From the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of PRESSURE and AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, comes a new novel of unrelenting terror.
Corey is falling in love with his co-worker Quinn. This is a problem. Not only because Quinn is married, but because her husband is a serial killer known as the Toledo Trasher, who has been forcing her to participate in his savage crimes.
With nothing but Quinn’s best interests in mind, Corey shows up at their home with a gun in his pocket and a knife in his hand.
Unfortunately, there are some very dark forces at work, and Corey makes Quinn’s situation worse than he could have ever imagined. And now things are about to get really, really bloody...
With his trademark frenetic pacing and pitch-black humor, DEMONIC is Jeff Strand at his devilish best.
Bram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!
Equal parts stomach turning gore and stomach rolling hilarity, Demonic kept me swiping those kindle pages like a (pardon the pun) fiend. Each and every character is full of spunk and nonstop clever witticisms. Vic is to Demonic what Ivan the werewolf is to Wolf Hunt. Don't wanna gush, but I loved, loved, loved every nanosecond of this book. You rock, Jeff!
It is a story as old as time, so let’s do this review with a musical soundtrack.
This is Corey. Just a normal guy.
Cue: “Here’s a little song I wrote, You might wanna sing it note for note, Don’t worry, Be Happy.” DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY by Bobby McFerrin
He meets Quinn at work and falls in love.
Cue: “What started out as friendship has grown stronger, I only wish I had the strength to let it show.” CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING by REO Speedwagon
But she is in an abusive relationship.
Cue: “Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?” HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO by Bonnie Tyler
And, even worse, he’s a serial killer!
Cue: “I will drive past your house, And if the lights are all down, I’ll see who’s around.” ONE WAY OR ANOTHER by Blondie
But what can an average guy like Corey do?
Cue: “That’s the terror of knowing what this world is about.” UNDER PRESSURE by David Bowie and Queen
Well, there’s only one thing to do: Kill him!
Cue: “Because I’m hyped up, out of control, If it’s a fight, I’m ready to go, I wouldn’t put my money on the other guy, If you know what I know that I know.” YOU’RE GOING DOWN by Sick Puppies
But there’s only one problem…the husband doesn’t want to die!
Cue: “I get knocked down, but I get up again, You are never gonna keep me down.” TUBTHUMPING by Chumbawamba
And now it’s too late to turn back.
Cue: “Please forgive me, I know not what I do.” PLEASE FORGIVE ME by Brian Adams
And from there, I can’t say anything that won’t spoil it. Except, maybe:
Cue: “Getadelt wird wer Schmerzen kennt Vom Feuer das die Haut verbrennt Ich werf' ein Licht In mein Gesicht Mein heißer Schrei Feuer frei!” FEUER FREI by Rammstein.
***
I loved everything about this. Strand at his absolute best!
Best Quote: “I’d say that I picked up my pace, but I was already running at full speed, so I kept running ast the same speed but with more urgency.”
This was totally off the walls, batshit insane, over the top violent, with some cornball comedy sprinkled throughout. I’ll leave you with this section that, imo, perfectly encapsulates the vibe:
“We’ll do it. I’ll find a grapefruit spoon and scoop those eyeballs right out of your head.” “We don’t have a grapefruit spoon.” “Then I’ll carve a hole around them with a knife and scoop them out with a regular spoon,” I said. I wasn’t sure this torture idea was going to work. A newly blind man should not have the presence of mind to inform me that he didn’t own a grapefruit spoon.
Corey wants to do whatever he can to help out his co-worker, Quinn as he has feelings for her even though she is married. When Corey makes a decision to kill Quinn's husband Vic is when things go south quick as Vic is a serial killer but not just any serial killer - he is almost immortal and Corey along with Quinn find themselves in major heaps of trouble when all their plans start to unravel!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if that has piqued your interest then go check out this book!
Thoughts:
This book read fast and right away I got caught up in the story as the more things that happened the more I couldn't put it down! I found myself barreling along at a high rate of speed during the middle of the night a few nights as I kept wanting to see what would happen next! I had to suit up in my gore suit too as this book was loaded with blood and splatter!
The characters, Corey and Quinn go from one thing to another without much let up and there were a lot of breath hitching moments wrapped within this story as the action was so fierce and fast that my fingers almost became numb flipping through my kindle pages! 😆
There is lots of dark humor as well within this story and I was biting my lips and giggling at the same time! Another great book added to my "Strand Collection" and one I won't soon forget! Giving this book four "Dastardly Devilish" stars!
With his trademark frenetic pacing and pitch-black humor, DEMONIC is Jeff Strand at his devilish best.
I think that final line on his back cover copy says it best. Demonic is non-stop action, laugh-out-loud funny, blood-filled, gory AF, and fiendish! If it's fun and entertainment you're looking for, well, have I got a book for you!
All the stars!!!
Available NOW at Amazon in eBook and paperback formats!
This was not my favorite of his stories, but still plenty enjoyable.
The main character, Corey, seemed very familiar as he has similar qualities to other Strand male characters.
This was a fun, UNBELIEVABLE, and gory tale of a serial killer/demon lowlife and his posse and their incredulous relationship with two accountants. Although the main goal seems to be to entertain his readers, I did feel that there were moments in which the story degenerated into farce and some scenes were a bit tedious.
That being said, Jeff is really good at what he does, and I continuously race to pick up any new books that he writes.
Last two comments: 1. The conclusion of “Demonic” was terrific. Many writers screw up that part. Jeff did not. 2. Excellent cover by Lynne Hansen. Very eye -catching and matched the story/theme perfectly.
Quinn Fielding didn’t manipulate me into trying to kill her husband. I was sure of it.
Corey is a boring accountant by day, attracted to his fellow cubicle mate Quinn, who happens to be married to a serial killer and demonic cult member. When he tries to help her out of a bad situation, the poop hits the fan, as it often does. This time, however, all of the blood and guts and gore come with a heavy dose of humorous situations and dry, witty dialogue that keeps the whole affair - dare I say light-hearted?
An enjoyable, quick read, and recommended for those who like to laugh with the horror.
This book is about Corey who is starting to fall in love with his co worker Quinn but on his quest to win her heart he gets more than what he bargained for. Jeff Strand has this remarkable talent of mixing humor with horror, gore and downright graphic scenes. Anything he writes will be a good read. I had a good time reading this book.
This was a lot of fun! I was surprised by how funny it was. The humor reminded me a little bit of one of my favorite series, "John Dies at the End." The tone of the narration was similar. I would definitely recommend this book if you like your horror outlandish and off the walls. The action escalates to the point that it's almost cartoonish and you just have to go along for the ride. It's a good time. Silly, violent, and very bloody. I took off one star because the ending was alright but I didn't love it, and for a couple of nitpicky things that aren't even worth mentioning here because they're spoilers. I would definitely read more by Jeff Strand! Though he has about a MILLION other books, so I have no idea where I would start.
The more I read of Jeff Strand, the more I love his writing style. He has such an amazing way of bringing horror and comedy together, and this one was so much fun!
I love everything by Jeff and this was no different. Book had a great pace, and it kept you wanting more. I thought it kind of had a similar vibe to Benjamin’s parasite, just fast paced fun to read
Corey just wants Quinn to be able to live without continuing to be abused by her husband. So Corey secretly tries to get rid of him without her knowledge.
What ensues is a crazy story where a lot of fighting and bloodshed takes place. Because Vic (Quinn’s husband) isn’t exactly the easiest person to kill. He also has backup. Will Corey and Quinn survive the onslaught?
I enjoyed the whitty banter and dark comedy within this book. It kept me hooked from the get go. I liked that it stayed consistent as well so it wasn’t like one minute it was comedic and one minute it was super serious. Gore and dark comedy definitely compliment each other. I will be reading more of his work.
Classic Jeff Strand! Action at breakneck speed, blood and guts galore, and lots of dark humor. The main character had a fun and silly voice, and the way the two leads bounced off of each other was just fun. A super quick and easy read. I was worried as I got near the end that it would wrap up too quickly to make sense but I ended up finding the ending satisfying enough to not feel that way. If you’re looking for a fun and quick read, go for it!
Boy meets girl. Boy crushes on girl HARD. Boy finds out girl's husband abuses her. Boy wants to save girl. Girl's husband is also a serial killer. Boy decides to kill girl's husband.
And then a portal is opened and all hell breaks loose.
This is vigilante justice Jeff Strand style and it is so much fun!
Though not strong on character development, the storyline is pure entertainment and will illicit quite a few chuckles and perhaps a few guffaws, if you are one of those people, definitely some laugh snorts. What I really loved was the fact that the protagonists reacted and responded realistically. Accountants didn't magically turn into Army Ranger warriors is what I mean. They made dumb mistakes just like you or I would thrown into a sudden onslaught of men and women in demon masks set upon flaying you alive and drawing out the agonizing torture.
Great fun! You should definitely check it out. It will make you think twice about meting out your own brand of justice!
Wickedly entertaining!!! This was such a demented book! I loved it! With the twisted series of events that happen to these characters, Strand's sense of humor, the action, the gore, this title definitely needs to be made into a Netflix or big theater film at some point.
My two favorite creators of horror comedy are Bruce Campbell and Jeff Strand. They get the balance right, have a fantastic sense of humor and never disappoint with the story.
In Demonic, I kinda got both of them. Corey fighting demons is a lot like Ash from Evil Dead fighting deadites, in the signature style and humor of Jeff Strand, complete with limb removal and the appearance of a chainsaw.
It was gory, hilarious fun from beginning to end. If you are already a Strand fan, you wont be disappointed and if you havent, its a great place to start!
“Quinn started making choking sounds, and not the kind of choking sounds that indicated that everything was going according to plan.”
Overall this one was a decent read, although a little repetitive at times.
The beginning was stronger than the 2nd half of the book.
Corey and Quinn work together as accountants. Corey notices something off about Quinn and starts to think she’s being mistreated and abused by her husband.
Corey goes to confront Quinn’s husband Vic and gets way more than he bargained for. Vic is, well he’s sort of like a demon…oh and he’s also a serial killer but since he’s a demon he’s got extra special powers so he can be the best serial killer he can be. 😂😂
This one has fun dark humor and gore but isn’t really scary, it’s more gore-action with a smidge of romcom energy (but not an actual romcom).
Overall it was alright but his other book, 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 was legit the best horror novel I’ve ever read and that was my first by this author so he set the bar super high.
This story had me hooked from the very first line. Jeff Strand possesses a writing style that captivates the reader beginning to finish. This is only my second read by him and I consider myself a huge fan already. 🙌
Corey has a crush on his coworker, Quinn. Whenever he finds out that her husband Vic is beating her, he decides to confront him and take things into his own hands. After things escalate to Corey attempting to take Vic out for good he is completely thrown on guard and in a state of shock when he notices that Vic isn’t dying. He seems to be “unkillable.” From here on things never settle down and it’s one hell of a ride to the finish line.
This book is a blast! I couldn’t stop unless I had to. Work and whatnot. Very fun book worthy of a movie! Jeff Strand has never disappointed me, and this is one of my favorites now, and he’s got a lot of books!
Very fun book, had me chuckling a lot. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, check it out if you have that and are in the mood for a fast-paced page-turner.
This book is something incredible! It was so speedy reading. Through the end was quite predictable and the only one possible, the story is so crazy! And I love it, I got rest with this book. Well, there's a guy, an accountant who works with spreadsheets. And there's his co-worker lady, who has a serial killer hubby. So the guy decides to kill the hubby because there's no other option to get him in prison. In the process of killing it turns out the hubby is in a satanic cult and he can't be killed. Moreover, there's a lot of his friends in the cult you don't wanna mess around with. Soooo, evidently the hero and the lady don't have any chances to survive, they're in deep shit. Or maybe?... The story is so easy going, with a lot of blood, limbs and madness, it all reminds me of Evil Dead, but the book is better, my imagination drew the pictures brighter and more wild.
“We were good. We were fine. Everything was fine.”
Fast paced, action packed and bloody funny (emphasis on bloody) this book was a hell of a lot of fun. Definitely going to check out more of Strand’s work after this.
Safe to say Strand has written another hit! I’ve yet to read a book by him in which I didn’t laugh out loud multiple times mixed in with the horror and gore. Joe Hempel did an awesome job with the narration per usual as well. This one is meant to go in blind, as it’s one nonstop WTF moment after another. To me, this has an Ash VS Evil Dead vibe to it where there’s definitely horror throughout, yet the humor just meshes perfectly with it, even when it feels like a scene that you shouldn’t be laughing at. Highly recommended!