GOREFEST!!!

I had planned on skimming the first couple of pages of this novella before putting it back in line behind other reads that are being released earlier, but I couldn’t help myself. I got sucked in by the mystery of what’s living beneath the surface and once I caught a glimpse of the nightmare I had to continue, because upon Googling ‘leatherback turtle’s mouth’ you’ve passed the point of no return.

While Antoine DeWitt is almost positive that the Money Carlo ticket promising him winnings of $5,000 is a scam, he’s having a bad day and hey, what’s the worst that can happen by checking it out. Arriving at the Dangle car dealership Antoine meets Jon Dangle, who confirms that Antoine is indeed a lucky winner.

Dangle and the generations of men before him have been keepers of an important secret, one Antoine is about to learn firsthand. The latest in an immeasurable offering of sacrifices, Antoine finds himself trapped in a subterranean nightmare.

When Antoine awakes at the beginning of the fight of his life, the description was scarily close to an account of hell I read a number of years ago. And then Antoine’s day gets worse.

If you’re highly offended by expletives and you don’t do well with gore or claustrophobia, then perhaps this is not the book for you. However, if you love getting creeped out by creatures that scratch around, felt but unseen, in the dark and the idea of something unknown tearing chunks of flesh from living people makes your heart race and an internal cheer bubbles up inside you, then my kindred spirit, this book was written with you in mind.

What commences as a certain death trap paradoxically twists into a tale of hope in the darkest of places, yet you’re constantly wondering if your hope is in vain. Knowing this is a horror novella, should our protagonist (and by default the reader) even hold onto this possibly futile hope? How much do you fight against what appears at first glance to be inevitable?

Broken Shells is a visceral experience, with oodles of ooze, gore galore, dry heaves and vomit, and some Alienworthy introductions to razor sharp creepy crawlies. With plenty of graphic imagery of the icky variety and a body count too large to number, our down on his luck hero faces an onslaught of bug monsters.

Michael Patrick Hicks capitalises simultaneously on our fears of the unknown and the dark. The atmosphere throughout the novella was a fun blend of suspense, dread and bloodthirsty anticipation. You’re likely to have some involuntary moments of squirming as you find yourself up close and personal with all of the stabby, slimey, ouchy and itchy details.

What if there were a creature above us on the food chain and that by delivering regular sacrifices to them you could potentially protect millions of others? Would those delivering the sacrifices be the heroes or the villains of the story?

What kind of mind comes up with a scenario so gruesome?! Ha! Who am I judge! I was the one simultaneously cheering on Antione and the subterranean creepy crawlies. As only Lydia from Beetlejuice can declare with the right level of creepy, “I myself, am strange and unusual.” This, my friends, is horror done right! I can’t wait for my imagination to be happily grossed out again by this author.

New favourite word: ichor.

My takeaway moral of the story: Never ever trust car salespeople.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and High Fever Books for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

Review: BROKEN SHELLS by Michael Patrick Hicks

I was totally enraptured by the author's earlier novel MASS HYSTERIA, and found his newest, BROKEN SHELLS, the very definition of a page-turner. The book flew by so fast I was amazed to find myself at the end {and oh, such an end!} From the introductory page I thought I would probably be reading either a serial killer plot, or possibly (with its reference to "buried secrets") about an antagonist with ties to organized crime. Oh no, no, no. Mr. Hicks takes a legend common to several indigenous North American tribes, then TWISTS it--oh, does he twist it!-to deliver a horror that's truly implacable, and a generational legacy that prides itself--and closes eyes to the decades of blood on its hands. Like Nazi concentration camp guards and staff who "only followed orders," this family's males are sworn to "protect" the world from what inhabits the underground caverns. {Yeah, right.}

If it's an incredibly riveting extreme creature horror that effectively discerns and exposes certain contemporary ingrained societal blasphemies, look right here. Michael Patrick Hicks delivers right-between-the-eyes terror, and I love it.

Right away I wanted Antoine DeWitt to catch a break.  I felt his desperation, his internal struggle to stick around and shoulder his responsibilities, or run and take the easy way out.  He's an easy character to root for.  

If claustrophobia, fear of the dark, and gore make you uneasy, this might be a tough read, but you'll be missing out on a gruesome tale that makes it difficult to look away.  There's no doubt Jon Dangle has committed atrocious acts and Antoine is his latest victim in a long line.  But in a sickeningly twisted way, he's almost able to justify his actions and for a moment, Dangle's heinous crimes almost make sense in a 'for the good of mankind' way - which is highly persuasive writing on the author's part. 

Graphic imagery abounds and I lost track of the body count in this captivating horror novella.  Bonus points for the stunning cover!  I've read several of Hicks's works and he hasn't disappointed me yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If you’re looking for a very fast paced horror novella, which does not take itself too seriously, think about taking a punt of “Broken Shells” the latest release from Michael Patrick Hicks. I had previously reviewed his “Mass Hysteria” elsewhere, which was another fine piece of fast moving trashy horror. The stories have little in common, but both exhibit the author’s cool knack for creating undemanding pulpy horror which move along at eyewatering speed and is fine company for a few hours.

In this review I am going to be deliberately vague about the plot as I want to limit spoilers on where the story goes. But as an initial point of reference this is the first work of fiction I have read which mentions Donald Trump as POTUS, and amusingly the main character Antoine DeWitt loses his job after getting into a fight at work over the merits of Trump’s presidency. Go Antoine! You did the right think knocking that dude’s teeth out, but let’s not stray into politics.

Antoine is in a tough spot. He has a moaning wife at home, a small child to feed, no cash, debt, and is desperate for new work after the fight saw him fired. His wife Chantelle, who badgers him non-stop, reckons they have won five grand on a “Money Carlo” scratch card which came in the mail. Antoine is sure this dodgy lottery ticket is a scam, but his wife forces him to visit an out of town car dealership called “Dangle Chevrolet Dealership” which he must visit in person to claim his prize. Certain they will try to sell him a car he can’t afford he goes along in the faint hope it is not a con. On arrival he meets the owner Joe Dangle who confirms he has indeed won the magic $5000 prize. But, things are just about to go from bad to worse as Joe Dangle is interested in Antoine for something more than his terrible credit rating.

Once Joe realises Antoine is both a sucker and an easy mark the novella really starts to go through the gears. Yes, it’s totally ridiculous, the body horror violence is bloody, far-fetched, and way over the top, but it sure is fun. Don’t expect deep levels of character development, but you’ll have fun rolling with the punches. I found myself cheering on hard as nails Antoine in his brutal fight for survival, doing what a man must do in his plight to see his family again. I’m not sure who Michael Patrick Hicks is influenced by, but I’m pretty he’s an old-fashioned sort of guy who reads a lot of seventies and eighties horror, probably science fiction also, as he is very good at mashing the two genres up. For fans of gore, ridiculous monsters, sly nods to other books and a brutal fight to the death “Broken Shells” ticks every trash filled box.

Broken Shells by Michael Patrick Hicks starts out with a strong storyline that never wanes. Car salesmen and lottery winnings lead to an interesting and deadly night for one down on his luck family man. I will not go into the storyline, as many others have already done so, but if yo are claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, this may not be the one for you. If you like gore that keeps on giving, grab this one up.

5 Stars

First off, I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the eARC of Broken Shells

Even if I didn't know who Michael Patrick Hicks was, and I do, I can pick a Kealan Patrick Burke cover out of a lineup. I'd had Broken Shells on my TBR ever since Hicks revealed the cover, and when I saw it come across NetGalley, I pounced immediately.

Synopsis:
Antoine DeWitt is a man down on his luck. Broke and recently fired, he knows the winning Money Carlo ticket that has landed in his mailbox from a car dealership is nothing more than a scam. The promise of five thousand dollars, though, is too tantalizing to ignore.
Jon Dangle is a keeper of secrets, many of which are buried deep beneath his dealership. He works hard to keep them hidden, but occasionally sacrifices are required, sacrifices who are penniless, desperate, and who will not be missed. Sacrifices exactly like DeWitt.
When Antoine steps foot on Dangle's car lot, it is with the hope of easy money. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a deep, dark hole, buried alive. If he is going to survive the nightmare ahead of him, if he has any chance of seeing his wife and child again, Antoine will have to do more than merely hope. He will have to fight his way back to the surface, and pray that Jon Dangle's secrets do not kill him first.

Review:
Being my first crack at a horror novel by Hicks, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The synopsis reeled me in (much like the promise of $5k to Antoine) and I was pleasantly surprised, and horrified, by what I read. Hicks does a fine job of emotionally grasping the reader with his character creation. You will reel for Antoine as he continuously fails to catch a break, and you'll almost see things from Dangle's perverse POV as he attempts to save mankind. Hicks also takes the opportunity to pick at some of the social issues that effect our current state as a nation and, IMO, does a fine job tying everything in. You'll come for the story of survival, and stay for the darkness and gore. If you enjoy extremely gruesome creature horror and pitch black underground tunnels, then Broken Shells is right up your alley.

Thanks to Broken Shells, I'll definitely be checking out Mass Hysteria when I get some time off my ARC pile. Broken Shells comes out February 6th so go pre-order now!

4.5 stars!

BROKEN SHELLS, by Michael Patrick Hicks is an adrenaline-fueled, no punches pulled, onslaught of gruesome action! I've read several other titles by this author, and can honestly say that I find his style both original and consistently good. Here we have Antoine DeWitt, a man who is working hard to overcome a minor criminal past, and take care of his wife and baby boy. When a ticket from Dangle's car dealership--on the far outskirts of town--comes in the mail, he is stunned--and naturally dubious of--his $5000 win.

After all, there's always a catch.

Literally commanded by "his girl" to make the journey "just to see", Antoine sets out.

". . . despite how overwhelming his home life was, he honestly did love his girl and his baby boy . . . "

Unfortunately for Antoine, the Dangle brothers, Jon and Jensen, are the descendants of Native American "gatekeepers", who are tasked with keeping a certain . . . species . . . safe and secured away from the rest of the world. That responsibility comes with--other--duties.

". . . We keep them fed."

Hicks does an amazing job of bringing Antoine's character to life! Even when things quickly go to hell, we continue to learn about--and root for--his perseverance, not to mention, his sanity. On the proverbial "other side", even the elder Dangle brother's motives are understandable in the context of the story. They are just as trapped in their lives--albeit in another way--as Antoine is.

". . . Nobody wanted murders or abductions, but the stories gave them an entertaining outlet to stoke and stave their worries upon."

What really makes this story stand out so vividly to me is Hicks' imagination and his mind-bending descriptions of the . . . inhabitants . . . and their domain underneath the remote car dealership. Infusing Native American lore and creation myths, we are introduced to this bloodthirsty, savage new species. While they brought to mind some great Lovecraftian elements, these creatures--and their unique behaviors--are something entirely distinctive in their own right.

Overall, an amazing tale of what "could be" lurking right underneath you, of one man's unfortunate luck, and those tasked with "keeping the balance" in check.

". . . All he had to do was make it home . . . "

Another hit from author Michael Patrick Hicks! I'm looking forward to what tales his twisted imagination brings us next.

Highly recommended!

*** I have to mention the incredible cover, created by Kealan Patrick Burke. The details are not only perfect for the story, but are chilling enough to give one nightmares before even reading the book! ***

Release Date: 02.06.18

This story’s ending is what earned it the fifth star. What can I say, I’m a bleak guy, and this is a bleak story. Without diving into spoilers, I think this story could have gone one of two ways . . . And Michael Hicks chose the courageous way. He went where the story commanded. And I applaud him! That final chapter - shivers.

Broken Shells, the upcoming horror novella from Hicks, is a creature feature of the best sort. All kinds of gooshy, nasty bugs are present and accounted for; to make a pun, Hicks preys on the fear of insects. Me, I don’t mind bugs so much . . . But I am very claustrophobic. This story did get me there. A large portion of this story involves the main character being trapped and having to escape; I was on the brink of an anxiety attack while reading. That’s how I know this author did his job.

This is a fun, scary read, and it is easily conquerable in a sit or two. Highly recommended! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.