How much do you know about the new grocery store that appeared down the block from you one day? You see all kinds of people go in, but you have never seen one come back out. Have you ever wondered where they all went?
A homeless man is eyeing this mysterious new grocery store for packages of meat that have been thrown away. He has survived this way for quite a while, but he finds something he didn’t expect. What he sees should take away any desire to go dumpster diving behind a grocery store.
On his way home, Garrett runs in this new store that seemingly popped up out of nowhere to grab just a few items.
Let’s pretend for just a moment. You make a dash into this new grocery store that is open twenty-four hours. You’re sure the lot this new store is on was vacant only last week, but maybe you are mistaken. Much to your surprise and horror, you find something new in the meat department. Nestled between the packages of beef and chicken, there is a new variety of meat available. This particular type of meat makes you nauseous. You think you might be going crazy or something. And you wonder if anyone is watching you for your reaction. What is this type of meat? It is a human foot: washed, packaged, and ready to cook.
It seems no matter what aisle of the store you are in, there are packaged human body parts for sale. Over in the home interiors section of the store, you can find lampshades made from human skin or ashtrays made out of skulls.
This is just what happens to Garrett in Meat, a deliciously terrifying tale. A quick stop to pick up a few groceries turns into something out of a horror movie. I would run for the doors and leave if I saw something like that in my grocery store, but there is a problem: no one is allowed to leave. There are no signs stating this, but each person who tries to leave is kept from doing so and escorted to the office. They never come back out, at least not in one piece.
The more Garrett sees, the less it looks as if he will ever see his wife again, and it seems to be just as unlikely that he will ever meet his unborn child. Some of the customers walking the aisles of the store have become lost in their own little world, oblivious to what is going on around them. The realization of what is happening has caused them to lose their minds. This horrifying reality has caused others to become defensive and untrusting of anyone. But all of them are horrified. Does Garrett or any of the other customers filling this store ever leave?
If those shopping in this nightmarish store want to get out alive, they must band together and fight their way out. What sort of monster has trapped them all inside this store from hell? Is it cannibals? Or could it be vampires?
These pages of action, gruesomeness, and terror only whetted my appetite for more of the same. Michael Bray, Britain’s answer to Stephen King, has a gift for writing gruesome tales. This one will cause you to look at supermarkets in a different way. It will probably even make you think twice about all of the people you think you know.
No matter how much I kept telling myself that something like this could never happen, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. At times, I think I even held my breath because I was so caught up in the situation these unfortunate shoppers found themselves in. I love horror books, and this one was morbidly captivating.
If you have a weak stomach, you might not be able to handle the horror and brutality that are in this book. If, on the other hand, you love horror stories, this one might gross you out a bit, but you will love it! The ending is satisfying and almost as horrifying as the story itself.
If you don’t like blood, if you have a really weak stomach, or if things easily give you nightmares, you might not want to watch the video trailer.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy, I have provided an Amazon link for this deliciously horrifying and bloody tale below.
Amazon Link: Meat
Recommended Articles:
Restoring the Scare Factor – Guest Post by Michael Bray
Dark Corners: Twelve Tales of Terror – a Review
Favorite Sentences:
The foot was nestled between the vast array of chicken and chunky cuts of beef and housed in a plastic tray on a bed of lettuce.
After a time, such gruesome things as lampshades made from human skin or ashtrays carved from upturned skullcaps became viewable without the reflexive gag or urge to scream.
Garrett watched in horror as he bit her bottom lip away with a horrific wet tearing sound and began to eat it.
His gullet was a deep shade of crimson as slick strands of drool hung from his chin.
Garrett kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead, and did his best to ignore the screams and the wet tearing sounds which seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
About the Author:
Michael Bray is a horror / thriller author of more than ten novels. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, and Brian Lumley, he started to work on his own fiction, and spent many years developing his style.
With books sold in over forty countries and rights optioned for movie versions of his work, he recently signed with Media Bitch literary agency where he intends to take the next step in his writing career. He currently resides in Leeds, England, with his wife Vikki and daughter Abi.
