Come Out Tonight

by Richard Laymon

It's a hot, hot night. Too hot to be making love unless your romance is young, like Sherry and Duane's. It's their first time but there's just one problem - they have no condoms. Of course they could wait until tomorrow... Duane remembers the all-night Speed-D-Mart. In the usual circumstances, it's not a place anyone would want to visit at night. But these aren't usual circumstances. Duane throws on his clothes - the store is just ten minutes down the block. Now Sherry is waiting. Ten minutes has gone, so has twenty. She's not worried - what's another few minutes? Then she hears the noise from down the street. It might be a door slamming. It might be the backfire of a car. But Sherry thinks it sounds mostly like a gunshot...

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Splatterpunk, Audiobook, Suspense, Crime

434 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Richard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and a report writer for a law firm, and was the author of more than thirty acclaimed novels.

He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.

He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).

Also published under the name Richard Kelly

Reviews

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a few Richard Laymon books before and really enjoyed them but this….ugh.

I understand that it’s supposed to make the reader uncomfortable but at times this was too much. As a female reader I felt myself feeling really disgusted and it even made me a little angry. I know it’s horror and it’s made to shock but I just didn’t like it. It was very violent which I don’t mind but the amount of sexual assault/rape was difficult to read especially because the main character was so flat.

If the main character had a little more about her I think this could have been a lot better. For one she was making some really stupid decision and she made a lot of them. Her career and her attitude/knowledge seemed to contradict each other too. She was flat bland, boring and really just an object for violence.

The villain was well written in the sense that he was disgusted, creepy and just gross but he didn’t have any really character other than that. All the men in this book were sexual deviant and all the women were just tools to be used.

One of the only decently written characters in the book hardly had any lines! This really wasn’t my cup of tea - disappointing.

[Stu Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

90's trash is today's treasure.

Laymon writes his stories at breakneck speed. I've been tearing my way through this bastard for the past 24 hours, and, even though the story is painfully predictable, and the characters were just plain terrible, It was addictive as hell, and I was hooked from page one. I love a story set over the course of one night, Scorsese's 'After Hours' for example. Not that this exploitative trash is anywhere near comparable in terms of quality, It did kind of remind me of that movie for some reason, though.

Is it a 5 star book? HELL NO! But... I loved It, and that's what matters the most. It was refreshingly offensive, and kicked me out of a very long reading slump.

[Tracy P. (Away for long wknd. Have a good one!=) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow...

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old, dried up, cracked rubber. Come on dude. Get your sh*t together. You need that rubber, man. Like, bad. Like, right now. Thank God for the Spee-D-Mart down the street. 10 minutes. Tops. Then you and Sherry can bump uglies until the sun comes up. That is if you can make it home from the store at all.

Definitely Laymon. Lots of crazy going on. Lots of nasty situations. And yes, lots of the signature Laymon nipples. Pink, bruised, pinched, swollen, sliced, bit, etc. There all here. Excellent.

I not sure how to rate this one. It was good. Nothing spectacular, but enough going on to keep me interested throughout. Mindless fun and senseless violence. Who doesn’t like that? 3+ Stars!

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherry and her boyfriend are in the middle of a 'romantic' evening in together. Unfortunately, they don't have everything they need to, erm, fully enjoy themselves. We've all been caught out like that at one time or another. So off he goes to the shops. Worst mistake of his life. And after an hour of waiting with no sign of his return, Sherry decides to go looking for him. Worst mistake of her life...

So for me this is typical Laymon. Plenty of disgustingly warped characters, brutal violence and dirty sex. It was fast paced, there was plenty going on and it was definitely never boring.

It's been quite a few years since I read any of Laymon's work, so maybe I'm just getting a little old and soft, but for me in this particular novel the amount of - to be honest quite graphic - rape was a bit too much. And it spoiled the fun of it for me because I found myself squirming with discomfort at quite a few points. Maybe this was his intention, and a lot of the time I wouldn't complain. Hey, it's to be expected when you read this kind of novel. But that's just how I felt at the time.

That being said, it was enjoyable enough to pass the time and I would still pick up another Laymon whenever I get the chance. I enjoy his writing style and you've gotta hand it to him, he comes up with things I would never dream of. Seriously, you have to worry about whether this guy is safe to be out amongst people, right? I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley that's for sure!

[Mique Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

WhaT?! 🤯 This was such a blast! From the nerve-shredding suspense of the first act, to the huge twist in the middle, to the crazy INFERNAL finale. I just???? How have none of Laymon’s books been adapted to film?! His way with words, his pacing, the authenticity of his characters’ dialogue, the descriptions of the settings like???,?,,?? Also I cheered in the finale and was audibly screaming at the book. Just WOW.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Laymon I rarely hear anything about. Book groups discuss many of his titles, but rarely this one.
I'm honestly not sure if I've ever read this book.
I went through a Laymon stage a couple decades back. I remember many of his stories, but not this one.
This story was fun. Don't get me wrong, there are some tense scenes, cringe-worthy moments, and strong references to rape... Still, I laughed many times during this book.
I listened to the book, and WOW I loved the voice. At first I didn't like how he sounded, but as he developed each character with each different voices and performed them.. WOW
It all starts with a man and a woman in need of a condom. The man goes to the store, his girlfriend's stalker kills him, and hunts her and her family down.

[Brendon Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Review to be added after discussed in the Richard Laymon book club.

[TJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a long-time fan and veteran reader of Richard Laymon's novels, I felt compelled to write this review of "Come Out Tonight" primarily as a warning to those who belong to his legion of followers. Comparing this to the 20 or so Laymon novels that I've read, this book has some of the most unbelievable and shallow characters to ever come from Laymon's vivid imagination. The plot is decent enough and certainly follows Laymon's recipe of fast-moving action combined with generous amounts of gore, sex, and violence. The plot is not the problem.

The story revolves around the stalking and eventual kidnapping of Sherry Gates by a deranged, murderous adolescent known as Toby Bones. As Sherry fights for her life against the advances of Bones, Laymon introduces a number of characters along the way that contribute in different ways to the plot. There are a sufficient number of twists to the storyline that kept me reading, but it was a struggle at times because of the sheer stupidity of the characters. (There was more than one time that I literally wanted to toss the book in the trash.) Laymon's reputation as a great storyteller usually includes great characterization. Unfortunately, that is certainly not the case in this book, in my humble opinion. At times I found myself actually rooting for Bones to knock off a couple of these stupid teenagers so that I could speed through the rest of the story and put it in the "finished" column.

If you a Laymon "completest", then you'll probably want to plod through this clunker. If you've new to Laymon's works, then avoid "Come Out Tonight" by all means. Pick up a copy of "Funland", The Traveling Vampire Show", "Island", "The Woods Are Dark" or any of the Beast House Chronicles to fully appreciate his churning plots and great stories.

[Jak Ren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most ridiculously idiotic female protagonist in the history of fiction.

[Dawn Leitheuser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this book. Started out okay but then turned into a bad John Hughes movie.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 rounded up.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is separated into two parts, which I read in two separate sittings. The first half of the book follows Sherry as she ventures out into the strange night of L.A. to look for her boyfriend, who went out to the Speed-D-Mart and hasn't come back in about 45 minutes. Sherry discovers his van, but no boyfriend. She also discovers a young, formidable guy named Toby Bones who helps her search for her missing boyfriend. In typical Laymon style, the book begins to get sprinkled with red herrings and creeping horror. Eventually, we find that Toby Bones may not be formidable at all! The second half of the book begins with the introduction of another likable character, and aspiring writer, who helps to take on the sinister Toby Bones.

I've read a lot of reviews by frustrated readers who thought the book was over-the-top and unbelievable. They pointed out that the characters should have just called 9-1-1 from the start and stopped making bad decisions. While I do agree that some of the characters made poor decisions, I also believe that this was Laymon's intent. These attributes made the characters who they are. Not everyone will react rationally when put in a frightful situation. Furthermore, Laymon pointed out over and over that the phone lines were down and the characters didn't own mobile phones.

The bottom line is that it is a Richard Laymon book. It is genre-specific and not for everyone. But for those who like Laymon (or horror in general), it is a gem!

[Jason Curtis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible characters doing awful things and making horrible decisions. It felt like it was written by a 13 year old boy

[Aziza Zeilenzauber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5* Zwar eine ziemlich an den Haaren herbeigezogene Geschichte, aber es macht Spaß sie zu lesen. Man kommt gut und flüssig durch und i, Großen und Ganzen hat mich das Buch gut unterhalten. Für zwischendurch, wenn man mal ein bisschen Spannung braucht, sicher nicht verkehrt. Die ultimative Storyline sollte man allerdings nicht erwarten ;) & wer auf nervenaufreibenden Horror hofft, der wird hier wohl auch enttäuscht sein.

[Nick Iuppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherry, Sherry Baby! Sherry, Won’t You Come Out Tonight?

In his teenage fantasy of a horror novel, COME OUT TONIGHT, Richard Laymon has Sherry Gates, a 20-something substitute high-school teacher, ready to make love to her boyfriend Duane, when they realize that they need a condom. They discuss putting off the whole affair, and then Duane volunteers to go down to the Speed-D- Mart and pick up a pack. “Be back in 15 minutes,” he says. But hours later he still hasn’t returned.
Sherry dons the sexy, almost-cheerleader outfit she wore for their dinner date and heads out into the night. She goes to the Speed-D- Mart, sees Duane’s vacant van, looks inside the store and the nearby Laundromat, and finds her boyfriend is not around. She’s asking herself what to do next when the horn of the car in front of her honks and a big, stupid-looking kid gets out and approaches her. The kid says that he’s had her as a substitute teacher at his high school and is really a fan of hers. He tells Sherry that he saw Duane go off with some guy a little earlier, and he offers to drive her down Venice Blvd to look for him.
There are a lot of moments in COME OUT TONIGHT when you want to just shout at the book, or in my case the audio book, “Don’t do it! Don’t be so damn dumb, Sherry! The kid could be a sadistic murderer”… which in fact he turns out to be.
The kid, Toby Bones, has already killed Duane, of course. He’s cut off his head and soon puts it in Duane’s bed. Sherry finds that out when she and Jim Star, another guy who has volunteered to help her, make their way back to Duane’s pad. Toby’s hiding there, stabs Jim almost to death, murders an innocent neighbor woman who responds to all the screaming, and then brutally rapes, beats up, and murders Sherry before dumping her over the edge of a cliff in the Hollywood Hills.
Toby then goes home and (just for good measure) takes a drill to the eyes and head of his sadistic brother, Sid. He also tells Sid’s girl that she belongs to him from now on.
Meanwhile, at the base of the Hollywood hills, 16-year-old aspiring author/high-schooler, Pete and his pal Jeff are doing the usual 16 year old stuff, when Jeff spots a body that’s rolled down the side of the hill behind Pete’s parents’ home. It’s Sherry! In spite of his best efforts, Toby wasn’t able to kill her after all. Finally the beautiful young woman’s luck changes… sort of, as the two (horny) teens revive her. Jeff wants nothing more than to be near the beat-up, naked, but still amazingly beautiful Sherry. He’s willing to lie and cheat to do so, which he does. Pete has a better nature and insists on helping her. The question is how?
There are a lot of possibilities, but none of them involve the obvious solution. “Call the cops!” Again I’m shouting at the audio book, “Just call the damn cops, Sherry.” Of course they don’t.
We now learn that, thinking he’s killed Sherry, Toby decides to go after Sherry’s hot, sixteen-year-old sister, Brenda… which he does, and before we’re through, another 3 more teens, and a cop are slashed, shot and otherwise brutally murdered just as forest fires sweep through the hills erasing most of the details of the crimes, including Sherry’s ultimate, Brenda-saving revenge.
I guess this book is a guilty pleasure, with more emphasis on guilt than pleasure. It’s incredibly gory and obscene. There are moments when Laymon’s sense of humor shows through and lightens things up a little. Once Pete and Jeff appear, the book improved quite a bit for me. It was no longer relentless gore and over-detailed tension. The early banter between Brenda and her car-washing teen friends is nicely done too. Toby for all his evil nature is the most logically consistent character in the whole book. Still, as weak and pliable and confused and illogical as she is, Sherry is the character I really cared about. I was ready to burn the book at several points during the first half and was seriously considering giving up when Sherry turned up alive. I thought Pete and Jeff’s shenanigans were completely unbelievable (in a sea of characters with unbelievable actions) but I liked them and I especially liked Sherry’s kindhearted and understanding reaction to their undeniable teenage horniness. The tension in this book is unrelenting, though I have to admit that Laymon’s focus on the minutest details in order to build tension started to get to me after a while. Final analysis: if you love horror stories that don’t skimp on the blood and gore, but do result in satisfying revenge on the monsters involved, or you’re a writer looking for ways to create greater tension and horror for your readers, or you’re willing to wade through buckets of gore, sadistic sex, and illogical reasoning in order to get to some interesting characters, clever dialogue and ever-mounting tension, COME OUT TONIGHT might be for you. I give it four stars as very good at what it intends to be… a horror show.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn, that was a fricking saga! This is the type of book that makes me love reading books. Richard Laymon at his wildest!

I know the PC Police say that you shouldn't constantly describe your female character's boobs, but if that's so true, then how come every time Laymon talks about how awesome his protagonist's boobs are, it made me fifty times more invested in her survival?? Bet you never thought of it that way before!!

[Alistair Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come Out Tonight, Richard Laymon, 1999

My favorite quote: “Her sweaty body glistened golden in the candlelight as if she’d been rubbed with melted butter.” You just can’t beat that kind of cheese … Oh, Richard Laymon …

Notable characters: Sherry Gates, the substitute teacher with boobs; Duane, the boyfriend who goes on an ill-fated condom-related errand for the sake of boobs; Toby Bones, the diabolical sex-crazed teen who likes boobs; Pete and Jeff, the sixteen-year-old pals who make a gruesome discovery involving boobs

Most memorable scene: When Toby’s brother, Sid, has a meeting with the drill. It’s a total Richard Laymon moment — and if you read Richard Laymon, you know exactly what I mean (No boobs were harmed in the writing of this scene)

Greatest strengths: Richard Laymon — and Come Out Tonight in particular — has a way of making you feel like you need a bath when you finish his books. I consider that a writerly superpower

Standout achievements: Come Out Tonight brims with outrageousness. While some fault Richard Laymon for his over-the-top tendencies and fixation on boobs, I consider it part of his appeal. Though I’m more of a butt man myself

Fun Facts: Richard Laymon is widely considered an influential figure in the “splatterpunk” movement — a subgenre of horror made famous for its gruesome depictions of violence and gore. As a rule, I’m not a big fan, but when Richard Laymon does it, I like it. And it’s not just the boobs, either …

Other media: None, but I have no doubt that Come Out Tonight would have boobs in every other scene

What it taught me: This book reminded me of how much fun horror can be. Full of bloodshed and bad decisions (and more boobs than you can shake a stick at) Come Out Tonight is Richard Laymon at his bloodiest, boobiest, most Laymon-y

How it inspired me: While a little Richard Laymon goes a long way for me, I always come away from his books with new, twisted ideas. Sometimes, I write something and ask myself, “But … is the sex/gore factor here Laymon-worthy? And how about the boobs? Do I have enough boobs here or should I add one more set?”

Additional thoughts: Chock-full of Richard Laymon’s signature brutal violence and filthy sex, Come Out Tonight will appeal to lovers of slasher-satire type tales … and promptly turn off the squeamish and easily-offended. If you like violence and boobs, you’re in the right place

Hit or Miss: For me, Come Out Tonight is a hit

Haunt me: alistaircross.com

Read Come Out Tonight: https://tinyurl.com/6w99y2ut

[E. Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duane doesn't return to Sherry on a hot, windy night with hillside fire smoke in the air, and things escalate from there. Sherry wants to find her lover, and things get crazy.

Come Out Tonight is a delight for fans of the splatterpunk genre, and it gave me major '90s flashbacks and '90s horror straight-to-video vibes. It doesn't hold back; it's gory, sick, and twisted, and there are a handful of unlikeable characters. Laymon had a talented way of making unlikeable protagonists. And foolish decisions are made, but it furthers the plot. But with all that, the story concludes satisfyingly.

[Cujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thriller novel by an author I'm really starting to get hooked on. This book could've been the poster child for stranger danger.,

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wild night in Laymon land. This time it’s all about Sherry. She’s getting hot and steamy with her boyfriend Duane, so sends him to the all night garage/market for condoms.

But Duane doesn’t return. Eventually Sherry goes to investigate. Duane’s van is there, but no Duane. What’s a girl to do? Luckily help is on hand from a local kid who she’s taught in some of her classes, Toby Bones…

I felt it was a bit of a slow burn at first, but then wham, I was hooked. Set over just one night, the linear timeline really enhances the plot and makes it all the more realistic (however realistic you can ever call a Laymon novel).

Very heavy on the sex, rape and violence, it’s not one for the faint hearted. But it has some great characters, including some formidable female ones and for that alone, I loved it.

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, Mayhem, Madness

I have been a long time fan of Richard Laymon I always enjoy his books no matter what he writes. This book wasn’t any different although I will say the beginner part of the book was a bit slow for me but the second part of the book is where it picked up and it was action-packed nonstop and I cannot put my book down. This book is about a woman name Sherry, who was having a pleasant night with her boyfriend until a store run needed to be made and from there the book goes into an endless abyss of poor decision-making, horny people, and people who avoid the cops at all cost. If this is a book that is interesting to you then I would recommend you read it.

[Rusty Lundgren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dumb, and unbelievable, even for a horror book.

[❀ Tina ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 *

[Иван Величков · Rating 5 out of 5]

ААААА!
Тук чичо Дик е надминал дори себе си с пълната психопатщина на сюжета. Една сюжетна линия и нон-стоп движещо се стремглаво към дълбините на човешката низост влакче на ужасите.
Шери е млада учителка, която решава, че точно тази нощ ще пусне за първи път на новото си гадже. За нещастие, единственият капут, който сумарно имат, се къса поради изтекла годност. Дуейн се сеща, че наблизо има денонощен магазин и отпрашва нататък с двеста. И не се връща. Шери решава да го потърси след известно време и това е най-голямата ѝ грешка.

Сериозно, мислех си, че след Безкрайна нощ няма да попадна на нещо толкова прекрачващо границите на заложените ни от обществото табута, дори и от Леймън.
Бъркал съм, много.
Особено във втората част имаше поредица сцени с непълнолетни хлапета в рискова ситуация, пред които "Повелителят на мухите" може да си пие чая с кралицата.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A one-word review for this book would be GRIMY.
The first half of this book was a four-star tense thrill ride. However, the second part sagged quite a bit and was kind of like a 12-year-old‘s wet dream. Things do start to pick up after that until the overly abrupt finale.

[Jason Nickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story started out so strong and had me hooked through the first half. It completely lost me in the second half though. The story felt like it completely fell apart and read more like a horror version of Porkys

[Steven Blackmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well... that was violent!! I do love Laymon, no one writes like him. So seamlessly simple and effortless descriptive. Bloody, shocking, but damn what a page-turner.

Ok, so, to summarise... two lovers, getting hot and heavy, stop short due to a lack of protection, So, horny boyfriend rushes out to the local shop for condoms. When he never returns, horny girlfriend leaves the safety of the apartment to go look for him... and off we go... from that point, deception, blood and horror (all of the good stuff!!) Great book, but not for everyone!

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: This is EXTREMELY graphic in it's depiction of violence against women!

This was DEFINITELY NOT one of Laymon's better books.....infact it was really BAD! The sexual scenes in this were so overdone that I know being a fan of Laymon; that there is going to be gratuitous sex, but this was way overdone that it becomes almost comically boring, and or so stomach churning that you have to fast forward through it. And this had the worst ending EVER for being a Richard Laymon book. After having read his works since the 70's I know that readers around the world never ever really gave this book of his good reviews....now I know why. Could not recommend this one at all.
2.5 for the attempt anyway.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wanted to read a fast paced, booby heavy, action packed, brutal, disturbing, boobs, more boobs, violent extravagant depiction of a night gone wrong. If so, read this.