Pressure

From Publishers Weekly Murdering sociopaths make lousy friends but marvelously creepy reading, as shown in this wicked thriller from Strand (Mandibles). After stealing condoms on a dare, Alex Fletcher is shipped off to Branford Academy, a boarding school for misfits. Of his four roommates, Darren Rust seems the most peculiar, but Alex becomes uneasy buddies with the little monster-in-the-making after Darren introduces him to the joys of spying on strippers. Unfortunately, Darren also enjoys cutting up dead things, including their roommate's dog, Killer Fang. Although Alex and his friends try to get even with Darren by stringing him up for a good scare, Darren retaliates by going to the headmaster, protesting his innocence and getting two of the boys kicked out of Branford. Their lives diverge until Darren pops up at Alex's college campus. When Alex falls in love with a girl, Darren gets jealous and shows his truly insane colors-to violent effect. The horror in this tale of twisted friendship is relentless, and the choices Alex makes to rescue himself from Darren's web of depravity might be morbid, but Strand's wide-eyed narrator makes the implausible almost believable. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review "PRESSURE is a masterpiece. 5 out of 5 Mugs O’ Blood." -- The Horror Channel "They first met in boarding school - Alex, shy and nervous, and Darren, constantly scribbling in his journal. They became best friends in college. Alex always knew Darren was a little odd. He didn't know his friend was murderously insane until Darren asked Alex to join him in his blood-soaked fun. They could be a team, hunting and slaughtering human prey. Alex doesn't want any part of it. He's no monster. But Darren is twisted, deadly ... and determined. And he won't take no for an answer."--Publisher's description Alex is unwittingly drawn into a waking nightmare when he discovers that his best friend Darren, whom he met in boarding school, is murderously insane and wants Alex to join him on a blood-soaked rampage--and won't take no for an answer. Original.