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Master of Lies Review

Master of Lies (1992), also known as Black Angel, is a notable work in the extreme horror genre, praised by authors like Brian Keene and J. A. Konrath for its graphic and sadistic horror. The story follows Detective Larry Foggia as he investigates the serial killer 'Fog City Satan,' taking an unconventional approach by consulting psychics and uncovering a conspiracy involving powerful figures. The novel is recognized for its unflinching depiction of violence and a shocking narrative that stands out in horror fiction.

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Andy Taylor
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69 views1 page

Master of Lies Review

Master of Lies (1992), also known as Black Angel, is a notable work in the extreme horror genre, praised by authors like Brian Keene and J. A. Konrath for its graphic and sadistic horror. The story follows Detective Larry Foggia as he investigates the serial killer 'Fog City Satan,' taking an unconventional approach by consulting psychics and uncovering a conspiracy involving powerful figures. The novel is recognized for its unflinching depiction of violence and a shocking narrative that stands out in horror fiction.

Uploaded by

Andy Taylor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Master of Lies (1992) (a.k.a.

Black Angel) has a reputation, one that eventually leads to discussions of its
infamy. Coming from a writer who routinely counts controversy with novels like Ritual (1988) and short
stories like Eric the Pie (1991), MOL is nevertheless a shining achievement of graphic and sadistic horror
in a metier teeming with similar works. Its reputation is backed up by consequent horror writers like
Brian Keene and J. A. Konrath, with the former proclaiming it to be the best of Masterton’s 40-year
career and the latter declaring MOL as the “the greatest horror novel ever.” (Cemetery Dance: Issue 65)
Although I do not think of it as Masterton’s best, their opinions with its place in the annals of extreme
horror are accurate.

MOL is, at first glance, about the hunt for the notorious serial killer “Fog City Satan,” who has been
breaking into the homes of different families, torturing them before brutally dispatching them. When
the latest victim is a family of a cop named Joe Berry, the San Francisco police -pressured by the mayor
and wanting to catch the perp even more- assign Detective Larry Foggia to the case. Foggia is a cop who
relies more on intuition rather than logic, and he replaces the investigator Arne Knudsen whose logical
method fails to make sense of why the killer is doing this and how he chooses his targets. Foggia thinks
he can solve it by delving into the world of the supernatural. But when his investigation leads him to
believe that there is a conspiracy that reaches and involves the most powerful social and political
figures, he realizes that there is more at stake than the welfare of the citizens of San Francisco.

A seldom mentioned aspect of the book is that it does not play out like a standard police procedural
thriller as with most books dealing with serial killers. Foggia -instead of detective work- takes the
esoteric and outrageous route of consulting psychics and mediums. During these scenes, we learn of
stories and the possible history of a cult that was ubiquitous in America during the first half of the 20th
century.

The greatest strength of MOL is the unflinching and graphic depiction of violence and wanton butchery.
As mentioned before, several authors kowtow to MOL, and the reason for such adoration is the blunt,
shocking, terrifying, and disturbing opening scene. The scene starts with a hint of self-awareness, stating
that the act of Joe wiping the last circles of spaghetti sauce with a piece of bread would be “the end of
the last meal that he would ever eat,” and that a pie his wife is preparing would be “a pie that she would
never bake.” Then the Fog City Satan arrives with a hammer, large nails, a knife, and gasoline in tow.
Horror history then ensues.

Overall, this is a masterwork of the extreme horror subgenre of horror fiction. It gets you from the start
until the inventive and over the top ending. With the trend of horror writers nowadays to end in hushed
tones, it’s a relief to think that there was a time when finales were more shocking, bloodier, and just
plain entertaining.

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