The 37th Mandala

I had a hard time getting through this first little bit of this book. However, after that it was no holds barred scary stuff. Derek Crowe, in his push to write "the" book that will get him a following, he alters some ancient, mystical writings. Thus he unleashes the mandalas. Rather than being the benevolent beings he represents them as, the mandalas are truly scary beings that feed on human passions. Even at the end when you think things are going to be better and at least leave you with hope, your fooled. Maybe there is hope, maybe there isn't. The other two main characters Michael and Lenore are very believable and interesting. They keep the plot moving to it's climax. Every character in this book only adds to the story. Rather than distracting the reader with too many subplots and substories, this book just leads the reader from opening page right to the end. A true winner.

An EXCELLENT book. Marc Laidlaw also developed the story forand worked on the groundbreaking game Half-Life...

I just now finished The 37th Mandala and all I can say is the cliched "wow". Strange, violent, bitter but not hopeless this sadly undervalued work stands head and shoulders above many other, more high profile horror books...I've read a fair amount in the genre and it's clear that Laidlaw has here created a unique piece that should take its place amongst the treasured classics. Few other novels of the last 25 years do as much as this book to elevate the craft above the usual terror trappings and to advance it into an intelligent realm of speculative fiction. Overall, a brilliant novel that will frighten, entrance and amaze you.

I read this book in a day in a half. Scaring me silly I could only pick it up in the daytime. I could not beleive it did not make the top ten in Horror or that the book got so little press.IT WAS ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT!And now it's out of print? The publisher needs to resurrect this one immediately, give it the publicity it deserves because there are too many horror fans out there who will never get the chance to read this excellent tangle into the dark side of things.I have my copy and the dust jacket and will hold onto them both. It was a true find, a rare read and I know one day somebody will rediscover it and have it reissued.This book was THE BEST HORROR NOVEL I have read since THE SHINING. I'll be checking for more good stuff from this fantastic author.Margaret Johnson-Hodge, Author of THE REAL DEAL and A NEW DAY

I read a few glowing reviews of this (pretty amazing) novel, but could not find it anywhere; it was already out of print. I came across a remaindered copy (sorry) and read it over the next few days. The reviewers were right. The author's voice is right on the money as the cynical narrator takes advantage of the 'new-agers', sarcastically belittling them for their naivete, then learning to his horror that he was only slightly less naive. This is one of the few books I can think of that actually inspires a scary sort of awe in the reader, at least in this one. Scenes in Cambodia, and in the New Age store, and at the club, have stayed with me in the months since I finished the book. I've been trying to track down other books by Mr. Laidlaw, but so far, no luck. Just to give some idea of my taste, other books I've enjoyed to this degree lately are: 'KOKO', 'The Throat', and 'The Hellfire Club', all by Peter Straub, James Ellroy's 'LA Confidential', Bentley Little's 'The Ignored'. None of these are much like 'The 37th Mandala', but all of them are: Highly recommended.