Book Review: The Sadist’s Bible – Nicole Cushing

The best way to describe this novella from Nicole Cushing is as an intense reading experience. Once you start reading the book is almost impossible to put down. It really is a roller coaster ride into the mind of a very talented writer of dark fiction. It contains some gruesome scenes which succeed in making the reader uncomfortable and the imagery that Nicole creates is clear. This is one of the reasons I like to read horror fiction; it is unlike any other genre in the way that it can bring about a whole series of emotions. There were scenes in this book that made my flesh crawl, sometimes making me feel blasphemous and dirty for reading, but I loved it.

It is a short but fast paced journey that follows two women as they strike up a relationship on social media. Ellie is tired of her partner and longs for the touch of a woman. Lori is deeply disturbed and answers her call. What follows is a road trip to hell that features outrageous scenes of horror and sex.

This is my second read from Nicole Cushing. The first book I read was ‘Children of No One’ which was also very good though perhaps not quite as accessible as this book is. Nicole recently won a Stoker award for her novel ‘Mr Suicide’ and has been talked about a great deal within the horror community; it is not difficult to see why. Readers looking to sample some of Nicole’s work would be wise in choosing this novella as an entry point.

Gripping, gruesome and totally worth your time and coin, ‘The Sadist’s Bible’ is unlike anything else you will read this year or the next.

Pick up a copy from here.