The City

The City Saga, Book 1

De: S.C. Mendes, Blood Bound Books

Narrado por: Chuck Brugee

“A slick story that combines gumshoe noir and extreme horror.” (Kristopher Triana, author of Gone to See the River Man)

"Mendes' novels are darkly gleaming puzzle-boxes that, once solved, reveal their awesome horrors." (Joseph Sale, author of Dark Hilarity)

Chinatown, 1910.

A series of ritualistic murders are discovered six months after Max Elliot turned in his badge.

Victims of the media-dubbed “Chinatown Surgeon” are little more than piles of flayed skin. The bones of each body were stolen. This torturous method of execution had only been seen once before and that case remained unsolved.

Confident of a connection between the grisly crimes, police turn to the one man they believe can help.

With the allure of closure to his own personal tragedy, Max Elliot agrees to reinstatement for one last case. But the clues lead the unstable detective down a path he never could have imagined.

Follow Max as he penetrates a supernatural world of drugs, violence, and an ancient race of chemists whose hidden influence shaped human civilization.

What Reviewers are Saying

“This book is the perfect blend of noir with extreme horror and plenty of fantasy elements. I get some serious Graham Masterton vibes with Mendes’ writing, but in all honesty, you will never read another book like The City.” (Stephanie E. Jensen, author of The Howling of the Dead)

“Wow, it’s been a while since I have felt for a character as much as I did for Max Elliot.” (Paula Limbaugh, Horror Novel Reviews)

“The City is a slick read, you’re never bored & the anticipation for the next visit to the ancient city is constantly high.” (Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life)

©2017, 2020, 2023 S.C. Mendes (P)2023 S.C. Mendes

Absolutely loved this story …

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author. I am choosing to write a review because I enjoyed it so much.
I absolutely loved this story! It takes place in early 20th century San Francisco as Max Elliot, a flawed former detective, is asked to come out of retirement to help solve a series of brutal serial killings. The characters were well developed and interesting. The story was full of twists and turns with a very surprise ending.
I recommend this book to fans of horror, detective and serial killer stories. It is not for the faint of heart it is very graphic in spot’s.
I am very much looking forward to the sequel “The Order of Eternal Sleep”.

Can't Wait for Book 2

A psychological horror-dark noir that delves into a dark underworld filled with degenerates and monsters, "The City" was amazing and left me desperately wanting to know what happen next and will all the mysteries be solved by the last page.

The protagonist is Max Elliot, a former police detective that is swirling the drain of drugs l, paid for sex, and despair after the murder of his wife and disappearance of his daughter. He goes to the dark depths of "The City" for justice. This was such a expressive essay on what loss and selfish obsession can do to a person and those that are close to him/her.

Besides a delicious murder mystery, we have the creatures that run the underworld and their infatuation with torture and drugs. This story is absolutely fantastic and we even get to follow Max as he struggles for resolution and redemption.

The voice actor is on point. He didn't not fail the assignment and brought life to each character, shaping and providing a wonderful interpretation of Mr. Mendes's words.

As it is a dark noir, we aren't promised rainbows. What we are promised is another book which I can't wait to begin.

Interesting tale

This one took me a few chapters to start enjoying, but once I got into its groove, I really enjoyed the journey. The characters are well written, their choices understandable and their flaws relatable.

Deliciously Dark and Narratively Cinematic

This book was absolutely phenomenal. When I read the description I was very intrigued, but it didn't prepare me for what I was about to read.

This novel was deliciously dark, drawing on elements of film noir, carnivalesque, and the grotesque, marrying them together to create a novel that can best be described as horror noir. It is equal parts who-done-it and body horror spectacular.

Mendes has a cinematic way of writing, painting a vivid picture of the narrative, and making you feel as if you are watching the events play out in your mind like a film. You can picture the streets of LA. You can visualize The City. You can imagine in vivid detail the Mara and all of their cruel and sadistic practices.

And the seedy world he creates in The City serves as a mirror for the atrocities taking root in the world above. And the abject horrors in both worlds works as a catalyst to bridge the two together.

I love that every character is 3-dimensional and highly flawed. I found myself loving and hating almost ealvery character in almost equal measure. Mendes also weaves elements of grief and redemption throughout the story in a way that endears Max to the reader. And while Max doesn't always make the best choices, you find yourself rooting for him and hoping he does what is necessary.

The story is dark, grizzly, and holds no punches in its depravity. And I couldn't get enough.

The narrator did an amazing job of capturing the no-nonsense air of a film noir detective, delivering elements of the story in a frank and dry tone, while adding emotion and depth in the moments that needed it. He did a good job of making each character distinct and unique, making it easy to recognize when there was a shift from one to the other.