The Woman

May 26, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adapted-to-screen, horror

Oh poor reader do take care as the master of shock and terror has yet again served up a dish of vulgarity, brutality and kindness!
Family how wonderful it is, mum and dad brother and sister living as a happy family but it all goes completely out the window when Ketchum is writing!
He opens the plot up with the Woman and a woman in the truest sense she is, but also brutally too in-touch with wilderness and it’s savagery.

A hunter stumbles across a prey and brings it home and oh boy that’s the best d...more

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Oct 25, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: october-is-spooky, icky-sex, tastes-like-people

hmm. i should have realized this was the third part of a trilogy before i read this. i have read reviews of this on here before that explicitly stated this, but for some reason, i just blanked that out when i was choosing my books for "october is spooky." this is a perfectly fine self-contained story, but i think i might have felt more connection to it had i read the first two and been better able to connect with the characters from their previous storylines.

so, a cannibal woman happily living o...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Annalise Hulse rated it 3 of 5 stars

*REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MILD SPOILERS*

The Woman is the last of her kind, the lone survivor of a tribe of feral cannibals who have terrorized the Maine coast for years. She is wounded and weak, but she's found refuge in a cave overlooking the sea. Christopher Cleek is an amoral—and unstable—lawyer who sees her bathing in a stream one day while he's out hunting. Cleek has dark, cruel secrets and he will now add one more. He will capture the Woman, lock her in his cellar, and attempt to tame her, wit...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, this is my first Ketchum book (I did not know it was a part of a series; however, it did stand well alone), and I must also say I have not been disturbed by a piece of writing for some time. Besides the obvious shock factors of the plot itself, what really struck me were the different portrayals of women throughout the novel. It's as if Ketchum thought of every aspect of women, in contrast to the evil, one-dimensional man.

The dominant male of the story is Christopher Cleek, a sadi...more First of all, this is my first Ketchum book (I did not know it was a part of a series; however, it did stand well alone), and I must also say I have not been disturbed by a piece of writing for some time. Besides the obvious shock factors of the plot itself, what really struck me were the different portrayals of women throughout the novel. It's as if Ketchum thought of every aspect of women, in contrast to the evil, one-dimensional man.

The dominant male of the story is Christopher Cleek, a sadistic lawyer who's all about the power. All the woman react to him in some way:

Belle, his wife (and I find it interesting that her name means "beauty")is the submissive woman, a woman who recognizes evil and does nothing to stop it, even when she (or her children) is threatened. She's a Betty Sue character, timid and shy, who is constantly overpowered by her husband and willing to do anything he says.

Peg, Cleek's daughter, is the vulnerable woman. She is a teenager, caught between childhood and adulthood. While she clearly knows the difference between right and wrong, she is powerless to stop her father and is an easy, unfortunate victim.

Darleen/Darlin' is but a child, representing innocence. While she senses something is wrong in her family, she believes everything can be fixed with a Band-Aid or a kiss. Her father has not yet influenced her in the way he has influenced the rest of his family.

Genevieve, Peg's concerned teacher, represents feminism. She's a lesbian (Belle almost envies this trait about her), and takes an activist approach to Peg's situation. Genevieve is really the only character who tries to change things for the better.

The Woman. Ahhh, the Woman! She is honestly my favorite character. While she is a cannibal and a ruthless killer, she is extremely organic and fully integrated with nature. She represents power - female power against male power. Her concerns are eating and reproducing (Ketchum allows the readers a short view into her personal life, we know that she had a "mate" and a family). Every character in the story who comes in contact with the Woman instantly recognizes her power - and while it does terrify them, they also admire it.

While I loved all the contrasts of the female characters, the reason why this book has four stars is because Christopher Cleek is extremely one-dimensional...and he is the most central character besides the Woman. We are given no insight into why he's so misogynistic and obsessed with power. Besides that his father was that way, as was his father's father, etc. Cleek is a complete and utter psycho, and Ketchum does not tell his readers why. We see that Brian, Cleek's son, has inherited all of his father's insanity. Again, we don't know why. Why doesn't Brian resist his father's influence? What has Cleek done to Brian that makes him such a puppet?

There is another male figure named Donald at the end of the novel, in the section titled "Cow". I won't spoil you with his purpose, however...I'll just say that the thing that gives Cleek and Brian power is the very thing that is Donald's weakness.

The characters are extremely interesting and very different from each other, save for my desire to see more development in Christopher Cleek. Overall, the themes are very violent, the scenes graphic, and is not for readers with weak stomachs. BEWAAAAAAARE! And enjoy/be horrified by this intense page-turner.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Tim Mayer rated it 5 of 5 stars

The final entry into Jack Ketchum’s Dead River trilogy, The Woman, was published recently. Since the movie version emerged at the same time, and since both film and book credit Lucky McKee as the co-writer, I assume both were produced together. I wouldn’t call the novel a “tie-in” book, but they seem to work simultaneously. So similar are book and movie that they can be considered one production.

In the opening chapter of The Woman, we discover “The Woman” of the last novel miraculously survived...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Keith Chawgo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The latest and possibly the final part of Jack Ketchum's Dead River trilogy is a solid expose on the secrets hidden when you scratch the surface.

The story ends where Offspring leaves off with The Woman making her way into the woods, treating her wounds and trying to heal and survive the loss of her family. Meanwhile the Cleet family are surviving in their world in their sunshine existence with typical overt family concerns. They are the model family with a high standing in the community.

When Cha...more The latest and possibly the final part of Jack Ketchum's Dead River trilogy is a solid expose on the secrets hidden when you scratch the surface.

The story ends where Offspring leaves off with The Woman making her way into the woods, treating her wounds and trying to heal and survive the loss of her family. Meanwhile the Cleet family are surviving in their world in their sunshine existence with typical overt family concerns. They are the model family with a high standing in the community.

When Charles Cleet path crosses with the Woman, a role reversal takes place with the Woman that she had not previously experienced in the previous novels. She is caught and held capture. From this point, the trilogy takes a life of its own and heads in a much needed direction.

As the story progresses, Ketchum and McKee, take a leaf out of the David Lynch book that when you scratch the surface, the model family are darker than you initially expect. It explores the monster within and makes you look at the characters to see who exactly the villain in the piece is. This is what gives the book its lift and carries you through the dramatic climax.

This is a real page turner and though there is a misogynistic approach to the story that sometimes does not sit right outside of a 70's exploitation film. If you are PC, this may offend you somewhat.

There are a couple of real gripe I have with this instalment which are as it is a direct follow-up from its predecessor, why does everyone have cell phone, computers, flat screen televisions, etc. The other thing is - after the events of Offspring - you think there would have been newspaper, radio reports, television news about the massacre at Dead River. The Cleets and the surrounding community do not seem to be aware of the news considering they know about the new Twilight film, Stephen King novel, etc. I think the author missed a trick here that could have enriched the story somewhat.

Overall, I raced through this book in two days and found it both an incredible read. This is better written than the other Ketchum books and not sure if this has to do with McKee's input or just the evolution of the writer over time.

You can read this as a stand alone which it does pretty much stand on its own because the Woman doesn't really have too much of a back story and Ketchum/McKee was able to establish this with every effective flashback passages.

If you like your horror, fast, violent with a small social commentary threaded through, this is for you. If you are PC, it is probably best to stay away because you will probably be offended.
(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Kevin Lucia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Woman is the third act of a harrowing tale begun in Jack Ketchum's legendary Offseason, a tale of feral cannibals living in the woods, hunting and breeding and terrorizing the Maine coast. The Woman begins with the last surviving member of this savage clan seeking refuge in cave, resting and healing from wounds inflicted upon her when her clan was attacked and killed by those hunting them.

But this survivor isn't left in peace for long. Because she's spotted by Christopher Cleek, a sophistica...more The Woman is the third act of a harrowing tale begun in Jack Ketchum's legendary Offseason, a tale of feral cannibals living in the woods, hunting and breeding and terrorizing the Maine coast. The Woman begins with the last surviving member of this savage clan seeking refuge in cave, resting and healing from wounds inflicted upon her when her clan was attacked and killed by those hunting them.

But this survivor isn't left in peace for long. Because she's spotted by Christopher Cleek, a sophisticated, socially-upstanding lawyer, while he's out hunting. And just the sight of her flips a switch inside. Because though a respected member of the community, the local PTA and Kiwanis Club, Christopher Cleek is something much more. And while that something has been held tightly under wraps, concealed from the public eye, it hungers for release and sees something in this savage woman that whispers of infinite opportunities.

So he captures her.

Brings her home, chains her in his fruit cellar.

To civilize her, of course. And he enlists the aide of his family: wife, teenage son and daughter, his little girl. Because they are well accustomed to acquiescing to his desires. The Cleek household is good at keeping secrets. Has kept them for years.

But the woman is not just a savage cannibal. She is a hunter, skilled in fighting and killing for survival. So she waits.

For the scales to tip, turning prey into predator.

A taut thriller, The Woman isn't for the faint of heart. But the narrative shows admirable restrain for its first half, letting the reader wonder in glimpses what exactly is amiss in the Cleek household (other than the woman chained in their fruit cellar). The dread builds, as it becomes very apparent that Christopher Cleek is far worse than this savage woman he's imprisoned, that dysfunctional family is a kind term for the Cleek household. And when Chris finally slips over the edge, taking his family with him, it is impossible to look away.

Even if you want to.

This special edition also contains a bonus novella entitled "Cow", picking up the The Woman's tale a year later. Without giving away any details, "Cow" makes up for The Woman's early restraint, as nothing is left to the imagination.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Donald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, cemetery-dance

Wow.

That’s my review in a word suitable for a PG world.

There is no single word that best describes this story for the rest of us without resorting to holy hyphenated expletives.

In the beginning, we are introduced to Christopher Cleek who is out hunting. He runs into “The Woman” and sets about capturing her. Each is a hunter. Yet The Woman has been wounded so Cleek gets the upper hand.

I like the POV shifts in this story because you get to see The Woman through the eyes of the Cleek family, and yo...more

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Mar 06, 2012 JM Keep rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who enjoy torture porn.

I can't say I enjoyed this book. I went into it knowing little more than the cover blurb, so it likely just wasn't my style of book. I tried to review it in detail so that you can decide for yourself if it might be more to your liking.

I found the character development to be all but invisible in the first two thirds of the book. It wasn't until later that I felt anything other than befuddlement of the main character. I felt it was so lacking that I truthfully didn't understand anything about hi...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Mehmet rated it 3 of 5 stars

I brought this book as I really wanted to try and read a Jack Ketchum novel, his books are not that easy to find in the UK and I was worried when I found out that this was the third book in a series some reviewers called Dead River trilogy. I went in with low expectation and was surprised to find I finished the book in two nights ! I just could not put the book down and found it flowed so well.

The story is about a sole survivor of a Cannibal tribe which have been living and hunting the east coa...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Keith Chawgo rated it 5 of 5 stars

The latest and possibly the final part of Jack Ketchum's Dead River trilogy is a solid expose on the secrets hidden when you scratch the surface.

The story ends where Offspring leaves off with The Woman making her way into the woods, treating her wounds and trying to heal and survive the loss of her family. Meanwhile the Cleet family are surviving in their world in their sunshine existence with typical overt family concerns. They are the model family with a high standing in the community.

When Cha...more The latest and possibly the final part of Jack Ketchum's Dead River trilogy is a solid expose on the secrets hidden when you scratch the surface.

The story ends where Offspring leaves off with The Woman making her way into the woods, treating her wounds and trying to heal and survive the loss of her family. Meanwhile the Cleet family are surviving in their world in their sunshine existence with typical overt family concerns. They are the model family with a high standing in the community.

When Charles Cleet path crosses with the Woman, a role reversal takes place with the Woman that she had not previously experienced in the previous novels. She is caught and held capture. From this point, the trilogy takes a life of its own and heads in a much needed direction.

As the story progresses, Ketchum and McKee, take a leaf out of the David Lynch book that when you scratch the surface, the model family are darker than you initially expect. It explores the monster within and makes you look at the characters to see who exactly the villain in the piece is. This is what gives the book its lift and carries you through the dramatic climax.

This is a real page turner and though there is a misogynistic approach to the story that sometimes does not sit right outside of a 70's exploitation film. If you are PC, this may offend you somewhat.

There are a couple of real gripe I have with this instalment which are as it is a direct follow-up from its predecessor, why does everyone have cell phone, computers, flat screen televisions, etc. The other thing is - after the events of Offspring - you think there would have been newspaper, radio reports, television news about the massacre at Dead River. The Cleets and the surrounding community do not seem to be aware of the news considering they know about the new Twilight film, Stephen King novel, etc. I think the author missed a trick here that could have enriched the story somewhat.

Overall, I raced through this book in two days and found it both an incredible read. This is better written than the other Ketchum books and not sure if this has to do with McKee's input or just the evolution of the writer over time.

You can read this as a stand alone which it does pretty much stand on its own because the Woman doesn't really have too much of a back story and Ketchum/McKee was able to establish this with every effective flashback passages.

If you like your horror, fast, violent with a small social commentary threaded through, this is for you. If you are PC, it is probably best to stay away because you will probably be offended.
(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first book by Jack Ketchum. At first, not scary. Then: v e r y different and interesting. Especially the end, not what I had expected, not predictable. A book to remember.

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Dec 05, 2012 Phil Zimmerman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack Ketchum is the master of this sort of tale. I have to say I was disappointed with the first half of the because I felt it was Off Season combined with The Girl Next Door with a little Right to Life mixed in. However the second half was the depraved creativity I expected from Jack. What a mixed up family and what an awesome ending. I hope Jack keeps the series going! Can't wait to watch the film version.

Update: Just got the CD ARC with the bonus novella Cow. Started 12/4/2012.
Cow was a great...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Gef rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books

Jack Ketchum has taken a turn or two into the realm of supernatural horror, but the vast majority of his work is firmly rooted in the real world. The man knows how to plumb the darkest elements of the mundane, amplify them, and hurl them full-force into your face as you read his work. But, how does the guy who offers a veritable masterpiece in The Girl Next Door fare when collaborating with the likes of Lucky McKee on a novel and film?

Chris Cleek, an authoritative family man, stumbles upon a wil...more Jack Ketchum has taken a turn or two into the realm of supernatural horror, but the vast majority of his work is firmly rooted in the real world. The man knows how to plumb the darkest elements of the mundane, amplify them, and hurl them full-force into your face as you read his work. But, how does the guy who offers a veritable masterpiece in The Girl Next Door fare when collaborating with the likes of Lucky McKee on a novel and film?

Chris Cleek, an authoritative family man, stumbles upon a wild woman bathing in a woodland stream while he's out taking his gun for a walk. Entranced by her existence, he's immediately drawn to her and sets out to capture her and confine her within the basement of his home. His stated goal is to domesticate her, to civilize her. But, even his wife, Bell, and three children, Brian, Peggy, and Darleen, something is else is going on with disturbing addition to the household.

On the other side of the coin, the Woman is savage and primal in nature, and sees Cleek for what he is: a threat. Not only do we see her through the family's eyes, but we also see them through her eyes. She sees the complicit nature of the wife, the burgeoning menace of the son, and the fearful signs of pregnancy in the eldest daughter.

In fact, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more a story of the eldest daughter, Peggy. She's pregnant, but has kept it secret from everyone to a point of absurdity as she wears baggy sweaters and ostracizes herself from family and friends. When a teacher at the school approaches her in an effort to reach out and help her through the ordeal, she panics instead of sighs a breath of relief. The teacher wants to tell her parents, but for Peggy that is simply not an option. The teacher doesn't drop the matter though, and eventually threatens to bring Peggy's world crashing down--if the Woman chained in the fruit cellar doesn't do it first.

The first two acts of his novel avoid the more extreme elements of the subject matter, instead establishing the stakes, the behaviors of the characters, and the setup for an inevitable showdown. It's the third act, however, that throws the playbook out the window and goes full-bore. There was a bit of a speed bump for me with regards to the teacher and her prospective involvement with the family, which felt like a forced play by Ketchum and McKee. I may have to re-read that part sometime, but regardless of whether I'm right or wrong on that point, it did nothing to detract from the intensity and haunting nature of the story.

I remember a few months back there was a bit of controversy over the film adaptation when it was screened at--I believe--Sundance, labeled "misogynistic" and "abhorrent" by a couple of cranky audience members (viewable for a good laugh on YouTube), If the film can stay reasonably loyal to the source material though, and given it's directed by one of the authors I see no reason why it shouldn't, I would very much like to see the movie and find out if it's as chilling on screen as it is on the page.(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Kimk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Don't judge me, it's October and I want to read scary things!

Ok, Cannibal Hillbilly Trilogy has been read. The first book, "Off Season," was dreadfully scary. Like, I will never think the woods aren't full of danger ever again. Do not ever ask me to go spelunking.

The sequal, "The Offspring," was okay, scary but not as horrifying as the first book.

"The Woman," however, was great. Not on par with the first book in terms of overall gore and dread, but fantastic in its own way. There's more moments...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Andy Connell rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's fine. Took me about 3 hours to read it, it hooks into you but I wouldn't call it 'good' since you never really need to pick it up again. The twist at the end really took any wind out of the sails though which was a bit of a disappointment. The movie was actually much better at building up a sense of dread and discomfort, especially with the evolution of the son, but again that same twist takes it from quasi-realistic to the absurd.

If you need to kill some time (but not too much time) then...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish i would've read this book before i saw the movie which i normally would do. The movie is pretty true to the book but i felt like their were unanswered questions in the movie like who got Peg pregnant & who is the dog-person that came out of the doghouse, so i read the book & yes i did find the answers to those questions. Pretty good story but i'm just not really a big fan of the cannibal stuff from Ketchum. I know a lot of people loved "offspring" & "Off Season" but i really d...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Alex Gherzo rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Woman, the third book in Jack Ketchum's series is as good as the first, and possibly even better. Once again, the Woman is the sole survivor of the clan of savages that haunt the Maine woods. She's alone, surviving in the wild, when she's spied by Chris Cleek, a seemingly normal family man out hunting game. Cleek kidnaps her and chains her up in his fruit cellar, bringing his whole family in on his mission to civilize her. Now it's the woman who must fight to survive.

Spoilers...

My two bigges...more The Woman, the third book in Jack Ketchum's series is as good as the first, and possibly even better. Once again, the Woman is the sole survivor of the clan of savages that haunt the Maine woods. She's alone, surviving in the wild, when she's spied by Chris Cleek, a seemingly normal family man out hunting game. Cleek kidnaps her and chains her up in his fruit cellar, bringing his whole family in on his mission to civilize her. Now it's the woman who must fight to survive.

Spoilers...

My two biggest problems with Offspring, the second book in the series, were rectified with The Woman. First off, it's a completely different situation from the first two. It's no longer a siege with the savages terrorizing a group of people. Now, the last remaining savage is put in the role of protagonist for the better part of the novel. The Woman is the victim this time, being kidnapped by "civilized" folks. It's a great move; for the first two books she and her kind were terrifying villains with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. We wanted them all to die if only because their very existence is so disturbing. Now, we're rooting for her not only to survive but to do to these humans what she did to the victims in the other novels. And then, during the last section of the novel (almost an extended epilogue), we're left to wonder if we were rooting for the right character. Chris Cleek is a monster (and Brian a monster in training), but maybe it was better with the Woman confined, and maybe doomed. The idea that regular humans, people we see every day, are just as capable of evil as the creatures from the Maine wilderness is scary, and most writers would have left it at that and still had a fine book. But Ketchum reminds us in the end that, with the destruction of the Cleeks and the release of the Woman, people are going to die. A lot of people. And, like a virus, the mania will spread and the clan will grow anew. There is no good ending, much like the original, and I really like that.

Secondly, the characters are much more interesting than in Offspring. The Cleeks are fascinating, a seemingly normal middle class family with real darkness within. Chris is a misogynistic thug who has destroyed his wife Belle's will over the years. Belle has been tamed to such an extent that's she's almost an accomplice to his behavior, allowing her children to become victims. Peg, the oldest child, is a beautiful girl who is treated as cattle by her father. Brian, the only boy, is learning from his dad and has become a sociopath. Darlin' (really Darleen), the youngest, is too sweet to understand much of what's happening, but it's only a matter of time before Chris' evil affects her too. The revelation that there is another child, one who is literally treated like a dog, compounds the horror. But more than just being evil in their own right, the Cleeks (and Chris' actions in particular) mirror the savages. Chris rules with an iron fist, using violence as punishment for insolence (even on his wife). He rapes his daughter, getting her pregnant, much like the savages use a "cow" to breed. The younger members are trained to be as crazed as their elders, like Chris is turning Brian into a younger version of himself. And he kidnaps the Woman as she and her kind have kidnapped many others. Chris seeks to civilize her, as she sought to create more savages from her prey. The trappings of civilization are just a mask for the brutality of Chris Cleek.

The Woman is rich in subtext as well. Chris keeps the women in his family in their "place" and shows his contempt for them throughout the book. He's instilling these same qualities in Brian. The Woman represents their self-respect, confidence and independence, locked away by their oppressive patriarch in the hopes of being tamed into submission. That's why it's important that it's Peg that releases her; she's finally taking the necessary steps to free herself from her father. She's taking responsibility for her sister and for the child with which her father has left her. She's doing what her mother never did. And afterward, she latches onto the Woman as the role model she needs; a strong woman who lives life on her own terms. But with their new cow, she's actually become just like her father (and the Woman).

I don't know if there will be another novel in this series (these are all spaced out quite a bit, so if Ketchum doesn't want to break precedent he may take a while). If there isn't, The Woman is a terrific final chapter.(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, kindle, own, read_2011, favorites

Like 'Off Season' and 'Offspring' before it, 'The Woman' continues the Ketchum tradition of shock 'em and drop 'em (your jaws that is). Like a fresh carcass, 'The Woman' is freshly spilled blood on a tested horror sub genre - cannibalism, tender and warm to begin with, rotting and germ infested by the end - though one could argue it either way around in this case.

'The Womans' early scenes introduces a normal American middle class family in the Cleeks, a young successful father, his homemaker wif...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Bracken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I liked the movie, I LOVE the book! I mention them together because the project was conceived as a movie/book collaboration and it seems that any analysis of one demands mention of the other. No matter how great an actress Pollyanna MacIntosh is (and she is The Woman), she's restricted by having no comprehensible dialogue to deliver (unless you understand pidgin Gaelic). Despite that, she does an admirable job. In the book, however, Ketchum gives The Woman a clear voice that fills out her...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Eric Guignard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great story of dark cannibalism and cruelty, told in a very convincing tone. The beginning was a bit slow, but once it took off I found it disturbing and intense and wanting to turn each page faster and faster. The film is good, but the book is much better, as is often the case. The extra chapter at the end of the book has some of the best scenes in the story which the film does not touch. Gory and psychological, this book is an consuming read.

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Nov 03, 2011 Craig DiLouie rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this novel sharing the same title as the 2011 film (by the same director as MAY), a strong, seemingly upright husband and father of three captures a savage, cannibalistic woman he finds living in the woods. Under the pretense of civilizing her, he tortures her, sometimes with his family participating. Great writing and characters and a truly shocking ending make this a must-read for fans of horror.

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Aug 19, 2012 Regina Prezas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ummmm.....not for the faint of heart. I wasn't sure whether to detest or enjoy the novel---it walks a fine line between blatant misogyny (abuse, self-hatred, and stereotypical feminist withdrawal, etc) and yet touts the feminine power/anger (avenger, earth mother, etc) motif. It was interesting in a I can't turn away from a car wreck sort of way...don't think I'd ever read it again though.

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Apr 13, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, quite a departure from my usual forensic science and non-fiction reading. I grabbed it from the library based only on the cover.

Very strong; good ending; can't wait to see the movie. I really liked that the story didn't go on and on and on: to the point, chilling, gripping, surprising--and unlike others, I don't believe in giving the story away in a synopsis. "Read 'em n weep" at your own risk!

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Aug 27, 2011 Debra marked it as to-read

Shelves: horror-supernatural, sai-king-recommends, series, waiting-in-the-wings

Stephen King recommended author. He says: "Who's the scariest guy in America? Probably Jack Ketchum."
and
"He is, quite simply, one of the best in the business, on par with Clive Barker, James Ellroy, and Thomas Harris."
and
“Ketchum has become a kind of hero to those of us who write tales of horror and suspense. He is, quite simply, one of the best in the business.”

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Dec 07, 2011 Jake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely another worthy edition to the series. I eagerly await a fourth. This one was definitely full of surprises and had more tension than the other two. The last 50 or so pages were the best part. The book also brought up a good point similar to the one of Cannibal Holocaust.

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Aug 24, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-suspense, crime, fiction

My first thought when I finished this was: No Peters!? That guy was some sort of terminator!

My second: She speaks Irish! I dont know whether to be impressed or insulted! :P

A very quick read. I dont think it was as gory as the first two but then again Im probably immune by now. If you've read off season and offspring you'll like this.

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Dec 17, 2012 Mark Scioneaux rated it 4 of 5 stars

A dark, gritty novel that shows the true savagery of humans more so than the cannibalistic woman. It kept me turning the page and I finished the entire book in one sitting. Highly recommend!

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May 21, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jack-ketchum, favorites

I really enjoyed this book. Read it in 1 day. Liked it better than Offspring, though Offspring was good too. I hope that Jack Ketchum continues the Dead River Series. I love these books. Read Off Season 3x.

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Jun 21, 2011 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Miss Sherry

Recommended to Paula by: My Conscience

WOW! I believe this book to be the best of the trilogy so far. I have read about The Woman and her ancestors and captors... True and fiction..
Christopher Cleek was a real guy, ya know. Father, Farmer, Freak.
So was Sawney Beane.
Beane started it with him and his twisted lil girlfriend.
Hate the real world
attack
devour
eat...
Mr. Ketchum elaborated on the the story in his own wonderful way.

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The Woman (Dead River Series)

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