The Bucket List by Mark Towse & Chisto Healy
The Bucket List is an urban fiction horror novella. Written by Mark Towse and Chisto Healy, it was published by The Evil Cookie Publishing on October 29, 2022 and weighs in at 156 pages.
This is a story about three couples, each marking items off their bucket lists. One of the couples, an elderly duo named Marge & Alby, is running a quaint B&B in the country. Despite the elders’ odd personas, the other two couples commit to staying the night — persuaded in part by a huge storm. When the guests venture down to dinner at “seven dead,” they’re in for an evening filled with horrors they’ve only begun to imagine.
First off, if you’re a fan of comedy horror, splatterpunk, body horror, and/or gore - just go ahead and grab a copy. This book should be on your TBR bucket list.
I have read many of Towse’s works. I’m used to his particular writing voice and style, so getting a taste of it mixed with the horror voice of Chisto Healy elevated the experience for me.
The prologue and first three chapters will introduce you to the characters and give you an idea about why their bucket lists are so important to them. Then, chapter four will grab you by the throat and not let go until you get to the end of the book. Filled with delightfully awkward and uncomfortable moments, I couldn’t stop reading. This book is not for the faint of heart or for readers with weak stomachs. Despite many of the scenes dripping with gore, you’ll be hungry for more as you keep turning the pages to see how it ends.
I had moments where my mouth gaped, my face scrunched into a grimace, and my toes curled up. You’ll feel this story throughout your body as you imagine what the characters are experiencing. This is what I’m here for. There is something so satisfying about reading a story that affects you mentally and physically. Towse and Healy did a fantastic job keeping the suspense building and dropping surprises for me around every corner.
Yes, there’s gore. Buckets of it. However, the amount of humor that is injected throughout the story balances it out nicely. I particularly enjoyed Richie and his metal comments. Even the chapter titles had me smirking. Also, throughout the novella, there are comments made about cheesy horror films and their plots. I feel like The Bucket List is an homage to those old flicks.
No one in my household reads horror. When I find a book I particularly enjoy, I try to give very basic surface information to explain what I just read without giving them nightmares. Immediately after finishing the book, I told my son: “It was depraved and disgustingly wonderful. I feel guilty for enjoying it so much, and I wonder what that says about me. But I don’t care. I loved it.” That about sums it up.
I already knew I was a body horror fan, but I feel like this book has nudged me into being a little more curious about splatterpunk horror. Who knows. One thing is certain, though. I will be checking out more of the listings on The Evil Cookie Publishing’s page. I’m feeling like a kid in a candy store.
Also, I’m excited to add a new horror writer to my list. This was my first taste of Chisto Healy, and I plan to go back for seconds. Or thirds.
More books by Mark Towse:
More books by Chisto Healy:
Other books you might enjoy if you like The Bucket List:
Who is Chisto Healy?
Author of twisted horror tales as well as innovative science fiction and epic fantasy stories. Chisto is a genre author with an unstoppable imagination who writes 7 days a week and tries to write at least one story or chapter every single day. It’s his biggest passion. The only thing that means as much as his writing is being a dad to his awesome kids. He also dabbles in art and music and being an interesting person.
***Taken from Chisto Healy’s website
The Evil Cookie Publishing
The Evil Cookie Publishing is the chaotic project of extreme horror author and digital artist, K. Trap Jones. After a decade of writing extreme horror, Trap decided to throw his hat into the publishing ring of hell.
As a way to give back to the Splatterpunk community, Trap structured The Evil Cookie Publishing to specialize in creating high-quality, gore-infested, fast-paced novels/novellas and anthologies including some of the best writers in the industry.
Trap handles all aspects of the publishing process and works closely with authors all the way through including designing/hand drawing unique covers for each book.
***Taken from The Evil Cookie Publication’s website
Who is Mark Towse?
Mark Towse is an Englishman living in Australia. He would sell his soul to the devil or anyone buying if it meant he could write full-time. Alas, he left it very late to begin this journey, penning his first story since primary school at the ripe old age of 45.
***Taken from Mark Towse’s Amazon page
