Book Description
Nick Bullman was a wrestling superstar. His alter ego, The Widowmaker, was the monster heel all the marks loved to hate.
Now, after a brutal encounter with two psychotic fans left his face horribly disfigured, he's just a monster.
Yanked from the spotlight and thrust into the shadows, these days Nick tries to live the life of an average Joe. He avoids mirrors. He's angry. He's alone. And he likes it just fine that way...
Until he receives a desperate phone call from a young lady he barely knows--his daughter.
For the first time in over thirty years, Nick returns to his hometown of Midnight, North Carolina. There he will come face to face with old demons, forge new friendships, and make enemies far more dangerous than those who ruined his face, all in a quest to save the granddaughter he's never met...and maybe find a little bit of redemption along the way.
Ugly As Sin is an electrifying tale of "white-trash noir," a taut page-turner that skates the razor edge of a familiar, horrifying reality. At times heartbreaking, funny, and terrifyingly suspenseful, Ugly As Sin is Newman's best work to date.
Now, after a brutal encounter with two psychotic fans left his face horribly disfigured, he's just a monster.
Yanked from the spotlight and thrust into the shadows, these days Nick tries to live the life of an average Joe. He avoids mirrors. He's angry. He's alone. And he likes it just fine that way...
Until he receives a desperate phone call from a young lady he barely knows--his daughter.
For the first time in over thirty years, Nick returns to his hometown of Midnight, North Carolina. There he will come face to face with old demons, forge new friendships, and make enemies far more dangerous than those who ruined his face, all in a quest to save the granddaughter he's never met...and maybe find a little bit of redemption along the way.
Ugly As Sin is an electrifying tale of "white-trash noir," a taut page-turner that skates the razor edge of a familiar, horrifying reality. At times heartbreaking, funny, and terrifyingly suspenseful, Ugly As Sin is Newman's best work to date.
Reviews:
By MommaCat
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Describing this story as White Trash Noir might make one think that
James Newman has decided not to write a horror story. Think again.
Ugly as Sin returns to Midnight , NC and leads the reader along what seems to be a simple kidnapping. But it is more. And when you find out how much more it will slap you in the face and punch you in the gut and you'll look around bleary-eyed and and ask yourself how you missed that.
More, sir. Please, Mr. Newman, may I have more?
Highest recommendations.
Ugly as Sin returns to Midnight , NC and leads the reader along what seems to be a simple kidnapping. But it is more. And when you find out how much more it will slap you in the face and punch you in the gut and you'll look around bleary-eyed and and ask yourself how you missed that.
More, sir. Please, Mr. Newman, may I have more?
Highest recommendations.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was a bit worried when I purchased UGLY AS SIN that it would be about wrestling. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
James Newman hits a homerun with this novel that begins with a cringing horror beyond belief. Nick “The Widowmaker” Bullman is a wrestler who becomes horribly disfigured. Shortly thereafter he assaults the CEO of the Wrestling Association and barely escapes going to prison, but his wrestling days are over. Then his estranged daughter calls and tells him his young, teen-aged granddaughter he didn’t know about is missing. Newman takes us through a twisted, tangled story of interesting characters using prose that elicits imagery and pace. One character I had grown to like had me shouting (and cursing) in one particular scene.
Newman has a twisted imagination and he applies it to this contemporary story in ways that are life-like, believable, and can wring out strong emotion of profound regret and redemption. Tightly plotted, UGLY AS SIN is a fast read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Newman earns one of my rare 5-stars.
James Newman hits a homerun with this novel that begins with a cringing horror beyond belief. Nick “The Widowmaker” Bullman is a wrestler who becomes horribly disfigured. Shortly thereafter he assaults the CEO of the Wrestling Association and barely escapes going to prison, but his wrestling days are over. Then his estranged daughter calls and tells him his young, teen-aged granddaughter he didn’t know about is missing. Newman takes us through a twisted, tangled story of interesting characters using prose that elicits imagery and pace. One character I had grown to like had me shouting (and cursing) in one particular scene.
Newman has a twisted imagination and he applies it to this contemporary story in ways that are life-like, believable, and can wring out strong emotion of profound regret and redemption. Tightly plotted, UGLY AS SIN is a fast read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Newman earns one of my rare 5-stars.
By Kimberly Y.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've come to realize that the one thing James Newman's stories have in
common is that he doesn't use "characters", he uses REAL people. The
people in Ugly As Sin feel as real to me as people I've known for years.
Newman infuses his stories with life--I have yet to read a book of his
that didn't grab me in an emotional context. I FELT for these people,
so much so that it's hard to take a break and go back to your
day-to-day activities without knowing what is in store for them.
This story starts out explosively with Nick (aka "The Widow-maker") getting ambushed by two delusional wrestling fans. After that, things take a decidedly downhill turn for the worse. Without any spoilers, I can honestly say that this was a brutally shocking, emotional story that will stay with you long after you've finished. The "people" here have a real presence, and will not simply leave your mind after you've moved on to the next book. This is the type of story that you will keep going back to, both mentally, and to re-read.
A solid 5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Available on Amazon
Check out an interview with the author, James Newman!
This story starts out explosively with Nick (aka "The Widow-maker") getting ambushed by two delusional wrestling fans. After that, things take a decidedly downhill turn for the worse. Without any spoilers, I can honestly say that this was a brutally shocking, emotional story that will stay with you long after you've finished. The "people" here have a real presence, and will not simply leave your mind after you've moved on to the next book. This is the type of story that you will keep going back to, both mentally, and to re-read.
A solid 5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Available on Amazon
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| Photo by Kim White |
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