Customer Reviews

Pressure (Leisure Fiction)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you've not previously read anything by Jeff Strand there couldn't possibly be a better place for you to start than with his new release, Pressure. Though Strand is the author of over a dozen books, including the outstanding Andrew Mayhem series, with the publication of Pressure Strand has taken his already incredible talent to another level entirely.

What would you do if your best friend turned out to be a sociopathic killer? One who was obsessed with you and everything about your life? That's the situation Alex faces when his friend Darren becomes increasingly manipulative and violent over the course of their relationship. Starting when they meet at boarding school, Pressure follows the twisted relationship between Alex and Darren as it builds from kids being cruel, to young men pushing boundaries, to adults who end up in the fight of their lives, figuratively and literally, against each other.

Pressure is very aptly titled because the pressure in this book builds relentlessly... almost to the point of uncomfortableness at times it is so skillfully written. Strand pushes Alex to the brink over and over, seeing just how much he and the reader can take, before finally pushing him over the edge for a climactic showdown that will leave you both stunned and impressed at its unflinching, uncompromising resolution.

Like the best of Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, or Richard Laymon, PRESSURE has some scenes that will make you wince and squirm. But it also makes you think, makes you feel, and most of all, makes you keep reading.

Nerve-wracking, well-written, and deceptively touching, this is an exhilarating, jaw-dropping thrillride that you'll remember for a long, long time.

Yeah, I liked it a lot. Here are some other appropriate modifiers: scary, funny, creepy, and fast-paced.

What's it about? Two childhood friends, and their relationship on into adulthood. The main problem is that one of them is a stone cold psychopath, and bent on destroying the other, body and soul. Think Fatal Attraction meets Stand By Me.

Strand's earlier Andrew Mayhem novels were a clever mix of gruesome and amusing. This has its light touches, but overall it is a much darker work than Strand has ever attempted. In fact, it's darker than most books I've ever read.

Pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Jeff is sort-of a cross between Jack Ketchum and Ted Dekker, yet with his own unique style - amidst the intensity of this novel, he is still able to inject just enough humor to keep your heart from bursting from the anticipation of what is going to happen next. This book was outstanding!

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There are countless ways for authors to instill terror, but none so effective as exposing the cruelty hiding in the human heart. Jeff Strand does this - flawlessly - in his first mass market release. In a visceral narrative voice spiced with beguiling wit, Strand shows readers that humans are capable of far worse things than any supernatural monster.

When only twelve, Alex Fletcher discovers an awful thing: his parents don't want him around. After his petty theft from a local drug store, (sparked by a dare), he's summarily shipped off to boarding school at Branford Academy. Luckily for him, he makes fast friends with two of his three roommates, Peter and Jeremy. His third roommate isn't all that bad, but Darren is distant, quiet...always writing in a journal, mostly keeping to himself. However, as he slowly warms up, Alex senses something odd about the withdrawn boy. It unsettles him, but intrigues him, also.

All too soon, they discover Darren's true nature. A manipulative schemer with no remorse or conscience, Darren systematically dismantles their lives. Peter gets expelled, Jeremy is accused of attacking Darren, and suddenly Alex is cut off from help. He waits the school year out for Darren's next move. It never comes. Darren, however, hasn't gone away for good. He's waiting to finish the job. He'll keep coming back, again and again, until both his and Alex's lives bleed together into streams of violence and sinister manipulation.

The novel's tone is pitch-perfect. Strand masterfully captures the teenage voice, then transitions smoothly as the characters grow to adulthood. Also, he presents the reader with far worse horrors: dismissive parents who don't care, rigid schoolmasters bent on conformity at all costs, and unbelieving friends. Perhaps most importantly, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel...it's just a really long, bloody, dark tunnel.

This book pulls you in and doesn't let go. I didn't mind the typical flight delays on my recent trip because it let me read this book! It really shows you the cruelty inside people, and their love/hate relationship with those they think of as friends/enemies. Great read!

An ugly childhood incident leads to a lifetime of horror for Alex Fletcher when, as an adult, he becomes the object of a serial killer he shared a room with back in his reform school days. Darren Rust is an insane sociopath, and Alex's worst nightmare come true. The author sets a taut psychological stage for both main characters from boyhood to manhood, and demonstrates how some decisions can truly change a person's life, sending it in directions no one ever expected to go.

Well-written and unflinchingly terrifying, this book is not for the squeamish, but if you're a fan of Stephen King and/or horror movies, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

This is a strong book that always keeps yo guessing and on the edge of your seat. I think that this author writes some nice pieces of written masterpiece!

Another GREAT book by Strand. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I had to keep taking short breaks reading this book to keep from having a stroke, lol. I am a huge fan of Strand and again he came through with a WINNER!

I'm 51 and have been reading horror novels since I was 14. I have my Kindle loaded with all the the biggies (Kilborn, Lee, Crouch, etc) and I have to say that this was one of the most enjoyable novels that I've ever read. The pacing was flawless and the characters well developed.

Good quick read but the end was lackluster. I am not going to give anything away here but i was disappointed. Overall the book was exciting though and kept my attention. Serial killers intrigue me and this was no different.