Book Review - "A Hot Dose of Hell" by Steve Stark

My first reaction when I finished Mr Stark’s stunning debut novel was that I needed a 6-star rating option, ’cos 5 simply ain’t enough!  Alas, 5 stars it will have to be.
I truly love the indie author scene – it’s a gift that keeps giving as one discovers more and more superb writing, with wonderful and talented authors delivering honest and freely expressed stories, away from the woke and censorious editors at the major publishing houses.
Horror is not my normal reading genre, although of late my forays into the indie author scene have brought me a wider range of reading, and that is a great thing.
I can’t give enough praise to this book.  It’s a hell of a storyline with non-stop action.  In the climactic scene, I was almost as out of breath as the protagonists, although thankfully I wasn’t fighting off drug-addled zombies.  Stark’s descriptive abilities on the page are outstanding, be it characters, action, or places.  The rundown British seaside town, Scarmouth, is perfectly drawn, reminding me of a couple I have seen over the years.  If you enjoy some gore and violence, this novel takes them to a whole new level.  At the same time, there’s no shortage of rich characterisation, and Stark’s obvious compassion for those people who have ended up trodden into the gutter by life is a warm and human aspect to the story.  Many of the characters we can feel something for, as flawed as they are, and there are some despicable ones, too.  Then there are the touches of Establishment and/or corporate manipulation of society, compounding everyone’s misery.  A novel for our times, indeed.  And as if that’s not enough to feed our reading hunger, then there’s the satirical humour.  Stark’s utter demolition of the virtue-signalling, woke, bourgeois middle-class is simply divine to read and laugh out loud at times.  No spoilers, but boy, do they get what they deserve!  There were humorous moments when I was reminded of Tom Sharpe, one of the greatest British comedic authors and a favourite of mine when it comes to satire.  And at risk of this putting me in a depraved light (wouldn’t be the first time!), the scene with one of Scarmouth’s monster seagulls being beaten by one of the main henchmen had me splitting my sides with laughter.
This book is an amazing achievement and, given it’s Stark’s first novel, I can only salivate at what’s to come.  Bravo, Mr Stark, and please keep writing, because, as for the end of any great performance, the crowd is on its feet shouting ENCORE!
Cheers, ABP