Customer Reviews

Death's Door

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

 

 

Once upon a time, "Michael Slade" wrote original, interesting stories with well-nuanced characters in a sub-genre of "splatterpunk". But that was 20 years ago, and the original authors behind the Slade name (John Banks, Jay Clarke, Lee Clarke, Richard Covell) have dispersed, leaving the father-daughter team of Jay and Rebecca Clarke to trade in on the earlier "glories", and all we get are the now-standard "Special X" characters and a franchise name. Pity. OK, I'll concede that there is a veneer of intelligence usually lacking in graphic (as in "gore-riddled") crime fiction, but just sticking a bibliography at the end of every book doesn't necessarily make that book intelligent in and of itself. "Death's Door" is the most egregrious example of laurel-resting I've come across in a looooong time, worse even than Stephen King's last two or three thousand books. Not only are the major characters recycled, including the villian ("Mephisto", oh, dear.....), they are now recycled cardboard. Zinc Chandler gets to bang his head (again - poor man would be in an institution by now), DeClerq gets to act the swell and brood (alternately), "Ghost Keeper" is even more of a stereotype than his last appearance, as is Ed "Mad Dog" Rabidowski (full-blown psychotic now), and the rest of the crew, well, what did you expect?

I really hate it when an author can't break new ground and instead feels entitled to dish out familiar material to an apparently easily-satisfied fan-base. Believe me, if this was "Michael Slade's" *first* novel, no publisher would touch it.

Do yourself a favor: if you've already read the first four Slade books ("Headhunter" through "Cutthroat"), you've read all that's *worth* reading. You can stop now and pick up something else, something different, original, and not continue to encourage sloppy, condescending, franchise gunk.

Slade, if you come up with something OFF of the "Special X" gravy train you've been riding a little *too* long, I'll be delighted to check it out. Otherwise: you've sold me your last book.

After following the adventures of Mounty Robert DeClercq and his cohorts in Special X through some 10 reincarnations, I can proudly say that I have discovered something called Thriller Writer's Stress Syndrome (TWSS). It appears as a drive by a writer (or writers, in this case) to outdo previous volumes in a series in number of victims slaughtered, frequency of slaughters, or grossness of means. "Death's Door" certainly attempts to set a new standard for acreage of surgically ruined corpses. And for total number of psychotics between two covers. And for the most extensive number of side-bar lectures used to fatten a plot (more about this later).

What starts out as an investigation into the bloodthirsty theft of a rare mummy that spans two continents, turns into the discovery of a snuff film studio, which then turns into the unmasking of what could best be described as a medical mayhem club, which... You get the idea, every chapter of two the killings get worse and the killers get crazier. This time we also get a case of incessant cliffhangers. I cannot tell if it is deliberate, or accidental, but the book turns into an outrageous parody of the entire hack and slash genre. It is funny in a "you dropped the coffin on my foot" way.

It would be much more effective if the writers would interrupt the plot less often for a lecture on anything from paraphilia to which side of their brains Native Americans use to think. It is simply too much information - often distracting, and in the last case, more than a trifle offensive. The writer's who make up Slade have always been prone to excess, but the last few volumes have been less successful at walking the thin line between a thriller and an encyclopedia of the grotesque. This time the overload manages to distract from the intensity of the plot and reduce the impact of the crimes.

Despite all this, it is quite possible to like the underlying style despite its foibles. Especially if the reader has a taste for the ridiculous, which I admit I do. The Slade books can be an enjoyable way to fill a few hours of life's tedium. But don't expect the bone-jarring horror of the first few volumes in the series. This is mayhem a la mode.

Michael Slade just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait for the next installment in the fight between DeClercq and arch villian, Mephisto. It is bloody and sadistic, but that is the nature of the villian -- someone who knows no restrait in his desire for the ultimate pleasure and we don't know yet what that is. You can see Mephisto going deeper and deeper into evil and DeClercq and crew doing their best to stop him. Couldn't put down and rates five stars (I normally don't give more than four).

I you were to ask me a few days ago if I was interested in learning a little bid more about mummification, snuff films, torture, or Hollywood film trivia, I would have said "no, what?, no and no" (in that order). Throw in DeClercq, Slade's perennial mounted hero, into the mix plus the usual carnage that follows and, yes, maybe I'll take a chance on my fourth Slade whirlwind novel. I took the shot. It was a bulls-eye!

From the constant interruption of clumsy and intrusive exposition, commentary, lectures, and ramblings that bring the pacing of this story to a crawl, to the large and forgettable cast of cookie-cutter characters, this book is a great example of some of the most common mistakes in bad fiction. The one I found most irrating was the authors' refusal to consistently refer to characters using the same name.

"Blah blah," said the Cree.
"Blah blah," said Chandler.
"Blah blah," said Mad Dog.
"Blah blah," said Ed.
"Blah blah," said Zinc.
"Blah blah," said the sergeant.
"Blah blah," said Ghost Rider.
"Blah blah," said Rabidowski.

Three different characters referred to in eight different ways on the same page. That's just bad writing.

Possibly his very best offering yet. Following close on the heels of Hangman but a little bit more intense and nasty. Those who liked his previous material will definitely not be disappointed. I could not put this book down!! Michael Slade has (erroneously) been compared to Stephen King by some people who should know better. These idiots don't know what the hell they're talking about! It's obvious that they have either never read Stephen King or else they haven't bothered to check out Michael Slade! It's like saying that Chaucer and Keats are similar because they both wrote prose! Stephen King writes fiction in a sort of grown-up horror fairytale style. Michael Slade writes horror thrillers based on REAL human experience...no magical, mythical creatures nor any witches or dopplegangers there ... All that Michael Slade writes is based on a combination of things or parts thereof, which human beings have actually done to each other at one time or another. That's what makes him so effective!

I've rarely ever been so disappointed by novel I purchased as I was by Michael Slade's (Father and Daughter team) Death's Door.

Before leaving the book store I had read the first chapter of the novel and was intrigued by the theft of the Mummy. And I when I read the back of the book I thought it held the possibility of maybe being a real page turner. However, as I've already said I was gravely disappointed by it.

This book seemed to be more like a cheesey action film in print, with parts of a term paper on Egyptology thrown in for good measure inbetween. True, I have never read any other Slade works, and I know that Death's door is just a part in a series of novels dealing with the same character(s), so maybe I am lacking some necessary insight, but this is definitely a novel that sadly disappointed me.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" right? Wrong. In Slade's case, the same old formula needs not just fixing, it needs a total revamp. Here's the same template the authors have used since the first book Headhunter - a child gets sexually warped during his or her formative years (usually an incident involving a parent), the pyschosis gets surpressed for years until for some unknown reason it gets triggered when the child becomes an adult, that person then becomes the prime killer or hooks up with some madman bent on an insane scheme that if successful, will garner immeasurable riches. Interspersed inside this template are boring history lessons that some readers might find interesting, but are usually forgotten once the lesson is over. Sounds familiar right? The same framework was used in Headhunter, Ghoul, Cutthroat and now Death's Door and loosely fits the others. Yes I admit I've read all the books but the last two (Hangman and Death's Door) were read more out of hope that the authors might come up with something new than with any real relish for the tales concerned. Like another reviewer here, I too found myself skimming the pages out of sheer frustration. And perhaps the most damning indictment was that I've stopped reading it altogether for three weeks because I've completely lost interest (I'm 40 pages from the end but don't really care how it ends).If the authors don't revamp their storytelling, I won't be the only one losing interest.

I finished Michael Slade's 'Death's Door' the other night, and the read was well worth the wait and sleepless hours before finishing. All the favorites sleuths of 'Special X' are in attendance, either diectly or obliquely. With DeClerq ridin' herd through a string of grisly female mutilations and murders scattered over Vancouver and the islands between there and Washington State. Familiar hunting grounds for those who have followed the series for any length of time. The underlying theme throughout is beauty and youth and death. With a splendid Slade-ian twist involving a trio of extremely bent, buckled and distorted bad guys. Each more sick than the last. With 'The Director' pulling the strings of 'The Doctor' and 'The Undertaker'. Throw in a Mummy. A heavyweight Porn King whose stock and trade is Custom Made films for the more discerning patrons of Fluff and Snuff. Everything you ever wanted to know about Embalming. Ancient Egypt. The Fountain Of Youth. A serious fling between DeClerq and Dr. Gillian Macbeth. Plus several cliff hanging rescues with Ghost Keeper and 'Mad Dog'Rabidowski and you'll have just one HELL of a good time! Better than either 'Burnt Bones', 'Primal Scream', and 'Hangman'. Definitely on a par with 'Headhunter' and 'Ripper'.... Enjoy Sladists!!!!

This was the first book I read by Slade, and I was surprised how amatuerish it was, being their tenth book. There was a considerable amount of research put into this book, and it was appreciated, but it's no substitute for good storytelling. A good story should draw you in, making you feel like a part of what's going on. Slade makes you feel that you're being told about something they experienced themselves, and the occasional personal opinions they throw in only only pull you farther away. They draw heavily from Stephen King, but they should leave it to those who do it well. Allusions are made only to have them immediately explained in detail. Slade must think we're ignoramuses! They also kept beating us over the head with the idea of how important beauty is in Hollywood. Enough already! We get it! We were aware of it long before Death's Door was written!