating the man of color that is their first victim by making racist remarks. i could rant on this longer, but i'll refrain because i'd probably be putting more thought and analysis into her character than the author did.
was hoping to enjoy some indie horror... but all i got was a white woman who gets off to fucking her husband's gay relative in secret while being homophobic? no thanks
honestly all the complaints i have go back to the grade school level writing of the book. clunky sentences casually rattling off bigotry and using sex and violence as attention grabbers are some terrible writing strategies in my opinion.
i didn't understand how i happened to purchase a signed copy at the price of $6.... but now i see even that was a rip off
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2019
Girl Power!
I love the pin-up murderers that Bryan Smith brings to life in his books. Sultry, sexy, and sadistic. And... Merciless.
I love the pin-up murderers that Bryan Smith brings to life in his books. Sultry, sexy, and sadistic. And... Merciless.
April 18, 2021
3.5 rounded up for GR
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