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Oct122009
ALL HALLOWS EVE 2009 – REVIEW: Body Count by Shaun Hutson
by Carolyn • Posted in 3 Star Reviews
Title: Body Count
Author: Shaun Hutson
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: 1 October 2009
Paperback: 368 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Review Copy
Reviewed by: Carolyn
RATING: 6/10
BACK COVER SUMMARY:
The figure in the mask stumbles bleeding through the streets, his pursuers closing in. But they don’t stumble. They stalk…
Who is kidnapping seemingly random victims and then slaughtering them in an elaborate game of cat and mouse? And why are these murders being streamed over the internet? Watching the horror unfold at New Scotland Yard is Detective Inspector Joe Chapman who searches desperately for any clue that might tell him where and when this savage hunt is happening.
But DI Chapman is about to learn that you should be careful what you wish for. Very soon, he will be closer to the blood-letting than he could have imagined. Forced to fight for his life and the life of someone he holds dear, the only way out looks to be to rack up the biggest body count. But even that might not be enough.
REVIEW:
This is another book I’ve read recently that reads just like a movie. It reminded me of SAW. Although the story is different, it has the same level of violence and tension, with a typical movie style ending. This is a long way from the Shaun Hutson novels I remember reading (Slugs, Spawn,) but it worked well and I wasn’t disappointed.
We are introduced to Detective Inspector Joe Chapman, who’s typically flawed with an unhappy marriage, an affair with a work colleague under his belt and a runaway daughter who can’t deal with her dysfunctional family. All he needs to complete the stereotype is to be an alcoholic, but fortunately Hutson refrains from the conventional. However, I think that because of these flaws the character is actually quite likeable and believable.
The plot is a good one (which I wont go into as it will give too much away). It is a slow burner but it eventually kicks into high gear when Chapman becomes the hunted rather than the hunter.
This is a very violent book with a significant amount of bad language. Some of it made me wince, and the rape scene was pretty horrific, but it embedded itself well in the story and didn’t feel out of place, although it did make for uncomfortable reading. However, it’s supposed to make you feel like that; it is Shaun Hutson after all.
VERDICT:
This is a psychological horror which is full of brutality and bloodshed. It is well executed and I would definitely read more from this author. However, I would only recommend it to like minded people who enjoy horror and can deal with, or are used to, reading books of this nature.
You can find out more about the author here:
5 Comments
Reads like Saw? I made it through Saw… the first movie…. barely. I havent watched any of them since…. wonder if reading something like that would be easier or not?
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I barely made it through Saw, I may have to pass on this one. Thanks for the warning though (for those of us who can't handle gruesome)
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I admit I haven't read Horror b/c I already have trouble sleeping already. I find that bks can actually be scarier then movies aside from the visual gore and special effects. See I'm alrady scaring myself! Great review!!
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Saw was alright for me. I enjoyed the first one but I'm kinda getting tired of the continuation. Saw 6…really? lol
Anywho, I like the way this sounds. I havne't really gotten into horror or gruesome stuff but I know I can handle it.
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I'm not sure I'd want to read this book..Saw is not one of my favorites.
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