If you ever wondered whether hard drugs might bring out the worst in people then Steve Stark’s horror novel A HOT DOSE OF HELL answers that question and takes it to the max.
When a brutal new hard drug makes its way into the addicted population of a run down hotel in the seaside town of Scarmouth, madness and mayhem ensues. Scarmouth, which to us Brits carries the hallmarks of all-too-familiar coastal locations, Stark uses specific beats and descriptions to remind us that this could be any populous gaudy haunt on one of the northern coasts of England.
Brimming with wit and well written colloquial dialogue, Stark always chooses just the right word to use at just the right time. A conversation which takes place in a van about political correctness is very well observed, and very funny. In another moment, towards the climax, the interplay between two characters where one character sacrifices themselves to save another had me laughing out loud.
Through all the many inventive, gory and gruesome deaths, this story hints at deeper social issues around systemic neglect of those in need. It also highlights how desperation drives people to do desperate things.
Events build to a wonderful final showdown, something resembling a lost 70s John Carpenter movie, or Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead. And I don’t think I’ll ever look at a seagull in quite the same way again.
Purchase the book on Amazon UK here.