'Killer Crabs' – Guy N. Smith (Black Hill Books)

I had such a good time reading 'Abomination', the other day, that I thought I'd strike while the iron was hot and read a little more Guy N. Smith. And there was only one choice this time round. I always manage to surprise myself with how many of Guy N. Smith's books that I've actually read (it's easily done, apparently I was a right voracious little horror reader back in the day) but I've read very few of the books that Smith is most well know for. It's time to do something about that. Along with my 'Elric Re-Read', I'll be looking to make my way through Guy N. Smith's 'Crabs' books as and when money permits. Should be fun :o)

I've already read 'Night of the Crabs', review Here, so next up is 'Killer Crabs'. Let's do it...

Their claws were strong enough to snap a man in half. Their shells were impenetrable, even by a six-inch naval gun. Their eyes glowed with malevolence, and as they tore their victims limb from limb they seemed to grin with sadistic delight. Never before had the world seen such an army. And now that army is about to grow, the mating season has come and if the crab's spawning ground can't be found then none of the oceans of the world will be safe... from the crabs!

'Killer Crabs' is only a hundred and sixty odd pages, on the Kindle, so don't be expecting a long review here. It's very much a book that's straight to the point; things happen, things happen right back at the original thing that happened and then we're on to the next thing. It's an easy book to get into a rhythm with and that can be detrimental to the plot sometimes as you can tell what's coming in the next few pages. Drunk guy wandering down the beach in the middle of the night...? You know what is going to happen next. To be fair to Smith, he does draw the tension out rather well, you know what's coming but there were a couple of times where I found myself holding my breath a little as I waited for it to happen...

What I liked most about this book is that although it is very straightforward in its delivery, there is actually a lot going on apart from giant crab attacks. Don't get me wrong, the giant crab attacks are awesome, Smith really knows what he is doing with these moments, basically loads of gore and evil crabs attacking humans. There's just an awful lot of other stuff happening, namely a love triangle with a millionairess (who is not quite what she seems), a big game hunter, a crook and a mysterious fisherman... Hang on, isn't that more of a 'love square'...? Anyway, the addition of a suitcase full of money spices things up even more and lends another element to the book. You're not just waiting for the crabs to attack, you're also waiting to see who walks off with the money at the end. I also liked the way that 'Killer Crabs' linked back to the first book, not just with the re-introduction of Davenport but that the events in Wales had led to world governments still keeping an eye open for a reoccurrence. It made the book feel a little different and not just ripping off 'Night of the Crabs'.

And the sex scenes... If you read Guy N. Smith, you already know that there's a fair amount of sex happening in these books. It was the late seventies/early eighties and that seems to have been part of what horror was about at the time. It's certainly the case here and as always, I'm against depictions of rough sex (that border on rape) that are there to titilate and build up the male character at the expense of the female. If you already have a decent story on the go then there's just no need for that.

What I loved though was Smith's depiction of completely unsatisfactory sex partway through the book. Not only did it serve to drive the plot forwards but it made a change to see that sometimes it happens, not every tough guy is good in bed and it saved 'Killer Crabs' from getting a little too pulpy and familiar.

'Killer Crabs' comes across as a little 'by the numbers' to start off with but when you get into it, there's a lot more going on than you think. Part adventure, part thriller, part horror and mostly giant crabs... Undemanding horror but a lot of fun to read.