Rating: 
Summary: Will grab your heart and take it for a full throttle ride...
Review: Rarely have I read a writer who can write so tightly and yet so explicitly. Starting from a sudden murder of an old man's dog, a murder that is not only senseless but cruel, author Jack Ketchum never lets the pace - or suspense - die in this wonderfully crafted book. All the man wants is an apology and some justice. And yet it seems as if it will never happen. So he has to take things into his own hands. But not in a predictable way, not in a way you see coming. I can't wait to get my hands on his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Dare I say it? A kinder, gentler Ketchum.
Review: Red is the story of Avery Ludlow, a widower in the twilight of his life. A simple man, Avery is content to run his general store, fish, and pass the empty hours with his only companion, his dog Red. His life is upset, however, by the actions of an unfeeling teenager, who coldly shoots the dog during a robbery attempt. Stunned, Avery is left standing over the corpse of his friend, watching the boy and his cohorts as they saunter away, laughing.Avery mourns, then gets angry. He pursues the young killer and his companions, only to find that the boys' parents and society in general care little for his loss. Increasingly frustrated, Avery decides to take matters into his own hands, leading to a tragic and bloody confrontation at book's end. Once again, Ketchum tells a gripping tale the way only he can. I did notice, however, that Red had a more personal feel to it than previous efforts. Ketchum's style seems more expansive than in the past in the first two sections of the book, perhaps reflecting a greater emphasis on character development--Avery is probably the most carefully rendered character I've encountered in Ketchum's fiction. Ketchum then quickens the pace and returns to his more typical, lean prose in the final third of the book, as the tension mounts and the action becomes more explosive. A true American original, Ketchum deserves your attention.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Enjoyable Writing
Review: Red kept me interested throughout and the main character was less vengeful than I expected, thus more human and likable. Bonus! I thought The Passenger, the novella in the back of the book, was even better -- with some really strange and scary characters. Can't go wrong with this one!
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: RED was an excellent book!!! It had me in its grip from the moment I started reading! It's a short book (211 pages), but so well written you know all the details of each character without having the story slowed down at all. I am VERY impressed by this book and recommend it to anyone that has a few days to read it from open to shut with a few breaks in between. ~Happy reading!~
Rating: 
Summary: minus horror
Review: The first chapter of this book shows incredible promise; dark, malicious, moody. A dog gets shot in the head by some mean-spirited rich kids. Aha! A tale of vengeance.
Unfortunately, the first chapter is the high-water mark and each following paragraph spirals into sentimental and meaningless exposition which never seems to scratch the surface. There was a premise here, something with which Ketchum could have pressed further into, and we the reader would have been treated to a real macabre insight as to what makes people mean, what revenge does to the person seeking it, and what happens after that.
Instead, Ketchum treads softly, tapping into fear like the Sci-Fi Channel taps into science fiction, amusing ridiculous characters and simple-minded explanations then wrapping it up quickly so he could go to bed or watch CSI.
I knew there was a reason I rarely wander from the literature section. Some writers just don't have the balls.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the first Ketchum book I have read and I really enjoyed it. It was an easy read and once I started it I didn't put it down until I was finished. I recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: RED
Review: What a thrill ride this was! Jack Ketchum takes the reader on a roller coaster ride and you do not want to get off. ketchum, who is more noted for some real brutal horror fiction (i.e. Offspring, The Lost and Off Season etc...) uses more implied horror in this one. (we never find out why the maid or Mrs. McCormack fear Mr. McCormack so much, but we get the impression he can be a monster) Then, after you have read RED, take a deep breath and go on and read the novella The Passenger. This 93 page thriller is worth the price of the book by itself.
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