A visceral, thought-provoking ride through the darker recesses of the human psyche.
Guise’s latest plunges readers into a surreal, violent odyssey where morality and madness collide. No. 44, a dispassionate drifter and assassin, receives a cryptic list of targets—an arbitrary compilation of individuals, animals, and even a shark—all destined for execution. This “kill list” sends him across a fragmented American landscape. Along the way, he encounters grotesque rituals, absurdist events, and existential crises that blur the line between reality and hallucination. Guise’s prose is sharp, oscillating between biting satire and unsettling imagery. The violence is graphic yet darkly humorous, amplifying the absurdity of the protagonist’s fractured reality. Surreal elements, such as a Black Mass and philosophical digressions reminiscent of Camus and Kafka, deepen the novel’s chaotic tone, while its episodic structure mirrors the disjointed nature of modern existence. The characters are morally ambiguous, resisting easy categorization. No. 44’s detached brutality and the cryptic forces that guide him challenge readers to confront their complicity as onlookers. Guise’s narrative revels in ambiguity, compelling readers to question not only his world but also their own moral boundaries.
A challenging and provocative work that thrives on discomfort and uncertainty.
Pub date November 16, 2021
Bear Skin Bob Press
ISBN 978-1777527594
Price $15.00 (USD) Paperback, $7.99 Kindle edition
