Visiting Hours

by Kent Rembo

Based on the horror film starring Lee Grant, William Shatner, Michael Ironside and Linda Purl and directed by Jean-Claude Lord.

Colt Hawker hates outspoken, agressive women because they remind him of his mother, who wasn't nice to his daddy.

Deborah Ballin reminds him of his mother, and he's going to kill her. And he believes, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again...

Genres: Horror

218 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1982

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novelization of the 1982 Canadian film of the same name oozes pulpy goodness, and especially for a slasher, a surprisingly anti-misogyny thematic. I definitely need to watch the flick! Our main protagonist, Deborah Ballin, works as a television reporter in some namely big city. Something of a crusader for women's rights, especially abused women, she starts the story grilling the prosecutor of a woman now in jail for shooting her husband; she claimed self-defense, but got booked for assault with deadly weapon. Deb wants a retrial, one with a seasoned defense attorney this time.

Meanwhile, our antagonist, one Colt Hawker, grew up hating strong women, especially his mother, after she doused her husband (Colt's Da) with hot cooking oil when he was drunk and obnoxious. Colt has been travelling around, killing women, for some time, and now he has his sights on Deb; he saw her on TV (he actually worked at the station) and knows she must die by his hand. Rembo fleshes out Colt nicely and he is a nasty piece of work to say the least. One day Colt broke into Deb's house and tried to killer her, but she managed to escape with only stab wounds and a broken arm. Laid up in the hospital, Colt comes up with a variety of ways to infiltrate the place and finish the deed...

Well paced and at times brutal, the story unfolds nicely. Lee Grant played Deb, and William Shatner her boss and maybe lover. Michael Ironside played Colt, and I bet he was killer on the big screen. 4 pulpy stars!!

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 4 out of 5]

- My Description -
This book is also a movie of the same name.

Colt Hawker sees women as objects to kill, to throwaway.
Colt hates women.
Colt is sick & twisted.
He's a serial killer.
No woman is safe.
Especially not Deborah Ballin, the reporter who starts up a fund in defense of a wife accused of killing her abusive husband.

- My Review -
I thought this book was tons better than the movie.
To me, certain parts of the movie were dry.
Both the movie and the book had suspense, but the book had more detail.

I really liked how the author was INSIDE the mind of Colt Hawker.
It had awesome detail on just what/how a diabolical serial killer REALLY thinks. It was crazy good.

The one thing I didn't understand: Who the heck was Lisa? It was almost like this Lisa just appeared out of nowhere. There was no background given on her.

Hospitals are scary anyway, especially when you have a killer two steps behind you
He always finds a way in.

Regardless, It wasn't too bad of a read. Very entertaining. =)

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colt is a violent, sadistic pyscho who hates women and wants to kill and torture women and anybody who gets into his way. He will take photo's of his victims in hideous positions and look at them on his wall when he does weights and other nasty things. The hospital setting is eerie and captures the stalking brilliantly. The sound of a bell will follow you and the swichblade will hack you apart. Colt is one of the sickest killers around and complete arrogant scumbag.