…your arch nemesis.

There are two books that affected me so much that I really didn’t know what to do with myself afterward.

First up is Chainsaw Terror by Nick Blake, the pen name of Shaun Hutson. This one was released in the 80’s only to be touted as one of the most brutal, nasty, and disgusting books of all time. My issue with it was that it didn’t deliver on all fronts (especially for the amount I paid when tracking it down.) Well, not in comparison to today’s standards, anyway. But if your arch nemesis can’t take scenes of people being torn asunder by chainsaws… this one is a brilliant weapon. It is a nasty book, but not as nasty as I thought it would be.

I know a lot of people would choose Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door as the author’s most brutal read, but I disagree. There’s a scene in Off Season that just got he right where it counts. It’s the exact instance where the action kicks off, and those who have read it will remember the window scene, that absolutely killed me. I had a panic attack while reading this on the subway. Ketchum’s writing is so tight and so vivid that I couldn’t help myself. I freaked out…

… and when I recounted this story to the author, he had a little fun with it.

All Hallow’s Read is a book-giving tradition thought up by author Neil Gaiman. We’ll be making book suggestions all month long in case you need ideas!