Before I start, I love horror. The Gorier the better I say. Now the book The splitting man has this in spades, as well as spades being a murder weapon. It also starts off with blood pumping outwards really early on, with the story seemingly being about a wood splitter. The author David Amey does a grand job of sucking you into this depraved world with the narrative suddenly shifting focus to the lives of the other characters. Reading throughout the blood soaked chapters, you never really get a handle of where you think the story is going to go. I mentioned I love horror at the start, and this book certainly is a treat for horror fans. But unfortunately I had to put the book down after finishing one of the chapters. I was going to carry on reading (I certainly will after I've finished being in my happy place) ,but the events that transpired up to that point left my mind uneasy. It's like seeing that video nasty you wished you could unsee. David's writing is stunningly detailed and graphic, and picturing these events is like watching that video nasty. It's no bad thing to have come away morbidly shocked as I was, it's definitely a first for me who is hard pressed to be shocked by literature such as this, but shows its a testament to David's skill as a writer and his imagination at work. He's one to watch out for in future that's for sure.