Confession time. If it hadn’t been for an interview with John Bender on the Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews website, I may not have been aware of him and his excellent taste in Motorhead shirts. During the course of the interview he spoke about his writing and his novella “Chainsaw.” I was intrigued enough to buy a copy for my Kindle Fire and sat down to read it yesterday evening with a cool beverage in hand.

The Goodreads / Amazon synopsis of the story is as follows:

“Randy Lee Travis and James Taylor Gunderson are white-trash outlaws. These men share a passion for old Burt Reynolds movies, and they share a dream.

CHAINSAW.”

All I can say is I’m so pleased I took the time to read the interview and buy the book. It’s the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. “Chainsaw” is a laugh a minute, violent as hell and an absolute blast that horror fans will enjoy.

I laughed out loud at the antics of Randy Lee and JT as they try to acquire the money to buy a “Smokey and the Bandit” Trans Am Firebird. Our less-than-bright heroes decide to rob the local bank and use a chainsaw that Randy had “acquired” from Farmer Bender. Needless to say, Bender is none-too-happy about losing his prized chainsaw. Unknown to the boys, Bender is as close to a cult leader as a guy can get and what follows can best be described as pure, gut-spilling horror that blends 70s/80s exploitation violence, comedy, colorful language, oddball characterization, a little abusive brotherly love, and chainsaw mayhem into a quick and fun read.

The story had me laughing all the way through as Randy Lee and JT stumbled from one disaster to another. I couldn’t wait to see what bad things would happen next and I was pleased to see another installment teased at the end.

Bravo John. Thank you for the entertainment.

The Haunted Pen Rating: