Splattered Beauty

Genre - Horror
Year Published - 2008 (Published by Arctic Wolf Publishing)
Length - 285 pages
Written by Brandon Ford

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:
There are a lot of things Alyssa Peyton once had. She once had a prolific and lucrative career as a leading actress in a slew of low-budget horror films. She once had a loving relationship with her producer/director husband, Peter. She once had fans and a dedicated following. All of this has vanished in the blink of an eye.

Now, Alyssa has acquired a serious problem with both substance and alcohol abuse. She possesses a strong sense of self-loathing that seems to intensify every day. She has also found a new friend in devoted teenage fan, Taryn.

Watching her life crumble and deteriorate, Alyssa knows it is up to her to make things right. With the help of Taryn, she begins a string of brutal and sadistic murders, all in the name of a twisted form of retribution.

It is up to an aging detective to stop them both before the body count rises. But will Alyssa stop him first?

Review:
If you have already read Ford's first novel [Crystal Bay] then you already know what to expect from Ford, and he doesn't disappoint. Once again Ford has written another fast-paced novel, with believable characters and an interesting plot.

One of the things that I like about Ford is that he uses simplistic plots and characters to his advantage, turning them into thrilling stories. [He reminds me of a young Richard Laymon, and that is saying a lot, as Laymon is my all-time favorite horror author - simply for the fact that you can pick up any Laymon novel, without knowing anything at all about it, and you know that it is going to be good! Ford is pretty much the same way] I know that Ford only has two novels under his belt, but they are both great! So far, Ford is two-for-two! :-)
[Another interesting fact about Ford is that at a young age, 25 I believe, he set a goal for himself where he wants to have published a best-seller by the time he is 35 - I think that he is 27 now. Ford is definitely on his way to achieving this goal!]

In the Foreword of Splattered Beauty, Ford dedicates this book to Linnea Quigley "the ultimate Scream Queen, with a resume boasting over 90 films, and the longest scream in movie history." Also, Maria Ford, ("an underrated yet incredibly talented actress") Julie Strain, Debbie Rochon, Tiffany Shepis, Brinke Stevens, and the rest of the hard-working women of the horror industry. [the reason that I mention this is, if you are like me, then we can all relate to Ford's infatuation with Scream Queens]

With that said, in the character of Alyssa, Ford has created an actress who was once a Scream Queen at the top of her game. Now though, she has run into a bit of seemingly bad luck, until she meets an awe-struck fan, Taryn, at a horror convention where she was a guest celebrity. After meeting Taryn, things begin to look up for Alyssa, especially when a new, hot young writer/director wants to cast her as the villain in his new film - Splattered Beauty. However, things quickly spiral out of control when the role is given to her rival, Jessica, another up and coming actress.

Ford paints a vivid picture when depicting the murders that soon take place. They are brutal & graphic, yet your eyes remain glued to the pages! If you are looking for a great, fast read then look no further!

You can find the author, Brandon Ford on MySpace, at www.myspace.com/writerbrandonford

A special thank you to Brandon for sending me a signed/advance copy of this book, which is now available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble book sellers.

Jason