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When the Mockingbird Sings
This is the story of a vile, cruel, disgusting man, getting exactly what he deserves. Johnny is a gangster in 60's Moon City. When Johnny picks up a delivery for his boss at an old warehouse on the edge of town, his life changes in a way you won't soon forget.
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Published March 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
March 25, 2025
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST"....Yes!! This is exactly what it says on the cover!! So don't be fooled by the picture or the title!!
"HOLY FUCKING FUCK" is exactly what I say!!
This book was 77 pages of extremely vile and disgusting destruction, from the first page until the very last.
But...I'm ashamed (and most probably sick in the head) to say that I enjoyed this book 100% and I had to give it a 5 star rating for the simple reason it was the first extreme horror book that made me sweat and I had to put it down and take a brief pause for a rest.
This is NOT a book to be taken lightly....approach it with caution!! You have been warned!!
The bleach and disinfectant brain wash is on it's way to me...and I definitely need to use it!! 🧠🤯
"HOLY FUCKING FUCK" is exactly what I say!!
This book was 77 pages of extremely vile and disgusting destruction, from the first page until the very last.
But...I'm ashamed (and most probably sick in the head) to say that I enjoyed this book 100% and I had to give it a 5 star rating for the simple reason it was the first extreme horror book that made me sweat and I had to put it down and take a brief pause for a rest.
This is NOT a book to be taken lightly....approach it with caution!! You have been warned!!
The bleach and disinfectant brain wash is on it's way to me...and I definitely need to use it!! 🧠🤯
July 23, 2024
“Say goodnight, Johnny.”
In those last few seconds of silence, before the pipe swung down and darkness overtook me, I heard the mockingbird outside once more. In that moment, I could swear it was mimicking my screams.
In those last few seconds of silence, before the pipe swung down and darkness overtook me, I heard the mockingbird outside once more. In that moment, I could swear it was mimicking my screams.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2024
WHEN THE MOCKINGBIRD SINGS [2023] By Stuart Bray & Jason Nickey
My Review 4.0 Stars Out Of 5
This short work of horror fiction was imagined by Stuart Bray and edited by Jason Nickey. The time and place are Moon City in the early ‘60’s and the story is advanced using first-person POV perspective of Johnny, the antagonist, who has mob ties and aspires to be a “Made Man”.
Part I: The Warehouse
This section explores the mindset of Johnny and his actions and reactions on that day when there was a shipment to arrive which carried certain responsibilities on his part. The reader initially meets Johnny sitting in a car with another gangster named Rodger, the former bored senseless and sharing his recent fascination with seeing the dead body of a kid who had been hit by a car and whose funeral had been held near Johnny’s pad. He shared that he had been speculating (projecting really) what the funeral director might have been doing with the dead body while Johnny was masturbating. Perhaps not unexpectedly, his companion Rodger had appropriate commentary to follow Johnny’s perverted disclosure.
In time Johnny approaches the henchmen on the dock about the shipment to be picked up for his boss Sonny. Eventually the crate with air holes is jacked open to reveal a small Asian child. Rodger pretty much lost it when he realized that his boss Sonny had ordered a foreign child, and that this was the merchandise he and Johnny had been awaiting. Johnny sealed the deal by speculating why and for what purpose Sonny had ordered the child. Making the disagreeable partner Rodger dead was no big thing for Johnny.
It is at this point that things start to “go south” for Johnny our “I just want to be a “Made Man” for the mob. “The old break room towards the rear of the building” sort of sounds like it should be “a green door in the back of the warehouse…with a sign declaring “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”, at least if you are Johnny and all doors are the same if a child or children can be located behind the door. Johnny took his pleasure from the little girl, and then stomped her and the little boy to death. His chief concern was a potentially pulled muscle in his leg.
The two-henchman turned bone white when they saw him leaving the Shipping Office covered in blood and gleefully announcing he had killed the “brats”. It was two American children who were murdered in the Shipping Office, the children of the boss, in fact. Subsequent to killing the Boss’s two men Johnny went about trying to salvage the simple up pick of the Asian child. Would it be a surprise to anyone reading that Johnny could not leave the child alone?
Johnny must face Jimmy and ultimately Sonny Maneli the head of the three major crime families. There are consequences to one’s actions, and Johnny learns the truth of that saying. The scope and extent of Johnny’s punishments are for the reader to ponder. It would be accurate to say that Johnny reaped pretty much what he deserved.
Part 2: Castigation
There is a major dust up when mobsters descend upon Jimmy and Sonny Maneli who must pay the price for Johnny’s molestation and brutal murder of the man’s two children who had been held in the Shipping Department for their safety. In this second part of this short work of unchecked horror Johnny is “free” to murder and molest again, albeit food and safety are initially high on his agenda.
Enter an ostensible “do gooder” who invites the filthy disheveled and starving Johnny place to stay. It is at this juncture that our Johnny meets the mysterious “Mr. Loomis” and his associates. Is this a good thing for Johnny (who deserves no goodness) the reader asks himself. I think we collectively know the answer. Johnny, out antagonist, our villain has stepped into Hell, one might say one of his own makings.
I have elaborated a bit on some portions of this staggering short but savage work of horror fiction. I will not go any further which would truly constitute a “Spoiler”. If anyone is tempted to stop reading in Part I: Warehouse, just “Don’t”. I truly advise finishing the story to the last sentence.
This was my first brush with the works of Stuart Bray. His brand of Extreme Horror is in your face, unapologetic, shocking, and unforgiving. I noted that the short work consisted of pure evil----gradations of pure evil yes---but every character from bit players to the main character of Johnny was evil just more or less evil in degrees. I rated the novel 4 Stars because it was successful in balancing the scale of vengeance. Johnny would have had to be hijacked by the cenobites for him to have gotten more of what he dished out.
Johnny mentioned the social behavior of the Mockingbirds in Part I, but I am not sure about how the title was derived.
DARKLY SATISFYING TALE OF AN EVIL MAN SUFFERING FOR HIS UNFORGIVABLE EVIL PERPETRATED AGAINST THE INNOCENT
My Review 4.0 Stars Out Of 5
This short work of horror fiction was imagined by Stuart Bray and edited by Jason Nickey. The time and place are Moon City in the early ‘60’s and the story is advanced using first-person POV perspective of Johnny, the antagonist, who has mob ties and aspires to be a “Made Man”.
Part I: The Warehouse
This section explores the mindset of Johnny and his actions and reactions on that day when there was a shipment to arrive which carried certain responsibilities on his part. The reader initially meets Johnny sitting in a car with another gangster named Rodger, the former bored senseless and sharing his recent fascination with seeing the dead body of a kid who had been hit by a car and whose funeral had been held near Johnny’s pad. He shared that he had been speculating (projecting really) what the funeral director might have been doing with the dead body while Johnny was masturbating. Perhaps not unexpectedly, his companion Rodger had appropriate commentary to follow Johnny’s perverted disclosure.
In time Johnny approaches the henchmen on the dock about the shipment to be picked up for his boss Sonny. Eventually the crate with air holes is jacked open to reveal a small Asian child. Rodger pretty much lost it when he realized that his boss Sonny had ordered a foreign child, and that this was the merchandise he and Johnny had been awaiting. Johnny sealed the deal by speculating why and for what purpose Sonny had ordered the child. Making the disagreeable partner Rodger dead was no big thing for Johnny.
It is at this point that things start to “go south” for Johnny our “I just want to be a “Made Man” for the mob. “The old break room towards the rear of the building” sort of sounds like it should be “a green door in the back of the warehouse…with a sign declaring “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”, at least if you are Johnny and all doors are the same if a child or children can be located behind the door. Johnny took his pleasure from the little girl, and then stomped her and the little boy to death. His chief concern was a potentially pulled muscle in his leg.
The two-henchman turned bone white when they saw him leaving the Shipping Office covered in blood and gleefully announcing he had killed the “brats”. It was two American children who were murdered in the Shipping Office, the children of the boss, in fact. Subsequent to killing the Boss’s two men Johnny went about trying to salvage the simple up pick of the Asian child. Would it be a surprise to anyone reading that Johnny could not leave the child alone?
Johnny must face Jimmy and ultimately Sonny Maneli the head of the three major crime families. There are consequences to one’s actions, and Johnny learns the truth of that saying. The scope and extent of Johnny’s punishments are for the reader to ponder. It would be accurate to say that Johnny reaped pretty much what he deserved.
Part 2: Castigation
There is a major dust up when mobsters descend upon Jimmy and Sonny Maneli who must pay the price for Johnny’s molestation and brutal murder of the man’s two children who had been held in the Shipping Department for their safety. In this second part of this short work of unchecked horror Johnny is “free” to murder and molest again, albeit food and safety are initially high on his agenda.
Enter an ostensible “do gooder” who invites the filthy disheveled and starving Johnny place to stay. It is at this juncture that our Johnny meets the mysterious “Mr. Loomis” and his associates. Is this a good thing for Johnny (who deserves no goodness) the reader asks himself. I think we collectively know the answer. Johnny, out antagonist, our villain has stepped into Hell, one might say one of his own makings.
I have elaborated a bit on some portions of this staggering short but savage work of horror fiction. I will not go any further which would truly constitute a “Spoiler”. If anyone is tempted to stop reading in Part I: Warehouse, just “Don’t”. I truly advise finishing the story to the last sentence.
This was my first brush with the works of Stuart Bray. His brand of Extreme Horror is in your face, unapologetic, shocking, and unforgiving. I noted that the short work consisted of pure evil----gradations of pure evil yes---but every character from bit players to the main character of Johnny was evil just more or less evil in degrees. I rated the novel 4 Stars because it was successful in balancing the scale of vengeance. Johnny would have had to be hijacked by the cenobites for him to have gotten more of what he dished out.
Johnny mentioned the social behavior of the Mockingbirds in Part I, but I am not sure about how the title was derived.
DARKLY SATISFYING TALE OF AN EVIL MAN SUFFERING FOR HIS UNFORGIVABLE EVIL PERPETRATED AGAINST THE INNOCENT
April 8, 2024
listen I've read some nasty shit that I've been able to confidently give 5 stars, but this was just not enjoyable in the slightest, EXCEPT for one twist at the end. hence the one star.
January 6, 2024
Goddamn. I think I'm still holding my breath.
May 29, 2023
HOLY. FUCK.
April 14, 2025
Whoa. I felt personally attacked by this book.
Johnny deserves every bit of the torture, humiliation, and punishment he endured. He is not a human being, and hell is a fitting place for him.
This novella is sadistic, vile, and utterly satisfying.
Johnny deserves every bit of the torture, humiliation, and punishment he endured. He is not a human being, and hell is a fitting place for him.
This novella is sadistic, vile, and utterly satisfying.
May 28, 2023
5 splendid ⭐️ Two or my favorites come together yet again. Bray, the king of gore and Nickey the king of mind fucks ….Of course this was an instant buy . This is is the story of a man named Johnny. He makes a pick up one night for his boss little does he know his entire life will change and not for the better. It’s rare that I ever feel a book truly lives up to its trigger warnings. This book not only lived up to them, but could probably use a few more. If you enjoy the most vilest of books then look no further.
May 28, 2023
If I could give 10 ⭐️ It wouldn’t be enough. Two of my favorites got together again to write the most vile and twisted story.
Johnny is a mobster who goes on a job that turns into a living hell for him.
He thinks it’s going to be an easy job, pick up some merchandise, drop it off and call it a day. He has a special sexual desire, one that will land him in his wordy nightmare.
This book is filled with sexual violence, gore and torture. These two authors continue to push boundaries and write stories that I will never forget.
I loved every stomach, churning cringe, worthy moment.
Johnny is a mobster who goes on a job that turns into a living hell for him.
He thinks it’s going to be an easy job, pick up some merchandise, drop it off and call it a day. He has a special sexual desire, one that will land him in his wordy nightmare.
This book is filled with sexual violence, gore and torture. These two authors continue to push boundaries and write stories that I will never forget.
I loved every stomach, churning cringe, worthy moment.
June 1, 2023
All the trigger warnings!
Crazy intense and off the rails, this book is one vile act after another. I loved it. The pacing of the story is just right, it did feel a little rushed at the end though, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys the more extreme side of Splatterpunk horror.
Crazy intense and off the rails, this book is one vile act after another. I loved it. The pacing of the story is just right, it did feel a little rushed at the end though, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys the more extreme side of Splatterpunk horror.
May 31, 2023
Silly, silly Johnny! I do love an extreme book…… and this is extreme! 😂🖤 check your triggers because this one’s full of them! 😂
November 26, 2023
As extreme as extreme horror can get. Wow what a dousy.
January 2, 2024
Extreme in multiple ways…extremely vile, extremely disgusting but also extremely cheesy and badly written. There is just no way the protagonist would have even got this far in life being the deranged idiot he is. He doesn’t have an arc, he is just very dumb and does disturbing things, then he gets what he deserves but doesn’t even seem to care. Don’t let the cover and title fool you, this is just a very stupid story.
October 11, 2023
Pretty damn gross, almost Gordon-cake-gross. A very quick read with non stop depravity.
June 5, 2023
I dont really know where to start with this review!! These two have got together and combined their sick, twisted minds and come up with some of the most brutal, fucked up, shocking horror I've ever read! This book comes with a massive warning and an awesome blurb from Christina Pfeiffer, both of which had my interest piqued, to the MAX!!! And having read books by both of these authors before and knowing the kind of stuff Christina reads, I was excited, and maybe a little nervy going in….
Well….
What can I say except "Jesus.Fucking.Christ." is right!!
And Holy.Fucking.Shit! and even, What.The.Fucking.Fuck!?! 😲😂
Johnny and Rodger are picking up some precious cargo for their mob boss, Sonny! But Johnny makes a BIG mistake! He is one sick, deluded fuck, one of the sickest, most deluded fucks Ive ever met (read)! He opens his mouth at the wrong moment and inadvertantly brings about a hell of an act of revenge from his boss!! His sanity flees rapidly, like a scared animal.
But, its ok, Doctor Kane will patch him up….right? Only, Dr Kane is the epitome of sadistic, twisted and barbaric, and he is going to make Johnny pay for his sick naivety!
Soon after, Johnny finds a job in 'showbiz' performing for the rich and powerful, and is reacquainted with an old face, tying up loose ends and leading to a pretty satisfactory finale!
This is most definately not for the feint of heart, the easily offended, or those easily triggered! But if you continue past the warnings….on your head be it!! You were warned!!
So much brutal, messed up depravity in such a short book! Itll grip you in its disgusting claws and not let go until youve vomited up everything youve had etched into your brain, and had the longest acid bath and bleach eye wash….and youll still never be the same again!!
Believe it or not….I loved it! It was strangely satisfying and I didnt want it to end…. 😁
Well….
What can I say except "Jesus.Fucking.Christ." is right!!
And Holy.Fucking.Shit! and even, What.The.Fucking.Fuck!?! 😲😂
Johnny and Rodger are picking up some precious cargo for their mob boss, Sonny! But Johnny makes a BIG mistake! He is one sick, deluded fuck, one of the sickest, most deluded fucks Ive ever met (read)! He opens his mouth at the wrong moment and inadvertantly brings about a hell of an act of revenge from his boss!! His sanity flees rapidly, like a scared animal.
But, its ok, Doctor Kane will patch him up….right? Only, Dr Kane is the epitome of sadistic, twisted and barbaric, and he is going to make Johnny pay for his sick naivety!
Soon after, Johnny finds a job in 'showbiz' performing for the rich and powerful, and is reacquainted with an old face, tying up loose ends and leading to a pretty satisfactory finale!
This is most definately not for the feint of heart, the easily offended, or those easily triggered! But if you continue past the warnings….on your head be it!! You were warned!!
So much brutal, messed up depravity in such a short book! Itll grip you in its disgusting claws and not let go until youve vomited up everything youve had etched into your brain, and had the longest acid bath and bleach eye wash….and youll still never be the same again!!
Believe it or not….I loved it! It was strangely satisfying and I didnt want it to end…. 😁
June 17, 2024
Johnny is a piece of shit human who enjoys little children. When he goes and picks up a delivery for his boss, his inner urges start to come and he fucks up. What happens to Johnny next is exactly what he deserves!
This was icky at parts but very satisfying towards the end. Everything Johnny gets, he definitely deserves! Not a bad story but definitely not for everyone. I love Bray and Nickeys work!
This was icky at parts but very satisfying towards the end. Everything Johnny gets, he definitely deserves! Not a bad story but definitely not for everyone. I love Bray and Nickeys work!
June 1, 2023
Completely fucked up and brutal!
Just wow. This one actually made me super uncomfortable 😅 it was great. Completely fucked up and beyond brutal. If you like to push the limits into extreme horror... highly recommended... though maybe not beginner level splatter.
Just wow. This one actually made me super uncomfortable 😅 it was great. Completely fucked up and beyond brutal. If you like to push the limits into extreme horror... highly recommended... though maybe not beginner level splatter.
May 31, 2023
Well this was pretty extreme, but I think I'm desensitized to extreme horror. Great story involving a special pick up that goes wrong. Johnny is a vile human being.
February 13, 2024
Stuart and Jason absolutely knocked this one out of the park. When I first read this book, I didn't realize that Staurt wrote half of it, and Jason wrote the other half. I've read several other books cowritten by them. Dynamic duo!This story is a wild and wicked ride. Short and to the point.
April 3, 2024
Well...that was definitely....something
I'm going to have to sit on this one. It's definitely a lot to digest. However, if you listen to the recent audiobook version, the narrator is phenomenal.
I'll be back with more thoughts once I mentally process the book.
I'm going to have to sit on this one. It's definitely a lot to digest. However, if you listen to the recent audiobook version, the narrator is phenomenal.
I'll be back with more thoughts once I mentally process the book.
February 21, 2024
Holy fuckin balls. This is just a up in your face full force sadistic vengeance story that literally goes BALLLISTIC. that's it. What a fuckin ride
May 10, 2024
Oh yeah, like others have said, don't let the title and cover fool you. This is a very extreme book!
A short one, but still full of grotesque and vile scenes, as expected by Stuart Bray!
4/5
A short one, but still full of grotesque and vile scenes, as expected by Stuart Bray!
4/5
October 4, 2024
“Mockingbirds become very territorial during mating season. They can get pretty aggressive towards other birds that come anywhere near their nests.”
Holy Hell, this was the book that made me rethink the fact that I go into 99% of the books I read blind. 🫣
This book is freaking foul, vile and beyond disturbing. That being said, it was also like a train wreck that I simply couldn’t look away from and thus binge read TF out of it in one sitting. 🤌🏼
I’m not sure what’s more disturbing, the actual story or the fact that elements in this story happen in real life. 😳
Bray and Nickey laid it all on the table for this one. They left no trigger unturned. But, it’s written really freaking well which makes the gruesome and heinous scenes palatable to the reader. So for that, I must give them a round of applause. 👏🏼
I liked this book, a lot. But it is NOT for everyone. It’s a HEAVY read and I’d really only recommend people who are seasoned in this genre to give it a go. Yeah. It’s like that. 😅 Like my last review said, I’m not sure why it took me so long to finally get to this one, but better late than never. 🙌🏼
Holy Hell, this was the book that made me rethink the fact that I go into 99% of the books I read blind. 🫣
This book is freaking foul, vile and beyond disturbing. That being said, it was also like a train wreck that I simply couldn’t look away from and thus binge read TF out of it in one sitting. 🤌🏼
I’m not sure what’s more disturbing, the actual story or the fact that elements in this story happen in real life. 😳
Bray and Nickey laid it all on the table for this one. They left no trigger unturned. But, it’s written really freaking well which makes the gruesome and heinous scenes palatable to the reader. So for that, I must give them a round of applause. 👏🏼
I liked this book, a lot. But it is NOT for everyone. It’s a HEAVY read and I’d really only recommend people who are seasoned in this genre to give it a go. Yeah. It’s like that. 😅 Like my last review said, I’m not sure why it took me so long to finally get to this one, but better late than never. 🙌🏼
June 5, 2023
Full reviews at https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/chr...
These two… I tell you what…
Johnny is a bit of a hot head. When he and his partner are supposed to pick up a piece of precious cargo for his boss, things get a little … messy when he goes to blow of some sexual steam and well, it doesn’t go as planned. And it just get worse from there. So, so much worse.
I typically am not speechless after reading a story. I mean, ffs, I have read what, over 600 or so stories/books at this point. I thought I had read almost everything until these two assholes (said in a very loving way) show up in my inbox each time. It seems as though with every story (together or solo) they keep thinking, “Will Christina send us a hateful message at the end of this?”, then they cackle as they write it.
This short novella is a lot. I mean, a loooooot. Mentally and emotionally you are brutalized through the whole damn story. And friends, I can’t get enough. A HIGHLY RECOMMEND (for those with the stomach, that is) 10/5.
These two… I tell you what…
Johnny is a bit of a hot head. When he and his partner are supposed to pick up a piece of precious cargo for his boss, things get a little … messy when he goes to blow of some sexual steam and well, it doesn’t go as planned. And it just get worse from there. So, so much worse.
I typically am not speechless after reading a story. I mean, ffs, I have read what, over 600 or so stories/books at this point. I thought I had read almost everything until these two assholes (said in a very loving way) show up in my inbox each time. It seems as though with every story (together or solo) they keep thinking, “Will Christina send us a hateful message at the end of this?”, then they cackle as they write it.
This short novella is a lot. I mean, a loooooot. Mentally and emotionally you are brutalized through the whole damn story. And friends, I can’t get enough. A HIGHLY RECOMMEND (for those with the stomach, that is) 10/5.
November 28, 2023
This is definitely what I'd consider extreme horror, because it was actually difficult for me to get through. Bray kills it again.
April 14, 2024
Hmmmm …. Meh. Some was really hard to read but was only in the book for shock value . The story was dodgy at best
March 16, 2025
The cover says it all ‘Jesus Fucking Christ’
July 30, 2024
3.5 stars but rounded up to 4.
So I just started and finished this one… and 🤢🤢🤢 but 🍻 to Johnny getting everything he deserved!!!
So I just started and finished this one… and 🤢🤢🤢 but 🍻 to Johnny getting everything he deserved!!!
July 11, 2025
Vile, cruel, disgusting. I know this is meant as either splatterpunk or extreme horror, but there didn’t seem to be a point to this book other than shock and utter disgust. The only solace for readers is that the villain protagonist meets his end by the conclusion of this short narrative. I’ve read plenty of splatterpunk and extreme horror, but this was just despicable. I guess I’ve finally found my trigger (that should be everyone’s), kids. Splatterpunk typically comes with an overall message by the narrative’s end. This book didn’t provide a message, which is why I’d classify it just as extreme horror.
2 stars due to it being written well enough to keep me reading to see what happens, but no more than 2 stars due to there not really being a point other than to horrify. This book seemed like it was trying to pull off a similar narrative to ‘The Groomer’ by Jon Athan.
2 stars due to it being written well enough to keep me reading to see what happens, but no more than 2 stars due to there not really being a point other than to horrify. This book seemed like it was trying to pull off a similar narrative to ‘The Groomer’ by Jon Athan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2023
If I could give negative stars, that would be my rating. This was horribly written, and the content was so goofy that I could not take any bit of it seriously. I guess props for creativity, but I was shocked to find that apparently the author is a married adult with children and not an edgelord adolescent trying his hand at writing for the very first time. Unfortunately, the majority of extreme horror tends to not be the most well-written, and after enough books it's enough to start nudging me far away from the subgenre. If your bar is set to the lowest it could be, this may be right up your alley with a lead pipe.
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