The Lost by Jack Ketchum

The Lost by Jack Ketchum


My rating: 5 of 5 stars





SPOILERS AHEAD BEWARE






This was the first novel I read from Mr Ketchum. I had heard about Jack Ketchum for a few years. And got lucky and found a copy of this novel at the local used bookstore. Ray Pie and a two friends are out in the woods drinking beer and getting high. But Ray is a disturbed young man,he is a total sociopath. He sees two girls that he assumes are lesbians. So He takes his rifle and shoots and kills them.We fast forward a few years. And Ray is still up to his criminal ways. He works and lives at the motel his mother owns. And he seems to get every girl he wants. But the new maid at the motel wants nothing to do with him and this drives Ray crazy. He gets over this,or so we assume,and starts dating a new girl in town. And one night in he tells the new girl about him killing the two girls in the woods. This causes her to want nothing to do with Ray. That pushes Ray over the edge and he goes on a rampage.
This is a great novel that really shows why Ketchum gets so much praise. He gets us into the mind of Ray Pie. And the ending is a orgy of violence that tops most other well known horror authors.