Kenzie Jennings

Thank goodness for Kenzie Jennings who, with a single tale of violent survival, revived my hope and excitement for the splatter western series from Deaths Head Press!

Okay, that may be a little much, but I'm riding high after finishing this one. The series had taken a serious downturn with the previous two books, and I was beginning to lose faith.

But then came the lady in the red dress, bearing blades and a deadly disposition. Then came Clyde, a woman full of intelligence, true grit, and mystery. She is THE reason to love this book. Sure there's a creepy build up of tension and some wonderfully gory fight scenes, but none of that would matter as much without her. What's interesting to me is that there appears to be a larger story with Clyde in the background, and Red Station was merely a stop along a grander journey. I sure hope we see more of her in the future.

The story begins by introducing our group of characters who will soon become pawns in the slaughterhouse station. Their rapport is enjoyable, if a bit long-winded at times. They reach a giant house and their hosts invite them in for the night. The family seems friendly, but there's something a little "off" about them. Tension is building, and Clyde is increasingly on guard. Then, in the middle of dinner, and right at the midpoint of the book, things go gloriously off the rails.

No spoilers, but basically what you were dreading/anticipating finally happens. It's not a surprise, but it's a fantastic payoff to all the set up in the first half. Amiable drama becomes slow burn becomes survival horror thriller. The wildly violent second half plays out like a movie, both in the turn of events and the author's descriptive style. It's fast-paced, brutal, and a lot of fun. My few complaints are that Clyde has several moments of serious miscalculation that seem out of character, and there's a weird Texas Chainsaw-esque twist thrown in at the very end. Otherwise this is a pretty sold story and, I want to reiterate this, I need to see more books chronicling the adventures of Clyde!… (altro)

I purchased Reception from the author at Killercon 2019. I was not familiar with Kenzie at the time, but there she sat at one of the tables during the author signing with a single title before her and a deceptively sweet smile on her face.

Me: So, tell me what your book is about.

Her: Cannibals at a wedding reception!

Me: Sold!



That is, in fact, just how it happened.

And then, recently, I read it.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Yes, cannibals at a wedding reception, but so much more than that.

Reception by Kenzie Jennings is an extreme horror novel told in first person. The character Ansley Boone takes on a journey of grief, medication withdrawal, persecution, and unimaginable horror.

Kenzie Jennings has created an unapologetically brash and realistic main character who destroys stereotypes and generalizations with every word and details realities we don’t discuss in all their stomach squashing glory. The story starts out with a big bang and flows from there with foreshadowing both blatant and subtle, compelling observations and action sequences, and engaging (sometimes darkly humorous) perceptions of other characters. Sometimes the story drags you with all due tension right in the direction you just know it has to be going, other times it takes a hard turn into unexpected and shocking places.

And that ending!!

I loved Reception for its realistic characters, its dark satire, and its graphic, engaging horror. Extreme horror and Splatterpunk fans will enjoy this darkly fun story. A brilliant first novel. Add Kenzie Jennings to the list of superior female extreme horror writers.

Kenzie, you have my attention. What’s next on the menu?… (altro)