A young woman decends into an ever-escalating nightmare of murder and madness when her only defense against an intruder is a Civil War saber.
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reviews
Aug 25, 2011
The TBR Pile
rated it: 
Alice (not her real name) writes this book to tell her story of how a prowler on her property led to her committing several murders and acts of torture.
This was an dark book. The blurb was interesting and as the story played out I couldn’t help but get sucked into the violent world Mr. Laymon created. Alice was hard to not like. Despite her killing and torturing, her personality was so well written. There was no doubt I had to read this entire book to find out if she had a hap More...
This was an dark book. The blurb was interesting and as the story played out I couldn’t help but get sucked into the violent world Mr. Laymon created. Alice was hard to not like. Despite her killing and torturing, her personality was so well written. There was no doubt I had to read this entire book to find out if she had a hap More...
Jul 24, 2011
NJMetal
rated it: 
Richard Laymon's "After Midnight" strives to be a page turning thriller. It nearly delivers. The action carries along at a high pace. The descriptions are gruesome. The main character, Alice, is very well developed. However, at times, there is too much description, too much character development and a lot over the top manic female thinking.
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that More...
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that More...
Feb 04, 2011
Tom
rated it: 
"Alice" is a young woman with a slightly troubled past. She lives in a small apartment above a garage on the grounds of her wealthy friend and husband. Her friend's house is in the outskirts of a sparsely populated suburban town. The house has no close neighbors and it's backyard is woods where dead bodies have been deposited in the past. One evening, while her friends are away on holiday, she spots a man lurking around the pool, eventually swimming nude, almost taunting her outside. F
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Mar 15, 2011
Esme
rated it: 
Alice hütet ein einsames am Waldrand gelegenes Haus. Es ist unheimlich: ein junger Mann hängt am Pool herum und ein Telefonanrufer belästigt sie. Als sie sich bedroht fühlt, schlägt sie mit einem Säbel zu und hat nun eine Leiche an den Hacken.
Die Idee ist durchaus gut, doch dem Buch geht ganz schnell die Luft aus und so etwas wie Spannung stellt sich gar nicht erst ein.
Es wird im Akkord gemordet, vergewaltigt, zerstückelt. Und wenn nicht gerade das Blut in Fontänen spritzt, w More...
Die Idee ist durchaus gut, doch dem Buch geht ganz schnell die Luft aus und so etwas wie Spannung stellt sich gar nicht erst ein.
Es wird im Akkord gemordet, vergewaltigt, zerstückelt. Und wenn nicht gerade das Blut in Fontänen spritzt, w More...
Jul 05, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
I felt that the usual "gore factor" so typical of his books was a bit tamer here in this one, despite the many deaths and murders and assaults. And, the usual lack of character development, but that's just something you have to get past with most horror writers.
Aside from that,
Every page was exciting. It was an intense, fast paced novel. I finished it in 2 days.
There's a hint of finding a message within the book to find Alice's real name. That code is in the first letter More...
Aside from that,
Every page was exciting. It was an intense, fast paced novel. I finished it in 2 days.
There's a hint of finding a message within the book to find Alice's real name. That code is in the first letter More...
Jul 03, 2009
Ryne
rated it:
Murphy's Law is ever present in Laymon's book about "Alice," a woman whose life spirals into a frenzy of covering up accidental deaths after an encounter with a stranger at her house - you guess the time - has her murdering innocent people. Alice isn't a normal woman who calls the police; instead, she covers up the evidence in order to hide her mysterious past. Told from her own perspective, After Midnight keeps escalating in thrills and twists, taking Alice and the reader into a situa
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Jul 30, 2011
Andre
rated it:
Well, this is the best Richard Laymon book I've read so far. For once the characters' reactions were believable. I think that he showed great improvement in his writing as his career advanced. I had a hard time putting it down, Laymon has a knack for writing a good page turner. Pretty much all of his chapters ended with a cliffhanger. Superb and quite enjoyable.
As always the ending is very rapidly wrapped up..... Laymon often does this, he wraps everything up in less than twenty pages. Ther More...
As always the ending is very rapidly wrapped up..... Laymon often does this, he wraps everything up in less than twenty pages. Ther More...
Nov 28, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
If I could give this book 3.5 stars I would. This book was definitely different. It was interesting to see the perspective of an average someone trying to cover up an accidental murder and all the pratfalls that can happen afterward. Things really can spiral out of control and it goes to show you it is not as easy to cover up a murder as the movies make it seem. I liked the attention to detail in all the things needed to be taken care of to cover Alice's tracks. But at times the main character s
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May 25, 2010
chucklesthescot
rated it:
Alice is house-sitting for her friend when she sees the naked man going for a swim in the pool and when he hears the phone and approaches the house, Alice panics and tells the stranger on the phone that there is a prowler and he offers to help. Not long after, she hears a noise outside and kills the intruder-but it is Tony, the good samaritan who decided to come to her aid. Alice can't involve the police because of her past so now she must dispose of the body, clean up...but what if Tony's phone
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May 11, 2010
Victoria
rated it:
This book was quite different from the other two books of his that I have read. It was exciting, but bordering a bit on silly with the series of events and the dark humour filling the pages. I really enjoyed it - though I must admit, the part with Murphy made me pretty sad... Still, it was a fun book. Richard Laymon is a very talented writer.
Feb 09, 2012
Robert
rated it:
Got this one through the read it swap it site.
Totally over the top story about a girl house sitting , who accidentally murders a caller to the home. She then by an amazing series of events goes on a sex crazed killing spree!!!
Flew through this one, doesn't say much about my psyche!!!
Totally over the top story about a girl house sitting , who accidentally murders a caller to the home. She then by an amazing series of events goes on a sex crazed killing spree!!!
Flew through this one, doesn't say much about my psyche!!!
Aug 10, 2011
This is probably one of my least favorite books of all times. Mr. Laymon writes like a sexually frustrated thirteen year old boy. None of the characters are sympathetic or believeable. One totally absurd event follows another. Iliteracy would be preferable than this drivel.
May 21, 2011
Kurt
rated it:
My favorite Laymon novel. Alice is pure bad-ass crazy. It starts with a house-sitting gig, a sick voyeur, a sword and one poor chump in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a "one-sitting" kind of book. For me it's a good example of where noir and horror meet.
Oct 10, 2011
Erin
rated it: 
Stupid. Why do I even think I want to read trash like this?!? I gave it 2 stars JUST because I did finish it, and I read it pretty fast to 'see what happens'. I shelved it under disturbing only because of the ' Oh, I cut his head off and then ate some steak'. Stupid. This was my 2nd Laymon and my last.
Nov 25, 2010
Sonya
rated it:
This is my first bad review for a Richard Laymon book. I had to stop reading this halfway through, which is very unusual for me I just found it really offensive and it takes a lot to offend me!!! I'm a big fan of Laymons so I'm very disappointed.
Sep 26, 2011
Georgina
rated it:
I had a rocky start with this book. I really really dislike the main character, Alice. I think that had she handled things much differently in the beginning, things wouldn't have gone the way they did. I suppose then there wouldn't be a book. The action picked up and I ended up really enjoying this novel.
May 30, 2009
♥ Marlene♥
rated it:
This was such a crazy book. So many weird things happened but after I've read it I must say, even with the craziness i did enjoy it.
I've read 4 books by Richard Laymon so far. 2 more to go. One with short stories and the other one is part 3 of a series which means I have to get my hands on some more books by this author.
3.5 stars
I've read 4 books by Richard Laymon so far. 2 more to go. One with short stories and the other one is part 3 of a series which means I have to get my hands on some more books by this author.
3.5 stars
Dec 01, 2007
Jeremy
rated it:
This was my second Laymon novel, and I enjoyed it. It was never in any danger of winning a Pulitzer by any means, but any book that contains a line like "Crouching down, I pulled the knife out of Steve's butt" has as special place in my heart.
Extra points go the the author who not only alludes to a hidden code that reveals the main character's true identity, but also actually delivers such a code. Unfortunately, Mr. Laymon is deceased so we may never know the significance ( More...
Extra points go the the author who not only alludes to a hidden code that reveals the main character's true identity, but also actually delivers such a code. Unfortunately, Mr. Laymon is deceased so we may never know the significance ( More...
Nov 23, 2010
Katie
rated it:
It started off good but just became very disturbing and not at all what I thought it would be.
Oct 27, 2010
Allison
rated it:
Blood, sex, and humor. Odd combination. Easy read, but not for everyone.
Jan 03, 2010
Vanessa
rated it:
Bit long winded in narrators internal dialogue stressing and analysing.
Jun 13, 2011
Timothy
rated it:
Typical Laymon book. Full of violence, sex, and an incredibly fast pace.
Aug 13, 2008
Sierra
rated it:
Awesome Plot. A woman who calls herself Alice is writing a book about something that happened to her not long ago, it all starts around midnight one night when she sees a stranger swimming naked in the back yard pool. I loved it. I loved the ending too. Very good book. One I would own, ( I own many laymon's but not this one) one I will read again.
Jan 18, 2012
Naomi
rated it:
I finished this book, but must say that it took 3 attempts at which in certain points I kept pushing myself to get through. My husband who also read it said I was being generous in my rating that the book was simply goofy and redundant.
Feb 23, 2008
I just couldn't finish this. I got to the point where I just didn't care what happened to the character or the victims!!! It's a shame because I've liked Laymon's work before. This one just didn't do it for me.
Aug 25, 2011
Amy
rated it:
I don't think I put this book down at all! It is amazing !! Just when you think the main character a break something else happens that leaves you on the edge of whatever your sitting on!
