The Piercing by John Coyne; Necon E Books; 2010; 338KB pgs; $4.99 US

For all the talk of the horrible horror novels released in the 1980’s, some people forget that many of them were not only excellent reads, but quite a few have gone on to become classics.  John Coyne’s, The Piercing, certainly ranks up there with the best the 80’s had to offer, and just ask any long time horror fan about the novel and there’s no doubt as to its status as a classic.

The Piercing may have been homage of sorts to another classic horror tome, The Exorcist, as they share some basic thematic plot elements.  Both novels have plots involving a priest who is having a crisis of faith, and both novels tackle the Christian belief in demonic possession.  But aside from those two similarities, they share only one other trait; both scare the hell out you.

Father Kinsella is having a pretty bad time of it.  Earlier on, as penance for having an affair with a young Jewish grad student, he was sent to a church in the boondocks of the south to be an associate priest.  His new superior, Father Driscoll, is a 60 year old alcoholic who entertains thoughts of suicide and isn’t all that fond of Father Kinsella.  Both of these priests were sentenced to lead a dull life administrating to a small congregation of simple people with simple sins, until that is, an envelope was dropped into the poor basket one morning.

The envelope, signed in chicken scratch by a girl named Betty Sue, contained a warning…and something else.  The envelope gives a shock to anyone who opens it, and then it proceeds to bleed.  A lot.  The two priests track down Betty Sue, who it turns out is a very attractive teenager, and pay a visit to her tar paper shack of a  home.  What they find there is astounding.Betty Sue has all the attributes of someone suffering from Stigmata.  Her hands and feet bleed profusely.  And as Good Friday nears, the bleeding becomes worse.  Much worse.  FatherDriscoll is convinced he is witnessing a miracle from God, but Father Kinsella isn’t so sure.

In the midst of a crisis of faith, Father Kinsella can’t help but be skeptical and he wonders if the young girl’s bleeding is a result from hysteria or other psychological problems.  Complicating matters is that during his investigation into the Stigmata, he’s resumed his affair with the young grad student and is now contemplating leaving the church.  Adding to his confusion is the fact that Betty Sue is giving off a few hints that she wants him to be more than just a spiritual guide.  But, every time he manages to convince himself that there is a rational medical explanation for her Stigmata, he’s subjected to some supernatural occurrences both inside the church and at his girlfriend’s apartment.  And these occurrences are truly horrifying.

Seeking help from a trusted friend, Father Kinsella discovers that miracles aren’t only the providence of God.  So now, not only does he have to decide if the Stigmata is supernatural in origin, but if it is, then is it God’s work or the Devil’s hand at play.

All of this culminates in a story that is at times bone jarring and jaw dropping.

The supernatural scenes in The Piercing are terrifying.  Coyne details to perfection the imaginative fears and guilt all church goes have had at one time or another in their lives.   From the chilling effect one feels when sitting in a church and staring up at the statue of Christ, to the frightening thought of being pursued and possessed by a demon,  the author knows what scares us, and he does so brilliantly .  And the prologue, when we first meet Betty Sue, is pure horror gold.

And Coyne is not afraid of being sacrilegious.  The sex scenes in The Piercing are disturbing, graphic, and plentiful.  And, as Coyne portrays them, the reader can’t but help think them both titillating and shameful.

As typical with most of the horror novels from the 1980’s, a lot of time is spent on plotting and character development, and The Piercing does a splendid job with both.  Readers will have no problem believing the scenario’s Coyne presents us with and understanding (if not agreeing), with the motivations of his characters.

Necon E Books have done an outstanding job re-releasing some of the best horror novels from the 1980’s and they deserve a big thanks for putting The Piercing back in (e) print.  Hopefully they will release more of Coyne’s work in the future. This one is highly recommended.

—
Mar 17, 2011

**Please note. You may not reproduce any reviews in whole or in part without the express permission of Horror World and the respective author. Please contact the webmaster with any requests. Thank you.**