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Heathen #1
Heathen
Chris Ward is killed in a car accident with a pretty girl. His wife never suspected that Chris was having an affair and her feeling of betrayal makes her want to find out how long it had been going on. But her investigations lead her into danger as she is stalked by the evil Sons of Midnight.
403 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1993
7 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Hutson
110Ìýbooks518ÌýfollowersBritish horror novelist, including horror and urban thriller novels.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 22, 2009
First published in 1992, Heathen was Hutson's twenty-eighth full length novel (including the ones under his various pseudonyms). He had already established himself as one of the most prominent authors in the splatterpunk genre. He had some awesome novels under his belt by this time and was well-respected in the whole horror genre. Unfortunately, he then wrote this extremely poor novel. The plot is laughable, the characterization poor, the suspense is tedious and annoying, the storyline is dull and the ending is terribly obvious. Yeah, the novel is packed with action and violence like you would expect from a Hutson novel, but it's lacking that little spark of disturbing energy that he usually injects into his descriptive nature. It seems that he lost his passion for the genre with this novel, and has just churned out another one to keep the publishers happy. Luckily, a year later Hutson released the awesome 'Deadhead' that proved to the world that he was still one of the best splatterpunk writers to date.
January 17, 2014
I am reviewing the horror novel Heathen by Shaun Hutson which is a very good story which I bought from a local secondhand bookstore. This book carefully combines the genres of horror and thriller and is one of Shaun's better books. The plot is a wife's husband has died in a car crash along with a lady who worked with the same publishing company. He was an author but his wallet there is just a business card and most of the items belonging to him are found in her handbag. He had also been working late so it appears they were having an affair. His wife identifies his body and the ladies' brother identifies her. At his funeral 3 smart men in suits who his wife doesn't know act suspiciously and it leads his wife to start her own investigation helped by her sister. Their house is also broken but hardly anything is disturbed which is strange because burglars would normally ransack the place. Their investigation does lead to Dublin and an organisation like the notorious Hell Fire Club of which there was a real club of that name that had members like Aleister Crowley among its members. Anyway in this club it's men only and women who are almost like groupies are used to produce babies for their rituals. Her sister isn't all she seems and the police seem unable to protect his wife from the members of this club. Like a lot of Hutson novels there is a bitter sweet ending and I did enjoy reading it. It's also around 400 pages so is a reasonable length. It's the kind of book you can really get your teeth into.
October 17, 2023
For its first 100 pages, ‘Heathen� is very unHutson: a slow-burn study in grief and betrayal; a discourse on how little we think we know those we love. As secrets from the past and dangers that are all too present close in on tough-as-nails protagonist Donna, widow of a novelist whose approach to research turns out to have been a tad unsavoury, and the narrative morphs into a violent. pacy conspiracy thriller. Then the full-on horror comes crashing in and there’s no doubt any more that the Shaun Hutson we all know and are frankly more than a little afraid of is in the driver’s seat, the needle red-lining and the highway quite definitely unspooling through a hellscape.
November 2, 2023
This was exactly what I expected it to be and you know what? I'm okay with that. Donna was a badass.
June 6, 2022
Not exactly what I had expected. It’s very gory and detailed, definitely not for those who are light hearted. It contains scenes of murder, torture, lots of gun violence, suicide and all of this is written in extreme detail making it extremely gory and unpleasant.
It’s a cult horror fiction book but I expected it to be a more supernatural, ghost related story but it’s in fact a rather intense, gory and if I’m honest I would say over the top detailed book.
Absolutely not for anyone under 18 due to the sex scenes, death, torture, murder, suicide, language which as I said is all written in extreme detail.
Personally, I wouldn’t read it again because I found the level of gore and detail and language was OTT and wasn’t always needed. It felt like the author was using harsh, adult language and details for the sake of it, sometimes it felt like a 13year old who had just started to use swear words had written it, while at other times it felt like the author had gone way too far with the details and specific imagery which made it unsettling.
However, if you like unsettling horrors that make you wonder wtf is going on inside the authors mind then maybe this one’s for you??
It’s a cult horror fiction book but I expected it to be a more supernatural, ghost related story but it’s in fact a rather intense, gory and if I’m honest I would say over the top detailed book.
Absolutely not for anyone under 18 due to the sex scenes, death, torture, murder, suicide, language which as I said is all written in extreme detail.
Personally, I wouldn’t read it again because I found the level of gore and detail and language was OTT and wasn’t always needed. It felt like the author was using harsh, adult language and details for the sake of it, sometimes it felt like a 13year old who had just started to use swear words had written it, while at other times it felt like the author had gone way too far with the details and specific imagery which made it unsettling.
However, if you like unsettling horrors that make you wonder wtf is going on inside the authors mind then maybe this one’s for you??
January 14, 2022
This was my first Shaun Hutson book and I mostly enjoyed it. It sort of felt like a Lifetime TV drama from the early nineties for the first quarter or so but then it very quickly took off with the horror. I definitely like Mr. Hutson's writing style with short paragraphs and short chapters and his dramatics and cliffhangers at the end of most chapters made me want to read as much as possible during every opportunity I had. There were elements of this story that reminded me a lot of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (published 11 years later) that were just as exciting as Brown's novel. My only negative was one scene around the middle of the book that was a little too "torture porn" for my taste but there were many other scenes that were horrific and gory in detail that I really enjoyed.
February 17, 2022
Heathen is by far the most pointless book I've ever read. There's little I can say I liked, other than the fact it had short chapters. BUT, these short chapters went absolutely nowhere. You have honestly read half of the book if you've read the blurb. The horror bits are seriously grim (cutting of an infants head) and even though some would say this is too far, that's what I believe horror is for to shock, to gross and to scare you senseless. Though most of this book is a thriller not horror but because the plot is so basic, I couldn't care less about guns blazing. The author practically tells you what the twists are at the beginning of the novel. Sorry Shaun, I don't know what your modern tales are like but I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
January 21, 2018
It was quite good and managed to keep me captivated the whole way through hence why I was able to finish the day I picked it up. There were some parts where I was just kinda like "Oh, come on." but I over looked those and kept reading. The plot twist were mostly predictable but I did not expect that the sister was having an affair with the husband, I just thought she had an unnatural and weird crush on him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2022
This was another of my cover buys, it's an omnibus edition alongside Nemesis.
Thought this was okay. Though it's more crime horror than straight out horror it's still more than just readable and like the best thrillers it's pretty engrossing too.I
Donna wants answers to her husband's recent death but the more she !earns, the closer and moves to danger. The Sons of Midnight have killed before and will do so again if anybody gets too close so does Donna venture on or would she be wise to let sleeping things lie?
Thought this was okay. Though it's more crime horror than straight out horror it's still more than just readable and like the best thrillers it's pretty engrossing too.I
Donna wants answers to her husband's recent death but the more she !earns, the closer and moves to danger. The Sons of Midnight have killed before and will do so again if anybody gets too close so does Donna venture on or would she be wise to let sleeping things lie?
January 1, 2019
A nice easy read. Not the best from the author but a good storyline which zips along. Finding the truth about close ones after a tragedy then weaving in to secret society. A bit dated now but still s good read.
August 8, 2022
Somewhat repetitive, sometimes slowly moving, the concept and climax kick this book into an above average rating. I only wish that some of the late-arriving ideas had been further explored earlier in the story.
June 30, 2023
A simple horror thriller, but still enjoyable. It definitely hinges more on the action and gore side of things rather than terror, as the paranormal aspects of the storyline are not fleshed out super well. An easy fast paced read though. The ending is predictable and it’s definitely not Hutson’s best work, but overall a good book.
June 1, 2020
Not bad but bizaare how Mr Hutson resurrected Christopher Ward for Hybrid. Quite a fast moving
read although the ending could have been better. One of Shaun's better books.
read although the ending could have been better. One of Shaun's better books.
January 7, 2021
Was quickly paced until the last 50 pages, then it just trickled off. Wasn’t particularly memorable. Twists were predictable.
October 22, 2023
Nothing stellar, really. Terrible and in-your-face, but kept me entertained me for a day.
January 11, 2025
Brilliant story that I could not put down. I loved the pace of the story it kept me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait to read the next book. I definitely recommend reading this book.
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September 14, 2022Thus far, I have not found a Shaun Hutson novel I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. This one was no different.
While perhaps I don't hold it in the same regard I hold Hutson's 'Shadows' (which I highly recommend to thriller/horror/psychological lovers), it was another one of those can't-put-it-down, really-want-to-finish-in-one-sitting delights. The ending wasn't as suspenseful as I'd hoped (or hoped not - the ending of Stolen Angels made me literally cry in class with frustration), but it was still amazing.
There was one passage in particular that made me feel almost as nauseous as that bit in American Psycho... that bit with the rats? You know what I'm on about.
Much more action-based than the others I've read, but he still writes amazingly. This man can do no wrong (although I do wonder at his psychological state).
TRIGGER WARNING: Contains infanticide, cults/secret orders, and extreme violence and sexual references.
While perhaps I don't hold it in the same regard I hold Hutson's 'Shadows' (which I highly recommend to thriller/horror/psychological lovers), it was another one of those can't-put-it-down, really-want-to-finish-in-one-sitting delights. The ending wasn't as suspenseful as I'd hoped (or hoped not - the ending of Stolen Angels made me literally cry in class with frustration), but it was still amazing.
There was one passage in particular that made me feel almost as nauseous as that bit in American Psycho... that bit with the rats? You know what I'm on about.
Much more action-based than the others I've read, but he still writes amazingly. This man can do no wrong (although I do wonder at his psychological state).
TRIGGER WARNING: Contains infanticide, cults/secret orders, and extreme violence and sexual references.
December 15, 2008
I really enjoyed this one. While not great literature it kept me engaged the entire time and the flow of the story was good. This so far is the best of the Hutson I've read besides Erebus and that one kind of holds a special place in my heart being my first Hutson *blush*
April 1, 2010
An enjoyable fairly fast paced story with believable characters and a creative and imaginative storyline, a page turner that keeps the readers interest without going overboard
June 1, 2013
Was enjoying the book but the ending was very abrupt leaving it flat
October 8, 2014
long gory, but too much. ending too abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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