The best ‘most disturbing’ books that you can not put down

This infamous child killers work remains banned in my home country (UK) but is widely available online. Brady and Hindley (his partner) were child killers, both incarcerated for life and both died in prison.

This book was read for curiosity only, whilst writing my own ‘inside the mind of a psychopathic killer’ narrative, I wanted to understand how a ‘real serial killer’ would really think. He wrote The Gates of Janus whilst incarcerated at Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital.

Brady’s intention was that it be published anonymously, however, this could never be allowed to happen. It is in 2 parts 1) He describes his involvement in the 6 murders from the perspective of ‘understanding himself’ and part 2) His advice as offered to law enforcement in solving such future cases (in this it falls flat).

I recommend it only if you want to understand his thought process – just as Hitler’s Mein Kampf, it is graphic narcissism at its worst and is a book that is quite unreadable at best.

Read for research purposes only, there is no pleasure to be found in this one.

As I was writing my first novel based on the relationship between killer and psychologist I needed inspiration. I wanted to recreate a narrative that was deeply disturbing but avoided conventional horror clichés.

I’d always loved the film, a staple for any horror fan, but had never read the book: It brought home just how much of one’s imagination as a reader is lost in film.

To enjoy Silence of The Lambs, the contents of Red Dragon are not necessary – there are only a few brief references to Francis Dolarhyde and Will Graham, and in no way do these references detract the reader from what is, I believe, one of the best novels I have ever read.

Like a great wine it ages perfectly. 

I had never heard of Koontz until my wife said to me that my work had huge similarities. She is an avid horror reader, I am not – and to be honest I had always preferred films.

If I was going to have my first novel pigeon-holed then this is where she felt it would sit. It was her finding of the onslaught of vulgarity in my own text (of my killer’s rantings) that drew these similarities. I asked her which book was best to start with and she suggested the title: The Darkest Evening of the Year.

I did see similarities in style – a suspense thriller that incorporates the elements of graphic horror, of sexual fantasy, a good dose of science fiction, and of course; suspense and mystery. It was interesting to see how a reader would separate the text of the creator - from them as the author.

I asked her to sum up Koontz in one word. She replied - misogynist! That is not a badge of honour that I would like to wear and confirmed to me that it was the correct decision to hold my first novel back until others were later completed.

I appreciate that this may be quite random but I had to read it to obtain multiple references as the wider plot grew into that of the Gabriel Sect – when the original killer develops a ‘fan club’.

I am now an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church – but I am not Christian. I believe in both freedom of and freedom from religion.

I certainly do not set out to offend anyone and welcome all faiths and alternate beliefs, but this I would say. If the Holy Bible were to be published today, given the huge doses of incest, sodomy, and extreme violence it contains, it would be considered - unsuitable for children.

I wanted to understand how specific biblical and ancient texts could be exploited by cults, I naturally chose the worst. I appreciate that this is counteracted by equal doses of kindness and goodness within the Bible and that such stories are not ‘literal’.

I had to put myself in the mindset of my character and the ways that this cult could pervert it. I hope you under the context here, it was simply from the position that if I wanted to set up a cult of killers, which bits (The words of God) would I use to defend my actions as divinely acceptable…

Had I been writing the book today I would be using Chad & Lori Daybell for such references.

This just must be one of the greatest contemporary novels ever written.

For me Benchley’s work is perfection. I hope that in one hundred years people look back on Jaws with the same appreciation that we have for Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, today. This is the only fiction novel I have ever read where I would – change nothing!

Spielberg did in the movie, the focus being ‘stop the shark’ but the book is so much more complex – the book is about human greed, and the shark, whilst centre stage is not the central focus. As a new writer this is the quality of penmanship I aspire to, Benchley’s brilliance.

Don’t be put of by ‘it’s over 50 years old’ and/or ‘but it can never be as good as the film’ (Yes - the film is excellent too) but give it a go. You’ll love it. And: If a book is to be sold by its cover, it had the best book cover ever! ‘’A super-thriller of relentless terror’’ were the words on Benchley’s original.

I read this book because this is the benchmark I aspire to. Peter, if you ever read this, the beers on me!