A Hot Dose of Hell by Steve Stark
A deadly new drug has hit the streets of Scarmouth, one which turns users into bloodthirsty maniacs with superhuman tolerance for pain. Through insidious design a large quantity has fallen into the hands of squatters occupying the derelict Victoria hotel. Rhonda Caine's desperate search for her estranged sister will lead to this dreadful place. But she won't be alone. She's joined by a group of self-serving activists, out to promote a new charity grift off the back of her story.
Rhonda's not the only one looking for something. Hired muscle, Fred and Pinkie have been tasked to recover that lost drug shipment. These men know what it's doing to people. What they don't know is just how many have been affected already, but within the bowels of that derelict hotel breeds a mindless, homicidal legion.
Scarmouth is known as the coastal town they forgot to burn down. It'll only take a few hot doses to finally set it alight.
Stark by Name…
Hot Damn! May the Devil stick me in the arse-cheek and call me addicted. Stark delivers a pure balls-to-the-wall slice of horror that isn’t backwards in brutally marching forwards in the outstanding A Hot Dose of Hell.
Stark has written something quite exceptional here that’ll drench you in so much blood; you’ll think you took a bath in a slaughterhouse. If you’re the sensitive type, then clutch your pearls, take your anxiety medication and buckle up, sweethearts; this ain’t your bedtime story (well, depends on how gritty you like your nightmares?).
Far from being just another standard zombie-fest, which can often become quite tiresome. In fact, I'm pretty sure Rick Grimes stood at the train station in Scarmouth, took a quick look, said ‘fuck that’ then took his arse back on the train home to a safer apocalypse. AHDoH is something entirely different and so much more than the averagen and is, in my opinion (obviously), one that is worth multiple reads to fully appreciate the different layers, and, simply put, because it kicks arse and is fun as… well, hell.
Stark does a fantastic job crafting the story from the beginning and leading you into the splatter-coaster. The build-up feels well-paced and justified. The story is meaty, gritty and all-consuming with a powerful atmosphere that hooks you in and holds you like a drug-induced death grip. The characters are very well written and developed. They are colourful, three-dimensional, and really take you along for the ride. Fred and Pinkie are awesome, but I’m pretty sure that is a widespread opinion. It’s hard to pick a favourite character as they all add something to the pot of savage soup that makes it taste all the better. Pass me the spoon when you’ve finished burning it and give me another taste.
AHDoH is absolutely unapologetic or soft peddling in its delivery, and Stark doesn't shy away from real world subject matter, which is something we that we could certainly do with a lot more of. It gives me exactly what I want to read and more in a novel of this genre and calibre. Another thing that makes it so exciting to read is not just the horror, gore, incredible action and reference to social issues, but perfectly balanced humour, too. I dribble-chuckled my coffee on several occasions throughout the book. The dialogue is brilliantly written, and I love the use of language, which made it feel local, raw and real. There are many great interactions and exchanges between characters, that I loved.
In short: A Hot Dose of Hell is brutal, fun, full of action and great characters, fantastic dialogue, an outstanding story, wickedly honest and an absolute grusome pleasure to read from start to finish. Stark has a unique voice, and his passion for the genre tears through eadch and every page. This is undoubtedly a top-notch read, and fans of the genre are going to go batshit crazy for it.
If you haven’t yet read it, I implore you to go and grab a copy. Get addicted. GET STARK! #DVS
You can keep up with all the latest releases from Steve Stark by heading on over to the amazing Dark Veil Society website, where you’ll find many other shit-hot indie horror authors to whet your appetite. Plus you’ll find the links to Stark’s socials and Amazon Author page. Don’t forget to check out his second novel Violent Ends. Links below for both. Thank you.
