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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A GRUESOME TERROR RIDE!, February 10, 2007
This review is from: The Long Last Call (Hardcover)
John Skipp's latest novel, "The Long Last Call" is a battle of good vs. evil played out against the backdrop of a seedy, roadside strip club. Hank's girlfriend has just broken up with him and he is teetering on the edge of madness. Driving down a lonely stretch of road, haunted by persistent destructive hallucinations, Hank happens on a strip club called Wild Thangs and decides to stop in for last call. Skipp's last call for Hank is both literally and figuratively as the drunken man envisions blowing out his brains right in front of the stage.
Skipp nails down to a perfect "T" all the usual denizens of lower tier strip clubs; There's Darnell the bouncer who fancies himself hero to the dancers for walking them to their cars after closing time; Daisy the young rookie, unskilled as a dancer but making up for it with looks and a body that haven't yet been eroded by years of abuse; Ambrosia, the self-appointed queen bee among the dancers and sexual toy for the club's owner, Eddie. And of course there's the usual group of drunken red necks, hooting and hollering and spending the last dollar of their meager paychecks.
Eddie owns the club and it's his private little empire despite the fact that he is in debt up to his ears. Eddie's sister works form him handling the club's finances so he doesn't put it all up his nose. She's also the club's house mom, watching over the dancers as if they were her own daughters. Just as last call is announced, a mysterious stranger walks into the bar, dark and handsome...and completely terrifying to Hank who is able to see past the glistening veneer.
This Dark Stranger stars tossing money around, lots of money, and soon the entire bar is at attention. The dancers all fight for his attention while Eddie plays the cordial host, making sure is guest has everything he wants. And what he wants is the bar to close so he can enjoy a private with the dancers and the other patrons. Only Mom, suspecting something isn't right about the stranger, decides to leave at closing time. As the door locks behind her, the terror is about to begin... As one would expect from one of the founders of the splatterpunk scene, the action turns gory and gruesome before long.
I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've sat down to read a book and finished it in one sitting and this was one of those times. It wasn't a long book at 182 pages, but what there was moved at breakneck speed as the entire story was played out over a couple of hours. Each of the character's personalities were right on the money without becoming caricatures. The feeding frenzy that takes place when the dark stranger starts throwing money around is evidence of the desperate lives that these women lead.
The Long Last Call hits the road with the petal to the floor and never lets off the gas. If you are a stripper, you might want to think twice the next time that high-roller saunters into the club. You just never know what his true intentions are...
Reviewed by Tim Janson
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unapologetic showdown, September 24, 2008
When I saw that Fangoria gave this book praise on the cover I knew I had to have it. This is an extremely fast read one can easily finish this in one evening if uninterrupted since John Skipp is a talented writer. His style is very fluid and easy to understand and he doesn't shy away from writing whatever his imagination dictates but I didn't find this terribly scary or over the top gory. I've read heavier books so this was a nice morsel but nothing that would shock me, if anything it was the teasing he did with the reader, luring the mind into his tale without revealing what exactly is about to perspire. I can see how this can be compared to movies such as From Dusk to Dawn, although there are no vampires - there is however a rowdy strip club fight at the end that made for a really fun read.
When a dark stranger walks into a strip club called Sweet Thangs in middle of nowhere, he changes the lives of everyone inside. His expensive clothes, tight leather gloves and suitcase brimming with money are nothing but a façade, a way to get into people's weak mind. The closing hours are winding down but the strippers and everyone inside notice the wealth that came through and no one wants to go home. He enjoys the way he captures everyone's attention as they vie for his riches, little do they know that he brings more than cold hard cash; he's the harbinger of doom in ways that they can't even imagine. I can't say too much; it would spoil the glorious buildup that Skipp masterfully creates but the book was entertaining and explosive, especially towards the end. With names like Ambrosia, Pearl and Kristal, the strippers didn't shy away from being catty and over the top, but it was the money and the mysterious slick residue that coated it that brought out the real freak from inside out, each character in the novel showed who they really were and nothing can mesmerize a human like a dollar bill, or a stacks of hundreds to be precise.
I enjoyed the lovingly written intro for John Skipp, done by Brian Keene. I can see Skipp's influence on his style of writing and why he's such a big fan. It was certainly nice to see what horror writers like to read themselves.
- Kasia S.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fast Read!!, July 21, 2008
According to the introduction, by Brian Keene, Skipp originally wrote this book, as a screenplay, though no one would hire him to make it because he was a first time director. After reading this book, I would think that it would be the perfect movie, for a first time director. . . Hopefully one day it will get made, as it will make for an awesome movie!
This book is an extremely fast read, (couple hours - tops) with excellent character development and a cool plot.
Review of Conscience (a Bonus Novella, included with The Long Last Call)
I do not know if it is just because I read this, right after reading The Long Last Call, or what, but this short story was just okay. It started off good, and then became muddled in the middle, though luckily it ended superbly!
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