SKINNING THE COYOTE

by Nick McAnulty

Published by Wicked House Publishing (September 30, 2023)

Review by The Horror Zine Staff Reviewer Jonathan Chapman

Buy the book HERE

Skinning the Coyote

Review by Jonathan Chapman

We all have a favorite thing. And by thing, I mean genre. It may be romance novels and rom-coms. It may be that you like Sci-Fi or sword and sorcery. Maybe you have two or three genres that you visit, but we all usually have a favorite. And if you are here, reading this review on this award winning The Horror Zine, for you the genre of choice is likely horror. And in any genre there are many sub genres. In horror we have the vampire novel, the ubiquitous zombie catalog, werewolves, and many more. And we have horror stories that take place in the past and especially the Old West. 

And that is what we have here. Because Skinning the Coyote is first and foremost, a Western. It is, for long periods, more Western than horror novel, in fact. After a shocking and truly horrific opening sequence that reads like a scene from a Clive Barker novel, the story takes us to the main protagonists and their situation. It's engaging, fast-paced, gritty and dirty and takes us deep into the doings of a luckless ex sheriff and his loyal friend who hatch a plot to capture the most wanted man in the west. It's a tense ride as they go from situation to situation, stretching their endurance and abilities against a dangerous group of outlaws. I enjoyed it so much that it was thirty pages later that I felt like I was reading a Louis L'amour novel. That's no knock: I love L'amour. What I'm saying is that you get a lot of Western with your horror with this one! 

And a lot of horror. Did I call it gritty? Yes. Did I call it dirty? Yes. Did I mention that opening scene? A little? Well, that opening scene is one of the most brutal and shocking and disturbing I've read in a long while. If you find it offensive or bothersome when children are the victims of the monster, stay away. It isn't a big part of the story but the monsters herein kill all comers. The action scenes and the book in general pulls no punches. In movie terms it would be a Tarentino flick or a hard R movie--with less humor and more hard edged grit. Lots of grit. 

The writing isn't perfect. No written project is. There are a few little details that are bothersome, such as overplaying some Western tropes like the bank waiting to take the ranch, which occurs twice in the opening. So maybe the motivating factor could have been switched up a bit. But that is a small bump and in general, of all the books I've reviewed so far for The Horror Zine, this has been my favorite. Some books may be readable and good enough and enjoyable, while still being the "B" tier or "C" tier and sophomoric at times.This one is none of that. The writing is "A" level and professional. Mr. McAnulty can write at a high level and brings polish to a gritty work. 

I keep saying "gritty," Because it is. Fans of Bone Tomahawk will like this one. There is character development and a story arc with a true character arc as well, and all of it in the hardscrabble west of bloody noses, shoot outs and quick death. The characters are well rendered and likeable. Kit, the wanted man, is compelling. Eli and Shane, the two over-the-hill ex-sheriffs, are sympathetic. The scene where the three are camping in the wild is as much character action as the shoot-outs are physical action. 

And then there's the horror. That starts on page 128. I can't tell you how, but you'll know. That's where the story moves from Western to hard-core horror. The gross is real, the creature horror is real and the--well, at the risk of being repetitive--the grit is real. Stomach-turning moments arrive in Arkell, the town "dripping blood."  I am a stickler for not giving away plot points, but be aware, the horror comes back after a long Western interlude and it's a lot. 

It's more difficult to write up something you loved than something you are ambivalent about. You keep coming back to "I loved it." Despite my trigger warnings, I loved this book. If you liked Desperation by Stephan King, the movie Bone Tomahawk, Clive Barker books of any kind, the movie Dog Soldiers--you will love this book. And thankfully, a rarity in many horror works, the characters are fully realized. You feel you know Kit, Shane and Eli, and the rest by the end. And Silas! My personal favorite to root for. In all, a solid book--better than average and top tier in my opinion. And it will creep you out in so many ways....that opening scene...wow...