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Thanks to Michael Thomas-Knight for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

59 Pages

Synopsis: Alex, a tattoo artist in Queens, NY, is being driven out of business by Johnny Needles, a rival tattoo artist connected to the local gangs and biker clubs. As he falls further into depression and drug abuse, Alex is drawn to a nameless book he saw at a neighbor’s apartment. The book haunts his dreams, until he can’t resist and he finally steals it. At his lowest point, in the basement of the tattoo parlor, Alex uses the book to call forth the Car Nex demon. He is completely unaware of what he is about to unleash upon the neighborhood.

The Car Nex story series presents tales from a variety of horror authors based on Terry West’s wicked demon, the Car Nex.

I have to begin by admitting I’m a Car Nex newbie. Despite loving horror, I’ve never heard of the demon Car Nex until now. One of the things I really liked about this short story though, is it didn’t matter. Michael Thomas-Knight includes just enough background detail so that you’re not feeling totally lost, without slowing down any of the action. Except for a couple of supporting characters no one is particularly nice here, including Alex who’s a down on his luck drug dealer/meth addict. Surprisingly though I did feel sympathy for him, and that’s due to the credible job that Michael does at depicting how Alex has gotten into the state that he’s in. I also liked that each character had their own distinct voice which further pulled me into the story. But Skin Job isn’t meant to be an in-depth character study. No, the main appeal of this story is the maniacal, unapologetic gory fun that begins when Car Nex appears. For me this is horror at it’s best, especially with its nod to Lovecraft. If you’re a fan of horror with plenty of gore and mayhem, I highly recommend this. It’s a quick read, and Michael Thomas-Knight is definitely an author to watch for!