No Sanctuary

Rating:
Summary: One of Laymon's best novels!
Review: "No Sanctuary" is the kind of book that makes you realize just how great Richard Laymon was. His ability to keep you turning the pages and the surprises always makes for interesting reading and this one doesn't diappoint.

When Bert decides to go camping in an isolated area in the Sierra Nevadas, Richard is hesitant to go along. He has a fear of camping for good reason and afraid she would find someone else to go along, he decides to conquer his fear and join her. On the other side of town is Gillian, a seemingly normal woman with a penchant for breaking in people's homes when they are on vacation. After years of doing this, she is horrified to find out the home she is currently residing in is that of a vicious madman who takes his victims to...you guessed it...the same place Bert and Richard are camping. The suspense builds and interweaves the two stories as well as Bert and Richard's fears of three teenage boys they encounter on the trail. Also they meet up with Andrea and Bonnie which adds the typical sexual tension and temptation that comes with one guy out in the woods with three good-looking women.

I won't give away any more plot details but you soon begin to wonder what is going to happen and just who is stalking Bert and Richard in the woods and just what will happen to Gillian in that house?

"No Sanctuary" will hook you from beginning to end and the horrifying ending will make you wonder just how safe it is to traipse in the woods. Typical of Laymon there are also the campy elements that makes his work so entertaining and of course, it always leaves you wishing he was still hear writing his great horror novels.

Rating:
Summary: One of Laymon's best novels!
Review: "No Sanctuary" is the kind of book that makes you realize just how great Richard Laymon was. His ability to keep you turning the pages and the surprises always makes for interesting reading and this one doesn't diappoint.

When Bert decides to go camping in an isolated area in the Sierra Nevadas, Richard is hesitant to go along. He has a fear of camping for good reason and afraid she would find someone else to go along, he decides to conquer his fear and join her. On the other side of town is Gillian, a seemingly normal woman with a penchant for breaking in people's homes when they are on vacation. After years of doing this, she is horrified to find out the home she is currently residing in is that of a vicious madman who takes his victims to...you guessed it...the same place Bert and Richard are camping. The suspense builds and interweaves the two stories as well as Bert and Richard's fears of three teenage boys they encounter on the trail. Also they meet up with Andrea and Bonnie which adds the typical sexual tension and temptation that comes with one guy out in the woods with three good-looking women.

I won't give away any more plot details but you soon begin to wonder what is going to happen and just who is stalking Bert and Richard in the woods and just what will happen to Gillian in that house?

"No Sanctuary" will hook you from beginning to end and the horrifying ending will make you wonder just how safe it is to traipse in the woods. Typical of Laymon there are also the campy elements that makes his work so entertaining and of course, it always leaves you wishing he was still hear writing his great horror novels.

Rating:
Summary: Just when you thought it was safe to go into the woods...
Review: Deep woods and house breaking are elements familiar to Laymon fans. In this book Laymon manages to combine the two in an interesting way.

The book opens with two separate stories that eventually twist together into an unpredictable knot. One story involves a comfortably wealthy young woman who likes to live in other peoples houses. Without their knowledge. The other story is about a couple going camping. Sounds simple enough.

But he young woman has found the house of a dangerous character and begins to be less careful about discovery. The couple contains a man who had a very bad experience in the woods when he was a boy.

Paranoia, new characters popping up, suspense, possible clues and plenty of Laymon twists keep the reader turning pages to find out what happens (or doesn't happen) next.

Many of Laymon's books deal with the theme of how easy someone can turn totally dark when something breaks society's control. This one is a little different. The evil characters are already evil when they walk onto the stage. Instead, we are treated to a story of people who have witnessed said evil in the past and now look for it as they know it can still be out there.

But despite the change of view, this is definitely a book for Laymon fans.

Rating:
Summary: Just when you thought it was safe to go into the woods...
Review: Deep woods and house breaking are elements familiar to Laymon fans. In this book Laymon manages to combine the two in an interesting way.

The book opens with two separate stories that eventually twist together into an unpredictable knot. One story involves a comfortably wealthy young woman who likes to live in other peoples houses. Without their knowledge. The other story is about a couple going camping. Sounds simple enough.

But he young woman has found the house of a dangerous character and begins to be less careful about discovery. The couple contains a man who had a very bad experience in the woods when he was a boy.

Paranoia, new characters popping up, suspense, possible clues and plenty of Laymon twists keep the reader turning pages to find out what happens (or doesn't happen) next.

Many of Laymon's books deal with the theme of how easy someone can turn totally dark when something breaks society's control. This one is a little different. The evil characters are already evil when they walk onto the stage. Instead, we are treated to a story of people who have witnessed said evil in the past and now look for it as they know it can still be out there.

But despite the change of view, this is definitely a book for Laymon fans.

Rating:
Summary: Standard Laymon fare...not that that's a
Review: I find it a pity that Richard Laymon wasn't truly appreciated by American readers until after his passing. After all, Laymon most certainly filled a nitch with fans of horror fiction. Particularly those folks that enjoy a pretty basic plot, with visceral, grisly story telling. Not to mention, plenty of sex thrown in as well. In "No Sanctuary" we bascially have "Silence of the Lambs" meets "Deliverance." Two concurrent storylines follow the novel's protagonists: a young lady who gets her kicks (illegally) breaking into strangers homes and hanging out for a few days while they are away--and an opthamologist, (traumitized during a wilderness outing in his youth, of course) and his paramour who pick the wrong week for a backpacking trip. Bad luck would have it that the house crasher picked the home of a serial killer and the attractive couple picked the woods where said serial killer dispatches his victims. Everthing else is pretty standard Laymon stuff. The male "hero" has issues and is largely an inffectual wimp, there's lots of heaving chests and ripped bodices, and, as usual, pretty much everyone (villan and victims alike) wind up naked, bloody, and snarling for the finale. Not to speak ill of Mr. Laymon, but I think some fixation issues exist. "No Sancutary" is a quick romp--guilty pleasure, best read at the beach and left in the motel room for the next occupant. Or, even better--read around the campfire at a secluded lake in the middle of the deep, dark forest. Warning: be aware that any plans to go skinny dipping might be ill-advised... NOT for young readers--parents , be aware of what your kids read!!

Rating:
Summary: Solid Laymon... :)
Review: I gave up feeling guilty for reading Richard Laymon a long time ago. Sure, it's violent, sexist, unbelieveable. Characters who seem merrily oblivious to every warning sign in the book that something bad is going to happen. But it's also really, really good.

There are no suprises in this book if you've read any of his other books. But this book left me with a very unsettled feeling. In a nutshell, the plot involves Bert and Rick, two hikers who meet up with some other hikers (and, of course, the standard Laymon psychos-in-the-wilderness) along a trail. There's a side story, involving Gillian, who breaks into and lives in other people's homes while they are away. You know that the two plots will eventually join up. And so they do.

The thing with this book I disliked was the ending. I won't reveal it, and I'm not talking about the climax of the story, which was hideous and disturbing. I mean more the epilogue. It felt rushed... *spoiler*.... I disliked the namby-pambyness of the news interview, the cozy-wozyness of Gillian and the next-door neighbor. Didn't like it.

As with all Laymon books, I had the feeling of "Why the HELL don't they just LEAVE!!?" Horrible things happen, yet nobody ever seems to think going home is a good idea. Attacked by a psycho on a hiking trail? May as well trek on!

Again, pretty standard Laymon, but good. Not the first book by him to pick up if you've never read him before (I'd recommend Night in the Lonesome October, probably, for a first-time read), but a good one nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: No Sanctuary
Review: I just recently stumbled upon Laymon, but find him a great read. I have been a Koontz fan forever, and have every one of his books. I so far have read Night in the lonesome October and Darkness, but No sanctuary was by far more suspenseful! I think I put it down 3 times until I turned the last page. If you think this book will be predictable, you will be wrong. About half way through I didn't put it down at all. I recommend it highly!
It's the first book I read in a long time that actually had me waking up from a nightmare. Definately not for the younger reader, and those planning on taking a hike or camping trip....
I know I won't be in the outdoors (with the exception of my backyard) for a long while!!

Rating:
Summary: No Sanctuary
Review: I just recently stumbled upon Laymon, but find him a great read. I have been a Koontz fan forever, and have every one of his books. I so far have read Night in the lonesome October and Darkness, but No sanctuary was by far more suspenseful! I think I put it down 3 times until I turned the last page. If you think this book will be predictable, you will be wrong. About half way through I didn't put it down at all. I recommend it highly!
It's the first book I read in a long time that actually had me waking up from a nightmare. Definately not for the younger reader, and those planning on taking a hike or camping trip....
I know I won't be in the outdoors (with the exception of my backyard) for a long while!!

Rating:
Summary: No really scary to me..... good gore though
Review: I love Richard Laymon! He has some really good ones out there: The Cellar (good luck finding it), Island, and In The Dark. However, this one didn't do much for me. The plot was thought provoking but the herione (blurred lined there since she's a criminal) is a bit too sure of herself. The other half of the "good guys" in this novel is a hiking couple that had plenty of warnings to turn back but didn't. That is another stickler for me - normal people would have left the woods after the first sign of trouble not hike further in to smell the bad guy's sweat. It is a quick read (as are all his novels). My recommendation: don't start here with Richard Laymon. If you start here I'm afraid you won't return and there are some excellent stories that he has written that need to be read.

Rating:
Summary: No really scary to me..... good gore though
Review: I love Richard Laymon! He has some really good ones out there: The Cellar (good luck finding it), Island, and In The Dark. However, this one didn't do much for me. The plot was thought provoking but the herione (blurred lined there since she's a criminal) is a bit too sure of herself. The other half of the "good guys" in this novel is a hiking couple that had plenty of warnings to turn back but didn't. That is another stickler for me - normal people would have left the woods after the first sign of trouble not hike further in to smell the bad guy's sweat. It is a quick read (as are all his novels). My recommendation: don't start here with Richard Laymon. If you start here I'm afraid you won't return and there are some excellent stories that he has written that need to be read.