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The Black Train
A Civil War–era bed & breakfast harbors deadly secrets for Justin Collier, who expects his trip to Gast, Tennessee, to prove relaxing. Little does he know, the mansion and the railroad behind it aren't haunted by ghosts but an unspeakable carnality and horror.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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1212 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
267 books1,450 followersLibrarian 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 5, 2013
man goes to haunted house. man experiences weird sexual scenarios and troubling dreams relating to the house's horrific civil war-era past. man enjoys company of lovely lady bar-owner while dealing with two other frisky ladies - one bizarrely earthy, the other unpleasantly unearthly. man thinks only with his dick.
narrative: very little. mainly the reader is thrust into a series of lurid, atrocity-ridden historical dreams from a range of perspectives. in the modern world, various perverse scenes are voyeuristically viewed by the narrator as he drinks beer, falls in love, drinks more beer, and gets weirded out by the haunted hotel. no sense of danger whatsoever and barely any suspense.
positives: the dreams are certainly vividly recounted and at times rather well-written. the idea of history-as-horror is there in spades, reminding me in a way of lovecraft. and the depiction of the bizarro family who run the haunted house was by turns disturbing, disgusting, and strangely endearing.
negatives: extremely awkward, juvenile writing overshadows the well-written parts by an almost 3 to 1 margin; the doltish opening page is a symptom of this problem. the narrator, although amusing, is about as realistic and three-dimensional as a character from a richard laymon novel.
neither positive nor - i suppose - negative: hauntings are accompanied by the overwhelming odor of old urine. gak! now that is nauseating, really nauseating. normally i favor Lady of the Manor-type spirits who have some elegance, some melancholy, some scary demonic sex-power...but definitely not smelling like the alley next to a bar. please no more piss-based ghost stories - don't start a trend, ed lee!
narrative: very little. mainly the reader is thrust into a series of lurid, atrocity-ridden historical dreams from a range of perspectives. in the modern world, various perverse scenes are voyeuristically viewed by the narrator as he drinks beer, falls in love, drinks more beer, and gets weirded out by the haunted hotel. no sense of danger whatsoever and barely any suspense.
positives: the dreams are certainly vividly recounted and at times rather well-written. the idea of history-as-horror is there in spades, reminding me in a way of lovecraft. and the depiction of the bizarro family who run the haunted house was by turns disturbing, disgusting, and strangely endearing.
negatives: extremely awkward, juvenile writing overshadows the well-written parts by an almost 3 to 1 margin; the doltish opening page is a symptom of this problem. the narrator, although amusing, is about as realistic and three-dimensional as a character from a richard laymon novel.
neither positive nor - i suppose - negative: hauntings are accompanied by the overwhelming odor of old urine. gak! now that is nauseating, really nauseating. normally i favor Lady of the Manor-type spirits who have some elegance, some melancholy, some scary demonic sex-power...but definitely not smelling like the alley next to a bar. please no more piss-based ghost stories - don't start a trend, ed lee!
December 14, 2009
I've heard it said that Edward Lee writes for several different types of readers; I've come to believe that. I am not a fan of his books like The Bighead and I would never, ever watch The Header, but I have enjoyed his more subtle horror approaches--subtle for Lee, that is--in The Golem and now The Black Train.
Justin Collier is a Food TV star who has a show about beer. His ratings fell and his contract wasn't renewed. In essence he lost his show to a phony southern BBQ-er from New Jersey.
Justin is working on a book about the best beers in America, and he heard that a bar in Gast, Tennessee, brews one of the best. He stays at an inn that used to belong to the man the town is named after--a slave-driving taskmaster who was gone from home for months at a time working his slaves and paid men hard to finish laying track before the Civil War started. He wasn't anxious to finish the tracks so he could transport Confederate soldiers and ammunition, but to bring back Union captives in the form of men, women, and children to be exterminated in his own private concentration camp.
While the cat was away, the mice did play, the mice being Gast's promiscuous wife and two daughters. Men who found their way to his wife's bed sometimes found themselves decapitated and their heads placed on spikes in the field as a deterrent.
Collier begins hearing and seeing things immediately upon arriving at the inn, and there is a sexual electricity in the air that makes him horny for every female he sees. This makes it hard when he falls hard for a sexy, Christian woman who won't give it up until marriage. Collier starts to dig up the infamous history of the town little by little,until he starts to wonder if he'll even make it out alive.
Leave it to Lee to appear to end the book on a happy little note, and then have a character do something to put the town in jeopardy all over again. I loved this part! As much as I enjoy imagining happy endings for my favorite characters, it's more fun to imagine what nasty things are in store for them now that another Faust has sold his soul to a gold-nosed devil.
The characters in The Black Train are well-developed and likable with a sense of humor who seem like living, breathing people. The book is gory, no doubt, but there is quite a bit of humor to dilute some of the nauseating parts.
Justin Collier is a Food TV star who has a show about beer. His ratings fell and his contract wasn't renewed. In essence he lost his show to a phony southern BBQ-er from New Jersey.
Justin is working on a book about the best beers in America, and he heard that a bar in Gast, Tennessee, brews one of the best. He stays at an inn that used to belong to the man the town is named after--a slave-driving taskmaster who was gone from home for months at a time working his slaves and paid men hard to finish laying track before the Civil War started. He wasn't anxious to finish the tracks so he could transport Confederate soldiers and ammunition, but to bring back Union captives in the form of men, women, and children to be exterminated in his own private concentration camp.
While the cat was away, the mice did play, the mice being Gast's promiscuous wife and two daughters. Men who found their way to his wife's bed sometimes found themselves decapitated and their heads placed on spikes in the field as a deterrent.
Collier begins hearing and seeing things immediately upon arriving at the inn, and there is a sexual electricity in the air that makes him horny for every female he sees. This makes it hard when he falls hard for a sexy, Christian woman who won't give it up until marriage. Collier starts to dig up the infamous history of the town little by little,until he starts to wonder if he'll even make it out alive.
Leave it to Lee to appear to end the book on a happy little note, and then have a character do something to put the town in jeopardy all over again. I loved this part! As much as I enjoy imagining happy endings for my favorite characters, it's more fun to imagine what nasty things are in store for them now that another Faust has sold his soul to a gold-nosed devil.
The characters in The Black Train are well-developed and likable with a sense of humor who seem like living, breathing people. The book is gory, no doubt, but there is quite a bit of humor to dilute some of the nauseating parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2013
This was such a fun read, one of the best Lee's books I've read so far. It's got his unique blend of over the top sex, gore and perversion and, what's the polite way of saying this, intellectually and developmentally challenged southerners, but this book also has enough plot and substance to back the story up. Even a surprisng amount of interesting civil war era trivia. Not for the delicate sensibilities, but for the rest...quick entertaining read. Recommended.
August 11, 2020
Sometimes you have to say "WTF did I just read?" On the back of this one is Fangoria's blurb "Lee is the one who crosses the line" I definitely agree! The Black Train is something of a haunted house story, but that is way to simple of a way to characterize this. Our lead, Justin Collier, writes books about craft beers and breweries and also hosts a show ('The Prince of Beer') on the Food Channel. He hears about a craft brewery in nowhere land Tennessee (in the town of Gast) and travels there to scope it out, hoping to use it to complete his latest book, _Great American Lagers_. Justin lives in L.A. and his marriage is failing (divorce papers on the way) and is hoping for a relaxing space to complete his book, a final draft of which is due in a week. What he finds, however, is definitely not what he expected.
Upon finally arriving in Gast, Justin finds a B&B-- the Gast House (now renamed The Branch Landing Inn)-- and gets a room. Right off the bat things start to go a little crazy. First, Justin finds himself lusting after the elderly proprietor (who still has a hot body) and also her daughter, who is mute. The strong lust comes as a surprise to Justin, whose libido had been at a rather low ebb due to pressures of work and his soon to be ex-wife. Justin acknowledges his lust seems rather unusual, telling himself he is not 17 anymore (something like 42 actually), but tries hard to ignore it. He eventually finds his way to the brewpub and is pleasantly surprised by the quality of the lager, and the place itself. It seems they serve Southern Food from about the time of the civil war (the 'war of northern aggression' down here) and the beer also is made from recipes dating from the same era. He meets the owner, a lovely woman named Dominique, and is both charmed and filled with lust.
An important side character is Jiff, a male prostitute and also the son of the proprietor of the inn. He is first introduced in the middle of a degrading sex act with one of his clients, and I should say, the first of many. Lee is well known for writing explicit, and often violent, sex scenes and The Black Train has many to be sure. When Justin returns from the pub for the night, he finds a peep hole to the bathroom next to his room and masturbates to the proprietor taking a bath and masturbating herself (just one example).
Justin also starts having strange dreams, where he assumes the body of various people from around the civil war who are associated with Mr. Gast. Gast was something of a mogul and large slave plantation owner. In 1857, Gast decides to build a railway to Maxon, Georgia, a distance of around 500 miles, using slave labor. Gast and his hired supervisors treat the slaves horribly, killing them for just about any slight, then mutilate their bodies and use the remains to 'fertilize' the land around the tracks (all except the heads, which are placed on spikes as reminders). Justin seeks out a local historian (also won of Jiff's clients BTW) to find out about the history of the railway and the town of Gast...
The Black Train is full of violent, nasty scenes, many sexual in nature, and really dark stories about Gast and his practices. Another blurb on the cover states it has "some of the most disturbing scenes I've ever read" and again, I have to agree. While this book is definitely not for everyone, it is a solid addition to the horror genre and a good, solid twist to the haunted house motif. Lee writes well, and the story develops at a rapid pace, but I feel like I need a shower. 3.5 stars.
Upon finally arriving in Gast, Justin finds a B&B-- the Gast House (now renamed The Branch Landing Inn)-- and gets a room. Right off the bat things start to go a little crazy. First, Justin finds himself lusting after the elderly proprietor (who still has a hot body) and also her daughter, who is mute. The strong lust comes as a surprise to Justin, whose libido had been at a rather low ebb due to pressures of work and his soon to be ex-wife. Justin acknowledges his lust seems rather unusual, telling himself he is not 17 anymore (something like 42 actually), but tries hard to ignore it. He eventually finds his way to the brewpub and is pleasantly surprised by the quality of the lager, and the place itself. It seems they serve Southern Food from about the time of the civil war (the 'war of northern aggression' down here) and the beer also is made from recipes dating from the same era. He meets the owner, a lovely woman named Dominique, and is both charmed and filled with lust.
An important side character is Jiff, a male prostitute and also the son of the proprietor of the inn. He is first introduced in the middle of a degrading sex act with one of his clients, and I should say, the first of many. Lee is well known for writing explicit, and often violent, sex scenes and The Black Train has many to be sure. When Justin returns from the pub for the night, he finds a peep hole to the bathroom next to his room and masturbates to the proprietor taking a bath and masturbating herself (just one example).
Justin also starts having strange dreams, where he assumes the body of various people from around the civil war who are associated with Mr. Gast. Gast was something of a mogul and large slave plantation owner. In 1857, Gast decides to build a railway to Maxon, Georgia, a distance of around 500 miles, using slave labor. Gast and his hired supervisors treat the slaves horribly, killing them for just about any slight, then mutilate their bodies and use the remains to 'fertilize' the land around the tracks (all except the heads, which are placed on spikes as reminders). Justin seeks out a local historian (also won of Jiff's clients BTW) to find out about the history of the railway and the town of Gast...
The Black Train is full of violent, nasty scenes, many sexual in nature, and really dark stories about Gast and his practices. Another blurb on the cover states it has "some of the most disturbing scenes I've ever read" and again, I have to agree. While this book is definitely not for everyone, it is a solid addition to the horror genre and a good, solid twist to the haunted house motif. Lee writes well, and the story develops at a rapid pace, but I feel like I need a shower. 3.5 stars.
February 15, 2017
This was awesome. Before reading it, I saw in other reviews that it is not so extreme as two other Edward Lee's books I've read (The Bighead and The Pig/The House). So I wondered if I'd like it as much. Oh yes, I did. And I don't think it was less extreme. Maybe... not so campy as those two but somehow, being a little more refined makes this book even creepier.
I mean that's probably what all horror authors do - try to create the evil that will make the readers fear; and depending on how well they manage to do it, the book is a success or a failure. I think in 'The Black Train' the evil is there. It is huge, and versatile, and powerful, and unambiguous. I believed in it - and I enjoyed being scared of it.
I also enjoyed all the parts that composed the story: it being part historical and part paranormal. It being set in the American South (yeah, an exotic place for me :)) The railroad (I used to love "Hell on Wheels" - a very different railroad there but you know, easy to imagine the atmosphere). I loved how slowly the whole picture was put together. Not a pile of infodump but pieces of puzzle here and there until you understand everything - almost like a mystery. I even loved the main character, Justin, being a connoisseur of beer (coincides with my tastes :)) and him being such a decent person, by the way, and fighting so hard against temptations.
I didn't enjoy very corny m/f romance... but might be because I don't particularly enjoy m/f romance at all. On the other hand, having Jiff-the-rentboy in the book was an unexpected joy.
And I loved the ending. It was juuuust right. Because we all know
I mean that's probably what all horror authors do - try to create the evil that will make the readers fear; and depending on how well they manage to do it, the book is a success or a failure. I think in 'The Black Train' the evil is there. It is huge, and versatile, and powerful, and unambiguous. I believed in it - and I enjoyed being scared of it.
I also enjoyed all the parts that composed the story: it being part historical and part paranormal. It being set in the American South (yeah, an exotic place for me :)) The railroad (I used to love "Hell on Wheels" - a very different railroad there but you know, easy to imagine the atmosphere). I loved how slowly the whole picture was put together. Not a pile of infodump but pieces of puzzle here and there until you understand everything - almost like a mystery. I even loved the main character, Justin, being a connoisseur of beer (coincides with my tastes :)) and him being such a decent person, by the way, and fighting so hard against temptations.
I didn't enjoy very corny m/f romance... but might be because I don't particularly enjoy m/f romance at all. On the other hand, having Jiff-the-rentboy in the book was an unexpected joy.
And I loved the ending. It was juuuust right. Because we all know
July 16, 2011
The Black Train was a pleasant surprise from Edward Lee. Yes, the ridiculous sex descriptions and violence are still here, but most of it is presented in flashbacks and dreams. The story itself is very interesting and I really haven’t read another book like it. It basically describes (mainly through flashbacks brought on by a kind of family owned hotel) a Civil War version of a Concentration Camp where all the females are raped over and over, slaves are forced to build a railroad at record speed, and the dead are ground into the very dirt. The main character, Justin Colier, is a perfect Edward Lee protagonist. By that I mean that he is a man who likes to drink, has his sex drive drastically increased by the place in which he is staying, tries his hardest to get with a girl who swears to not have sex before marriage, and did I meant that he is married himself? This makes the book fun to read though and the humor in it helps to balance out the Lee-style gore and sex. Since this is my eleventh Edward Lee read, I’m not going to mention some of the things that bother me because it is just part of his writing style and I would be stupid to complain and still read him by this point. This is the most professional book by him I have read though and I highly enjoyed it. Please note that “professional” may not be the correct term to describe this or any novel by Lee, but compared to The Bighead, this is. I can help but wonder though, after reading so many books that seem to have a humorous contempt for the South and the people living in it, if Edward Lee offends southereners. He does tend to portray them as redneck rapists and disgusting sexed-crazed creatures that are only semi-intelligent.
December 4, 2012
One of the last mass market books by Ed Lee I beleive,withthe exception of Witch House which was supposed to come out form Dorchester. It was a good read. He did alot of historical flashbacks to connect the storyline together. I was more prepared for a gory in your face kind of story form him, which in a way it did deleiver, but in a way that didn't seem it. He developed alot of character in a few of his players to make the story work. But, beleive me there is more than enough disturbing scenes a this book to make it a remarkable Ed Lee novel.
Im usually not one for historical flashbacks, but in this case, it was very well done with a lot of attention to detail for what he wanted to take place. Ill of course refrain froim mentioning anything about the ending, though I wish I could make one comment that I found untypical of an Edward Lee ending. But thats all I'll write about that.
Overall a good solid book from one of the Masters of Extreme Horror.
Im usually not one for historical flashbacks, but in this case, it was very well done with a lot of attention to detail for what he wanted to take place. Ill of course refrain froim mentioning anything about the ending, though I wish I could make one comment that I found untypical of an Edward Lee ending. But thats all I'll write about that.
Overall a good solid book from one of the Masters of Extreme Horror.
June 8, 2015
This one is not for the faint of heart! Edward Lee writes in the special sub category of horror called splatter punk--lots of gory description and some...ahem..gratuitous scenes. However, with that said, this is one darn good ghost story! The characterization is great. I like the main character who DOES act human and makes mistakes but is redeemable, totally redeemable! The story is mysterious and scary as well. We have a haunted house story and maybe even a haunted part (or all?) of town as well. There is the present haunting and background told through nightmares and sightings of the characters (set in slave times--civil war era).
I do not like to give too much away, as always, but suffice it to say that if you can handle gore, horror and some gratuitous scenes then this one will work for you. It is my first Edward Lee and I intend to read more.
I do not like to give too much away, as always, but suffice it to say that if you can handle gore, horror and some gratuitous scenes then this one will work for you. It is my first Edward Lee and I intend to read more.
March 22, 2011
Edward Lee is one sick twisted bastard. And this novel is the best thing I have read from him so far. Set in a small southern town,and soon to be canceled Food Network star is in search of the perfect microbrewed beer.He comes to find out that this town is flooded with ghost. Filled with Lee's normal violence,sex and gore,this is actually a edited version of a small press printing.
July 5, 2013
I thought this book was awesome. Though descriptions were violent and perverse, I felt that he didn't go over the line. I loved the ideas as to why the Gast House was haunted and the very quirky family that is up keeping the inn for tourists. I loved that Lee had a character in there that had some moral values. Wasn't expecting that! Very enjoyable and fast read.
February 9, 2010
Lee builds a fascinating story, combining rumor, history, and pure demented fantasy in a seamless blanket of weird. To provide details would also give much of the story away, but suffice to say his portrayal of the old South, and some of the attitudes in it, is horrifically brutal and, by many accounts, tragically accurate. From the treatment of slaves and natives to attitudes of discipline and just how much power money could buy, Lee leads the reader down a path that begins subtly in the normal world and ends up in some demonic version of Civil War hell.
The characters are all genuine and likable enough. Collier reads like an everyman who happens to know a lot about beer and is effective for it. The bed and breakfast owner's children, Jiff and Lottie, are quite bizarre in that one's a male prostitute and the other is a mute nymphomaniac, but somehow they come across as real and somehow tragic. But in his descriptions of Gast, his wife, and employees, Lee pulls out all the stops. Even though the appearance of Gast is minimal, the way the other characters treat him paints a vivid picture of a man with more than a touch of evil in his soul.
For those who like depravity, The Black Train does not shy away from most of the more unsavory things in human nature and a few that are so deviant that they will make the reader cringe. Sure, everyone in the house turns into a horny beast, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Sadism, masochism, watersports, debasement, necrophilia, murder, mayhem, abuse, and torture are all here, described in such a way that it doesn't come across as gratuitous, but it does make the reader want to scrub his eyeballs with bleach nonetheless.
If there is any weakness to the book, it would be that there should be more. More about Gast and his evil, more about the fascinating characters in the town, more about the actual train in the title, more of every little thing. The book could easily have been half again its size with a few more details that would have made it a stronger story.
Even so, The Black Train packs a punch that stays with the reader like a lingering bruise. Well written, disturbing, and engaging, it shakes taboo in the reader's face and lays it out for discussion.
The characters are all genuine and likable enough. Collier reads like an everyman who happens to know a lot about beer and is effective for it. The bed and breakfast owner's children, Jiff and Lottie, are quite bizarre in that one's a male prostitute and the other is a mute nymphomaniac, but somehow they come across as real and somehow tragic. But in his descriptions of Gast, his wife, and employees, Lee pulls out all the stops. Even though the appearance of Gast is minimal, the way the other characters treat him paints a vivid picture of a man with more than a touch of evil in his soul.
For those who like depravity, The Black Train does not shy away from most of the more unsavory things in human nature and a few that are so deviant that they will make the reader cringe. Sure, everyone in the house turns into a horny beast, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Sadism, masochism, watersports, debasement, necrophilia, murder, mayhem, abuse, and torture are all here, described in such a way that it doesn't come across as gratuitous, but it does make the reader want to scrub his eyeballs with bleach nonetheless.
If there is any weakness to the book, it would be that there should be more. More about Gast and his evil, more about the fascinating characters in the town, more about the actual train in the title, more of every little thing. The book could easily have been half again its size with a few more details that would have made it a stronger story.
Even so, The Black Train packs a punch that stays with the reader like a lingering bruise. Well written, disturbing, and engaging, it shakes taboo in the reader's face and lays it out for discussion.
May 2, 2017
The Black Train proves what a sick, twist, perverse freak Edward Lee really is! Within the novel is countless pages of disturbing sex scenes, and the most vile acts among the evilest of men. But.....Isn't that why we love reading Edward Lee's books in the first place? The only part I disliked, was the mess poor ole Jiff got himself into at the end. ( I developed a soft spot for the lug) I had to give this one 5 stars, I just couldn't put it down. Seriously though, if your sensitive to horrific human acts, and strong sexual content, this book might not be the best fit. If your like me, and absolutely indulge in that stuff, then you must grab a copy!
November 12, 2009
This is the best Ed Lee book I've read so far. His writing honestly scared me, I'm kind of nervous of the nightmares this book might give me. Completely depraved, viscious and grisly... but I was glued to every page! A few things were really disturbing, even for someone like me that looks to read those kinds of things, and it's the only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars. Not for the faint of heart, but a good read if you like his previous books.
June 26, 2010
The Black Train was such a strange story. I normally see the plot line of the story coming from a mile away, and I did not actually figure out the real "bad guy" until it was reveled within the story. The Black Train is not for the faint of heart. Parts of the story are very disturbing and down right gross.
August 16, 2011
I loved this book. It is the first that I've read from Edward Lee. Good first impression. Strong on sex, which is kind of unnecessary to the story to the degree they had it. Strong on terror and a fantastic ending. Overall, great read. I would recommend it to others.
February 9, 2010
Right off I am adoring this book. Very brutal, not politically correct, and highly sexual.
September 28, 2020
Not the most exciting of Lee's books. It started out with some promise, but really bogged down in the middle. There wasn't much action, sexual or violence, unless it was a flashback and even then it was weak. The end really had a chance to save it, but failed. This would be a decent beach book, because it's easy follow and won't tax the brain.
September 17, 2020
Yess!! I absolutely loved this book. While our main character can be somewhat unlikable at times, it just made him more real. The jumping from one time period to another, whether through dreams or actual time jumps, were the best parts for me. I actually wish we got to see more of the past and Gasts terrible deeds. I've only read a handful of Lee's books, but so far this one is definitely my favorite! 5/5 skulls💀
October 3, 2015
WOW!!!! This has got to be the most sinister book I have ever read!! Mr Lee, you got one twisted mind!!! This was the perfect October read. It had very frightful ghost stories embodied with macabre details. It was very gory and graphic. I admire Lee's imagination to conjure a tale such as The Black Train. Mr Gast was pure evil in every sense and his wife Penelope was the raunchiest woman I have ever read about. I mean she actually had the men she slept with pee on her!!! ****barf*****
I have to admit though that I was about to give up very early on due to all the sexual talk. I thought it was going to be another perverted author getting his jollies on.... This book is still perverse but the horror element thrown in is pure genius if you ask me. I can't wait to read more from Mr Lee. This is a horror story for a mature audience.
I have to admit though that I was about to give up very early on due to all the sexual talk. I thought it was going to be another perverted author getting his jollies on.... This book is still perverse but the horror element thrown in is pure genius if you ask me. I can't wait to read more from Mr Lee. This is a horror story for a mature audience.
December 24, 2009
This book was really intense for a mass market paperback! Sure wish I could've read Gast to see what the difference was, but this still was an awesome book! Edward Lee delivers!
March 5, 2012
Gruesome, disturbing, and nightmarish. In other words, typical Edward Lee fare!
October 6, 2019
Historical fiction and hardcore horror in one read.
September 11, 2018
Kaum Spannung, keine erkennbare Spannungskurve, vorhersehbar und ohne Nervenkitzel.
November 1, 2024
Apart from the historical portions of the novel, there were next to no stakes. I don't think I've read a Lee book with characters in less imminent danger as these. I spent most of the present-day chapters hoping a Civil War chapter was coming up. Really took away from how brutal and nasty Gast's portion of the story is.
July 8, 2015
Don’t take my word for it because people really seem to like this author but after reading this I felt like: “ Wow, I can never ever get the time back I wasted reading this book”
If you are the type of person who likes this type of shock horror writing then the civil war ghost story isn’t bad and there are plenty of shock causing type things in this book to satisfy the most hardcore gore and shock fan out there. A whole lot of rape, incest, mutilation, water sports, small town gay male prostitution and back room gay bar shenanigans, sexual humiliation, torture, etc. You name it is probably in this book. So much that it became a cliché of itself. It was not really that scary either. It was more of a gross out read. This combined with main characters I didn’t really like, made this a so-so read for me. The only character I remotely liked (and he wasn’t that great) was the gay male hustler Jiff; (Yep, he is named after peanut butter) and he had to go and spoil it by... Anyway --- I will probably skip this author’s other books. This one just had too much schlock and not enough substance.
I did like the civil war ghost story. I thought it was interesting and pretty creepy. I did not like the schlocky writing however. So this was really a one star read for me and then I added a star for the ghost story, which I thought was pretty good. This story will stick to your ribs though whether you want it to or not as there is some pretty disturbing stuff in this book. (even for me, and I don’t feel like I am that easily disturbed)…anyway, I can’t really recommend this to anyone, honestly. I am sure there is stuff out there that is, well, just better written than this was to me. Two big mediocre stars.
If you are the type of person who likes this type of shock horror writing then the civil war ghost story isn’t bad and there are plenty of shock causing type things in this book to satisfy the most hardcore gore and shock fan out there. A whole lot of rape, incest, mutilation, water sports, small town gay male prostitution and back room gay bar shenanigans, sexual humiliation, torture, etc. You name it is probably in this book. So much that it became a cliché of itself. It was not really that scary either. It was more of a gross out read. This combined with main characters I didn’t really like, made this a so-so read for me. The only character I remotely liked (and he wasn’t that great) was the gay male hustler Jiff; (Yep, he is named after peanut butter) and he had to go and spoil it by... Anyway --- I will probably skip this author’s other books. This one just had too much schlock and not enough substance.
I did like the civil war ghost story. I thought it was interesting and pretty creepy. I did not like the schlocky writing however. So this was really a one star read for me and then I added a star for the ghost story, which I thought was pretty good. This story will stick to your ribs though whether you want it to or not as there is some pretty disturbing stuff in this book. (even for me, and I don’t feel like I am that easily disturbed)…anyway, I can’t really recommend this to anyone, honestly. I am sure there is stuff out there that is, well, just better written than this was to me. Two big mediocre stars.
April 10, 2020
Much better than most Leisure Fiction horror novels, Lee has written a good old fashioned ghost story--with a lot of death and sex that should keep modern horror fans happy.
In the process of a divorce a Food Network host/writer has come to a backwoods southern state town to find a local restaurant that brews its own beer. Justin Collier thinks this brew could be the final chapter of his books on beer. It is, plus the town gives him a whole lot more.
The hotel he's staying in was the mansion of the town's infamous railroad builder, who used slaves to hammer down 500 miles of rail, and whose suicide and deaths that followed have hung over a the house since. Justin begins to see and hear things at night until they progress to a frightening finish.
This would probably be a much more read book if it didn't have all the sex, but it actually did contribute to the plot. The violence is pretty graphic, but you expect that going into a book like this.
I was surprised to see a strong Christian in this book not being made the laughing stock that other books tend to do. I'm not a religious person, by any means, but usually religion is dropped into a horror novel for ridicule, defilement, or a non-supernatural antagonist. That was not the case here, and it surprised me. I enjoyed "that" character and was impressed with that person.
Be aware: there is nothing beyond approach in this book, so if something disgusts you, you were warned. If you can handle it, this was a good read and the ending a pleasant surprise.
In the process of a divorce a Food Network host/writer has come to a backwoods southern state town to find a local restaurant that brews its own beer. Justin Collier thinks this brew could be the final chapter of his books on beer. It is, plus the town gives him a whole lot more.
The hotel he's staying in was the mansion of the town's infamous railroad builder, who used slaves to hammer down 500 miles of rail, and whose suicide and deaths that followed have hung over a the house since. Justin begins to see and hear things at night until they progress to a frightening finish.
This would probably be a much more read book if it didn't have all the sex, but it actually did contribute to the plot. The violence is pretty graphic, but you expect that going into a book like this.
I was surprised to see a strong Christian in this book not being made the laughing stock that other books tend to do. I'm not a religious person, by any means, but usually religion is dropped into a horror novel for ridicule, defilement, or a non-supernatural antagonist. That was not the case here, and it surprised me. I enjoyed "that" character and was impressed with that person.
Be aware: there is nothing beyond approach in this book, so if something disgusts you, you were warned. If you can handle it, this was a good read and the ending a pleasant surprise.
November 28, 2012
Most of the books by Lee that I've been reading lately seem to be focused on Hell and the demons that occupy it. I've been wishing for one that isn't quite as Hell-centric; with THE BLACK TRAIN, I had my wish answered. Hell is definitely involved but rather than being the focus of the story, it is instead a sideline element. The main horror comes from the town of Gast, specifically the bed and breakfast called The Gast House.
Justin Collier is trying to get a break from his divorce proceedings and from the Hollywood life of having his show on the Food Network cancelled. Instead the "Prince of Beer" is looking to finish his book on beer with a micro-brew from the town. What he gets is lust filled dreams, vivid flashbacks of vicious acts and the barbaric history of Harwood Gast, a Civil War railway baron with very real ties to evil.
While I love getting my fix of sex and gore from Lee, he can at times skimp out on the story as he ties together more and more scenes of erotic violence. Fortunately that was not the case this time. Everything flowed together quite nicely and made a complete story. There was also a wide array of characters to become involved with and like. The only thing lacking was a little more of the motivation behind the actions by Harwood Gast. At the same time, I feel that we could see more of Harwood Gast in a future novel and that would be very welcome by me!
Justin Collier is trying to get a break from his divorce proceedings and from the Hollywood life of having his show on the Food Network cancelled. Instead the "Prince of Beer" is looking to finish his book on beer with a micro-brew from the town. What he gets is lust filled dreams, vivid flashbacks of vicious acts and the barbaric history of Harwood Gast, a Civil War railway baron with very real ties to evil.
While I love getting my fix of sex and gore from Lee, he can at times skimp out on the story as he ties together more and more scenes of erotic violence. Fortunately that was not the case this time. Everything flowed together quite nicely and made a complete story. There was also a wide array of characters to become involved with and like. The only thing lacking was a little more of the motivation behind the actions by Harwood Gast. At the same time, I feel that we could see more of Harwood Gast in a future novel and that would be very welcome by me!
October 26, 2009
Justin Collier's TV show on beer is about to be canceled along with his marriage, but he needs one more good beer to complete his book on beer, so he follows up a lead in Gast, a Southern Town filled with memories of the War of Northern Agression, and ghosts of evil deeds done by the man who built the black railroad. This is another good Ed Lee novel filled with sexual overtones and terror. I really love Ed Lee's novel-so hellishly weird.
May 13, 2014
I liked this although it wasn't as debauched as the last few Edward Lee books I've read. While there was a lot of sexual innuendo there wasn't as much sex and violence as there usually is in Mr. Lee's books. This didn't seem like the same quality as City Infernal or Flesh Gothic, honestly not even as good as Lucifer's Lottery which I really enjoyed!
January 13, 2010
This is my first Edward Lee book and if people are right and this isn't one of his best I can't wait to read more from him. The book is very graphic but I feel that helps the story. The one knock would be that the ending isn't very climatic but not necessarily disappointing or bad.
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