Special X series

For those of you who like horror novels, I highly recommend the Special X series by Michael Slade; they are all on Wicked's Re-Readable book list. Insanely graphic murder mysteries with a mix of history, occult themes, and law enforcement investigation strategies. I do not plan to touch upon every book in the series, but I urge anyone who likes this type of reading material - and thinks they can sleep with the lights after - to hightail it to their local library, bookstore, or ebook* seller to snatch up the whole series. 

Genre: Horror/Mystery
Subgenre: Canadian police procedural (RCMP)

Special X series by Michael Slade
Headhunter, Ghoul, Cutthroat, Ripper, Zombie (Evil Eye), Primal Scream, Burnt Bones, Hangman, Death's Door, Bed of Nails, Swastika, Kamikaze, Crucified, Red Snow, & 1 in progress as of 2013.

This series follows the creation of a special division within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) dedicated to hunting psycho killers, the members of the department, the cases they investigate, and the impact these case have on their personal & professional lives.

Michael Slade is the pen name for Jay Clarke and his various collaborators (wife, law partners, & daughter). Capitalizing on his experience as a criminal lawyer and his many contacts within the Canadian law enforcement community, Slade has created a uniquely believable world combining historical fact and gothic occult subculture with a good ol' fashioned whodunit.

While none of Slade's books are lacking, my favorite by far is Ripper. Slade takes the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Jack the Ripper legend, adds a nod to an Agatha Christie plot device with a grotesquely gruesome twist, and the resulting story is Wickedly Re-Readable.

And you can't go wrong with the Special X series when Slade's background research for book 15 includes discussions with members of Rammstein!

Be aware, no one is safe from Slade's murderous machinations.

*Note: not all of Slade's books are available in e-format yet. However, there's something to be said about reading paperback horror novels late at night when the rasping of the pages being turned sounds like monsters breathing down your neck. 

Have a Wicked week!