High Life - Matthew Stokoe (Akashic books)
After "Cows" and its meaty violence extravaganza, here is the long-awaited new novel by Englad's most hard-boiled writer alive, Matthew Stokoe. Somewhere between Brett Easton Ellis, for his vain and name-dropping characters, and James Ellroy, for his "noir" atmosphere, "High life" tells the story of Jack, a loser who jerks off watching gossip magazines and is married to a whore. When she's discovered disemboweled, he starts looking for the murderer, all the while being chased by a vice cop with a taste for unorthodox sex. After meeting a rich woman who helps him fulfill his dream of being on TV, he thinks he finally belongs in the "in" crowd, but there'll be hell to pay…
Not for the faint at heart, this novel unveils the seedy stories behind Hollywood's glitter and glitz. From golden/roman showers to necrophilia to incest to snuff, Jack will be caught, quite willfully, in a string of highly illegal and obnoxious events. If you like unflinching insights into man's darker designs and desires, you will find this an unputdownable page-turner. If you're put off by graphic and gratuitous depictions of violence, sexual perversions and unapologetically cynical characters, go back to Bridget Jones's diary.
Marie Lecocq
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