[BOOKS OF THE DEAD] The Great Dick and the Dysfunctional Demon - Barry Maher
- Victoria
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Great Dick and the Dysfunctional Demon - Books of the Dead Review
Welcome to Books of the Dead. A monthly series by published author and founder of The Readers in the Rue Morgue Book Club Victoria Brown where she deep dives into some her favourite (and not so favourite) authors and books.
Author: Barry Maher
Publication Date: 01/09/2025
Synopsis: It’s 1982. Steve Witowski, a failed songwriter on the run from the law, finds himself caught in a supernatural thriller after an apparently innocent act of heroism—saving a woman from a vicious assault by a seemingly unstoppable wino. The woman, Victoria, is just part of a mystery Steve can’t unravel. Even as he’s looting the decomposing dead for the secrets of a self-proclaimed sorcerer. Even as he plummets into a nightmare of fire and blood and murder. Even then, Steve remains certain the sorcerer’s spells, the occult rituals—the supposed demons and supernatural horror—are simply delusion and fantasy. Steve is wrong. Victoria, who has just bought a dilapidated church with a haunting past, entangles Steve in a deadly game of dark magic and rituals. As, unknown to him, the demon grows desperate, Steve plunges deeper into a world of crypts, grave robbing, and long-forgotten secrets, all while trying to escape his own haunted past. But when the face of the man Steve killed appears on his arm, the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur. This supernatural novel will leave you on the edge of your seat, with wickedly funny dark humour and, ultimately, pulse-pounding suspense, as Steve and Victoria navigate a twisted adventure full of occult horror, supernatural suspense, and shocking revelations.
Thoughts:
This book is a wild ride. I was immediately impressed by the protagonist’s distinctive and scummy, yet self-aware, narrative voice which had me hooked from page one. I can’t remember the last time I was so compelled by a character who was such an unrepentant douche, who I then ended up caring so deeply about!
Maher’s ability to weave tension, fear, sensuality, self-aware humour, and metaphysical dread is incredible, particularly for a debut novelist. He has such a command of language and tone, and manages to make even the most unbelievable situations feel viable.
While the plot features all the trademarks of classic pulpy horror – witches, grimoires, demons, spooky churches, murder, cops, you name it – Maher has expertly crafted his own version, using an intimate, small-scale tale to explore the contrast between 1960s counterculture and 1980s consumerism, anti-heroes, obsession, lust, feelings of damnation, being damaged and flawed, and how our decisions can propel us into paths we never would have considered.
The horror element of the plot is slow at first, but that is clearly intentional – the horror creeps in, insidiously, until it’s so deeply woven in the events that unfold that you find yourself compelled to read as quickly as possible to find out what’s happening. It’s addictive. Of all the images throughout the novel, our protagonist’s bruise is what sticks with me the most – you’ll understand when you read it.
Maher’s work is a fantastic addition to the horror genre and I can’t wait to see what he does next. I don’t want to give too much away because I feel like novel is something readers need to experience for themselves. Go in blind and enjoy the ride!
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Victoria Brown, Author of The Death Ship: Recovering The Bodies of Titanic's Dead