Out of all Richard Laymon's excellent novels, Island is my favourite. It has everything you could ever want from a novel, including an absolutely jaw-dropping final twist. It's the story of a group of people who are shipwrecked on a tropical island, only to be hunted down by a crazed killer. This might not sound like the most original premise you've ever heard, but it's what Laymon does with this basic idea that is so special. The writing is absolutely flawless, and the characters are utterly believable and never dull. It's written in the form of a diary, from one character's point of view, and is so well crafted that you genuinely feel you're reading the words of a real person, rather than the author's words. Laymon somehow manages to make the novel fast moving and exciting, and yet still full of suspense. It's one of those books where you're constantly rushing to finish a chapter, just so you can get on to the next! I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you havn't read a Laymon novel before, there isn't a better one to start with.
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