Dr Phil meets Natural Born Killers. Sound like an odd combination? It totally works in Rufty's Something Violent. When Jody and Seth are out on their killing sprees, they are all business. But their marriage has hit the rocks. Where do the serial killers turn to when they can't fix their marriage on their own? They kidnap the famous marriage counselor to the stars, Ron McClure. Ron isn't the first man to fall victim to Jody flaunting her lucious body in public. Too bad he didn't see the taser she had hidden under her skirt. No he finds himself knocked unconscious, shoved in a trunk, and wakes up ducttaped to a chair in some unknown basement. When you counsel Hollywood's elite, you come across some crazy clientele. But nothing could have prepared him for Seth and Jody.

Something Violent worked for me. The premise is just crazy enough to make you shake your head, but Rufty plays the whole thing straight and makes the streaks of black comedy work. As the demented couple unfurl their story to the counselor, the human element comes through. Sure they're warped as it gets, but in a very odd way, you start to feel for them, care about them. That's what makes the whole thing work. If all they are is monsters kidnapping a doctor, all you would have is the shock value without any substance. Rufty shows how nutcase like Seth and Jody can be three dimensional. Brilliant. Kudos to Rufty for making this a fun, page-turner.



4.5 Purple Wigs out of 5



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DarkFuse is restructuring its company to focus more on its online magazine which means that the company will no longer be putting out books for several months. While this may come as a shock at first, the publisher has a couple last treats for readers. “Something Violent” by Kristopher Rufty is one of these books that will hit readers like a kick to the face from the first page.

Ron McClure did not start the day with ill intentions. His mind didn’t even turn that way when he saw the beautiful woman crying in the parking lot outside of the liquor store. Not even when he slipped his wedding band into his pocket and went to comfort the woman. He is, after all, the marriage counselor to the stars so he should be able to help one woman in obvious emotional distress and maybe get a little flirting in as well. Ron did not realize that he was going to have to put all of his skill to work until he came to hours later after being kidnapped and tied down in the basement of house in the country. The woman is Jody Covington and she wants Ron’s help in salvaging her marriage to her husband, Seth. The couple are two of the most prolific serial killer duos in history and Ron must try to unravel the relationship they have formed from violence or risk becoming their next victim.

Jody and Seth have been dubbed the Sweetheart Killers by the media. Their relationship was formed in violence when Seth kidnapped Jody as his next intended victim and fell in love with her instead. As they ran from the law, their love for each other became stronger with every kill. Life was idyllic for the pair as they cemented their relationship in blood. Everything changed when the couple got involved with a secret site on the internet where serial killers came together to share stories or even meet to share the thrill of the kill. As their story unfold in front of him, Ron realizes that his life hangs in the balance. Even if he was successful and saved their marriage, would the murderous couple exposing their secrets to him allow him to live.

At first glance, another serial killer novel that is written in the form of an interview or self-confession does not sound like anything new. It is a formula that has been used many times in the past and I have read a couple of those myself in the last year or so. This novel, however, does not read like the others and Rufty is the reason for that. The characters he creates are stereotypical in their roles in the story but he breathes a life into each that gives them a presence rather than just making them fictional characters to fill the page. In fact, Rufty flips the script so that it is easier to relate to Jody and Seth than it is to Ron through most of the book. The serial killer’s motives are transparent while Ron seems to be holding something back throughout the book. This provides a unique perspective in the story when the normal, non-murderous character is more deceptive than the human monsters that inhabit the novel.

While there is no doubt that “Something Violent” is a horror novel, it is also a love story at the center of its black heart. Jody and Seth tell a story of love for each other that is easily understood by the reader. It is easy to relate to this story as it speaks to the same yearning that lies in the heart of most people and makes the couple human in spite of their inhuman profession. This adds a new level to the story and it is almost easy to cheer for the couple and hope that they will be able to salvage their marriage. All of this takes place against a backdrop of extreme violence that has been a part of their lives for as long as they care to imagine and puts the reader in a dubious moral position. Rufty handles this deftly as he maneuvers through the story and brings it toward its explosive conclusion. “Something Violent” is not my favorite kind of horror novel but it is still a very good novel through the skill Rufty shows in handling the story. Fans of serial killer stories are sure to revel in this story but it is good enough to satisfy other horror fans. As with all DarkFuse releases, this book is highly recommended.

I would like to thank DarkFuse and NetGalley for this review copy. “Something Violent” is available now.

Sweetheart killers, they are the ones who have you tied to a chair while they brag on how they kill people. This book just got better and better, I have got to find his first one. This is like S. King without the ghosts, very well done.

This book was more deranged than having pants filled with rabid insane ferrets

Hmmm. As a Rufty fan, this one is a bit tough for me. There were elements I liked (the idea of two killers in love), yet there was too much for me. It felt a bit overwritten. I thought it would have been better cut down.

Had the story been told in a linear, straight ahead style, without the present day stuff including Ron the couples therapist, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I never cared for the main characters, Jody and Seth, either. I never bought Jody going along with things, she seemed like a bit of a tramp to begin with. And Seth just never really was anything but a scumbag killer to me. Rufty attempts to offer up some redemption, but it just came as too much of a stretch.

I love Rufty, and I loved the idea behind most of the story, but in the end, I was just okay for me.
Rufty has much better work available, start with A Dark Autumn or Desolation and you'll read everything he writes.

I give SOMETHING VIOLENT 3 stars.

A solid and entertaining story that left me wanting more after I finished. Rufty is one to watch.

Blood and Gore and Love

It is the same old story: Boy meets girl, lures her in the woods to torture kill her, while his sister films it. Then the other boy comes into the story, who saves the girl by (yes, you guessed it) killing the boy and his sister. But there is a sheriff, who wants to arrest the boy and so the girl kills him to rescue the boy who rescued her before. Now they know that they love each other and killing. From then on they are together, doing all things as a couple, even some crazy killing sprees from time to time.
And so they lived happ... stop, no, something is wrong. Their love is falling flat and they even fear that they will split. So what they need is counseling. Ron has a reputation as marriage counselor, and the gril abducts him to help them save their relationship. And that is, where the story starts.

I can not say how much I liked this really twisted pervy tale. And yes, you as a reader will sympathize with a couple of killers. Kristopher Rufty tells us their story in flashbacks, when they speak about it to Ron. And those are stories full of blood and gore. But this is counterbalanced by the humor in the counseling scenes. Anyone known the term "homicide dysfunction" before?

5/5 Stars

I have been a fan of other Kristopher Rufty works, but Something Violent never coalesced in to a fully formed novel for me. For one thing, I didn't care about or sympathize with any of the characters. You can say this would be a given when the main couple are serial killers, but it has been done before (Bryan Smith is great at making reprehensible people compelling). The titular website rarely comes in to play, making it feel thrown in. The structure of telling the bulk of the story (from the past) to a therapist (in the present) made it hard to get involved in the plot.

I don't want to trash this book. There is a lot to like: some great humor along with creative and horrific death scenes. I am a fan of Mr. Rufty's modern day Laymon-esque style (in fact, this plot feels like a Richard Laymon story that he never got the chance to write). With a few tweaks I think I would really like Something Violent, but as it is I could never fully get in to it. 3 stars.

A wholely unique story of a novel. Just when I thought knew where the stiry was headed, Rufty made a sharp turn in the plot. Very entertaining with lots of action, gore and actual Oprahlike advice.

Although it suffers from some softness in the middle, Something Violent is a crazy-ass thriller with a killer shock of an opening, a brilliantly twisted climax, and a darkly satisfying conclusion. Kristopher Rufty weaves a tale that takes its inspiration from a number of sources, but which outdoes them all in terms of sheer audacity.

Ron McClure is a marriage counselor to the stars, a celebrity in his own right, complete with talk show appearances and a book deal. When he spots a beautiful woman sobbing in a liquor store parking lot, he has no idea where a well-intentioned conversation will end - but he certainly doesn't expect to be tasered, kidnapped, and tied up in a serial killer's basement. Despite what seems like his own impending death, he can't help but be drawn into the story of a serial killer couple who've lost their lust for killing together. In between thoughts of escape, he actually starts listening to their respective stories, compelled to solve them as he has so many others.

Jody and Seth are an interesting couple, creepy as hell and twice as frightening. The story of how they met is worthy of a book all its own, and theirs is a story that just gets darker and more complicated as their confessions go on. The tricky thing is, they're an almost likable couple, making it all too easy to get drawn into their tale of terror, torture, murder, and mayhem. There's almost something of a Natural Born Killers vibe to it, but without the silly, surreal, satiric element. This reads more like an uncensored early season episode of Criminal Minds. The real hook here, though, is Something Violent itself - a darknet, subscription-based website for serial killers and their most twisted fans. I won't get into too much detail, but it ties into both how Seth and Jody met and how they drifted apart, with another serial killer couple involved in it all.

Like I said, there were a few soft spots in the middle that I think could have been tightened up, but it's so well-told, with such fantastic characters, and just the right amount of violence, that its flaws are easy to excuse. There are some definite shocks along the way, and a key tipping point where our fascination turns to horror, but the pay-off is one of the best I've come across in the genre in ages.

Ron McClure, marriage counselor to the stars, just got roped in to do a little pro bono therapy work. It is an offer he can’t refuse, if he wants to live thru the session. He better be damn good at his job too. His life just may depend on it.

Jody and Seth were madly in love. Bathing in the glow of one another, drenched in blood. Some of the ole spark is gone, however, and the sex and murder just isn’t enough anymore. Time for some counseling. They know just the guy.

This was a well written, quick and enjoyable serial killer romp with a True Romance / Natural Born Killers vibe to it. I don’t know why, but I am a little surprised that I liked it as much as I did. It could have been a hot cheesy mess, but it wasn't. Kudos to Rufty for pulling it off.

*As a member of the DarkFuse Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this title thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something Violent by Kristopher Rufty was received direct from the publisher. I have never read this author but in his introduction he says this is his first crime fiction novel with a horror flair, this was kind of scary but I continued on and was glad I did. A murderous couple starts out grabbing my interest from the get go. Will they be Bonnie and Clyde or more Mickey and Mallory (Mickey and Mallory I hope). The couples sordid tale, which they weave to their latest victim, who's profession I will not divulge, keeps the reader entertained by being not overly gratuitous but plenty bloody. I t i see this author has a lot of books out, which I will seek out as I hear others are better than this one. That would take a LOT. After you hear this couples story, you will realize this entire book was not about killing or crime or horror, but about a web site, kind of anyway. Lastly, "and this humidity is giving me swamp @$$," is a quote I haven't heard since my days in the middle east and it alone should make your readers want to read this book.

4 stars

SOMETHING VIOLENT, by Kristopher Rufty was a book with a unique premise: a married couple who happen to be serial killers, "get" a marriage counselor to listen and hopefully help them with their problems. The beginning was great, lending an unexpected rush and creative setting to the novel. The characterization of Jody and Seth (with how they came to meet) was done well, and I really began to get a feel for their personalities, and honestly "like" them--despite what they did.

The only real problems that I had with the novel was that the "backstories" were very prolonged, and took me out of the current situation so much that I had I difficult time transitioning back into it. When they finally took breaks from those tangents and went back to Ron, the counselor, the story just didn't feel streamlined--it was almost as though I were starting the book all over again. Another issue was that we had glimpses of Ron's past and present, but no real "feeling" for him as a person until the very end. During the course of the tale, I found him to be a bit inconsistent--although I'll avoid specifics so as not to go into spoiler territory.

Overall, a creative take and imaginative story, but I feel it could have been improved by taking out the jarring, overly long flashbacks, and somehow fitting them into the novel more gradually, and spending less time on them in general. (I don't really need to know how it felt to walk in the heat, or each sound that came to one of them before the actual action began, every time they told of a past event).

3.5 stars

*I chose to read an ARC of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are uniquely my own.*

A husband and wife serial killer team kidnap a famous marriage counsellor in a last-ditch effort to save their relationship in this wonderfully twisted read by Kristopher Rufty.
A fast-paced story drenched in blood, sex and violence, it’s a wild trip driven by a punchy National Born Killers style narrative that arks back to the old Leisure Horror paperback titles of the 1980s and 1990s.
Rufty has often been likened to Richard Laymon and it’s easy to see the comparisons here with a strong splatterpunk styling built around gore and titillation.
Yet unlike many of Laymon’s books – which were immense fun but often one-track in tone – Rufty manages to weave in an underlying sweetness to the couple, creating an emotional bond that finds you rooting for them to pull through despite all their crimes.
It’s certainly not for the faint of heart but is a hell of a lot of fun for those that are game.

Well now, this was a delightfully F'd up read, and one I'm hesitant to say too much about (there's a book description up at NetGalley, but not here on Goodreads; the story's initial hook is all the more shocking if you don't bother with the official synopsis). Something Violent is a serial killer story of the 80s slasher horror movie mold, first and foremost, but it's also a wonderfully sick, twisted, pervy little love story to boot.

Our killers are a fun-loving couple, although their idea of fun and their practice of dating rituals are a little...um, outside the norm, let's say. The idea of blood lust has a couple layers of meaning with these two. The only problem is, their relationship has hit a bit of a slippery slope, and author Kristopher Rufty gives us a good look at the history of their relationship.

Relationships are a lot of work, you know? Couples need to be open with each other and have a good line of communication, and there's always this constant bit of upkeep to keep things running smoothly. It's a complicated series of give and take, and things get even more difficult when you're being hunted by the law, trying to dispose of dead bodies, and dealing with issues like rape, kidnap, murder, and psycho hillbillies. You know, relationship stuff.

Rufty's good at giving us two deplorable figures to root for, usually because most of the people Jody and Seth target are even more disgusting wretches. We're constantly reminded that neither are exactly humanity's cream of the crop, but there's a certain likability to this couple that proves necessary in order for the story to work. It's dark, but there are also odd moments of light, and Rufty taps into a certain Stockholm effect between readers and his depraved couple. Something Violent may not be good, clean fun, but it damn sure is entertaining and more than a little bit frisky.

[Note: I am a member of the DarkFuse Reader's Group and received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

If you thought the the cover to SOMETHING VIOLENT was old fashioned looking (like I did), well, it seems there just may be a reason for it. SV is good old fashioned serial killer violence. It was a throwback to the good ol' days of Kilborn, Crouch and others who wrote those down and dirty killer stories that so many of us loved.

SOMETHING VIOLENT was something slightly different. And since I refuse to get into anything even close to spoiler-ish here, I'll just say that that it was as fast moving as anything that Khrist has ever written and a lot of fun (for those freaks like me).

I received my copy from the publisher.

Review: SOMETHING VIOLENT by Kristopher Rufty

In his acknowledgements, Mr. Rufty credits the crime fiction of Bryan D. Smith as inspiring his own foray into the genre. In no way is Mr. Rufty' s work derivative, but in common with Mr. Smith, both authors create characters in whom the veneer of civilization is so incredibly thin as to be next to nonexistent. I wonder why these individuals aren't obvious to their prey, or at least why they aren't obvious to others of their ilk. Although this may be a function of hindsight, fact is that these characters are human in name only, and just as it seems the lion exists to hunt the antelope, these predators exist only to thin the human herd. But there's just so many of them!

Kristopher Rufty yanks readers along on a ride about as wild as it can be, in a milieu populated by characters of a type we pray never to encounter. Yet never does suspension of disbelief fail. All along we accept his creation (no matter how horrifying) and marvel at his accomplishment.