RIP Jessica - hopefully now that justice has been done your friends and family can start to move on ...
RIP Jessica - hopefully now that justice has been done your friends and family can start to move on and remember the good times.
Member since:09.08.2005
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After all my reviews of children's books I thought I would try writing one for the adults out there. This is not one to read to your little kiddiewinkles.
***The Author***
Richard Laymon died on Valentine's Day, 2001 at the age of just 54, but as with a lot of authors he had finished works available and this is one of them. He wrote over 30 novels as well as even more short stories. His genre was horror and he was well known for lots of gory bits in there as well as a lot of sexual experiences too. After all sex and violence sells, especially when it's accompanied by a good story. That's one thing that stands out with his books is that there is always a good storyline in there and it's not just gratuitous mentions of gore and assault.
He is published in the UK by Headline who also publish many other great authors such as Dean Koontz.
***The Story***
When the story starts we are 1986 and a man only known to us as the Candyman is horrifically murdering a prostitute. A couple of months later Deana is dying to rush off to spend time with her boyfriend instead of having to endure a family meal with her mother and grandparents. When she finally escapes for a night of passion she ends up in a terrifying assault that sees her beloved Allan killed in front of her.
Her mother Leigh
can sympathise with the loss of a partner as she herself had to deal with the sudden loss of Deana's father before she was born. It makes her remember her troubled early life that she has kept a secret from her daughter for so long.
As the story progresses we find out who the murderer was but that's only the beginning as more twists and turns are round the corner.
***The Characters***
Leigh
A lonely mother whose daughter is all she has left of the man she fell in love with at her Aunt and Uncle's home near the lake, she will do anything to protect her. She is a complex character who has a colourful past that includes staying out past her curfew as a teenager and attending demos against the war in Vietnam. Getting into trouble was what she was good at. Nowadays she has a successful restaurant but still can't seem to please her parents, especially her mother who looks on with disappointment whenever she remembers Leigh's younger days.
Deana
A headstrong girl, very like her mother was when younger, she has a knack of getting herself into dangerous situations and taking chances. We see her develop from a fun loving girl into someone who distrusts everyone around her. Although she wants her mum to be happy, she can't help feeling that the relationship between her and Mace isn't right and worries in case her mother gets emotionally hurt again.
Mace
The cop assigned to the murder of Allan, he gets closer to the family than he should and sees an opportunity of romance with Leigh. He is a complex character who carries his own baggage too.
Mattie
Mace's partner, who befriends Deana and Leigh in their hour of need, is a great support to them.
A chance meeting with Deana means there are sparks flying between them despite her grief for Allan.
Sheena
She is the psychic sister of Warren who senses when bad things are about to happen.
The Baddies
Well as with many other Laymon books, it's not always whom you think it should be when you start reading. Twists and turns galore keep you guessing well into the book and there are a couple of characters that you end up wondering about.
***My Thoughts***
I've been a fan of Laymon for a long time now although I have to admit that some of the violent and gory descriptions have me cringing as I read through his novels. This one is sadly the last of his unpublished but finished work that was left behind when he died. I feel it is lacking a little bit and wonder if some would have been changed had he still been alive when it was published.
I found Leigh very easy to relate to as I was a single mother for many years although that was through divorce rather than death - I sometimes wonder which I would have preferred but that's another story. I therefore understand her immense need to protect her child even though she is growing up and the worry that she faced when Deana was late home. I also understand the loneliness she feels and can see how easily it was for her to get emotionally involved with Mace so quickly.
Without giving the plot away I will say that I felt sympathy with the cleaver baddie as he apparently gets his comeuppance. I felt that there was a vulnerable side to him that had been missed. About half way through the book though, I had my suspicions that one of the characters was not as good as I had originally thought - I think I watch too many CSIs and the like but I spotted the outcome through little clues that were left along the way. Despite this though I was intrigued as to how it would develop and whether the baddie would be caught.
The ending was a little bit predictable and everything seemed to happen very quickly, as with some other Laymon novels. This is where I feel it could have been improved slightly and I was left wondering what had become of one of the other strange characters that had a part in it.
There were a few times in the book where I found myself having to go back and check details, as it jumps back and forward quite a lot between characters and timelines in some very short chapters. It did get a bit confusing and unbelievable at times and there do seem to be a couple of characters in there just to give a bit of padding.
Saying that it was still an enjoyable read and although it took a while to get into, I found myself unwilling to put it down after I was half way through and my son had to go hungry for 20 minutes, the morning I was near the end. Cruel I know but he is so impatient. All in all, it's not one of his best but still worth a read if you are a fan. If on the other hand you're not into bloody descriptions or sexual descriptions then you should give this a miss.
My copy was from the library and was in hardback but it is available in paperback too. The hardback version can only be bought second hand now from the likes of Amazon marketplace but the price on the book is £18.99 and the paperback is available from Play.com for £5.49, cheaper than the recommended selling price of £6.99.
Hardback ISBN No. 0747269335 Paperback ISBN No. 0747267324
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I've read one Laymon book before, To Wake the Dead, and I really liked it. From what you say, it's sounds like I'd be better advised to read some of his earlier stuff next. John
Morning_Becomes_Electra 23.04.2006 14:02
Good descriptive review. You have made me want to read it. Electra x
jesi 23.04.2006 09:08
I think I'll give this a miss then ~ NOT a fan of Sex and Violence! ~ ~ .................................................................................................... ~ ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥♥
Apr 18th, 2006
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