Incubi

by Edward Lee

WAS IT A SEX-KILLER? OR SOMETHING WORSE? RITUAL FOR LOVE

He promises them his love, then kills without mercy. Each seduction ends in death—each victim, murdered in bed. Detective Jack Cordesman has vowed to unravel the demented mystery, to enter the heart of a maniac's temptation...where desire demands the ultimate price.

PASSION FOR EVIL

The stranger beckons—the man of her dreams...or of her worst nightmares. Veronica Polk longs for love, but it isn't love that awaits in the strange, moonlit manse. Something evil broods, leading her blindly into a mire of erotic obsessions and savage desires. An unspeakable secret awaits—ancient, unholy—that thirsts for her spirit and hungers for her flesh...

INCUBI

They'll love you...to death.

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk, Fiction, Demons, Adult

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.

Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.

He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.

Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

time again for…

DЯUNK BOOKE REVEIW!

8:30 pm Ok I didn’t go out and get drunk with my co-workers because reasons, and yet now here I am at home brooding about work and wanting a drink. What to do, what to do? Need some distraction. How bout some graphic horror and my good buddy, Maker’s Mark? Let’s do this!

8:45 pm Ritualistic sex murders, ok! Demons? Maybe so. “Incubi” must be the plural for incubus, I guess. Didn’t know they did their business in groups. Now I’m thinking of packs of fratboys. Ugh, what a terrible image, packs of fratboys calling themselves incubi, roaming around. Oh wait, I was in a frat. Ok, not all fratboys want to roam around performing ritualistic sex murders. Or maybe I was just an exception to the rule?

9:05 pm Man that was a whole lot of semen. Feels like a reason for some more whiskey.

9:30 pm Ed Lee is a terrible writer when it comes to writing about women. It’s like he’s never met one. Realistic female characterization is just not his bag. It is kinda cute that he’s trying so hard to sound like he actually knows how a woman thinks. But these don’t sound like any women I’ve met. It is pretty cool that they all like sex so much though.

9:45 pm Wow, Ed Lee also doesn’t know how to write about fine dining. Hmm, some pate and a nice hard cheese sound really good with this whiskey, I think I have some in the fridge.

10:10 pm Oh shit, pubes that are nine inches long. Sorta hard for me to wrap my mind around. That’s some bush on these incubi.

10:20 pm I have no idea why Ed Lee would use the word “poignant” to describe a man “supervising” a woman masturbating. Huh. I guess poignancy is in the eye of the beholder.

10:40 pm Uh oh, Becky Black likes to fuck. Doesn’t bode well for her…

10:55 pm Wow, Amy is smoking some grade-A cocaine out of crack pipe. Never seen that before.

11:07 pm “Like sipping rainbows” … Becky Black, get outta there! That eurotrash dude is probably one of the incubi! No one human says those kinds of things!

11:30 pm The characters are much better when reading this drunk. Wonder if Ed Lee wrote this drunk.

11:47 9m Hey ur her supervisor!! You should not have sex with her! Bad judgment!!!

12:00 am Midnight hour Need more whiskey.

12:10 am Gross. But sorta interesting too. Is this from Ed Lee’s research or he just make this up? Baalzephon!

12:20 am Time for sexy lesbianism!

12:22 am Eh I’ve seen better

12:32 am “The fresh air did not enliven her. It made her, in fact, feel keenly sullen.” I don’t like that sentences

12:50 am Aww Stewie’s sweet and he means well. And he’s bi just like me! Us bi guys really are the best. Cheers to you, Stewie!

1:00 am Hey is Ed Lee’s writing better or am I just drunk and out of it

1:15 am Maybe just need to go to bed. I dub thee 3 STARS because I dunno. But doesn’t feel right But who cares. Ok just skip to the end and see

1:20 am OH NO STEWIE NO!! ! WHAT THE I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS HOW COME BI GUYS ALWAYS THE VILLAIN. 2 STARS, BOOK, 2 STARS!!

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid, though perhaps straight down the middle horror novel, with a lot of detective tropes as well. The writing is good (much better than expected from the man who also wrote The Bighead, haha) and I liked the detective main character, though he was very much a stereotype. Still, Lee was able to make him feel like a real person, and I really liked his bartender friend who dispensed all kinds of wisdom throughout the novel. Lee’s imagery during certain hellish visions in the book was stellar, and of course there was lots of sex and some gruesome deaths as well. The story is very straight forward though and there aren’t really any surprises throughout, which was a bit disappointing. I’ll still look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee's Incubi is not his best work, but still it packs a punch. The two main protagonists are Jack Cordesman and Victoria Polk. Jack is a cop in the city (D.C. or Baltimore I would guess) and Victoria is an up and coming artist. Jack and Victoria were a 'thing' for several months when suddenly Victoria dumps him and also tells him she is going to an artist's retreat for 'new experiences'. The book alternates chapters between Jack and Victoria, creating an easy to follow novel, albeit one full of nasty sex and gore.

Jack is a classic burned out cop (stereotypes anyone?) who, after nailing a rich pedophile has been on something of a bender. Still, he is the 'go to' investigator who gets the worst, and soon after Victoria left him, the worst comes in in the form of a horribly mutilated woman; turns out, this is the first of several. Jack is stumped, but we gradually learn that the killing has something to do with devil worshipers...

Meanwhile, Victoria and a few other female artists (a writer and a film maker) are encouraged to create by the mysterious Khoronos, the owner of the outlandish mansion out in the sticks at the so called retreat. There is a fair amount of strange and graphic sex (this is Ed Lee after all) going on at the retreat, and gradually things turn sinister...

Lee is usually full of surprises, but this is very straight forward-- you know what is going to happen very early on in the text, and the story gradually unfolds, filling in the missing pieces. In a way, this was similar to Lee's Succubi, but with male sex demons (Incubi) instead of female ones. The only real shocking part concerns the demon sex. 3.5 stars rounding up because I have an autographed copy!

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars, but this was exactly the type of trashy early 90’s horror I needed. Right time, right place, silly book. Despite Lee’s reputation for extreme horror, this was relatively tame. Some murder and gore, quite a bit of sex (every woman in this book is irrepressibly horny at all times), but very little actual “horror” besides a few fun snippets where we take a birds eye view through hell and see all manner of nightmares. Those sequences felt much more inspired than the rote detective story that drives the plot, and I wish they were expanded upon. I’m curious if Lee’s later Infernal City books go further in this direction…

As a novel, Incubi is far from perfect. Characterization ranges from nonexistent to offensive—the main character is an alcoholic, which substitutes for a personality. The women in particular are written terribly, just vapid shells reduced to little more than their libidinal urges. And of course the one LGBTQ character turns out to be the worst type of stereotype, but I don’t spoil it here. The plot teeters between boring and painfully straightforward, but the interjection of the hell sequences and lengthy research excerpts into ritual sacrifice across the ages goes a long way to salvage the book. While normal novelistic pursuits are not Lee’s strong suit, when he lets loose, his imagination can pull you along in spite of your better instincts.

What can I say? Good dumb fun, and for once, just what I needed.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“All of life is experience. Isn’t that what gives artists—writers, painters, or whatever—their desire to create? It doesn’t matter if the experience is good or bad, wise or stupid—that’s irrelevant. Without experience, and the curiosity behind it, we’d have nothing to give our art meaning.”

On the night Veronica is newly separated from her boyfriend, Detective Jack Cordesman, she is offered $25,000 for one of her paintings by the rich and alluring Khoronos at her art show. Unable to resist his invitations, Veronica agrees to meet him at his estate, together with two other women artists for a “retreat” where they will spend time creating new works. Meanwhile, Veronica’s ex, Jack, is investigating a series of occult-inspired serial murders which are, unbeknownst to him, connected to the woman he still loves.

Heavy on the police procedural, the reader is keen to the killer’s identity long before our main characters. In fact, I figured out the killer after the first slaying; but, this did not discourage me from finishing the story. Lee is excellent at creating tension and messy relationships that drive the plot forward at a steady and increasing pace.

While the main characters are severely flawed, especially Jack, there is no denying that the reader will be his advocate due to Lee’s ability to write him with karisma and strong will. His character growth throughout the story is exceptional even if it does take nearly the entire book for him to realize his faults. It is his love for Veronica that is the catalyst for change and growth.

My only real qualm with Incubi was its repetitiveness in the last one-quarter of the book. Some of the scenes felt regurgitated in new locations. While they didn’t necessarily feel like “filler pages”, they felt overdone.

Lee never leaves the sex and gore to the imagination–always adding it in at appropriate places and describing it with evocative and strikingly vivid phrasing. (As a side note, I am happy to report there were no scenes of sex between teen girls and adult men in this one. A plus, for sure.)

Incubi just solidifies Lee’s ability to write a compelling narrative with strong dialogue and an appealing plot.

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no disguising it. I am a fan of Lee and to be honest, I am currently looking for other titles of his to read. Yes, he writes some of the sickest, most visceral stories that I've ever read, but after you become numb to gore and chills, you can see the morality tales at the core of his work. With "Incubi" the nut at the center of the dark fruit, is a tale of redemption. Jack Cordesmen is a washed up cop with a serious love of alcohol and a career that is taking a nose dive on a jet pack. When we meet him, he has just broken up with his girlfriend and has been given one dozy of a case to work. You see someone is killing creative women...artists. Crimes of passion, art and horror.

The depth of the tale probes the motivations and definitions superbly in the back drop of gumshoe detective yarn. Even while going through the mystery of the serial killing, the supernatural elements (and there are a shitload) are simply icing on the deeper story beneath. You may find yourself asking the same questions that I asked in that, is it better to be content and work with what you have or to seek perfection when it seems selfish to do so.

I never recommend Lee for anyone skittish or quick to judgement and I certainly never recommend him to prudes, but if you're looking for a page turner with a visceral kick and a moral at the end, just try him out!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Love action is coming to town!'

Incubi is a really good mainstream horror story that involves demons and the dark arts which runs in parallel with the fortunes of a drunken police detective whose ex-girlfriend lives in a world or Artistic creativity.

A grippingly, strong storyline which contains some great descriptive detail that builds up and eventually culminates in the bloody body-giving of the chosen few. A bit of a safe, dated 1990's writing style vibe to the whole adventure but one which was a much welcomed change from my usual excursions into the world of modern-day, blood-soaked, no-holds-barred, alternative sickly, grotesque, extreme horror - but believe me, it does still have its moments!

Enjoyed it thoroughly, and will most definitely be following it up with reading Mr Lee's twin story - 'Succubi' sometime very, very, very soon...perhaps when the moon at midnight shines brightest next.

Rating: 4.3 foul dark stars of pure Aoristism - 'Rejoice brethren, to the Dark Lord himself!'

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty raunchy novel, reads like Mr. Lee was contributing to Penthouse letters and mixing it with a police procedure and horror tale. I mean seriously the women in this story were pathetic, and the cop was annoying as hell. I didnt care really for any of the characters except maybe Veronica. And ofcourse the women make stupid decisions involving sex. All spreading their legs for strangers and this was in 1990???? Hello AIDS! Not one mention of any character thinking of safe sex at all, its all condom free. Not to mention the use of so many complicated and strange words used to describe the occult and autopsy procedures. Ughhh, it was so annoying. I felt like I had to take a college course to understand what he was describing.

[DJMikeG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best novel I have read thus far by extreme horror master Edward Lee. This novel is incredibly dark and disturbing, full of the most grotesque things imaginable, and if you're familiar with Lee, some of it reaches heights of nastiness that are actually unimaginable, because nobody but Lee could imagine stuff like this. Where the book really triumphs, however, beyond the great concept and accomplished execution, is the strength of the characters and the very wise and intelligent commentaries on love, relationships, art and creation that are perfectly sprinkled throughout. The human side of the book is what makes it greater than the average horror novel and lifts it up above Lee's other, more schlocky novels. He had some serious things to say with this novel, and he says them without hitting you over the head with them. This book works on many levels, and it delivers on all fronts quite well. The ending leaves the opportunity for a sequel open, so I would love to see that happen some day. A truly great horror novel that rises above the more lowbrow aspects of the genre with its razor sharp intelligence and surprisingly effective human side. Highly recommended.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

The two female MCs are men hungry bimbo morons from hell that got on my nerves from page one. They are drooling and competing over a total stranger who has invited them to a creative retreat in the middle of nowhere. The main MC Veronica is pouting at the fact that she wasn't the only one invited to spend time with this guy and doesn't want to share his attention with her friend or anyone else. She is seriously whiny and needs a good slap. It seems to be more about her feelings and her failed relationship with a homocide cop investigating a series of brutal murders. The murders take a back seat in the part of the book I read and I found it pretty dull.

Thankfully I only have a few more of this job lot of Edward Lee books to get through as I've only found a few so far that had a decent story.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am continuing to reread Edward Lee, and next up is Incubi. Of note to fans here is the brief appearance of Lee's version of Hell (as made famous in his Infernal series) in a few brief vision/dream sequences. As for the main plot, this is a police procedural about ritual sex murders with a supernatural twist. Recurring Edward Lee character Jack Cordesman debuts here, and we get a few appearances from the ever delightful Jan Beck.

I am such a fan of Mr. Lee's writing style that I enjoy everything he writes. That said, this is not one of my favorites. The plot is slow, and the number of "artistic theory" discussions get tiresome after a while. After the completely bonkers nature of Coven, Incubi felt like a step back in to safer territory. Incubi is not a bad book at all, just not one that I revere. 4 stars, recommended for existing Edward Lee fans who haven't read it yet.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klappentext:

Er verspricht Liebe, doch er bringt den Tod.

Veronica Polk sehnt sich nach Liebe und der Fremde scheint der Mann zu sein, der ihre Träume erfüllen kann ...


Als Incubus (von lateinisch: incubare für »oben liegen, ausbrüten«) wird in der Mythologie ein männlicher Alb bezeichnet, ein Albträume verursachender nachtaktiver Dämon, ein Waldgeist, der sich nachts mit einer schlafenden Frau paart, ohne dass diese etwas davon bemerkt.


Meine Meinung:

Ich hatte da irgendwie mehr Horror und Ekel versprochen. Ist eher ein seichter Thriller...
Ich hab echt die Extremität und die Brutalität vermisst.
Dennoch war die Geschichte ganz gut geschrieben und solide geschrieben.
Aber nichts was mich umhauen würde.

[Steven jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl dumps guy, girl gets in trouble--it's an old theme but with an Edward Lee twist. The theme reminds me of the previous book by Ed Lee that I read, "Shifters," as well as elements in his hell series. The last half was very good, but again, as in "Shifters," it starts out a bit slow.

[Nate Dawg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Edward Lee and he is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy Incubi but it isn’t my favorite. It has all the blood and sex you expect from an Ed Lee novel and I liked the ending. Lovecraft’s influence can be felt throughout the book. 3.5 stars.

[Book Dragon]

Very nice. Definitely enjoyed it

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly different for an Edward Lee, not a Redneck in sight, which makes a change. I did enjoy the book, the plot was interesting but a little slow paced for me.

[Elektrohase · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh gott, wie schlecht!

[Annette Vecellio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh....

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Lee is an author I'm slowly growing to admire, his work won't be for everyone because even though he is a part of the splatterpunk genre, he is arguably the most gruesome and vile in the subgenre more so than anyone else, but despite all that he still has a fantastic grasp on telling a story with intelligent prose and a fine hand when it comes to atmosphere.

Jack's relationship has crumbled to pieces. Veronica has broken up with him and intends to go on an artist's retreat to see a mysterious man by the name of Khoronos with a fellow friend of hers who's a successful author. His alcoholism is slowly tearing him to pieces, the case from the previous year about a pedo ring almost destroyed him for good. Now he has another very difficult and very frightening case to work on, for a mysterious assailant with satanic beliefs is brutally killing and having sex with a series of artists across the city. Somehow it seems to all connect to Veronica but will he find this out, before it's too late?

Incubi is one of Edward Lee's earlier novels in his career and I'll have to admit, it's great. A very grim and atmospheric novel on sex, the occult, the creative imagination, and a very complex and dramatically tense procedural drama. The characterization here is fantastic, the imagery presented in this novel is fantastic and that ending... oh god that ending had my jaw drop!

Overall: I feel Incubi gets somewhat overlooked by his later novels, but I'd highly recommend you give it a go if you can handle the very brutal and violent material within. A truly brilliant but disturbing horror story. 9/10

[Sharon Leung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

This was a fascinating read, full of insight and intrigue. There are many great characters that it's hard to pick a favourite. The storyline is great and you gripped to each page. It was a little hard to read in parts, mainly due to the vast knowledgebase this author has, and his incredible vocabulary. I had to keep checkin what some of the words meant. But it does also give you a rush at learning new wording. But even with the checking of wording the read has you glued. The persistence of love and wanting to do the right thing no matter what it costs, but of also letting go when you know it's time. There are so many insights to this read, the good always winning over evil is you persist and believe. All in all, great storyline and characters, with lots of intrigue, captivating you with great writing. Recommend.

[Pisces51 · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCUBI [1991] By Edward Lee
My Review 5.0 Stars

“Good and evil weren’t opposites—they were the same, they were twins. Horror was as much a monarch as God.”

I started this novel on Christmas Day and finished it after the New Year rolled in. It was an outstanding read from some say the “Master of Horror”. It could be said that I can remember reading mythology when I was in grade school. I believe it was a subliminal prompt while I was thinking about which Edward Lee books I wanted to read in the near future. This novel was penned in 1991, a year prior to SUCCUBI (1992). I bought the edition published by Crossroad Press October 23, 2022.

The reviews were good based upon Amazon’s small sample size of only 40 ratings. Three-fourths of these readers rated the book 4 or 5 Stars. Obviously, these book readers knew whose work they were buying. Conversely, Goodreads provided nearly 300 ratings, and the novel averaged 3.6 Stars. I would love to see a renaissance at Goodreads that would encourage the current generation to read his works for they are memorable and/or outstanding in many instances.

TRIGGER WARNING: “Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.”

Many if not most readers know that this is an old book. A censored version of the novel was originally published by Berkley/Diamond in 1991. However, Necro Publications stepped up to the plate and published Ed Lee’s original story for the first time. The uncut edition printed by Necro was not altruistic from the way I read it. Necro saw at the time that there had been a virtual explosion of explicit gore, sex, and violence in the splatterpunk explosion that was all the rage at that time. It struck me as both fortuitous that Ed Lee was going to be able to surf that wave, but it was also a disappointing affair in my opinion. Why? Because one review I read stated that it was impossible to pick a horror novel that did not contain “30% gratuitous crap”.

This was my fourth Ed Lee novel, and I have not read any “gratuitous crap” tossed in for a quick thrill. The reason is because Edward Lee is more than a competent, intelligent, and imaginative author who can write beautiful prose as well as he can pen the most visceral and penetrative horrors inflicted on the human body I have ever read. His vivid imaginary in this particular novel is unrivaled in my experience. It is so vivid and visceral that the reader can almost feel the horror as well as see the imagery in three dimensions.

The prose in this one is tight, dialogue is realistic and interesting, and at times I simply could not put the book down. The pace was alive with electricity, and it was perfectly paced so that you moved along from one interesting development to another. I will be honest and state for the record that before I read “Portrait of a Psychopath as a Young Woman” I was unaware of just how talented an author Edward Lee happened to be. This was reaffirmed with this novel and “Succubi” which I read prior to this second novel which also explores mythology.

I believe that the genre designation for this book is Occult Horror, but it impressed me as more of a police procedural, albeit quite an unorthodox case. I might add that I read the unabridged novel, which was published by Crossroad Press in the Fall of 2022. I love a really good police procedural, and this novel met that niche in spades but with a great deal more to offer with the occult nexus and the ritualistic horror of the cases.

Police Captain Jack Cordesman is a sincere, honest guy, but at least initially more pitiable than likeable. There was a long period of time whereby the “good guys” (usually cops) were alcoholics, drug addicts, pill poppers, and were carrying around guilt from past professional mistakes, still mourning dead lovers, wives, or husbands ad infinitum. It is difficult to like a main protagonist who is carrying more than his own body weight in emotional baggage. But oddly, Jack got to me and I started to like his bad jokes and black humor.

Jack is a very savvy detective when he isn’t emotionally debilitated, and he is ready to propose to his girlfriend. That is sweet, but she is ready to dump him. Veronia is an artist, and she is breaking into the big time with no time for the likes of mopey Jack. She needs “experience”. Lucky Veronica meets an enthralling European named Khoronos at her art opening. He is simply magnificent to see, hear, or touch, and exudes charisma like a fine sensual and seductive cologne. She experiences a “meltdown” the first time she encounters him. He invites her to a private retreat which he hosts every year with a few promising artists. She and her best friend are truly sexcited and salivating to go.

There is a ritualistic murder right out of the gate. It was superbly done, and the trained investigative team of specialists are so professional and true to what they do that it is like being right there with them at the scene.

Enough about the plot, I think. Simply stated, this Ed Lee occult horror thriller was steeped in the occult in general but the male succubus of mythology in particular. There was a wealth of research information about an obscure cult which involved the male succubus and the worship of the lesser god Baalzephon. Khoronos and his two minions were making sacrifices to their god which entailed ritual sacrifices of beautiful women who were artistically inclined. The details of the police investigations into these ritualistic killings were fascinating, realistic for the times, and I loved all of the psychology, forensics, lab, DNA and research that Ed Lee included.

It was a pretty straight forward investigation into the murders and tracking down the man responsible for the heinous mutilations. There were clever plot twists as the investigation deepened, in addition to interesting surprise developments.

The ending and the Epilogue provided an intriguing climax to the case, and emotionally a good finale for the two main protagonists in the novel. Ed Lee, simply put, is an outstanding writer. I was initially planning a rating of 4.25 but the ending was especially memorable, and I realized that this book for me was a tedious yet fascinating read because of the author's schooling on the occult. The heavy detail was necessary to the exquisite plot twists and the cunning surprise ending. Rating 5.0 Stars.

ENTERTAINING OCCULT HORROR THRILLER FROM THE LEGENDARY EDWARD LEE

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Edward Lee's earlier efforts and because of that I give it points. Its not quite as delving into the macabre, But its very easy to pick up starting point and idea here for later books.
Over all its not bad it almost read as two separate stories in a way, as every other chapter follows a woman and a man as the entire story unrolls out.
I could see Lee coming back to visit this story and take it a lot further.
Another early effort is The Chosen from around the same time period. If you have the chance its a much better book, But once again this book realizes ideas that Lee takes a lot further in other books. Still if your a Lee fan as I am, its worth reading.

[Ti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hatte mir mehr etwas erwartet. Die relative Länge weiß ich zu schätzen. Das Buch ist für mich dann am unterhaltsamsten gewesen, wenn es um die Auflösung der ganzen Sache ging. Die eigentliche Story, wenn man so will. Sex und Gewalt sind natürlich allgegenwärtig, sonst wär's kein Edward Lee, aber nicht auf dem gewohnten Niveau. Dabei ist die Vermischung von Sex und Okkultem genau sein Ding, deswegen hätte ich mir mehr erwartet. Das war wahrscheinlich mein Fehler. Edward Lee ist einfach kein sonderlich guter Schriftsteller. Am meisten Spaß hat man, wenn man ihn nicht ernst nimmt. Lee schreibt Bücher, zu denen man am besten ein Secherpack Bier genießt.

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Removing organs with a black blade, the man kissed each, a blood stained hand on her breast and words written on the wall in her blood. The killer had a massive long dick and an exorbitant amount of sperm. The awesome UK band New Order tunes pumping out of the nightclub. Another victim, stomach gutted, organs arranged on the bed. The body had blood stained kisses all over it. Big yellow eyes, horns in the head, teeth like cracked glass, black forked tongue, eats a ladies face of the skull like icing off a cupcake.

[Brainycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

FWIW, this storyline is not related to Succubi.

Both of the books are fantastic and stand on their own.

[Matt Neputin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I simply couldn't finish. I do not know why but the whole thing just seemed extremely boring to me.
Maybe because I read so many of Lee's other books and a lot of tropes (Serial killers and a lot of characters) simply repeated, so it was kind off like reading the same book over again.

[Gavin Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best horror books I have ever read. The narrative engaged me, the graphic scenes sickened me,the characters were vivid, and Lee's Hellish mythology was brilliant. Highly recommended.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book.
I thought this is going to be a typical horror story.
But the author manages to spin a great read combining both crime and horror.

[Richard Longmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Lee - the godfather of extreme horror writing a novel about an incubus? Technically more than one, since it's the plural "Incubi". This has got to be crazy, right?

Well, sorta. Don't get me wrong, this is a horror novel about demonic forces and whatnot, but this is an earlier book of his and is a little more reserved than one may expect. We meet Jack, our protagonist, a police captain who spent his professional life working to solve the most gruesome homicide cases in the county. As such, he's got some demons of his own. No one stares at the void without it staring back.

His girlfriend is leaving him right from the start of the book. He loves her and she basically loves him still. But she's looking for more. Not content with being content. She's an artist and her paintings are moving up in the fine art market. She's on the way up and Jack's...well if he's not on the way down, he's certainly not on the way up either.

Plus she met a handsome, wealthy man who paid way over the expected price for a piece of hers. She can't stop thinking about him. And he asked her to come over, along with a few other women, all creative types (fiction writer, film director) for a "artistic retreat". Well, they're broken up, so why not. She goes there and Jack pours himself into his work, which is easy because there is a new serial killer who appears to be murdering promiscuous women in ritual sacrifices.

If you're thinking, based on Lee's writing to date, that this is going to be a monster story where these sacrifices are explicitly described without hesitation, you will be surprised. It moves more like a police procedural. Sure, there are some gross moments, but it's all after-the-fact, the police describing the aftermath, not the event itself. This could be a positive, depending on the reader.

Without the bat-shit madness that carries some of Lee's other work, however, some of his flaws become more apparent. Let's be honest - most of his novels would fit neatly in "Men Writing Women" hilarity. Every woman in this book is basically incapable of not wanting sex at any time. Is he pining for another woman? Drunk all the time? Decades older? Hasn't showered in days? "Stop, I can only get so aroused", she breathlessly cried out - clutching her ample bosom.

Well, I guess we don't necessarily expect deep characters in a pulp horror novel, so don't get too upset, but it does stick out within the confines of what feels more like a police procedural than a bizarro monster mash.

Overall, it's not one of his best. The story is still pretty good, it moves at a good pace and I enjoyed the occult details that forced the officer and those working with the department to tie together details - hopefully soon enough to stop what appeared to be in motion. I can recommend it to those who have read a few of Lee's books and enjoy his work. I can't really recommend it to those looking for an entry point to his many novels. There are a lot better out there, but frankly, most authors would kill to have something like this a "lesser work".

[Johann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack is a seasoned homicide detective who's seen a lot of bizarre things in his career. But nothing compares to the scene of a crime that he gets called to. The victim seems beyond mutilated and what looks to be a ritual type of murder.
With Jack being more at a bar than his office, this case might just push him over the edge that he's been dancing around for a while.
Will Jack be able to stop a murderer who actually may not even be human?

Enjoyed this a lot. This is actually tame in comparison to other Lee stories, but the story itself is really good.
Lee is known for going beyond violence, gore, sex and such, but regardless, it all seems to fit the story he's telling.
Recommended for people who are not shy around blood and gore and such.