Customer Reviews

Bestial (Leisure Fiction)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although Bestial is a direct sequel to Ray Garton's Ravenous, it is also an indirect sequel to other books of his, including Night Life and Live Girls (I believe; I haven't actually read those books). As a Ravenous sequel, it focuses on werewolves, one of those popular monsters that are forced to live in the shadow of vampires (figuratively, of course, since many vampires don't actually cast shadows) and since it is a follow-up book, you should not really read Bestial unless you've read Ravenous first.

Bestial takes the reader back to the isolated California town of Big Rock, where the werewolves have taken over. Yes, there are still plenty of unaffected humans, but they are often prey for the lycanthropes, who spread their "disease" through sex. Leading the pack is Sheriff Taggart, who intends to create his own little kingdom. And while the werewolves are nasty enough, Taggart is also interested in the next stage of werewolf evolution, namely the babies being born from werewolf fathers. These babies are monsters from the start (which will remind some readers of the `70s movie, It's Alive).

There is opposition, however, including a couple of "good" werewolves. Principally, however, the good guys are Gavin Keoph and Karen Moffett, a couple of returning Garton characters. These two private eyes are employed by horror writer Martin Burgess to do some research into Big Rock. Previously, when Burgess hired them, they had nasty encounters with vampires, so they are a little reluctant (but not very skeptical) when it comes to looking into werewolves. Even armed to the teeth with silver weapons, they face the real threat of getting in over their heads with Taggart and company.

As a side note, if you're a Seventh Day Adventist, you will not like this book. Garton, a former member of this group, has very little in the way of good things to say about this religion, which plays a prominent part in the story. I wasn't offended, but others might be.

Bestial is a good book, with interesting characters brightening a standard sort of plot. There are no real flaws with it, but it also doesn't have the stand-out quality that makes it a great book. It may not be on your all-time top ten list, but if you like horror, you should enjoy this book.

Finished reading Ravenous a month ago and had to read the second in the series. I simply could not put this one down. It is even better than Ravenous and that is saying a lot! Highly recommend these two books if you like monsters and gore. Ray Garton is becoming one of my favorite authors!

"Bestial" moves at a blistering pace. Where "Ravenous" succeeded by instilling a creeping sense of horror, "Bestial" triumphs in its intrigue as the werewolves spread their influence throughout Big Rock. The humans aren't toothless in this installment, however, as surprise guests from another Garton novel make an appearance. Private investigators Gavin Keoph and Karen Moffet have been hired to investigate the strange events in Big Rock, and they're packing loads of silver.

Since the werewolves' first strike, they've moderated their virulent spread. Slowly, they've worked their way through town, planting their roots. Next up is a large Seventh Day Adventist Church. Through it, the werewolves hope to strengthen their position.

Numerous unexplained "animal attacks" haven't escaped outside notice, however. Successful horror novelist Martin Burgess - always interested in the occult - is convinced something is amiss in Big Rock. He hires Gavin and Karen to investigate. They've been through territory like this before, however, (with an entirely different nocturnal, sub-human species), and they both bear scars from Burgess' miscalculations. Both wonder if Burgess has miscalculated again, and if this time their lives will be the payment.

They're right to wonder. A horrifying change has come to the werewolves. They're evolving, becoming something new. Better. Perfect. All the silver in the world may be useless, and it's very likely that Gavin and Karen's scars may be mere scratches compared to what they'll endure this round.

"Bestial" is a gripping follow-up to "Ravenous", primarily because it invokes an entirely different set of emotions. That's what makes for a truly successful series: installments that build, rather than rehash themes. "Ravenous" throbs with tragedy as jaded, disconnected, abused and naive townspeople spread the werewolf virus all by themselves. In "Bestial", there's not only the sense of impending comeuppance, but also the revelation the werewolf virus isn't necessarily the curse it seems. Even though there's more closure here, Garton still leaves trailing threads, hinting at an explosive confrontation in the next installment.

Ray Garton returns with a sequel to RAVENOUS. Garton's strength lies in believable characters, tightly planned-out plot lines and dialogue that is crisp and true.
Garton continues the tale of the werewolves in Big Rock and a their bid to take over the town...then the world!
Garton brings back Gavin andhte gang to fight them and the climax is explosive!
Another great read by Garton and lok forward to the next sequel.

I found this novel under horror which is aptly fitting since it is, in a word, horrible. The boundary between horror and erotica needs to be clearly refined. I was sorely disappointed in the 5% of horror in this novel compared to the obvious 95% of smut. The only good result of owning this book and the preceding Ravenous is the warmth I feel coming from my fireplace.

I'm obsessive compulsive, which explains why after reading the horrendous "Ravenous" I still read this next book in the series. Of course, by the time that I had read "Ravenous" I had already bought "Bestial", based on Garton's reputation as a "good" writer, so I felt that I kinda, sorta had to read his next book in werewolf series of sexcapades.

There are a couple of interesting things about "Bestial" that sets it aside from "Ravenous". The first is that is that while "Ravenous" read like an old unsold trunk novel, "Bestial" is considerably better written, better plotted, and has (marginally) more interesting characters. This is like an upgrade from Ed Wood to Fred Olen Ray via Roger Corman.

The second interesting thing about this novel is that Garton introduces us to Karen Moffett and Gavin Keoph, two investigators of the supernatural in the employ of horror author Martin Burgess, who seems to have made enough bucks to start some kind of international research institution. Gee, writing horror novels evidently pays very well. When Leisure reprinted Garton's old novel "Live Girls", Garton wrote a sequel called "Night Life", and to do so he created Moffett, Keoph & Burgess. This leads even more credence to the idea that "Ravenous", which didn't have Moffett, Keoph & Burgess, was an old novel. So, "Bestial" is a sequel to "Ravenous", "Live Girls", and "Night Life", although it is also NOT a sequel to "Live Girls", which is a prequel to "Night Life" whose sequel ("Bestial") IS a sequel to "Ravenous" which has nothing to do with "Live Girls," although "Ravenous" is STILL a sequel, kinda, sorta to "Live Girls". Get it? Me neither. But then I still don't understand why we drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway.

Anyway our intrepid heroes are on assignment to the small town of Big Rock to look into some mysterious happenings, which they do with all of the delicate finesse of me tripping and falling down a flight of stairs.

Meanwhile, since the last novel in this series ("Ravenous") the main werewolf (Irving Taggart) has kept up his activity of intensive inseminations, and his driving efforts have born fruit. One of his (female) pack members has given birth to a bouncing baby wolf, which goes right to solid foods and promptly feasts on another newborn babe.

The novel proceeds at a quick clip as Garton continues to toss plot "twists" at us at a predictable rate. The werechild (Beth) quickly (within a few weeks) goes from toddler to jailbait to Taggert's new sextoy; we are introduced to a new geek (Bob), who is whipped by his fundamentalist Grandmom, his Mom, and his sister, Garton's stand-in (Royce, Bob's friend) rants (and rants) about religion in general and Seventh-Day Adventists in particular; Moffett & Keoph keep in character by trying out for the job as the new village idiots as they have gotten themselves robbed of all of their weapons, and there is a werebaby on the loose in a hospital eating patients.

Oh yeah, and the fate of the world is resting on the shoulders of Bob, Royce, Moffett, Keoph, and a couple of reformed werewomen. We're all doomed. The novel is pretty fast paced stuff, and slickly written, but since it is pretty much played straight, the whole thing isn't as much fun as it should have been, and "Bestial" still leaves itself open for ANOTHER sequel (related to, kinda, sorta, not-at-all to "Live Girls"). And Garton's graphic obsession with sex and rape is still on display, and he STILL sounds like a fourteen-year-old boy who has just read Penthouse's letter section.

In the end, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense, but if you drink enough alcohol you won't care, as it is pretty fast paced mind candy. Unfortunately, you have to read "Ravenous" to truly "enjoy" this epic. I can't tell anybody to read any of the books in this series. I review, you decide. One of Garton's next books will be about killer prostitutes. Garton's brand of classy horror knows no limits.

Bestial picks up right where Ravenous left off and it never slows for a breath!!!

Ray has a knack for weaving a great story with well-rounded characters that you can't help but care about.

Great read!

This sequel has it's twist. I say much because I don't want to spoil it. I hope there's a third book to this series.

Excellent follow-up to Night Life and Ravenous, one that's better than its predecessors.

Karen Moffett and Gavin Keoph, the investigators from Night Life, check out the disappearances and "animal attacks" in Big Rock, at the behest of best-selling horror researcher/author Martin Burgess (also a key character in Night Life).

When they get there, they quickly discover that Big Rock is a bad place to be, if you're not a werewolf.

Garton varies up the plot structure of Bestial, to its benefit: in abandoning the attack/rape/werewolf-out focus-structure of Ravenous (which was a set-up novel), and melding it with the investigative tone of Live Girls and Night Life, he's elevated this 'werewolves in Big Rock' offering to new cinematic, humorous and engrossing heights.

Garton's penchant for reads-like-real-life, open-ended finishes is once again in evidence in Bestial - I have little doubt that another werewolf sequel may find its way to publication soon.

Check this out.

He had the best werewolf written book I have ever read.. It was so awesome I went and ordered ravenous.