I hate, hate, hate Darren Rust. No! He is not the author of this book. In fact, Jeff Strand, the author of PRESSURE is simply one of the best writers of the macabre. But, who is this Darren Rust guy? Why do I hate him so much? Think of that asshole when you were in grammar school; the kid who made you go home crying to your parents. The kid who made your life a living hell. Picture that kid a million times worse. That is who Darren Rust is. The thing with Darren is that he not only is a sadistic killer, but throughout the life of lead character, Alex Fletcher, from grade school, college and in life in general, Darren Rust will make Alex’ life a living hell.
PRESSURE is a book that just kicks you in the balls repeatedly. It’s starts off with Alex being sent to a boarding school for troubled boys after he is caught stealing a box of condoms from a local drug store. While at boarding school, he becomes good friends with two of his three roommates, Jeremy and Peter. The three boys have a lot in common and become fast friends. Their other roommate, Darren, however, has a hard time fitting in. There is just something strange about him, but I don’t want to give the details of the book away. However, in Boarding school, something goes down and it’s Darren’s fault. Years later, while Alex is in college, he runs into Darren again. The two make up and become best of friends. But that does not last long, as Darren puts Alex though hell and makes him do something disturbing. Years pass, Alex gets married, but once again Darren comes back and things become worse. I will leave it at that. This book is too good for me to go into more detail.
I’m going to make this review a quick one. I have a lot to say, but I really do not want to spoil this one for anybody. All the reviews for this book have been nothing but positive, and I am just adding to that pile. It is one of those psychological horror novels that will stick with you long after you read it. We all can relate in one way or another to this story, and that is what makes it so dangerous. Jeff Strand has written a novel that is so horrific, so damned scary, that it will leave you paranoid, yet make you more aware of your surroundings. While reading this book, I held my wife and daughter a bit closer each day and thereafter. I wondered if I ever knew anyone that was as crazy as Darren Rust and could commit the crimes that he does in this book. If you really want to know how bad Darren Rust is, he makes Jeffry Dahmer look like Winnie the Pooh. I have never had such anger and hate toward a character in a book, movie or television show in my life.
If you want to feel unsafe in your house, buy this book. If you feel the need to read a book that will scare and horrify you at the same time, well, buy this book. It’s simply a horror masterpiece. Jeff Strand is a writer who really knows how to scare the hell out of you. So far, PRESSURE is the best book I have read this year. I wish I could say more about it, but I simply cannot ruin this one for anyone who has the guts to read it. I never in my life have felt so many different emotions from reading a book from chapter to chapter. It’s the first book that I’ve read that made me cry. It is also the first book that made me double-check the locks on my doors and windows at night. It is a horror novel for the ages.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
