Review of False Memory (Mass Market Paperback)

To me, Dean Koontz has always been a writer who is either on again or off again.He has written books that are outstanding in the suspense field (Intensity, Dark Rivers of the Heart), and those that are largely a mess (Sole Survivor, Tick Tock).False Memory falls somewhere in between.Thisnovel of mind control and nefarious conspiracies has several scenes ofheart-pounding suspense, but often times it plods along as the author dragsout situations through several chapters that would have been much moreeffective if they had been compacted into a shorter space.For example,one of the main characters, Martie Rhodes is mysteriously afflicted withsevere autophobia (the fear of one's self), which results in her irrationalfear that she will attempt to murder everyone she loves.Unfortunately thereader has to suffer through chapter after chapter after chapter of Martierunning madly through the house trying to dispose of every item that mightpotentially be turned into a weapon, and it gets really boring really fast.This is not to say that the whole book is bad; in fact it's quite good attimes. The novel's villain is viciously evil and very well crafted.Theauthor is especially good at honing his characterizations as well asmaintaining that almost undefinable trait that only the best writershave--he makes you want to keep reading. Special note: I found it prettyamusing that one of the characters who appears late in the novel is anarcissistic writer who spends a great deal oftime writing phony reviews to make his own book seem better than it is, and phonynegative reviews of his most serious competitor's book.I assume Koontzdoesn't need to do this, because he really is a terrific writer.



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Review of Lost Souls (Paperback)

This book roped me in from the first couple pages, and I didn't set it down until I was finished.The characters are fascinating and the story is unpredictable and exciting.No fluff in this text either.I kept waiting for that lull that comes in the middle of so many books I've read, but it never came.Just an explosive climax that brought the whole thing together.Very dark and intense, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, horror, short stories, or really any other type of fiction.It's intelligent and thought provoking, but still a quick and easy read.Can't wait for more from Dan Krajewski, this is a truly incredible book!

Product Description
Meet the Lost Souls. Clive would be just a normal guy, if he weren't constantly assaulted telepathically by the thoughts and feelings of everyone around him. Catherine is a lot like someone you might know, until she abandons her successful career as a businesswoman and takes to the road with practically nothing but the clothes on her back. Razer is the cutest little girl you'll ever see, even when she's drinking your blood and hiding from the sunlight. Ander is a typical teenager who ran away from home with his girlfriend, except for his constant terror of fading away and being haunted by nightmares from another dimension.

They don't know each other, and they don't know their lives are all connected, but they're in for the ride of their lives in this intriguing story of psychological horror, sorrow, and seeking redemption. A look underneath the surface of everyday life reveals the secret, dark spiderweb of influence we all weave around each other.

About the Author
Dan Krajewski has been reading since the age of four and writing since the age of five. He is a passionate fan of words and music. He lives in Phoenix, AZ with his partner. They have both found their way home.

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Review of Moon In Gemini (Paperback)

This is a great book. I am not a book worm. I usually put books down after a while, but not this one. With its crazy character and very graphic nature, it was hard not to finish this book because you want to see what happens to Jefferson. I ask that you please don't stereotype this book as a hip-hop book because it is not. I probably wouldn't have read it if it was. It is reality.

Product Description
There's something wrong with Shawn Jefferson. Life couldn't be any better for the charming, handsome, and talented NBA guard. He's got money, he's got clout, and he's got plenty of women. But when an injury cuts his career short, Shawn finds out just how hard starting over really is. He sinks into depression...and something even more terrifying, altering the lives of those around him forever. Complicating matters is the fact that he's falling in love with his physical therapist, Karen Bradshaw, who's dealing with the demons of her past in her own quietly destructive way. Despite repeated warnings from her brother, Alan, Karen is determined to find happiness with Shawn-but at what cost?

Moon in Gemini. If it's too good to be true, scream.

About the Author
Brandon Bennett lives, loves, and drinks in Baltimore City. He has worked as a waiter, a bartender, a librarian's assistant, and a pre-school teacher. His first novel, easy 'cause you're beautiful, was published in 2000.

He can be contacted at bb_da_twin@yahoo.com

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Review of In the Blood (Paperback)

The back of this book says it's a roller coaster ride and they aren't kidding. I never read such a wild story -- very romantic, very funny, but also really sad, really scary, and REALLY erotic!!Also, there's some pretty gory stuff. But somehow this guy pulls it altogether and makes it work. I loved this book. I hated when I got to the end because I was so into these characters and this story. I totally reccommend this book if you don't mind the explicit sexual stuff and the gory stuff. It's a great vampire story but it's also a wonderful romance story.

Product Description
An unlikely romance between a hematologist and a vampire in the early years of the AIDS pandemic is the focus of Scott Miller's genre-defying riff on vampire legends, American pop culture, and horror fiction. Part romance, part gothic horror, part comedy, part steamy eroticism, it crosses all boundaries and ends up an entertaining roller coaster ride you won't soon forget.

About the Author
Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, and he has written three non-fiction books on musical theatre, From Assassins to West Side Story, Deconstructing Harold Hill, and Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Ground-Breaking Musicals (all published by Heinemann Publishing). He has also contributed to other books on theatre. He has written eight musicals and two plays for the stage and regularly writes for national theatre magazines and arts websites. His erotic fiction has been published in several magazines and his commentary on political issues has appeared in many national news publications, as well as eighty-five newspapers in thirty-two states. In the Blood is based on his stage musical of the same title, which was premiered by New Line Theatre at the St. Marcus Theatre in St. Louis in 1995. He holds a degree in music and musical theatre from Harvard University and currently lives in St. Louis, where he was born and raised, w!ith his black cat Joey. It is true that he keeps vampire's hours but he does not feed on human blood.

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Review of The Dare Island Enigma (Paperback)

A cautionary tale that runs the fine line between creationism and evolution, idyllic Dare Island becomes the setting of cataclysmic events that show what lengths the earth will go to maintain the balance of nature and the species upon it.

From the opening scenes of a growing friendship between two adolescent boys, it builds to an unimaginable climax that leaves you wondering why Dare Island and when the rest of the world will begin to find these unidentifiable masses, called globsters, washed up on its shores.

The next time you are beachcombing for starfish and shells, if you happen to see the tracks and the splitting of sand dunes as if a bulldozer has come out of the ocean, don't bother to run. It will already be too late ...

I enjoyed this book but would caution for younger readers due to violent content.

Product Description
Dare Island, forty miles off the coast of North Carolina, is known for its wild horses and uninhabited side, which the locals have left largely unexplored.When twelve-year-old Jesse and his friend Lucas discover a giant creature washed up on a Dare Island beach one night, they are launched into the most exciting and perilous adventure of their lives.

Later, near the island's campground, they spot a dangerous-looking creature that looks like a cross between a monkey and a cat.Jesse sends a photograph of the animal to Jasper Callison, a retired biology professor and head of the Society for the Search for Unknown Animals.Jasper decides to investigate, and calls on his old friend Pete, a retired biologist who has worked with him before. Once arriving on the island they are befriended by Sheriff Tillman Dunn who shares in their adventures.

What they find on Dare Island leads Jasper to believe that a monumental change in human history is unfolding before their eyes.Jasper, Pete, Tillman, Jesse, and Lucas are forced to call upon every reserve of strength and courage to survive and to solve The Dare Island Enigma.

About the Author
The author lives in Greenwood, South Carolina where he makes video tapes, interactive multimedia and continues to write.

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Review of The Nightwalker (Mass Market Paperback)

As Jack Ketchum notes in the introduction to Thomas Tessier's The Nightwalker, the werewolf is generally underrepresented in fiction, especially compared to ghosts, vampires and zombies.This reprint of Tessier's 1979 novel helps to fill the void.

Actually, Bobby Ives may or may not be a werewolf.He is, however, an American in London who is haunted by memories of the Vietnam War as well as a possible past life.He is also occasionally finding himself disconnected from reality and overwhelmed with violent feelings.He is possibly becoming a werewolf, but he is certainly because some sort of beast, and he is relishing the feeling more and more.

This is a decent enough novel, which plays with the werewolf legend while not necessarily adhering to it.For one thing, Ives is not the victim of a werewolf bite, nor are his transformations constrained by the moon.Since the whole story follows Ives's point-of-view, for the most part we only given glimpses into what he becomes.Indeed, that is the heart of this small novel:it has less to do with the physical monster than the transformation of Ives's soul.

As I just mentioned, this is a small novel, just a shade over 200 pages.As a bonus, this book includes a 100 page novella called The Dreams of Dr. Ladybank.This is a tale of the title psychiatrist who has discovered he can project his thoughts into other people.Unfortunately, it only works on two people, a male prostitute and a pimp; Ladybank manipulates both of their lives, quickly discarding the motive of "scientific interest" in favor of sadistic pleasure.

Both stories are good tales of both psychological and supernatural horror.While entertaining, they lack that extra oomph that could make them truly great; in part, this is because there are times when things are a little predictable.They do have enough originality, however, to merit reading if you're a horror fan.




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Review of I Am Legend (Paperback)

I am Legend is arguably the greatest short horror novel ever written, and its influence on the horror genre has been profound.Stephen King and many other of today's masters rank this book highly in their personal top ten lists of favorites.It is a short novel that can be read in one sitting; it is hard to put down, building in intensity from start to finish.Matheson creates an entirely new type of vampire fiction herein.Transcending the traditional vampire tale, he adds science fiction elements to produce a refreshing new interpretation of Stoker's legend.The most fascinating part of the story is the protagonist's (Richard Neville's) attempts to explain the legendary aspects of the vampire myth in scientific terms.His discovery of a bacterium, which he dubs vampiris, as the true source of vampirism struck me anew reading the novel again after the events of September 11, 2001.Although we only get pieces of the story regarding the outbreak of the vampiric plague, including a reference to bombings, it can easily be seen as the fruits of germ warfare.Neville even conjectures that the Black Death of the Middle Ages was caused by this same vampiris germ, and he extrapolates facts and ideas from that history in his attempts to understand why such defenses as garlic, crosses, and stakes driven into the heart actually are effective against the hordes of undead creatures menacing his own time.He studies academic texts and conducts experiments with the blood of these creatures, which is the means by which he identifies the bacterium.The essence of garlic has no effect on the germ when injected into a blood sample, which initially he is unable to explain, but he later is able to explain garlic's effectiveness.Less scientific tests lead him to conclude that crosses are only effective against "Christian" vampires; the cross has no meaning to for vampires who were once Jews and Moslems, but sacred symbols of those religions, such as the Torah and the Koran, do.All of these scientific tests and speculations are just fascinating.

Neville is essentially the last man on earth, and the loneliness of his situation is the central part of the story.Matheson is able to communicate Neville's emotional feelings vividly, making him very real.We gradually acquire the story of the deaths of Neville's wife and daughter, essentially experiencing the pain he goes through when these memories overcome him.We watch him drink himself into a stupor as each night finds him besieged in his fortified house, surrounded by vampires, including his old friend and neighbor, calling for him to come out.We watch him slowly lose his grip on sanity and come very close to giving up.Then, however, we watch him overcome his depression and courageously fight to live in the nightmare world he is trapped in.The scenes with the dog he finds are full of emotion and really gripped this reader.This is Neville's first contact with nonvampiric life, and his attempts to befriend and help the poor creature (at the same time finally finding a companion) touched me greatly and brought tears to my eyes.His eventual discovery of another human being like himself is also powerful and emotional, although to speak more about this aspect of the story is to risk giving something away to the future reader.

This is a story of one man overcoming all obstacles and fighting to defend his way of life and his very humanity.The novel deals with the human condition, the essential ingredient to effective horror writing.Neville struggles constantly with his doubts and fears, particularly as he commits acts that he would have condemned as barbarous in the time before the plague.His needs for companionship of any kind offer us a clear image of the inner soul of man.By the end of the story, he does indeed become legend, both in his world and in ours.



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Review of Institutional Memory (Mass Market Paperback)

In the Howard Phillips building, Osprey Publishing employee Sharon Walters hums a Bacharach song as she heads to the basement to retrieve some boxes to store files inside.She hears soft metallic noises moving in the ceiling above her.Sensing danger she heads for the elevator when metal cables imprison her and begin to hurt her.A coworker Marcy Browne becomes concerned when Sharon fails to return from the short trip so in spite of her fear of the basement she persuades Bernie Thompson to go downstairs with her to see if her friend is all right.They find nothing except creepy maintenance man Leo and a call to the cops say they will do nothing over a disappearance without foul play.

They hear strange metallic noises and cables begin going after the staff.One of the employees mentions alien pure energy possession of the five story Phillips building has occurred. This energy essence feeds on the fears of the people trapped by it.Workers are dying one at a time.However, mousy Marcy, Jon Simpson, and Bettie Winters unite to battle the evil before there is none.

INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY is sort of placing Christie's And Then There Were None inside a slasher-horror thriller.The assault starts from the opening pages and never slows down as the building's evil entity keeps the attacks coming and the audience spellbound with reading what happens next.Although character development is minimized except to a degree mousy Marcy, readers will enjoy this spellbinding supernatural tale while wondering if the boss would accept fear of the office building as an excused absence.

Harriet Klausner


Product Description

Standing five-stories tall in a relatively small city, the Howard Phillips building is like any other building: it is secretly inhabited by an entity from another plane of existence that feeds off the energy of the people who work withinits walls. Unfortunately, the life form inhabiting this particular building has been infected by a sort of virus of hate; as companies move out and itsinhabitants dwindle this alien intelligence has chosen to use fear as a means of obtaining sustenance. It is up to Jon, Marcy, and Bettieto stop this haunting presence before it's too late.

About the Author

Gary Frank is a member of the Garden State Horror Writers and the author of Forever Will You Suffer. He lives outside Trenton, New Jersey.

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Review of The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1) (Paperback)

At under 300 pages, "The Gunslinger" - the first book from Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series - may seem oddly short, especially when compared to the latest volume from the epic, weighing in at around 700 pages. Andstill, Constant Reader, there are thousands more to go!

According to theafterword from this book, it took King twelve years to complete thewritings. He wrote the opening line, "The Man in Black fled across thedesert, and the Gunslinger followed"while an undergraduate, the middleportions when "`Salem's Lot" was going bad, and was inspired with anotherconcurrent writing: "The Stand." For King to have kept the Gunslinger, theMan in Black, Jake, and the other characters - and really the entire worldof the Dark Tower - alive for so long in his mind is a testament to notonly the power that this held over the author, but holds over us - hisConstant Readers. Moreover, since the first publishing of "The Gunslinger,"around twenty years have passed, a number of newer volumes in this serieshave come and gone - yet with this first, partially inspired by RobertBrowning's poem, "Childe Roland," and partially inspired by reams of greenpaper (read the afterword to the book), you know that this was a veryspecial creation indeed.

I am not a fan of King's horror fiction. Butwhen he gets down to writing about "other worlds than these," such as "TheStand," "Insomnia," "The Green Mile," and "The Talisman" (co-authored withPeter Straub) - there is no one better. His is an imagination to be jealousof. There is always a feeling that alternate universes exist, next to ourown. King imbues his other worlds with just enough of our own so that wefeel a tantalizing connection between our own perceptions of reality, andthose that King entertains us (Constant Readers) with.

At any rate, "TheGunslinger," at under 300 pages, is just right to introduce us to the worldof The Dark Tower, and keep us on course, with a desire to continue (and towait, ever so patiently for the next volume in the series) the journey theGunslinger started many years ago.



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Review of The Pack (Serenity Falls, Book 2) (Paperback)

If you haven't read the first book in the Serenity Falls Trilogy, Writ in Blood, you should.Writ in blood sets the stage, with a horrible and brutal rape/torture and murder of accused witch Elizabeth miles.Then comes The Pack.It is strongly written but reads slower than the first book.Moore is laying all the ground work for the climax of the story in book three.Even though slower reading, it is still creepy and fun.Jonathan Crowley, one of the best and strangest "good guys" I have read about, and I was happy to have him show up in the second half of this book.

I am hooked, and will read the last of the three books just as soon as I can get my hands on it in paperback.Well worth your time to read, worth the cost to purchase too.




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Review of Hottest Blood (Paperback)

Erotic horror would seem to be a genre that would appeal only to twisted minds. Since I don't consider myself a member of that fraternity, I was initially very skeptical about the quality of this book. However, after reading the first story, I realized that either my mind is twisted or the stories are superb. Of course, I come down on the side of the latter.
The stories really kept my attention, which is saying a great deal, as horror is not something that I read on a regular basis. My favorite was "Sex Object", where a woman has additional sex organs transplanted into her body in order to be able to be the single woman at a multi-male orgy so that she can please her husband. As satire on the lengths that some women will go in order to be sexually pleasing, it was quite good. A close second is "Hillbetties",a rather ingenious take on the classic farmer's daughter jokes that were so common years ago.
There is more originality in this collection of stories than in most best of collections of science fiction, which is what I usually read. However, it is not for everyone and many of the stories should be read as a form of grotesque satire to be appreciated.

Product Description
A collection of erotic tales of horror features stories by Graham Masterton, Bentley Little, Rex Miller, Elizabeth Massie, David J. Schow, Matthew Costello, John Shirley, Thomas Tessier, Grant Morrison, and other established masters. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of The Collection (Mass Market Paperback)

Bentley Little has done it again! This collection of short stories is an absolute must have for anyone interested in this hilarious author's writings. Little's stories are a deft mix of humor, horror, and weirdness that are an excellent way to pass a few hours. I am continually amazed that many people fail to grasp the humor in this man's novels and stories. Little is a master of black comedy and satire (or as he refers to it in several of his stories here, "slightly exaggerated" situations).

I don't think it is helpful to go through a story-by-story analysis. Since many of the stories in "The Collection" are very short, an in-depth analysis of them would undoubtedly give away crucial plot information. I'll try to touch on a few recurring themes that Little revisits more than once.

Little has an interesting view of history. This theme caught my eye because I have a degree in history, and enjoy reading and studying the topic. Two stories are notable with this theme. The first, and the one story that made me buy the book, is "The Washingtonians." A man finds a letter written by George Washington in a relative's trunk. The letter discusses eating children and making tools out of their bones, and is judged to be authentic. When the man visits a local university, he finds out that history, as we know it, is a total sham concocted to keep people in line and present a positive image of the powers that be. It is sufficient to say that by the time you reach the end of this story, you'll see a whole new meaning to the phrase, "the British are coming!"

The second story with this historical theme is "Colony." A newly elected president finds out that America isn't what it appears to be. Let's just say that the Declaration of Independence is a facade to placate the people. The president, with the help of Nixon crony H.R. Haldeman (who turns out not to be dead, just in hiding), stages a new war for independence.

These two stories highlight Little's pessimistic view about accepted knowledge. Knowledge is often not a set of rigid facts or figures, but something softer and hazier that can be manipulated by people for whatever goals they desire. Sometimes, historical lies cover up something that can be truly terrifying.

Another theme in the book is his humor, especially in satire. The story that best fits this rubric is "Confessions of a Corporate Man." In this brilliant gem of a tale, Little viciously skewers corporate America's attitude of competition. Disagreements between various departments in a company turn into full-blown wars involving murder, sex, and betrayal. It is bloody, but screamingly funny, as anyone who works (or has worked) in an office will quickly accede. Another tale, "Life with Father," shows us what happens when recycling is taken WAY too far.

The humor isn't just satire, sometimes it is as black as the coffee at an AA meeting. Just check out "The Show," about a snuff theater where the victim on stage might be someone you least expect. Then there is "Pillow Talk," a short tale about pillows who want to share their lust. How about a story about a dwarf who is determined to collect a quarter? It's here and it's funny.

Then there are the straight horror stories, scary stories that make you look over your shoulder. Take a glance at "The Woods Be Dark," a gruesome tale set in the South. The final tale, "The Mumurous Haunt of Flies," is another shocker about a strange bathhouse on a farm that tells us more than we need (or want) to know about death.

There are other types of stories included in this collection, and a reader is sure to find something that tickles their fancy. I'm quickly discovering that Bentley Little is a brilliant author who can write any type of story. I'm looking forward to reading "The Mailman," and "The Association." Actually, I'm looking forward to reading all of his books, and I hope you will, too.



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Review of Four Past Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)

i recently saw the movie secret window, and loved it. then i saw the book in borders and decided to read it. i have to say i like the story almost more than the movie! ive read all the stories except the sun dog, which i am almost done with. this is definitely a book worth reading.

Product Description
A brand new movie.
And King at his mind-blowing best.

STEPHEN KING
SECRET WINDOW

NOW A BLOCKBUSTER MOVIEFROM COLUMBIA PICTURESSTARRING JOHNNY DEPP,SET TO RELEASE MARCH 12TH
Featuring:
"THE LANGOLIERS"
"SECRET WINDOW, SECRET GARDEN"
The inspiration for the film Secret Window from Columbia Pictures
"THE LIBRARY POLICEMAN"
"THE SUN DOG"
Based on "Secret Window, Secret Garden," a novella in
Four Past Midnight

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Review of The Dead Letters (Mass Market Paperback)

Piccirilli writes dark. His novels are full of dread, sadness, and his characters often have little hope. They are all misfits of some kind and all of them have lost something. It could be their limbs, their lifestyle, their freedom, their sanity, normalcy, or a loved one. In this book it's the loss of a child that haunts the protagonist.

The plot concerns a man who has dedicated his life to finding the serial killer who murdered his daughter, and then other children. The killer smothered his daughter in her bed while she slept with her own pillow. After several more killings, a twist comes into the case. The killer starts kidnapping children from abusive homes and then brings them to the families of the children he killed.

This novel has all of the characteristics you come to expect from a Piccirrilli novel. A main character filled with tremendous loss of some kind, guilt, and a need for closure or acceptance. It has some really strange people in it in the form of a wacky cult who's involved with their own serial killings whose members who are as odd and deadly as they come. The story has supernatural elements with both the wacky cult and the main character himself to keep horror readers adequately enthused. And it has an ending that defines a Piccirrilli novel.

I enjoyed this novel much more than Headstone City. Its plot was straightforward without a lot of sub plots or distractions. Its mood was sullen and depressing giving punch to the chills and very thrilling portions of the story. And the story itself was disturbing enough to make me come back to it in my mind after I finished the last page.

When an author writes a book as great as November Mourns, (or even Choir of Ill Children) there is a tendency to compare all other books he writes after it to that masterpiece. This is unfair to the author (look at King's work after "It") and it's tempting to do so. But I'm gonna do it anyway...this book is not as good as the two mentioned above, but it is certainly a great read and I would place it at number 3 of my all time favorite Piccirilli novels. I would recommend this book to Piccirilli fans and to those who have not read the author before.

T.T.Zuma



Product Description
Five years ago, Eddie Whitt's daughter Sarah became the victim of a serial killer known as Killjoy, and Whitt vowed to hunt him down-no matter what the cost. But the police have given up. And Killjoy has stopped killing...and in some bizarre act of repentance has begun kidnapping abused infants and leaving them with the parents of his original victims.

The only clues to Killjoy's identity lie in a trail of taunting letters. And even as they lead Whitt to a deadly cult-and closer to his prey-he begins to suspect that, like his wife, he's losing his grip on reality: Sarah's dollhouse is filled with eerie activity, as if her murder never occurred.As dark forces rise around him, Whitt must choose-between believing that evil can repent...and stepping into a trap set by a killer who may know the only way to save Whitt's soul.

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Review of The Right Hand of Evil (Mass Market Paperback)

When alcoholic Ted Conway inherits his ancestral home in Louisiana, after the death of an estranged aunt, wife Janet accepts the move as the last chance for the family to stay together. She's almost immediately disappointed, however, and makes plans to leave with their three children and their dog. Then Ted has a remarkable healing, bringing about sobriety, and returning him to the man Janet fell in love with years ago.

The small town of St. Albans doesn't welcome the Conways. The communities' memories and rumors of the wrongs and evils perpetrated by the Conways extends even to the children. The house is said to be haunted. Certainly something evil exists within its foundations, a miasma that aims to mutilate and destroy that which is good or innocent. Ted's remarkable healing as result of the touch of evil will cost both his own soul, and possibly the soul of his son.

The estranged Aunt Cora who passed the house to Ted also passed the family bible to the parish priest. Within its pages are the recordings of the generations of Conway women who know the secret of the house's evil. As father Devlin discovers the tragic stories and locates the missing pages, the generations of evil begun at the hands of a priest lead him to the Conway house to aid the fight against a monstrous evil.

Having checked out the many of reviews at, I find it interesting that the higher marks come from readers like myself who haven't read a lot of John Saul's work. THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL heavy grounding in Catholicism and Satanism won't be to everyone's taste, nevertheless, I found Saul's approach fascinating and addictive. The convoluted and twisted plot kept the pages turning quickly, and I find the origin of the evil within the Conway house fascinating. A remarkable tale in detail, such as the painted garden in the dining room, and rich characterization, I recommend THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL.



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Review of One Rainy Night (Mass Market Paperback)

Having read this novel last year as an import, I was thrilled to see it on bookshelves here in the US.This book is an excellent example of the writing abilities of this author."One Rainy Night" opens withthe murder of a black student by a bunch of rednecks. Shortly thereafterthe small town is plagued by black rain that continues to fall without end. The townspeople who are exposed to the black rain find themselves becomingincreasingly violent towards each other.Within a couple of chapters thewhole town has become insane.Killings are rampant asdecent people turninto maniacs.At every junction where people meet there are attacks.Theviolence is extremely brutal and raw.What makes it even more disturbingis that all the acts are completely realistic.Laymon has a way ofexposing mankind's ugly side that would make even the most hardened readercringe.This is not gratuitous gore like you find in a lot of hack horrornovels but a glimpse at what happens when good people give in to theiranimal nature.

Another distinction in Laymon's writing is that he takesthe conventional roles of hero, victim, villain and completely turns themaround.It is not uncommon for the hero to become a victim, for the victimto become a villain and so on.In Laymon's books heroes sometimes die andvillains get away.The battle between good and evil rages on, often withinone character.The character's in this book are real people forced intothe most extreme of situations with shocking outcomes.

Without givingaway too much of the storyline, I must add that the ending was a bigsurprise.The twists and turns that occurred within the story kept meguessing through the end.The book was a fast, action packed read thatpulled no punches.I highly recommend itbut be warned it is not for thefaint of heart.

Product Description
A horror novel set in a sleepy backwater where a stark madness invades the inhabitants during a prolonged period of 'unnatural rainfall'.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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