Where Horror Meets the Workplace: A Burnouts Dream
Pressing Matters written by Paul Avery Tindol, is a gory horror slasher novel made for music lovers and the woefully employed. Set in Luckenbach, Texas the novel follows a small crew of warehouse workers for the Luckenback Press, a vinyl record pressing plant, as they attempt to survive the daily drudgery full of hard work, little pay, and irritating bosses. But, when one co-worker suddenly disappears, the others face the wrath of long buried secrets and pay for the sins of their neglectful bosses.
“‘It’s kind of like snuff music or something. That’s sick, dude. You’re a real sicko you know?’”
The disappearance, and quick replacement, of our motley crew’s co-worker, Jack, sets off the violent tendencies of our main antagonist, Ruston Kilgore. With questionable actions, brutal heavy metal music being created, and building contempt of the workplace environment, Luckenback Press transforms into a slashers haven.
This fast-paced supernatural slasher novel is quick to draw you in from the first line. Tindol’s fantastic use of imagery paints gut-wrenching scenes that may feel a little too realistic but never overdone. Pressing Matters is full of comedy, relatability, and profound music knowledge that will have you thinking, ‘Wow am I in the wrong industry?’
Themes, Characters, and Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest, we’ve all hated our jobs at one point but Pressing Matters takes the collective daily disdain to another level. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is that it reminds us (the everyday employee) to rest, even in times of strife. And, hopefully, reminds employers that profit isn’t the end all be all. Tindol’s theme of profitability over people is central to the novel, our motley crew’s development, and our antagonist’s actions. Tindol’s creative expression of employment frustrations will keep your eyes glued to the pages and questioning your own at-work actions.
What I love most about Pressing Matters is Tindol’s swift and changing voice as we switch character point of views. His writing style, while consistently imaginative and comedic, reins true to each character’s personality and really shines within their inner thoughts. As readers, we can easily tell when the chapter P.O.V.s shift due to the distinct character tones and Tindol’s writing style. It’s a small but noticeable change that takes each character, even minor ones, from being surface level additions to well liked (or hated) fully developed characters.
“Xena pressed play, and Johnny Paycheck sang out, ‘Take this job and shove it, I ain’t working here no more.’”
While Pressing Matters has quickly become a favorite of mine, one area that falters is the supernatural world building. There are many references to ghosts haunting Luckenback Press, and having a hand in our antagonists actions, but the development of our supernatural entities falls a bit flat and seems more like plot armor than really necessary to our horror story. Still, this is just a minor setback to an otherwise very impressive slasher novel.
Paul Avery Tindol has created a clever and gory novel that is perfect for fans of Dean Koontz and Stephen King. By the end of the novel, horror movie lovers that adore the Scream and Halloween franchises will find themselves wishing this had a movie adaptation. With four books under his belt, Tindol is definitely the author to watch!
Buy a copy today from Tindol’s Linktree or check out the Pressing Matters audio book, which released November 05.
