Finishing Touches by Thomas Tessier

Seduced into a living nightmare

What, exactly, is Finishing Touches about?

The cover illustration shows a naked couple embracing… A forked tongue snaking out of the woman’s mouth, caressing the man’s shoulder. It strongly suggests sexual perversion and forbidden titillation. For my wife — who tolerates rather than encourages my fondness for horror — it suggested I’d strayed into far weirder waters than she was ever aware. (If only she knew!)

All that to say, while the cover isn’t actually a literal representation of the book’s plot, it certainly captures the overall vibe of the novel, which I can best describe (as I so often do) as an amalgamation of other films and literature: in this case, Eyes Wide Shut meets Bride of the Monster meets The Talented Mr. Ripley.

At its core, the book tells the story of the torrid love affair between a heretofore-respectable young American named Tom and a mysterious Brit named Lina.

Tom is freshly graduated from medical school and desperately wants a reprieve from it all before plunging into a career. London winds up being the most convenient destination to visit, so he heads off for a six months’ sojourn during which he hopes to figure out the next chapter of his life.

There, he befriends an elderly doctor named Dr. Nordhagen who introduces Tom to the hidden side of London nightlife, and eventually introduces him to his assistant, Lina. Sure enough, the young couple hit it off immediately — and intensely.

Lina is both incredibly attractive and seductive. But she has a dangerous edge to her too; although it initially feels like a trap that she appears to want Tom just as much as he lusts for her, it turns out her mutual attraction is genuine.

Very soon, they are in love, and he’s fallen head over heels down a rabbit hole full of extreme appetites and forbidden pleasures.

But where exactly is all this going? Despite its lean page count, Finishing Touches is seemingly not in any rush to get anywhere in particular. It is quite happy to leisurely indulge in the fantasy world it portrays; largely one of seedy bars, ultra-luxury private clubs, and outrageous home interiors.

This stuff is intoxicating — both for the reader and for Tom — and, despite the fact that’s there’s no conspicuous central plot driving things forward, the novel is a breathless page-turner that will keep you on your toes, never quite sure of what happens next…

Because it does, eventually, launch into full-on horror territory. But for poor Tom, it’s far too late before he realizes what a quicksand of a situation he’s gotten stuck in.

Turns out, Dr. Nordhagen is not entirely the charming, old, rich drunk he appeared. In the basement beneath his fancy Mayfair clinic, the extent of his diabolical mind is revealed.

Now, both prisoners of Dr. Nordhagen, Tom and Lina must push themselves beyond the limits of their already questionable ethics in order to remedy their situation and free themselves… but crossing such lines will surely turn themselves into monsters too.

I can safely say that Finishing Touches was quite unlike any other book I have ever read. Yet were it not part of Valancourt’s Paperbacks From Hell series, it’s unlikely that I would have ever picked it up. I’m so glad that I did — it’s undoubtedly one of my very favorites of the series, and certainly the one of the most memorable.

Finishing Touches is a weird, dark, and utterly compelling horror novel. It is a truly great book. Throughout, I had no idea where it was going and was consistently thrilled to find out. I guarantee it will get under your skin, intoxicate your blood, and linger in your mind for long, long after you are done reading it.