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Post by andydecker on Jan 26, 2022 9:23:23 GMT
Shaun Hutson - Renegades (Macdonald, 1991, HC, 336 pages, this edition Sphere 1991, 434 pages) Mark Taylor This was the first Hutson novel in 1991. One of his longest novels, also a successful one. It introduced scarred Counter-Terrorist-Agent Sean Doyle.
I am more of a Bodie fan, but to each his own. More comments to follow ...
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Post by andydecker on Jan 27, 2022 11:07:58 GMT
This was Hutson's longest novel to date, and I guess it is a matter of taste if one likes it or not. Basically there are two story-lines in this, which come together only at the end. Agent Doyle and a female partner are hunting some renegade IRA killers which in turn are hunted by regular IRA, while in France some art historian discovers a stained-glas window in the chapel of Gilles de Rais. It depicts a monster and an occult mystery concerning immortality. Big time gun-runner Callahan and his wife, who are both sociopaths and get off at murder and mayhem - which is lovingly described in some scenes - obtain that window. Callahan suddenly is convinced he can be immortal if he does the right sacrifice. At the end in the big shoot-out between all parties the monster is summoned.
While there is enough blood, torture, shoot-outs and action in the Doyle section and the monster-window section in an abondoned church is nicely creepy, IMHO both parts don't come together well. The end disappoints at least the horror fan. It is a bit like watching Die Hard, only with a supernatural monster at the end to fight for Bruce Willis which he never had a clue about in the whole movie. It is entertaining up to a point, and Hutson excells in the action choreography and gun-lore, but after a while the IRA plot drags. Maybe its saving grace is that both stories have basically the same length which glosses over that this is neither fish nor fowl. You wonder how this will come together and keep reading. Which of course is more than you can say about a lot of novels.
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Post by bluetomb on Feb 1, 2022 13:24:17 GMT
This was the first Hutson I ever read, and while I knew about the general principle of the action/espionage meets supernatural horror novel from Herbert's The Spear, I had never read something so spectacular and bloodthirsty. Nor indeed with such graphic sex. Was some time ago now though, so all that sticks is the opening Stormont massacre, Doyle giving a very hands on interrogation, scar smooching sex and someone getting what they wanted in the worst possible way in the end. Fond memories (ah, to be 10 years old in summer again!), but am willing to believe it isn't the best put together story ever. Still one of my favourites from back when I read a bunch of Hutson.
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Post by andydecker on Feb 1, 2022 14:13:34 GMT
This was the first Hutson I ever read, and while I knew about the general principle of the action/espionage meets supernatural horror novel from Herbert's The Spear, I had never read something so spectacular and bloodthirsty. Nor indeed with such graphic sex. Was some time ago now though, so all that sticks is the opening Stormont massacre, Doyle giving a very hands on interrogation, scar smooching sex and someone getting what they wanted in the worst possible way in the end. Fond memories (ah, to be 10 years old in summer again!), but am willing to believe it isn't the best put together story ever. Still one of my favourites from back when I read a bunch of Hutson. All those scenes weathered the times pretty good. The massacre at the beginning is very well and realistically written. I think what really disappointed me in this is that Hutson doesn't even scratch the topic of Gilles de Rais, it seems such a waste of terrific material for a horror novel. If he had invent a new background character, it wouldn't have made much difference.
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Post by andydecker on Feb 5, 2022 13:54:34 GMT
I found the hardcover at some online seller at a good price. It was interesting because the cover was a variation. The copy is some withdrawn library copy which looks like it must be disinfected before handling.
But I had a good smile about the shelf marking the library gave this one. I don't know anything about British Libraries, but is it common to mark horror novels with a devil?
I love it. 'Where are the horror novels?' - 'In the back left hand in the devil section!'
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Post by dem bones on Feb 6, 2022 5:28:10 GMT
The copy is some withdrawn library copy which looks like it must be disinfected before handling.
But I had a good smile about the shelf marking the library gave this one. I don't know anything about British Libraries, but is it common to mark horror novels with a devil? I love it. 'Where are the horror novels?' - 'In the back left hand in the devil section!' Also available in 'Where are the pulse-freezing supernatural horror stories?'
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Post by johnnymains on Feb 6, 2022 12:52:06 GMT
The copy is some withdrawn library copy which looks like it must be disinfected before handling.
But I had a good smile about the shelf marking the library gave this one. I don't know anything about British Libraries, but is it common to mark horror novels with a devil? I love it. 'Where are the horror novels?' - 'In the back left hand in the devil section!' Also available in 'Where are the pulse-freezing supernatural horror stories?' I gave away last copy of my second collection without realising, so ordered another dirt cheap from internet as it is now OOP. Was over the moon to see it was an ex-library copy with a lovely sticker. (Sorry, don't know how to make photo smaller)
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Post by andydecker on Feb 6, 2022 13:06:37 GMT
Now it is official: British libraries have (or at least had) a sense of humour.
I wonder what stamps they put on Crime and Erotica.
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Post by dem bones on Feb 6, 2022 18:00:04 GMT
I wonder what stamps they put on Crime and Erotica. Erotica? D — it all, sir! We're British! I'm sure there are better crime/ murder efforts than above example. Will have a look in Whitechapel library, sorry "Idea store," later in week.
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Post by bluetomb on Feb 6, 2022 18:36:21 GMT
I've certainly seen a magnifying glass as the stamp for crime. And a little space capsule as the stamp for sci-fi.
As a mildly connected aside I'm reminded of the adverts at the back of various of the original main series of Penguin paperbacks. Though they almost always stuck to the standard colophon on the actual spines of the books, in the adverts they had Penguin as detective, Penguin as traveller, Penguin as Shakespearian actor and others.
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Post by dem bones on Feb 7, 2022 11:02:30 GMT
This from a copy ex of Stirling Library. I've certainly seen a magnifying glass as the stamp for crime. And a little space capsule as the stamp for sci-fi. The space capsule may still be in use in London. Have also seen a pistol sticker used for crime. I think Erotica is a lipstick smudge?
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Post by dem bones on Feb 9, 2022 18:18:05 GMT
Dropped in at Whitechapel library this morning and I supposed we should have expected it. The neat little skulls, spaceships, ghosts and handcuffs on the spines have been phased out and replaced with stupefyingly bland 'HOR' 'CRI' and 'FSF' stickers.
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Post by Swampirella on Feb 9, 2022 18:23:23 GMT
Dropped in at Whitechapel library this morning and I supposed we should have expected it. The neat little skulls, spaceships, ghosts and handcuffs on the spines have been phased out and replaced with stupefyingly bland 'HOR' 'CRI' and 'FSF' stickers. That's a shame; I suppose they didn't want to risk triggering anyone in some way....
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Post by andydecker on Feb 9, 2022 19:12:17 GMT
Dropped in at Whitechapel library this morning and I supposed we should have expected it. The neat little skulls, spaceships, ghosts and handcuffs on the spines have been phased out and replaced with stupefyingly bland 'HOR' 'CRI' and 'FSF' stickers. That's a shame; I suppose they didn't want to risk triggering anyone in some way.... Indeed a shame. I always wondered if the committees, who decide such a thing, get blindingly drunk, before they do such things.
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Post by ripper on Feb 12, 2022 13:21:08 GMT
I think Renegades was also my first Hutson novel. I had seen them on the shelves of my local Martin's for a few years, but never sampled one. What prompted me to read Renegades was a discussion about the book on a television show. Not too sure, but it might have been Central Weekend, and I seem to remember James Whale was involved, though as it has been 30 years ago I may have those details wrong, but it was certainly a TV discussion that led me to becoming a Hutson fan. There's a scene in the book where the two people anxious to get their hands on the window--they live on a large estate in Rep of Ireland--come across a car crash while driving, and the female ahem gets rather excited while the bodies from the crash are retrieved. This part got a bit of a pasting on the programme, but if its detractors thought they would dissuade potential readers it didn't work on me.
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