Matt Shaw writes extreme horror with explicit sex and violence that in no way overshadows the extremely clever plot’s full of twists and surprises you just never see coming.
Now Whore is a story that explores, in a way three timelines, I’ve not read a story that attempts this before and Matt Shaw writes it perfectly, avoiding any potential confusion.
The first time line follows our working girl, business woman she prefers, whore she doesn’t mind but not slut, definitely not that, in the present as a new client arrives at her secluded property.
Then entwined in the present tale is the story of her various sexual encounters as an escort and her descent into a woman that fixates on men cheating on their partners and retribution for their actions.
Part of the story is also set in her childhood, detailing the effects of an abusive father and harrowing scenes of sexual abuse. The mother of course turns a blind eye and the little girl is eventually left to the devices of the monster. It’s always unsettling to read about any form of abuse and this is disturbing and unfortunately necessary to explore the state of mind of someone who surprisingly has not been traced by the authorities as a contact of numerous missing husbands and partners.
I have to mention our friendly business woman’s first murder, this one will stay in the dark recesses of my mind for a long time. The guy is trussed up on the bed, feeling like he’s died and gone to a heaven full of carnal delights, she’s sitting on his face and playing with him. Yep you can picture it, only problem for this guy, she’s pushing down with considerable effort and he can’t breathe. What a way to go. Followed by a swift chopping up and burial at the bottom of the garden.
Whore along with PORN are two of my favourites from the black cover extreme series but he writes other stuff and some of its even better, try Seed as an excellent psychological horror or The 8th as another compelling tale of school bullies and retribution.
Words by Paul Nelson.
