Cruelty - Episodes 1 & 2

Cruelty by Edward Lorn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Will Longmire went to a prostitute's house, he didn't think she'd kidnap him at gunpoint and he damn sure didn't think he'd see her run over by a grotesque baby doll driving a car...

Yeah, you read that right. This is one messed up little story. Cruelty is a Kindle serial novel by Edward Lorn, a self-published author who seems to do everything right. Other author-publishers take note: Having someone else edit your stuff and getting a professional do to the cover goes a long way. Being a talented writer doesn't hurt either.

This is the first episode and if the quality holds, this thing this is going to take off like a wildfire by the time its finished. A giant murdering baby doll named Cruelty is scary enough but having it call its victims mama is the icing on the creepy cake.

At the end of the tale, there's an author's note saying you're probably cursing at your ereader at the way the first episode ends. He wasn't wrong. The first episode of Cruelty is satisfying as a short story but hints at greater and gorier things to come.

If you're looking for an example of self-publishing done right, look no further. Four out of Five stars.




Cruelty by Edward Lorn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While police are investigating the crime scene Cruelty left behind, some meth dealers are looking for William, and Innis is held captive...

The second episode isn't as horror-packed as the first installment but it has its share of creepiness. The cast of characters swells to include a host of cops and a couple meth dealers, along with William's friend Kirk.

Cruelty isn't in this one as much but he makes the most of his screen time. Edward Lorn stuck a disclaimer at the beginning of this episode and he was right. Cruelty is not for the squeamish.

My favorite chapter was the last one. It featured Merlo the cowardly dog.

And now the wait for the third episode begins. With Will in trouble and Innis in much much deeper trouble, episode 3 should be the best one yet.

Ed assured me it would be released in short order so I won't have to drive to his house and punch him in the junk. 3.5 out of 5 stars.