Endless Night

Jody is sleeping over at a friend's house when her friend hears what she believes to be shattering glass as if someone is breaking in. Jody assures her that she didn't hear anything and there is nothing to be afraid of. As it turns out, a group of men have broken into the house and proceed to slaughter the family. The only two people that make it out of the house alive is Jody and her friend's little brother Andy. The killers give chase through the neighborhood in the middle of the night and just barely make it away from the maniacs. From there, the reader goes between Jody's point of view and the point of view of one of the killers named Simon. We are taken through the next few days after the killing, dealing with the aftermath as well as learning about the group of killer's from Simon who has been going on killing "adventures" with his friends since they were in high school. This book is a very disturbing read and there are a few trigger warnings through out that may not make it the best reading material for all readers. Some of the trigger warnings don't go into much detail, but when it comes to the violent aspect of the story, Richard Laymon didn't shy away.

I have read a few of Laymon's books and I've only enjoyed one of them. I really, really want to like more from this author but I'm having trouble finding another story that captures me the way I was captured when I read Come Out Tonight. The first problem I have with those stories I've read (including this one) is that while I'm reading his work I find myself thinking that they don't so much make good books as they would make better movies. The only problem with that is that the type of movie that would be made based on his stories (so far) would only cater to a very specific audience. The best way I can describe what I mean by that is that it's one thing to be a fan of films like Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or Friday the 13th. It's another, more difficult task to find merit in movies like The Last House on the Left or I Spit on your Grave. Keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with enjoying those last two movies for what they are, but they most certainly are not going to be for every horror fan. That's Richard Laymon.

I will continue my search with Mr. Laymon in hopes that I can find another story that I can enjoy.