GENRE: Horror/Thriller
AUTHOR: Nate Southard
PUBLISHER: Madness Heart Press
RELEASE DATE: 1/15/24
At a grimy strip club a young man enjoys a first night out with his group of friends after a length of time. The performer “Porcelain” comes on stage, begins to captivate, then reveals a firearm and opens fire. She dispatches a few patrons before the weapon is turned on herself. Authorities drag this young man from the club as he reels in shock.
While many of us have been advised to avoid head-hopping when creating fiction, Nate Southard has shattered this rule with abandon.
Comedian Jason Hawks is rudely awoken by a phone call from Detective Michael Frazier, who reveals that his high school ex-girlfriend Andrea was the perpetrator of the resulting massacre. Jason performs his comedy set despite this unsettling news. A cocaine-fueled romp with a waitress from the nightclub he performed at occurs. In his drug-addled haze, the waitress appears to him as his ex, Andrea. He dismisses the image, but is obviously shaken. The waitress calms him, and departs for the evening.
Jason struggles to keep his remaining tour dates as scheduled. He manages to perform as expected and ultimately returns to Cincinnati to settle his memories, reconcile, and reconnect with his old classmates.
While he debates stopping at a liquor store, readers are assured that the cause of Andrea’s violence was a shared experience at an abandoned factory, an event that maintained its grasp with varied firmness across the entire pack.
Jason reunites with his old pal, Collin. After many beverages are consumed, Collin shares from his perspective what happened that night, long ago.
The remaining members of this group meet for Andrea’s funeral.While in mourning, they all decide to investigate the circumstances that led to Andrea’s violent break with reality.
Prior class member Shelly begins flirting with Jason. They consummate this mutual attraction. He then visits the club where Andrea worked and has his own flashback to the factory floor, and the group’s shared experience.
Unlike my own class reunions, I was heartily entertained by this one, and the generation-spanning salacious secrets that are uncovered.