Passion & Pain: A Diablo Snuff Side Story (Diablo Snuff 1.5) Paperback – November 19, 2019

Passion & Pain: A Diablo Snuff Side Story by Chris Genovese and Carver Pike was quite a surprising read. I was rather perplexed at first, but as I read on the more intrigued I became. I thought it would be interesting to see both pen names write a story together, and see how they gelled. Chris/Carver did it again, and in an fantastic one-two punch!Passion & Pain essentially consists of two shorter stories that meld together. The first act is called The Strings on Me and Chris writes under his name. This beginning tale revolves around more erotic romance, and is very tame. Well, kinky a bit, but tame in that there isn’t the horror aspect.In part I, Nick (Lucky) is a frat boy who is the quintessential stereotype for a frat brother. However, he does have a soft side. He ends up having some relationships, one of which a girl named Dandelion (Dandy), was wonderful. That is until it got weird. Now Lucky has his eyes set on a beautiful foreign student. He soon becomes acquainted, and learns her name is Natalia. They hit it off great, they start to date, and seem to be an amazing power couple. Nonetheless, how will part one play out? How is Carver going to step in, and turn things on its head? If you don’t want to know read part I, and stop. It’s a great romantic story. Otherwise, push forward troops!Part II, Cutting His Strings, becomes the visceral horror we all love in Carver’s Splatterpunk novels! I’m not going to go into too much detail because I feel it will spoil the first part, and the whole book completely. However, Nick (Lucky) is back, Dandy is back, and Natalia as well. Along with a few more prime characters ready to get down and dirty. Nick’s story doesn’t end with part I, and as Jigsaw states in the Saw films, “Oh yes, there will be blood.” Will Nick meet his maker? Who will rock his world in a most unsettling way? Will Diablo Snuff be the man’s undoing?I cannot express enough how impressed I was with this novella! I have been blown away with every Carver Pike novel/novella I have picked up. I will say this one is quite different, but I absolutely adored it! The talent of using two of his alter egos to write a two part piece of work is astounding! I didn’t think I would find this Diablo Snuff entry as strong as the others, but as I read on it was top notch as with the rest of the entries.Overall, I really had to think about how I was going to rate Passion & Pain. At first I felt that I may need to deduct a star or at least a half of a star. However, the more I read and ruminated on the story after completion my mind was made up, and I was ready for my one hundred percent honest opinion.I have to give Passion & Pain: A Diablo Snuff Side Story by Chris Genovese and Carver Pike five bright stars out of five stars! The stories seamlessly intertwined, and went from love and romance to an all out hellacious mess! A mess in an amazing way. This is talent! Writing under three pen names and three different genres is difficult enough. To have two of those alter egos square off? Now that takes imagination! Chris/Carver seemingly always delivers a high quality tale every single time. At this point I am addicted! I am currently reading Slaughter Box: A Diablo Snuff Side Story by Carver Pike. I just cannot get enough… but I am going to have to wait for Carver’s masterpiece in the works ending to the Diablo Snuff trilogy The Maddening! I’m running out of Pike books to read, and I’m disappointed. Nonetheless, great things are on the horizon for Carver/Chris, and good things come to those who wait. Until next time, my friends.

This book, a collection of two connected stories, makes for a fascinating literary experiment.I should first get it out of the way that Chris Genovese and Carver Pike are pen names for the same fantastic author, though I am vastly more familiar with his work as Carver Pike--being a fan of horror and not so much a fan of smutty, erotic, romance tales. The man behind those noms de plume is a terrific and skilled storyteller, so it's no surprise that he'd be just as capable regardless of the umbrella beneath which he happens to be writing.The Strings On Me by Chris Genovese introduces us to the character of Nick "Lucky" Luciano, a frat boy and a womanizer with a heart of gold. He's not such a womanizer, all things considered...but it's sort of the role he plays in his life within the fraternity.A chance encounter brings Natalia to his attention and he is instantly captivated by this beautiful, mysterious, foreign woman. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem quite so enamored of him, but Lucky isn't one to give up too easily.At the end of this first erotic romance tale, things seem to be going well.Cutting His Strings is where Carver Pike takes up the baton and races the story of Lucky and Natalia through the finish line...and boy does he bring it to a finish.The romance takes on a darker quality as the story continues, with the erotica still heavily present. Natalia's attitude and behavior seem to change like a switch has been flipped and Lucky is left dazed and dizzied by the seemingly unprovoked transformation.We discover that Natalia is roommates with an ex-girlfriend of Lucky's and that the impetus to end that previous relationship was entirely brought about by Natalia's secret machinations. She'd been no stranger to Lucky when they met, and he barely had a chance to avoid becoming her prey.More importantly, we discover that Natalia is involved with the sinister secret society, Diablo Snuff. You'll be familiar with Diablo Snuff if you've read my previous review of A Foreign Evil, or if you've read the other three Carver Pike books that connect with the Diablo Snuff series. Once Lucky is snared by Diablo Snuff, the odds don't look great for him.Will he be lucky enough that his ex-girlfriend will be able to put the puzzle pieces together in time to save him? Does she still love him enough to invest that sort of attention and concern toward the peculiar nature of his relationship with her roommate?You'll have to read the book to find out for yourself.If you enjoyed the Japanese horror flick, Audition, you're likely to enjoy this book.

Passion and Pain is a novella in the Diablo Snuff Series. And let me tell you I’m so addicted to this series. To see how something you think is so right but is oh so wrong, and not in a good way. These books are phenomenal and to see how Diablo Snuff is world wide and is spread everywhere, shows one the biggest power play storylines I have read. How in any story you read whether it be romance, horror, thriller, or a mystery it all comes back good versus evil. This one is a tremendous display of that. This book for me showed how evil can touch any age and all it takes is a little something a person might want. So if you haven’t checked out this series I recommend it highly on my list.

I’m already addicted to Carver Pike, what else ya got? *knock on door* in pops Chris Genovese, HI!!!! The duel personalities, one author two minds, join forces to bring us another chapter in the twisted world that is Diablo Snuff. Love it!!!!

When a love story meets a horror story you get this incredible book.

Carver Pike is quickly becoming one of my top 5 working authors, and this book is a great example of why. Sensual and scary, the Diablo Snuff series grabs you by the guts drags you into the dark.

Part love story, part nightmare. The range of feelings in this book is incredible. I really enjoyed this book.

This was such an interesting read because the same guy writing different genres all in one novella. I can't imagine how hard it was to write this but you have mad skills and I give a high fiveThe characters were yet again great. I am not going to give too much away but I had a feeling D didn't do the things Nick claimed she did. I'm looking forward to reading Kong's story in the future.Thanks for the awesome readLove,Me

A novella that shows 2 sides to a coin. The first is erotic romance, the second is where Diablo Snuff rocks up it all goes horribly wrong. This fills in a bit of back story for the Diablo Snuff character Kong, but largely serves as a fun stand alone.

That's the way to do it! Sex, Courting,sex and little dash of carvers special of horrific ending events . Well what did you expect following the tale of a frat boy mixed with the diablo snuff world mixed in?

This is my favourite so far, I just loved it, I can't wait to start readying the next one, which I'll do now.