Night Show: Ghost, Haunt

We follow two stories of a prank gone wrong and a Hollywood dreamer that had me completely scratching my head over how they would intersect. About halfway through, the connection was clear and I absolutely buckled up for what I thought was going to be a wild, psychotic ride. I liked how it panned out, but found a few unanswered questions along the way, and finished the book feeling like it could’ve gone…harder.

NIGHT SHOW Richard Laymon delivers another fast paced, action packed horror story. In typical Laymon fashion the reader is thrust head first into the story. There is not much to offer in urban or suburban development and the characters tend to be a bit sketchy but Laymon manages to entertain us all the same. Mr. Laymon takes us into the world of Hollywood special effects and slasher B-movies. We never get the full insider look at this world but we do get a glimpse. Dani Larson is the stories focal point; she's a special effects wizard at the top of her game. Tony Johnson is a crazy kid who gets his kicks scaring people; he wants to break into the movie biz and Dani Larson is his key. Night Show was a fun, easy read. I recommend it.

I've read more than two dozen Richard Laymon books, and I haven't found one that I didn't like. This one is pretty short, but that's an asset in a sense -- it keeps the pace fast. There's no filler. This is a nice lean novel.His newer novels are longer. They're better too, but not because they're longer. It's due to the author's experience.