AFTER MIDNIGHT


Reviews


REDIAL
REDIAL
REDIAL

It's a simple word...redial - but in After Midnight, it means so much. Never has a novel hung on such a small, inconsequential word.

Alice (not her real name) lives above the garage of her best friend, Serena (not her real name, either) in the town of Chester (not a real place). Alice changes the names of everyone and all place names in After Midnight as she doesn't want the events she is about to detail to be traced back to her - and for good reason! Poor Alice, she's prone to over-reacting and she is slightly paranoid.

She's minding the house of Serena and her husband while they are out of town. Being as paranoid as she is, it's no wonder she panics when a stranger decides to strip naked and swim in the pool out in the backyard. But she has enough brains to remember there's a cavalry sabre hanging in the den.

Oh dear....ever had one of those days where just EVERYTHING goes wrong? Well, Alice is in for one - but it lasts much longer than a day. And one word says it all.

REDIAL

Laymon has done it again with a terrific novel. The pages will turn at a hundred miles an hour and you won't be able to put this book down. Laymon's first person narrative novels really draw the reader into the action and you can see the events happening as you read. This book is as good as ISLAND for it's one person narration and thrills and spills. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Steve Gerlach


'After Midnight' surpassed my highest expectations. I had waited to get my hands on a copy of this book for what seemed like an eternity but it was well worth the wait! I liked the secret message, it was the first bit I read! 'Alice' is such a tough character, with just enough emotional burdens to make her human! The connections at the end of the book were quite unexpected which just added to my enjoyable read! A definate 10 / 10. Leah (crowleah@hotmail.com)

I thought the book showed what can happen with just one mistake. The Alice character was one of the best to come out of LAYMON'S mind. Now we just have to wait for the next novel. This book is easily a 10/10 and I would recomend it for anyone.
Reviewed by Alex Ivens


This is one of Richard's most "twisty-turny" and funny novels yet. The story is told solely from the point of view of Alice. She is house sitting for a friend one night when a stranger wanders out of the woods behind the house anddives into the swimming pool.

This triggers a chain-reaction of events which unfold over the next 24 hours. The story contains lots of Richard's trademarks ie. beautiful blonde girls with no clothes on, swimming pools, male obsession and general mayhem.

I thoroughly recommend this book and it is one of my personal favourites.

Reviewed by Paul at ncreight@gm.dreamcast.com

This four hundred page novel sees Richard's most famous characteristic used to its full. In creating 'Alice' Richard has the reader following the adventure with her and willing her on even though all of her actions are not exactly saintly! It combines the mixture of first person narrative, the rounded character of 'Alice' and that uncomfortable knack that Richard has of getting characters into situations that make you squirm and call out 'why have you done that?!'

A great read, gruesome, sexual and filled with twists and turns all added to by the mystery of 'Alice's' hidden real name. I'm sure that Richard was rightly proud of this work.

Reviewed by Kizzy Brown




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