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Serial Killers Incorporated
Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fuelled, womanising no-good son-of-a-bitch. He's the amoral hardcore photographer for Black & White, the tabloid rag that tells it as it is. Or at least, how it should be.
Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve.
At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition...
FOCUS ON -
• A VIOLENT THRILLER
• BLOODTHIRSTY ACTION
• DISTURBING MURDERS
• TWISTED URBAN FANTASY
IF YOU LIKE SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED, TRY -
COMPLICITY by IAIN BANKS
THE DAVINCI CODE by DAN BROWN
THE SHINING by STEPHEN KING
SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED is an EBOOK original novel by ANDY REMIC, author of Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore, Cloneworld, Theme Planet, Kell's Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords.
"Who kills the killers?"
REVIEWS
"Remic writes books that don’t hang about. His prose is solid and easy to read, it’s unlikely to win any literary awards but it’s perfectly suited to this kind of story. Violence, blood and sex are his forte and he uses them well... Did I enjoy it? Yes I did, the humour works, the violence is quite lovingly and inventively described and even the sex scenes are done well. If you like bastards doing bastardly things to each other with a smattering of sex and much use of profanity, then I think you’ll dig this."
A Gathering of Opinions on Serial Killers Incorporated
"Serial Killers Inc is a fast paced, high octane, no holds barred rollercoaster of a story that twists and turns like a rattlesnake on speed. This is a story not for the faint of heart, or those who are easily offended, as we are shown the seedier side of life in all its unadulterated glory... Overall a great story and I love the fact that none of the central characters are safe which keeps you on the edge of your seat. Go out and buy this. It's the closest you'll get to an adrenalin rush sitting in your living room."
Geek Syndicate on Serial Killers Incorporated
“This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, that is easy to read and relate to (not sure what that says about me). If you like fast paced action in a modern setting then this book will be right up your alley, and any book with a GSXR is off to a good start.”
Tony's Views on Serial Killers Incorporated
“I’ve read all of Mr Remic’s work and this is without doubt one of the darkest things he has ever written. It is brutal and raw and I was immediately caught up in it. Characters suffer physically and psychologically, no-one walks away unscathed. The secrets that are exposed have lasting effects and repercussions. I think it’s fair to say I was totally unprepared for where the novel ended up… A word of advice, this is not a novel for the faint of heart as it deals with some very adult themes. The violence is graphic and unrelenting, the sex is explicit and the language is enough to make my mother blush. I should point out that my mother has a mouth on her like a sailor on shore leave.”
The Eloquent Page on Serial Killers Incorporated
"Remic's books are not read, they are experienced, and when you get out the other side you feel like you've just parachute
Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve.
At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition...
FOCUS ON -
• A VIOLENT THRILLER
• BLOODTHIRSTY ACTION
• DISTURBING MURDERS
• TWISTED URBAN FANTASY
IF YOU LIKE SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED, TRY -
COMPLICITY by IAIN BANKS
THE DAVINCI CODE by DAN BROWN
THE SHINING by STEPHEN KING
SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED is an EBOOK original novel by ANDY REMIC, author of Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore, Cloneworld, Theme Planet, Kell's Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords.
"Who kills the killers?"
REVIEWS
"Remic writes books that don’t hang about. His prose is solid and easy to read, it’s unlikely to win any literary awards but it’s perfectly suited to this kind of story. Violence, blood and sex are his forte and he uses them well... Did I enjoy it? Yes I did, the humour works, the violence is quite lovingly and inventively described and even the sex scenes are done well. If you like bastards doing bastardly things to each other with a smattering of sex and much use of profanity, then I think you’ll dig this."
A Gathering of Opinions on Serial Killers Incorporated
"Serial Killers Inc is a fast paced, high octane, no holds barred rollercoaster of a story that twists and turns like a rattlesnake on speed. This is a story not for the faint of heart, or those who are easily offended, as we are shown the seedier side of life in all its unadulterated glory... Overall a great story and I love the fact that none of the central characters are safe which keeps you on the edge of your seat. Go out and buy this. It's the closest you'll get to an adrenalin rush sitting in your living room."
Geek Syndicate on Serial Killers Incorporated
“This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, that is easy to read and relate to (not sure what that says about me). If you like fast paced action in a modern setting then this book will be right up your alley, and any book with a GSXR is off to a good start.”
Tony's Views on Serial Killers Incorporated
“I’ve read all of Mr Remic’s work and this is without doubt one of the darkest things he has ever written. It is brutal and raw and I was immediately caught up in it. Characters suffer physically and psychologically, no-one walks away unscathed. The secrets that are exposed have lasting effects and repercussions. I think it’s fair to say I was totally unprepared for where the novel ended up… A word of advice, this is not a novel for the faint of heart as it deals with some very adult themes. The violence is graphic and unrelenting, the sex is explicit and the language is enough to make my mother blush. I should point out that my mother has a mouth on her like a sailor on shore leave.”
The Eloquent Page on Serial Killers Incorporated
"Remic's books are not read, they are experienced, and when you get out the other side you feel like you've just parachute
- GenresHorror
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2011
2 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Andy Remic
51 books182 followersAndy Remic lives in Lincoln, UK, although his heart and viking soul belong to the Scottish mountains. Married with two children, Andy has a variety of esoteric and sometimes contrasting loves, including sword fighting, climbing, mountain biking, kick-boxing, Ducati motorcycles and retro-gaming. He recently wrote the computer version of his novel Biohell for the 48K Spectrum, in which many people are still stuck. He writes in both SF and fantasy fields, and is sometimes accused of literature. Current novels include: Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore and the upcoming Cloneworld, Theme Planet and TOX for Solaris Books, and the Kell’s Legend trilogy, Kell’s Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords for Angry Robot Books.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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October 21, 2024Not my type of story, DNF.
May 29, 2011
Callaghan is a scallywag, divvying up his time between bedding married women, exploiting the vulnerable and dead to make a living at a tabloid magazine, and consuming enough alcohol and hardcore drugs to send him to an early grave. And things are going well for him on this destructive path.
But Callaghan has an admirer, someone who has taken a keen interest in his lifestyle and transgressions. Soon Callaghan discovers that his admirer may have a hand in a string of murders in the area, and that he is somehow connected to them. Worst of all, this new killer has an idea to make Callaghan a part of the games. When the walls start to crumble around him and people start to die, Callaghan has to make a decision: continue with his careless lifestyle or finally take responsibility for his actions. But doing so might mean making allies with disreputable characters
who have their own twisted sense of morality...
Serial Killers Inc. is a disturbingly violent book which demonstrates once more why Remic is both a terrifying human being and a literary dynamo. When I reviewed Kell's Legend, I said he was "the Tarantino of fantasy," but having read Serial Killers Inc. I think it's fair to say that he's in a league all on his own, touched not by Tarantino's cult sensibilities, but by the wicked recesses of the human mind. Serial Killers Inc. is a book that questions the morality of immoral people, challenging their limitations in what could be called an exaggerated allegory of "normal" human existence. It's precisely Remic's treatment of morality in Serial Killers Inc that makes the book more than a romp into vulgarity. Dragging Callaghan into a game of serial killers and monstrous people means finding a challenge fit for the character, but it also offers challenges to the reader, who might consider how the moral games played in the book reflect upon our world of grays.
Remic's work, however, is not for the faint of heart. It's violent, crude, and sometimes even vulgar, pushing buttons even I find difficult to stomach. But such things don't exist in Remic's work without reason. Serial Killers Inc. is about characters who live in a world where vulgarity and perversion are regularities, and Remic has to find clever ways to make us care about these characters. After all, we would not normally identify with someone who is sleeping with a woman married to a murderer, nor someone who thinks of women as sex objects. And, in fact, it's because Callaghan is these things that we begin to understand why Remic has chosen to torture him in this novel. Callaghan must be saved, not just from the evils of the world, but also from the evil in himself. This doesn't mean that Callaghan will come out of the novel's events a saint; rather, it means he has to acknowledge that his life of disconnection from consequence is unsustainable. Serial Killers Inc. may be a difficult book for some readers to swallow because of its language and themes, but if one can move past these to the heart of the tale (which seems to masquerade as a gory cult horror story, but is, in fact, much more), there's a compelling story to be had.
Serial Killers Inc. does have one major flaw. Most of the plot is straightforward and develops effectively, but where Remic falters is in the introduction of subplots. One of the major subplots is actually a whodunnit mystery narrative with a near-mystical resolution. I thought the way the story turned out was fantastic, but it came too suddenly and with too little foreshadowing to have the impact it needed. Remic does insert clues, but they are often too vague or too short, sometimes even difficult to disentangle from the insanity of the characters who present them (perhaps this is his intention). The novel might have benefited from a linear development of Callaghan's investigations into the mysteries surrounding the murders of which he has unwittingly become a part. Remic's novel clearly deals with detective tropes alongside its deconstructions of contemporary morality and cult horror elements. I simply would have liked to see the detective bits expanded as well as the others.
As a novel in a new genre for Remic (he traditionally writes science fiction and fantasy), Serial Killers Inc. is a brilliant addition to the man's oeuvre, encapsulating the rushed, heavy-voiced writing style and cult horror tropes we've come to expect of him. This is a novel to entice genre fans with its horror sensibilities, but also one to challenge readers beyond the genre with its no-holds-barred hyperrealism. Though heavy handed, Serial Killers Inc. is a title well worth reading if you can handle Remic's unrelenting and unrepentant exploitation of the worst aspects of the human condition. Call it a man fantasy or violence porn or whatever you like; if Remic keeps doing what he's doing, I'll keep coming back for more.
But Callaghan has an admirer, someone who has taken a keen interest in his lifestyle and transgressions. Soon Callaghan discovers that his admirer may have a hand in a string of murders in the area, and that he is somehow connected to them. Worst of all, this new killer has an idea to make Callaghan a part of the games. When the walls start to crumble around him and people start to die, Callaghan has to make a decision: continue with his careless lifestyle or finally take responsibility for his actions. But doing so might mean making allies with disreputable characters
who have their own twisted sense of morality...
Serial Killers Inc. is a disturbingly violent book which demonstrates once more why Remic is both a terrifying human being and a literary dynamo. When I reviewed Kell's Legend, I said he was "the Tarantino of fantasy," but having read Serial Killers Inc. I think it's fair to say that he's in a league all on his own, touched not by Tarantino's cult sensibilities, but by the wicked recesses of the human mind. Serial Killers Inc. is a book that questions the morality of immoral people, challenging their limitations in what could be called an exaggerated allegory of "normal" human existence. It's precisely Remic's treatment of morality in Serial Killers Inc that makes the book more than a romp into vulgarity. Dragging Callaghan into a game of serial killers and monstrous people means finding a challenge fit for the character, but it also offers challenges to the reader, who might consider how the moral games played in the book reflect upon our world of grays.
Remic's work, however, is not for the faint of heart. It's violent, crude, and sometimes even vulgar, pushing buttons even I find difficult to stomach. But such things don't exist in Remic's work without reason. Serial Killers Inc. is about characters who live in a world where vulgarity and perversion are regularities, and Remic has to find clever ways to make us care about these characters. After all, we would not normally identify with someone who is sleeping with a woman married to a murderer, nor someone who thinks of women as sex objects. And, in fact, it's because Callaghan is these things that we begin to understand why Remic has chosen to torture him in this novel. Callaghan must be saved, not just from the evils of the world, but also from the evil in himself. This doesn't mean that Callaghan will come out of the novel's events a saint; rather, it means he has to acknowledge that his life of disconnection from consequence is unsustainable. Serial Killers Inc. may be a difficult book for some readers to swallow because of its language and themes, but if one can move past these to the heart of the tale (which seems to masquerade as a gory cult horror story, but is, in fact, much more), there's a compelling story to be had.
Serial Killers Inc. does have one major flaw. Most of the plot is straightforward and develops effectively, but where Remic falters is in the introduction of subplots. One of the major subplots is actually a whodunnit mystery narrative with a near-mystical resolution. I thought the way the story turned out was fantastic, but it came too suddenly and with too little foreshadowing to have the impact it needed. Remic does insert clues, but they are often too vague or too short, sometimes even difficult to disentangle from the insanity of the characters who present them (perhaps this is his intention). The novel might have benefited from a linear development of Callaghan's investigations into the mysteries surrounding the murders of which he has unwittingly become a part. Remic's novel clearly deals with detective tropes alongside its deconstructions of contemporary morality and cult horror elements. I simply would have liked to see the detective bits expanded as well as the others.
As a novel in a new genre for Remic (he traditionally writes science fiction and fantasy), Serial Killers Inc. is a brilliant addition to the man's oeuvre, encapsulating the rushed, heavy-voiced writing style and cult horror tropes we've come to expect of him. This is a novel to entice genre fans with its horror sensibilities, but also one to challenge readers beyond the genre with its no-holds-barred hyperrealism. Though heavy handed, Serial Killers Inc. is a title well worth reading if you can handle Remic's unrelenting and unrepentant exploitation of the worst aspects of the human condition. Call it a man fantasy or violence porn or whatever you like; if Remic keeps doing what he's doing, I'll keep coming back for more.
April 1, 2011
Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fuelled, womanising no-good son-of-a-bitch. He’s the amoral hardcore photographer for Black & White, the tabloid rag that tells it as it is. Or at least, how it should be.
Callaghan’s in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend… and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir “Vodka” Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan’s caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can’t solve.
At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition…
Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic is the first release from the new e-publisher Anarchy Books.
Callaghan initially comes across as a self absorbed hedonist. He is all about number one. He is only really interested in something if he can ride it, drink it, screw it or stick it up his nose. When we first meet him he is the classic anti-hero. The rest of the world can go to hell as long as his appetites are sated. As the plot develops however, it becomes evident that he is more than that. Behind his manly bravado he is a decent soul who is growing more and more appalled by the senseless violence he has to witness. Serial Killers Incorporated vividly tracks Callaghan’s journey of self discovery.
The other character that really stood out for me was Volos, the enigmatic serial killer. He is magnificently sinister and my first reaction was one of disgust. His origins and motivations remain unknown for a large chunk of the novel and I really liked the sense of mystery that surrounded him.
I’ve read all of Mr Remic’s work and this is without doubt one of the darkest things he has ever written. It is brutal and raw and I was immediately caught up in it. Characters suffer physically and psychologically, no-one walks away unscathed. The secrets that are exposed have lasting effects and repercussions. I think it’s fair to say I was totally unprepared for where the novel ended up.
A word of advice, this is not a novel for the faint of heart as it deals with some very adult themes. The violence is graphic and unrelenting, the sex is explicit and the language is enough to make my mother blush. I should point out that my mother has a mouth on her like a sailor on shore leave.
With the massive changes that have a occurred in publishing over the last few years and the continuing rise of ebooks it is very encouraging to see authors embrace new technology in such a whole hearted fashion. Andy Remic has proven with this novel that the potential exists to make reading a far more immersive experience than it has been in the past. By incorporating other media like music and film, there is a sound track that can be purchased to accompany the novel, we are getting to see the first glimpses of reading 2.0 in the mainstream.
I will continue to follow Anarchy Books with interest and look forward to reading, watching and listening too their future output. Serial Killers Incorporated is available now from the Anarchy Books website.
Callaghan’s in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend… and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir “Vodka” Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan’s caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can’t solve.
At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition…
Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic is the first release from the new e-publisher Anarchy Books.
Callaghan initially comes across as a self absorbed hedonist. He is all about number one. He is only really interested in something if he can ride it, drink it, screw it or stick it up his nose. When we first meet him he is the classic anti-hero. The rest of the world can go to hell as long as his appetites are sated. As the plot develops however, it becomes evident that he is more than that. Behind his manly bravado he is a decent soul who is growing more and more appalled by the senseless violence he has to witness. Serial Killers Incorporated vividly tracks Callaghan’s journey of self discovery.
The other character that really stood out for me was Volos, the enigmatic serial killer. He is magnificently sinister and my first reaction was one of disgust. His origins and motivations remain unknown for a large chunk of the novel and I really liked the sense of mystery that surrounded him.
I’ve read all of Mr Remic’s work and this is without doubt one of the darkest things he has ever written. It is brutal and raw and I was immediately caught up in it. Characters suffer physically and psychologically, no-one walks away unscathed. The secrets that are exposed have lasting effects and repercussions. I think it’s fair to say I was totally unprepared for where the novel ended up.
A word of advice, this is not a novel for the faint of heart as it deals with some very adult themes. The violence is graphic and unrelenting, the sex is explicit and the language is enough to make my mother blush. I should point out that my mother has a mouth on her like a sailor on shore leave.
With the massive changes that have a occurred in publishing over the last few years and the continuing rise of ebooks it is very encouraging to see authors embrace new technology in such a whole hearted fashion. Andy Remic has proven with this novel that the potential exists to make reading a far more immersive experience than it has been in the past. By incorporating other media like music and film, there is a sound track that can be purchased to accompany the novel, we are getting to see the first glimpses of reading 2.0 in the mainstream.
I will continue to follow Anarchy Books with interest and look forward to reading, watching and listening too their future output. Serial Killers Incorporated is available now from the Anarchy Books website.
June 4, 2014
3.5 stars review on my blog: http://mysterysequels.com/serial-kill...
To be honest, I find it quite difficult to review it, not even sure where to start. I liked it, could have loved it, but I found it way too strange and confusing for my taste. Even now that I finished the book, I’m not quite sure what exactly did I read and who were indeed the main characters.
There is lots (and really lots) of action in this book, suspense is a killer and there are hardly any moments where something violent is not happening. The killings are truly gruesome and you should make sure you are not eating when reading the book (I made the mistake of reading while having my breakfast – big mistake). The bodies are viciously savaged in a way that not even the CSI TV series can come up with.
By the end of the book I realized that nobody is what they initially seem – with the exception of Callahan himself. Everyone has some big secrets that try to keep hidden and poor guy seems to have lived a life of lies – at least concerning his friends and loved ones.
Btw, the author should really research better the names, as Vladimir Katchevsky is definitely not Romanian, it’s Russian. Having lived in Romania for the first 20 years of my life, I’ve never heard this name before (sure Vlad is common (although not so much with the full name ‘Vladimir”, but not with the Katchevsky last name, which not Romanian). And vodka nickname? C’mon that’s again as Russian as it goes…if the author said ‘tuica’, I might have bought it…
Overall a good read, if on the heavier side, especially if you like books that remind you of “sick”, and I don’t mean here hospitals and ailments.
To be honest, I find it quite difficult to review it, not even sure where to start. I liked it, could have loved it, but I found it way too strange and confusing for my taste. Even now that I finished the book, I’m not quite sure what exactly did I read and who were indeed the main characters.
There is lots (and really lots) of action in this book, suspense is a killer and there are hardly any moments where something violent is not happening. The killings are truly gruesome and you should make sure you are not eating when reading the book (I made the mistake of reading while having my breakfast – big mistake). The bodies are viciously savaged in a way that not even the CSI TV series can come up with.
By the end of the book I realized that nobody is what they initially seem – with the exception of Callahan himself. Everyone has some big secrets that try to keep hidden and poor guy seems to have lived a life of lies – at least concerning his friends and loved ones.
Btw, the author should really research better the names, as Vladimir Katchevsky is definitely not Romanian, it’s Russian. Having lived in Romania for the first 20 years of my life, I’ve never heard this name before (sure Vlad is common (although not so much with the full name ‘Vladimir”, but not with the Katchevsky last name, which not Romanian). And vodka nickname? C’mon that’s again as Russian as it goes…if the author said ‘tuica’, I might have bought it…
Overall a good read, if on the heavier side, especially if you like books that remind you of “sick”, and I don’t mean here hospitals and ailments.
May 5, 2012
This was...not at all what I expected. It was disturbing, and weird, and....awesome. I started out loathing the main character, and then ended up identifying with him.
With some of the overtones to the story, I kept expecting it to turn ultra religious, but it doesn't ever do that. It's not even about religion at all, but it feels like it could turn at any moment.
This was an enormously satisfying read.
With some of the overtones to the story, I kept expecting it to turn ultra religious, but it doesn't ever do that. It's not even about religion at all, but it feels like it could turn at any moment.
This was an enormously satisfying read.
August 6, 2012
Brutal and brutalizing, with a mystical twist on the question of who kills the killers. Reading it is like working through a particularly bad experience, you know you're getting something out of it but you're not quite certain if it's a good thing but you feel this relentless desire to see it through to the end.
January 15, 2012
Review here.
August 23, 2012
I was not expecting much based on the title of this book. Was I ever wrong. Blew me away from the get go. Cant wait to read more from Remic.
October 25, 2015
Lots of sex, violence and horror...a very good if slightly disturbing read
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews