More Hard Case Crime to admire!
Thanks to Hard Case Crime and Titan Books for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
BLOOD SUGAR – Daniel Kraus (Released October 1st, 2019)
This one continues my long line of HCC books and is a stunning addition to the collection.
Book Description:
At the end of Yellow Street, in a ruined junkyard of a house, an angry outcast hatches a scheme to take revenge for all the wrongs he has suffered. With the help of three alienated neighborhood kids, he plans to hide razor blades, poison, drugs, and broken glass in Halloween candy and use the deadly treats to maim or kill dozens of innocent children. But as the clock ticks closer to sundown, will one of his helpers—an innocent himself, in his own streetwise way—carry out or defeat the plan?
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars
With this being a Hard Case Crime book and one that’s under 250 pages, I always try to keep the reviews short and sweet. BLOOD SUGAR by Daniel Kraus isn’t the horror story you might be hoping for, but it is a chilling story that takes place on Halloween night.
We’ve all heard the warnings of Halloween – always check your candy. Well, that takes on a terrifying and literally meaning when it comes to Robbie’s plan. Alienated, angry, and sick of the suffering he has endured, Robbie concocts a plan to get revenge on those that have so wronged him in his life. We get to meet a group of eclectic and unique characters in this book, and all told through the perspective of Jody. The only way to describe Jody is unique. She speaks in her own odd language that is comprised of slang and plenty of pop culture references to go around. It does take a little bit to get used to this, but once you do then the pacing really evens out.
Dark and twisted in a very real way, the author does an incredible job sucking you in despite the discomfort he makes you feel. I love when a book can do that to you. I will say that this one won’t be for everyone. I know the narration won’t work for all readers and I can see how throughout the book it can be hard to follow and how it can make the pacing feel choppy at parts. Very bleak story but incredibly well-written.
Jessicamap Reviews 