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Muerte Con Carne
Deadite Press
Author: Shane McKenzie
By now, I am sure it is no secret that I am huge sucker for horror novels with a splatter lean. After reading Wet and Screaming , the new short fiction collection from Shane McKenzie , I knew I had to read more from this author. Being new to his writing, I had to go with Muerte Con Carne , likely his most infamous title. As luck would have it, I was given a review copy of Muerte at the same time that I received a review screener of El Gigante , a short film based on Muerte Con Carne , the first chapter anyway. El Gigante just so happens to be written by McKenzie as well. El Gigante is a blast and you can read my review of it here.
Back to the main story, Muerte Con Carne is the story of Felix and Marta, a couple which sets out to make a documentary on the horrible treatment of captured illegals found crossing the US/Mexico border. Unbeknownst to them, the town and area of border they are investigating is home to a family of cannibalistic Mexicans that are capturing the illegals and are chopping them up and putting them in their tacos and menudo…and serving it in a food truck in the local town.
The story is a clear homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . The difference is that it has a Mexican flair and brings one thing that Tobe Hooper never thought to add: a lucha libre. El Gigante is a hulking wrestler with some mental deficiencies. He is a raging powerhouse that adds some high tension making you snap through the pages. Being the scene stealer that he is, this is easily one of my favorite villains in a novel in quite some time. The entire family, in fact, is a lethal threat at every turn.
While not nonstop with action, McKenzie has constructed a tremendous story with mystery at every turn. The dynamic between Felix and Marta is frustrating. These characters are flawed. The tension and drama between the two of them is a reward for everything that happens in the final four chapters. We spend a good amount of time with the two of them before the story gets off the rails. The drama is well done and compliments the actions that take place later in the story.
Gruesome without being overtly graphic is probably the best way to describe McKenzie’s writing style. There is plenty of sloppy gore to make you gag but he is more reserved than an author like Edward Lee . The violence is well timed and never overstays its welcome. In this novel in particular, it serves as a pacing device which is phenomenal. It all comes together in a way that makes you read faster and faster with each chapter. I was in a flurry blasting through the final three chapters. By the way, the ending is insanely great.
Muerte Con Carne is such a blast to read. This mashup of TCM and Mexican heritage is a twisted tale that is hard to walk away from. I am a little late to the game with this one so odds are you have probably already read this. If you haven’t, you must. Move this to the top and then put El Gigante on your watch list as it is a perfect visualization of this story. I cannot praise either enough. Just to place a cherry on top, Shane McKenzie is currently working with Luchagore to turn El Gigante into a full length feature.
Just so we are clear, this book features a lucha libre wrestler maniac, cannibals, revenge, sex, lucha libre masks sew to people’s bodies, the list goes on and on. Grab a copy here and be glad that you did .
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El Gigante (Short Film)
Morris County (2009)
Midian Unmade - New From Tor - July 28, 2015
Requiescant and The Mutilator coming to Blu-ray from Arrow Video US this September
First Night (2014)
Headless (2015)
Dog Dick or White Trash Holocaust
Vomit Gore 4
Wet and Screaming
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