Review: ‘Jackals’ by Stuart R. Brogan

Jackals by Stuart R. Brogan
CreateSpace (January 2017)
356 pages; $13.95 hardback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

I don’t know about you, but I hate it when I’m reading a horror novel and I know who’s gonna die. Jackals is NOT one of those novels and I loved it. It begins with a big surprise and delivers one powerful punch after another, right to the unexpected end.

Imagine an organization simply known as The Order, which exists merely to recruit teams for the purpose of committing horrible acts of violence. The Order finds killers known as The Selected who then recruit three other killers. These teams of four are called “Jackals.” They only have one rule: NO GUNS…beyond that, pretty much anything goes.

For example…

She stood on the WPC’s head and tugged at the ax that was firmly wedged in the policewoman’s skull. With a little effort and snapping of the bone it came free. Rosie turned and headed for the canteen door. She was happy again and wanted to find more people to play with.

There are plenty of twists to keep the reader off balance and richly drawn characters to both root for and against.

I do feel compelled to share a bit of a warning here. Different folks look for different things from their horror. This is one of the most violent books I have ever read. It is brutal beyond words, but if you’re up to it, Jackals is one bloody, bold, bodacious, bad-ass read. Thoroughly recommended.