Melanie Conway is a violinist.One night,during a concert she suffers a convulsion and,upon coming to her senses,tells her boyfriend,Bodie,that she has had a vision that someone in her family is hurt.
Her sister,Penelope,is an aspiring mystery writer who,all her life,has had to beat guys ... Read review
Advantages: gripping plot full of twists and turns Disadvantages: none-simply Laymon at top form
Melanie Conway is a violinist.One night,during a concert she suffers a convulsion and,upon coming to her senses,tells her boyfriend,Bodie,that she has had a vision that someone in her family is hurt.
Her sister,Penelope,is an aspiring mystery writer who,all her life,has had to beat guys off with a stick.Currently suffering from a barrage of obscene phone messages,she is surprised and a little mystified when Melanie and Bodie turn up ... ...in hospital after a hit and run and suddenly Melanie's vision doesn't seem quite so fanciful.
When Melanie has another fit at the hospital,she becomes convinced she knows who tried to kill her father.Obsessed with bringing the step-mother she believes responsible to justice,her relationship with Bodie begins to take the strain...which is when Bodie and Penelope begin to find themselves drawn closer and closer together.
Melanie Conway is a violinist.One night,during a concert she suffers a convulsion and,upon coming to her senses,tells her boyfriend,Bodie,that she has had a vision that someone in her family is hurt.
Her sister,Penelope,is an aspiring mystery writer who,all her life,has had to beat guys off with a stick.Currently suffering from a barrage of obscene phone messages,she is surprised and a little mystified when Melanie and Bodie turn up at her door.Then they discover that their father is lying in hospital after a hit and run and suddenly Melanie's vision doesn't seem quite so fanciful.
When Melanie has another fit at the hospital,she becomes convinced she knows who tried to kill her father.Obsessed with bringing the step-mother she believes responsible to justice,her relationship with Bodie begins to take the strain...which is when Bodie and Penelope begin to find themselves drawn closer and closer together.
Dealing less with the supernatural elements of the story and focusing more on the relationships between the family members,this I feel is one of Laymon's better novels with plenty of strong characters;each personality constantly fighting to be centre stage.The twists and turns keep you guessing as well as any whodunnit and though you may associate with certain characters at the beginning,by the end of the novel(and indeed all through it)your perspective of them changes as rapidly as their behaviour.In this piece there are no outright villians and certainly no out and out good guys-all the characters have their secrets to share and in this respect the book is very true to life.
For as we all know,in real life things are never as simple or as clear-cut black and white as they appear and there are always surprises just around the corner!!
I love this book because there is a strong focus on how the family members react both to themselves and their situation and the secrets and lies that go on in this family are as true to life as any families.Again Laymon deals with one of our deepest,darkest fears-what if something happened to someone in our family and what if it wasn't an accident?
Most of Laymon's novels are available from all good book stores as they are always in demand,failing that they go for a good price on the web.And don't forget to check out the recently released omnibus editions that now feature three of his best novels in one volume....I would reccomend all his work!!
Advantages: A good twist ending Disadvantages: Not an entertaining read
...a disappointing Laymon novel, then Alarums is probably it. The novel is shorter than most of Laymon's works, and I get the distinct feeling that it should really have been written as a short story. It concerns a concert violinist, Melanie, who has a mysterious vision of death, which sets her off on an obsessive revenge mission. The story is nowhere near as gripping as it should be, and whilst it does have a good twist ending, I feel this is the root ... ...idea for the premise and the ending, and decided to turn it into a novel, when there's really not enough in the story to support it. It feels like every chapter is just an attempt to flesh out the novel before you get to the clever ending. Not up to Laymon's high standards. ...
philsammie 12.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Alarums - Richard Laymon
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Quick review of Alarums - Richard Laymon
This is a two story book where by far Blood Games is the better story!
The characters are easy to believe in and you really to feel your on an adventure with them! this is a very good read which you wont be able to put down its just a shame its the second story so please make sure you read it even if the first lets you down as this is alot more exciting!
Alarums was not that great a story, and to be fair leaves a true Laymon fan dissapointed! But to an individaul new to his work this might be a good one to begin with as its not as graphic as his other books! ...
liclechick 26.09.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Alarums - Richard Laymon
Advantages: A nice cover illustration by Steve Crisp with the blood on the bonnet Disadvantages: Richard Laymon's name on the cover
The book started out fine getting up close and personal with the main characters but then nothing really happens with it, you keep waiting for a Typical Laymon bone cruncher when all you get is the adds on the back page for some real Laymon Magic. Thats it Book finished with great dissapointment.
What I like about Richard Laymon's writing is the way that he grabs your attention from the first page, truly you cannot put the book down, i finished ... ...and couldnt wait to pick up the next book, and wasnt dissapointed when i did (Savage). The Sexual thoughts, actions and perversions are astounding with hack, Slash and blow the body up with a hundred rucksack wielding M------. (you know what i mean) I would go so far as to say that if this is the first Laymon you read it would be the last, but then you have to expect at least one book of any author to be bad. I guess, shame though as he would have ...
mashtata 10.08.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Alarums - Richard Laymon
Product Information for "Alarums - Richard Laymon" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Horror
Title
Alarums
Author
Richard Laymon
ISBN
074720697X; 0747241309; 0747279004
Manufacturer's product description
Melanie Conway is a pale and lovely violinist who has strange visions of death. Penelope Conway is even more stunning than her sister but her looks frequently get her into trouble. Captivated by these two sisters, Melanie's boyfriend Bodie finds himself drawn into a strange mystery.
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