Just reading patrica cornwell's predator where a dead body is found with a shotgun shell inserted up her a~~~~ and just found myself, in light of all the other grisly, gruesome books I read, why I choose to read these things? I mean some of them - I'm thinking here of Karin Slaughter's blindsight for example- are really very very nasty. If I had to explain to my parents what I was reading I am sure they would be horrified!!!!!!!!  actually i know they would be horrified......

why do we read these books- i mean honestly, i really enjoy reading this stuff - not just because of the crime scenes but because i just enjoy reading this sort of book- but i can't quite get my head around why...any theories.....?

Mark, I read these kind of books. I read all of Patricia Cornwell's books, Tess Gerritsen books and now I am readin Karin Slaughter books.

Gruesome doesn't bother me if it's a good story. I do think that sometimes the details are overdone simply for effect, and these authors I tend to avoid after the first one, but a good writer can keep you reading through practically anything.

I find I can read about things I would shrink from in, say, film.

I read them too, enjoy the serial killers that murder in unnecessarily complicated ways..maybe for the same reasons Romans used to go to the Colluseum
I do grimace sometimes, but if it's well-written/good plot and characters, i do enjoy reading them.

However i recently read Heart Sick and didnt enjoy it at all, felt the torture descriptions were there purely to sell/hype the book..she was supposed to be a female Hannibal..but the book lacked heart(excuse the pun).

 I like all the horrible books too !  This is the type of stuff I always read till I joined RISI but the last couple of years I have started to read other things as well and have really enjoyed them.

I still get the horrible ones but I get just as many of other types of books which I probably would never have looked at previously,so well done RISI for showing me other books, as I have really enjoyed them.

RISI expands your mind ..........Shirley 

I also enjoy these books but can't really explain why lol one that springs to mind is Intensity by Dean Koontz, that has got some fairly gruesome parts in...

Some of John Connelly's books have given me nightmares but i still keep reading them, Erica Spindler books are also quite nasty in places and ive read and loved all of Karin Slaughters too. Most of these Ive borrowed from my dad so maybe its in the blood lol

My experience is the same as yours, Shirley, I used to read just this genre of book all the time, but now since joining RISI  I ALSO read historical fiction, modern fiction such as Jodie Picoult, Anita Shreve, Marian Keyes, and autobiogs. When I was a teenager I used to read horror books too, but I don't really know why they interested me. I still love Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, PJ Tracy, Richard Montanari, Mo Hayder et al, as seanat says, maybe it's the clever twists to the crimes rather than the 'sick' value that makes them enjoyable.

michelleh83:

Some of John Connelly's books have given me nightmares but i still keep reading them, Erica Spindler books are also quite nasty in places and ive read and loved all of Karin Slaughters too. Most of these Ive borrowed from my dad so maybe its in the blood lol

Ah yes I just read one of her books, very good book Shocking Pink...but I did find it a bit hard reading how she kicks the stool out from under them and described the cracking of their neck...eek lol even in films i have to put hands over my ears cos the thought of the cracking makes me cringe...

I am another who loves the gory books, no idea why, but I wouldn't dream of reading something about real live murders, like the Moors Murders or Peter Sutcliffe just think that these glorify these people.  I do also read other genre as well so don't feel to bad about it.

The thing is these days that authors have to vie with each other to provide ever more gruesome and grisly details to keep readers interested. A straighforward bash over the head with a sledgehammer is no longer enough!

You do begin to wonder how far they can go!

Personally, though I have no trouble with the gore, I do like a book that uses intelligent detection and good characterisation to make its point, rather than mindless violence.

I really enjoyed Karin Slaughter - Blind Sighted even if it was gory - and any others I can get my hands on.....I don't know why - maybe it is the suspense, the graphics, the "sit on edge of seat" feeling.  Don't know really, but I do know if I read more than two, I really need to sit down and read something soppy to get the images out of my brain. 

To go against the flow....I don't read them, as I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appeal. Gratuitous violence doen't really make for a good plot-prefer more subtle undertones to what I read. Really can't see the appeal of them at all, but they obviously have a huge fan base-a bit like horror movies I guess (and no, I don't like them either!)

We read them because (for some of us) it connects with the savage inside us....... some dormant piece of our ancient predecessors, who's lives were lived violently, each waking hour contained unknown terrors, and the adrenaline thrill of it not being you who's the victim.

I mean 'fess up.... who doesn't feel more alive after a good scare or two....

Andy