Midnight's Lair

For some reason many Laymon readers seem to be saying that this book is not up to his usual standards. However, I think that it is one of his best! The storyline is interesting and origional and the characters are realistic and easy to love (or hate). This novel has Laymons' usual fast-flowing prose and once started is unputdownable, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

This was the fourth Richard Laymon book I picked up to read and not only was it the best, but it was probably one of the best horror novels I have ever read! We have a story of a natural cavern that has become a local tourist attraction in upstate New York named after the family that has owned the cavern for generations, the Mordock's. The story takes place immediately when the power inside the caverns (which are about 50 yards below the surface) go out during one of the hourly tours. During the setup, we are introduced to a number of characters both normal folks and also sociopaths. The story breaks into two story arcs, the first is of the group underground and what do they do while they wait for the power to come on (which runs the elevators back to the surface). Will it take hours? What happens if something has occurred above that will not allow them to be rescued in a short amount of time? Should they find another way out? The second story arc is that of a few folks up above at the cavern's hotel and of what is happening up there, and their concern for their family members that are below in the cavern touring when it comes to their attention that their safety and rescue may not be as immediate as they first hoped. Why is this story just plain great? Suspense. Fast paced. Realism (for a horror story with little suspension of disbelief required). And no characters seemed to be arbitrary survivors; the reader was kept guessing. The remoteness of the hotel and cavern make the need of some protagonists to act quicker than the fire, medical, and rescue crews; this allows it to be realistic with little contrivance. It should be noted there is a horror in this novel that is more disturbing than a supernatural force, making the horror so much more real, but also the darkness of the caves and their atmosphere makes the novel even more chilling. The sociopathic characters are also frightful and since they are not necessarily the true antagonists of the story, this makes them even more disturbing. And the chapters that show us the lead up to the electrical power outage are first class action packed suspense. At a short length and nonstop suspense, with great technique in flashbacks, and the creation of an interesting backstory behind the caverns and the horror that may reside within them truly make a top notch novel of the utmost quality. Highly, highly recommended. In all honesty, one of the most exciting, frightful, and best novels I have read in a long time. The only thing that is confusing is why I never heard of it prior to this and why it was not a best seller like a Koontz or King book.

I have never missed a Richard Laymon book and this is one of his best - on the same veins as 'The Quake'.

Reading Laymon is one of my guilty pleasures. I sometimes feel like I should be wrapping the covers of his books in newspaper, but that doesn't stop me from devouring his novels. And he doesn't disappoint me or the fan of the "thrill-a- minute, don't-look-around-the-next-corner" genre of horror novels with this product. While the premise of the novel is a little unbelieveable, it does take off faster than a rap singer booked on the Lawrence Welk show. After a few pages, you begin to feel the same suffocating paranoia that those trapped in the cave are dealing with. Character development is good and it's easy to single out the good from the evil. This book is a quick-read and you won't be disappointed if gore and shocks are your thing.(Just don't eat while you're reading it!) Laymon has the ability to latch on to a storyline and wring every thrill he can out of it like a terrier playing tug-of-war with you. His books are consistently as scary as Stephen King's and often times deliver more chills than Dean Koontz'. Try "The Stake" and "The Woods are Dark" for other good efforts by Laymon.