Ugly As Sin

"The celebrities that are idolized and the horrific reality that some fans simply cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality are the elements that breathe refreshing life into this plot. A psychological thriller at its finest..."
Hellnotes, Rick Amortis

Nick Bullman was a wrestling superstar. His alter ego, The Widowmaker, was the monster heel all the marks loved to hate.

Now, after a brutal encounter with two psychotic fans left his face horribly disfigured, he’s just a monster.

Yanked from the spotlight and thrust into the shadows, these days Nick tries to live the life of an average Joe. He avoids mirrors. He's angry. He’s alone. And he likes it just fine that way...

Until he receives a desperate phone call from a young lady he barely knows—his daughter.

For the first time in over thirty years, Nick returns to his hometown of Midnight, North Carolina. There he will come face to face with old demons, forge new friendships, and make enemies far more dangerous than those who ruined his face, all in a quest to save the granddaughter he’s never met...and maybe find a little bit of redemption along the way.

Ugly As Sin is an electrifying tale of “white-trash noir,” a taut page-turner that skates the razor edge of a familiar, horrifying reality. At times heartbreaking, funny, and terrifyingly suspenseful, Ugly As Sin is Newman’s best work to date.

“Ugly As Sin is James Newman’s best book yet! I loved every brutal, violent, pulpy page, and I recommend the hell out of it!”
—Jeff Strand, Author of Dead Clown Barbecue, Faint of Heart, and Gleefully Macabre Tales

“Ugly As Sin is a terrific page-turner, a body slam of a book that features tough-guy noir, freakish horrors, and human redemption. James Newman skillfully spins a spiral of suspense that pulls you in and won’t let go.”
—Brian Pinkerton, Author of Killer’s Diary, Rough Cut, and How I Started the Apocalypse

“Ugly As Sin is brutal, fast-paced, grimy fun, a compulsive page-turner with characters you’ll be deeply invested in by story’s end.”
—Blu Gilliand, October Country

“Ugly As Sin has about as vicious a premise as I’ve ever come across. It’s not what it first appears to be. It’s worse. Wrapped inside its mystery and ticking-clock hunt is the most jaundiced indictment possible of the corrupted soul of celebrity culture...its feeders and especially its fed.”
—Brian Hodge, Author of Picking the Bones and Whom the Gods Would Destroy

“James Newman is one of my favorite authors. His novels are always engrossing and entertaining. I can’t recommend his works highly enough.”
—John Little, Author of Miranda, The Memory Tree, and Ursa Ma