Deliciously dark, rich and raw, savory and sinister, Nothing Tastes as Good is a spicy and disturbing tale that satisfies and unsettles in equal measure. Luke Dumas has crafted a cerebral and deranged thriller that makes you think while turning your stomach. You won’t be able to put it down until you’ve cleared your plate.
Emmett Truesdale is unhappy. He has a low-paying job that he hates, has no love life to speak of, and despite multiple efforts is unable to shed any of his 300+ pounds of body weight. Desperate to change his life, he comes across an ad for a weight-loss drug clinical trial and signs up despite warnings from his best friend. Amazingly the drug works exceedingly well and Emmett sheds pounds at an accelerated rate. But there are some major side effects like blackouts and cravings. And when people he knows start showing up dead, the victims of a cannibalistic murderer, Emmett starts to wonder if he’s responsible. But now that people are treating him the way he’s always wanted to be treated – just because he’s thin – he’s unsure if he wants to know the truth.
Nothing Tastes as Good is a mystery/horror thriller wrapped around exploration of serious issues such as obesity, eating disorders, abuse, trauma, mental health and addiction. Those issues shape who Emmett is as a person and frame his desire to find his “true” self, an aspirational better and more successful person he believes he can become if he just loses weight. But he learns that happiness is elusive and isn’t guaranteed, even if you’re achieving the goals you so desperately desired.
However, don’t let those difficult topics scare you away from this book. Because there is plenty of tension, suspense, intrigue and murder to propel the story forward with a bloodthirsty appetite to learn the truth and find out what happens to Emmett in the end. And as more is revealed and the big twist hits you like a sledgehammer to the gut, you’ll find your mouth agape and muttering expletives while you process the creepy and thrilling journey through hell that is Nothing Tastes as Good.
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