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Eyes of Laura Mars
SHE is a chic, dazzling, high fashion photographer whose lens captures fantastic images of silken eroticism and passionate cruelty.
HE is a cop...handsome, strong, and fiercely opposed to anyone who glamourises mindless violence.
LAURA MARS and JOHN NEVILLE - two very different people, two very different worlds. Yet only together can they hope to survive the terrors to come. For, through her eyes, they can glimpse the macabre events in the future - her eyes are the psychic connection between life and death
HE is a cop...handsome, strong, and fiercely opposed to anyone who glamourises mindless violence.
LAURA MARS and JOHN NEVILLE - two very different people, two very different worlds. Yet only together can they hope to survive the terrors to come. For, through her eyes, they can glimpse the macabre events in the future - her eyes are the psychic connection between life and death
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
H.B. Gilmour
66 books54 followersH. B. Gilmour was a bestselling author of children's books. She grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother and the extended family and fondly remembered writing her very first poem for Arbor Day when she was just eight years old. As a teenager, she moved to Florida to live with her father. She attended college there and then moved back to New York City.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 28, 2022
I've only just read this novel in 2022, but I would have seen the film several times on TV, back in the early 1980s. No doubt it was edited at least slightly for "prime time" TV on the era's major networks (no pun intended). This film was a favourite of mine as a near-teenager, and it was only later that I found out a lot of critics panned it and it has slipped through the cracks while other Horror movies from 1976-1981 have sustained themselves as classics.
Further, the novel seems to have been an adaptation from a screenplay, and not the other way round. It's worth noting that John Carpenter co-wrote the screenplay, and came up with the story idea itself. It certainly feels like late-1970s John Carpenter, and that's a good thing. In fact, the core idea as well many of the plot points decided on are solid, certainly when it comes to attempting a successful Horror movie. I've even looked at a retrospective video where someone working their way through underrated and unjustly neglected Horror films speaks of the film version as certainly worth a look. The film gets compared favourably to films of the Italian "Giallo" tradition - a type of film I only learned about decades after watching Eyes of Laura Mars which means I did not link the movie to Giallo until someone made the connection for me. Now that I'm in the loop, and even though I have sadly not gone on to seeing many Giallo efforts (yet), while I was watching a few isolated clips from Laura Mars I immediately thought of one movie I have seen and loved, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. I would also like to see Amer sooner rather than later.
Having snapped up and read a used copy of the novel treatment, I am of course very tempted to revisit the movie, not just clips. I wanna see why critics disliked the movie while 14 year old me loved it every time I saw it. I have some suspicions, tied to memories, of what's really wrong with this "good Bad" terror flick - but I'm much clearer on what works and doesn't work in the book. At 212 pages, we barely get to know Laura, while the focus is more on a series of victims of a psycho-killer (?) and a roster of creepy male suspects (plus nice guys who we also have to keep in mind). Some of the writing in the novel is rather lousy or precious.
Still, the premise of a woman seeing through the eyes of a killer during the final moments of stalking and slaying, while it becomes horribly clear that this icepick-wielding psychopath might be a part of her life, stays under my skin as a great idea that cannot totally implode even when mishandled. The best parts of the film are of course when Laura's viewpoint suddenly becomes the killer's, and this is especially unnerving when the killer is chasing Laura and we see what Laura sees...her own fleeing form as the slayer runs after her.
I think I will revisit the film version, the final push for me being that it was directed by Irvin Kershner; he helmed The Empire Strikes Back which I love, and Never Say Never Again which I like a lot.
Further, the novel seems to have been an adaptation from a screenplay, and not the other way round. It's worth noting that John Carpenter co-wrote the screenplay, and came up with the story idea itself. It certainly feels like late-1970s John Carpenter, and that's a good thing. In fact, the core idea as well many of the plot points decided on are solid, certainly when it comes to attempting a successful Horror movie. I've even looked at a retrospective video where someone working their way through underrated and unjustly neglected Horror films speaks of the film version as certainly worth a look. The film gets compared favourably to films of the Italian "Giallo" tradition - a type of film I only learned about decades after watching Eyes of Laura Mars which means I did not link the movie to Giallo until someone made the connection for me. Now that I'm in the loop, and even though I have sadly not gone on to seeing many Giallo efforts (yet), while I was watching a few isolated clips from Laura Mars I immediately thought of one movie I have seen and loved, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. I would also like to see Amer sooner rather than later.
Having snapped up and read a used copy of the novel treatment, I am of course very tempted to revisit the movie, not just clips. I wanna see why critics disliked the movie while 14 year old me loved it every time I saw it. I have some suspicions, tied to memories, of what's really wrong with this "good Bad" terror flick - but I'm much clearer on what works and doesn't work in the book. At 212 pages, we barely get to know Laura, while the focus is more on a series of victims of a psycho-killer (?) and a roster of creepy male suspects (plus nice guys who we also have to keep in mind). Some of the writing in the novel is rather lousy or precious.
Still, the premise of a woman seeing through the eyes of a killer during the final moments of stalking and slaying, while it becomes horribly clear that this icepick-wielding psychopath might be a part of her life, stays under my skin as a great idea that cannot totally implode even when mishandled. The best parts of the film are of course when Laura's viewpoint suddenly becomes the killer's, and this is especially unnerving when the killer is chasing Laura and we see what Laura sees...her own fleeing form as the slayer runs after her.
I think I will revisit the film version, the final push for me being that it was directed by Irvin Kershner; he helmed The Empire Strikes Back which I love, and Never Say Never Again which I like a lot.
February 29, 2024
A fashion photographer starts to have visions and premonitions of murder, and then she starts to see her friends' murders and she is soon fighting for her life.
I love the film and I loved the book!
I love the film and I loved the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
tam 5/10. filmini izlicem
November 19, 2021
Borderline 2.5 stars. This is pretty poorly written, almost like a screenplay. Just watch the movie instead.
August 9, 2016
Enjoyable thriller BUT ... the back cover makes the unforgiveable mistake of giving away who the killer is, which though you might guess it earlier, isn't revealed until the last few pages. The back cover of my copy is subtley different from what the goodreads description is, btw.
June 28, 2023
Eyes of Laura Mars is the novelisation of the script/movie by the legend that is John Carpenter and while it pales in comparison to his other release that year(Halloween), it’s still a pretty solid story.
The idea that someone is systematically murdering your friends and associates around you is already pretty harrowing. Now imagine at times you are, out of your control, forced to see through the eyes of said killer. Harrowing stuff right?
Laura Mars, celebrity photographer is plunged into a race against time struggle to protect her own life and the lives of her colleagues from a serial killer on the loose. How viable can you be to the police as a witness when you were nowhere near the murders when they happened?
A short, enjoyable thriller that was seamlessly adapted from the movie.
The idea that someone is systematically murdering your friends and associates around you is already pretty harrowing. Now imagine at times you are, out of your control, forced to see through the eyes of said killer. Harrowing stuff right?
Laura Mars, celebrity photographer is plunged into a race against time struggle to protect her own life and the lives of her colleagues from a serial killer on the loose. How viable can you be to the police as a witness when you were nowhere near the murders when they happened?
A short, enjoyable thriller that was seamlessly adapted from the movie.
April 21, 2021
Laura's photos are bizarre, sadistic, violent and brutal and one by one her friends/colleagues will be killed, eyes desecrated and she will be able to see through the killers eyes. Bonkers and not in a good way.
November 18, 2021
It’s a novelization of one of my favorite bad movies, so I knew what to expect going in. I hadn’t read a movie novelization since high school probably, and Gilmour did a pretty competent job of it. Just a few scenes which I imagine didn’t make the final cut of the film.
Read
June 19, 2020I had read this years ago, but decided I would read it again. Fascinating, and no, I did not remember who was the killer. Keeps you guessing as to who did the dirty deeds.
December 25, 2020
A solid novelization of a B-rate 1978 horror film. Decent character development with a nice twist at the end. I didn't guess the killer.
September 11, 2021
I loved this book and the movie when they came out in the late 70's. Rereading the book now, it strikes me as dated and sexist. It is an interesting time capsule of the 70's, which was redeeming.
May 20, 2022
I’ve never read the word “suddenly” so many times in my life. Such a disappointing read. Now I’m gonna go watch the movie.
March 19, 2007
It has scenes that aren't in the movie!
September 16, 2012
Truly an amazing read, even though the beginning is a somewhat difficult to truly grasp.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews