Rating: 
Summary: Stay away from the dark!
Review: Michael Laimo's first novel, Atmosphere, was a great mix of suspense and sci-fi, one of those rare debut novel that really promises and actually pleases and all levels. I was eagerly awaiting Laimo's next novel, and now that I've read Deep in the Darkness, I'm happy to report that Atmosphere was no fluke. With this novel, Laimo will leave his mark on the horror genre as a great new voice in the horror field.When Doctor Michael Cayle moves into the small town of Ashborough with his wife Christine and daughter Jessica, he thinks that this move is for the best. Bringing his young family away from the big city seems to be just the right thing to do. So he moves into town, taking the practice of the recently departed doctor and hopes for the best. Unfortunately, everything that goes wrong does and, soon enough, Michael seems to be standing knee-deep in a nightmare come true. Nothing is at it seems in Ashborough. Secrets is the only rule of the game. Something dwells in the woods, something old, something that rules the town with its darkness. What seems to be nothing more than a legend at first turns out to be the horrible reality. Soon enough, Michael and his family are trapped in a nightmare so horrible, so terrifying that their very lives are being threatened. Giving too much of the plot away would be ruining a great and completely satisfying read. I loved every single minute of Deep in the Darkness. The suspense seems to peak on every page, and the characters never feel false to the reader. But the greatest thing about this one is Laimo's writing. The author has a way of reeling his reader in, until he's cornerned with no means of escape. The writing feels natural and effortless. Laimo is able to involve his readers in the very story. Note a certain scene where the main character commits his first deed to the things living in the woods. That section had my skin crawling with shivers. And the ending? I had to read the last two hundred pages in one sitting. The suspense never ends. I can easily see this one becoming a great horror flick in the near future. If you haven't tried Laimo already, this is the perfect time for you to do so. Laimo is sure to quickly climb to the top of his game, where great genre writers like Stephen King and Douglas Clegg reside. Not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: A new star
Review: Michael Laimo's second novel from Leisure Books is one of the most compulsively readable horror novels I've had the pleasure to encounter in quite some time. Rare is the book these days that grips me and actually compels me to keep reading even if there are other things I should be doing. Deep In The Darkness is a classic stay-up-with-the-lights-on-'til-4 a.m. page-turner. The atmosphere is pervasively spooky, the sense of teeth-gnashing dread is unrelenting, and there's even a fair amount of gruesomeness. This book is what real horror is all about, and I'll be reading anything Mr. Laimo writes from now on.
Rating: 
Summary: Even a blind man could see where he was going!
Review: No matter what happened I knew what was coming. The descriptions, the ending and each twist and turn I foresaw from the second page of the damn book. The man has talent. You can see it in his writing. The stories are in there - somewhere.
As much as I hate comparing novels, I could not read this book without thinking of Pet Semetary, The Howling and Salem's Lot. It's apparent that new territory has not been found in the writing world. This plot is overdone and shows a half-assed attempt on Laimo's part for being creative. Even a blind man could see where he was going!
Now to the good part. I love Laimo's style of writing. This is the usual spot where I give you three adjectives to breakdown his M.O.. Well, I flat out refuse to! There aren't enough descriptions in the world - you have to see it for yourself. He writes with an edge, oblivious to any set formula or pattern, penning his work with a need to bare his soul and give his nightmares life.
The atmosphere is reminiscent of a forest fire that is closing in on you, and fast. The smoke peaks in slowly at first, then before you know it, you're knee deep in heat and smothering. The air reeks of danger and you find yourself dreading the outcome, but thrilled with the adrenaline rush. Throughout the book, the pace is constantly moving and shifting. The moment you think you've reached the climax, Laimo pulls a fast one and alters the speed.
The characters are the true stars of this book. Each player is significantly unique, yet absolutely common. Creating three-dimensional characters, Laimo fleshes them out with intelligence and emotion. The brilliance of this cast is that not one is memorable, yet they'll haunt you for nights to come.
Rating: 
Summary: He knows what scares you!
Review: The first part was so scary that I read for 3 hours without stopping. I had to get to a "safe" part before I could put the book down and go to sleep! The next night I finished the book. It has a disturbing ending. All is not right in that little town! This was an entertaining scary read. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, lets just start from there.....
Review: This was a book I took a chance with, I hadn't heard of this
author except I did see his first one going through Amazon.com
and I passed it buy. Something about this one, I bought it
at Kmart of all places, those eyes just caught me on the cover.
Plus it was guaranteed if you did not like it you could get
your money back or something to that effect. For the book review-
Right from the start you couldn't put this winner down. I read
for hours and hours and there were scenes in this book that
really gave me the chills. I love the terror build up and
the characters were put in a situation that just grew more
and more desperate. Great book, I haven't had a good scare
ride like this in ages. This book WILL be nominated for the
Bram Stoker Award again this year and I'd say it looks to be
right up there with Brian Keene's "The Rising",(loved them both) excellent
new books to close yourself off from the world! Going into mysteries, Check out Joe
R. Lansdale's wonderful & wacky "Sunset and Sawdust" another great
read, so well written it just blows everything else out of
the water! horror or mystery
Rating:
Summary: What are you waiting for?
Review: Those horror writers who wrote re-view for this book created one of the biggest compititers for themselves! Now as one of the review says 'The best in last 15 years..' -truthfully I have not read ALL books published in last 15 years BUT I did read lots of junk published in 15 year. This is really a good books, at times reminding you of 'Pet cemetry'.
Rating:
Summary: Deep in the Darkness
Review: What would happen if you put a boa constrictor around your neck? Eventually your circulation would be cut off. Slowly the snake would hug tighter around your precious airway. Your soul would fill with fear, knowing death is near. "Deep in the Darkness by Michael Laimo is that boa. It wraps fear around you and slowly the fear tightens. It is too late by the time you realize it. Once you let the book grab hold, there is no pulling away. Contents in the gut of the book: Dr. Michael Cayle, moves with his wife and daughter out of Manhattan to a small town called Ashborough. His wife, Christine, wants another child. Michael figured the small town would be a safer place to raise kids. What makes this move easier for Michael is that the doctor of the town was killed by a wild dog. Which means Michael becomes the towns doctor. If only he knew, that the job was going to involve more than what he bargained for. Michael's neighbor, Phil, starts to tell tales of Isolates, which are demons that live in the surrounding woods. They expect the townspeople to give sacrifices to them, for example the family dog. That, or they come and maul one of your family members. Michael is chosen by them for a special reason and although he goes through the story doubting the tale he was told; he eventually runs full speed into a blade of horror. He does not want to tell his family the truth, so he pulls away verbally from them. Which causes conflict, but his wife is also holding a secret. The terror builds higher and higher as the chapters move on, and the gore level peaks towards the end. By the end the boa will own your every last breath. So don't read this unless you want the fear to suffocate you!(...)
Rating:
Summary: Echoes of Machen
Review: While set in a modern setting, this novel echoes of Arthur Machen and William Hope Hodgson. Outstanding, atmospheric reading.
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