paced reading horror and thrillers discussion

Beginning 1/1.

So far it's Andy and Justin. All are welcome to join at your own pace, but use spoilers.

The kindle book is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E...

I will be starting on the fifth which is when I go back to work from vacation. I actually have this on the first page of my kindle because I almost started it a couple weeks ago right before Andy suggested the buddy read. Perfect timing.

I'm in, always ready to read another Laymon book and I can get it free from Kindle Unlimited!

Awesome, lets plan to start on the 5th. I'll find something else to read in the meantime.

Laymon is the best.

Ok, I just ordered it on Kindle, so count me in starting on the 5th.

...and so we begin. I'm going to start later this morning. How should we pace ourselves.

Sorry you're back at work today, Justin...

I'm diving into this one soon! I think I'm doing like 6 group/buddy reads right now! Yikes, I'm not sure how that happened but okay. I'll probably try to stick more or less to a 25% per week schedule. Unless I can't put it down, then all bets are off :)

I'm almost to 25% I will probably read a bit more tonight at work and then post my with a spoiler tag.

I'm at 25% now and loving it, I didn't realize it is my favorite type of laymon novel and that's one that involves camping. (view spoiler)[ I like that it has two storylines going, I'm curious about how the dead husband is going to play into it, did hid death have something to do with the board? Is it him talking to them through it? Do you think there is a spirit, or just someone in the group fucking with them? (hide spoiler)]

I'm at around 20% or so. Justin, I think that (view spoiler)[ this "Butler" ghost may in fact be the dead husband. Not sure though, could be a different storyline we'll get to altogether. (hide spoiler)] I sure as hell wouldn't be going to any place named Calamity Peak, though.

(view spoiler)[Yea, ya never know with laymon that's why I love him. The fact that it is very easy to explain the money in the couch thing off as one of the people in the group that was doing the ouija board knowing there is always change in the couch cushions and getting lucky with the large Bill makes me think it was just one of the members of the group messing with them, being laymon it was probably the guy that we aren't getting the first person from wanting to get them out in the middle of nowhere to rape one of the women. On the other hand, the way the professor talks about her bad experiences with the ouija board and just the way it is written makes you think it is a real spirit. (hide spoiler)]

I've had many of the same thoughts you two have mentioned about the board.

25% (view spoiler)[ It seems that every other Laymon book has a Skerrit type character. I think that Chad might end up going on a rescue mission to save the group. He knows the area after all. Maybe he's somehow responsible for his brother's death. He was thinking about how good it felt to confess his love, but that it wasn't the whole story. That story line would make sense if "Butler" is the dead husband. (hide spoiler)]

I love how so many of Laymon's protagonists are hard-up college-aged virgins.

Justin wrote: "I'm at 25% now and loving it, I didn't realize it is my favorite type of laymon novel and that's one that involves camping. [spoilers removed]"

36% This is a great camping story. Laymon does great making us feel the sensations of the woods through his writing. The can totally relate to the cold water, rough granite, and sharp pine needles and stones on the path. Same goes for the sexual tension. We've all been there, right?

50% (view spoiler)[ who would think of putting a machete wielding, muscle bound and bronzed weirdo in a speedo in the middle the mountain wilderness?

Richard Laymon, that's who!

I loved the scene with the improve poem ending with Doris throwing the bourbon into the fire. (hide spoiler)]

Is anyone else having trouble not sneaking peeks at the Ouija messages in advance? I have to cover them up with my hand.

Favorite characters?? Glen reminds me of a guy I know and I just just picture him saying what Glen says too perfectly.

I have started reading this one and it is good!! I am about 25% and wow, what craziness already. (view spoiler)[am trying to decide how the dead husband is going to play into this. Had the same thought about him being the Butler. But am wondering why the spirit was calling himself that. What a freaky fuck the Skerrit is. Laymon DOES always have that guy in his books! (hide spoiler)]

End of Chapter 21 and all I have to say is FINALLY!

Lol, yep.

60% (view spoiler)[ when corie and chad arrived at the lake following his speech about feeling sad when things are good, I was sure one of them was gonna bite it. Glad that it didn't happen right then. (hide spoiler)]

Anybody else still reading this?

I should get to fifty percent tonight I'm about 40 percent right now

Andy wrote: "60% [spoilers removed]"

...and maybe I spoke too soon. Yikes

I am! I just finished 2 other buddy/group reads, so I'm going to try to get back ahead on this one.

I finished this, but will wait for a few others to finish it.

I'm about 45% shouldn't take long to get to sixty percent so I can read the other spoilers and comment. (view spoiler)[ I don't trust the teachers man that just returned but who knows since it is a laymon novel he tends to make all males even the good guys a bit untrustworthy. The part about them using the board when her husband was alive and it telling him he would be dead soon makes me think that it is a real spirit, or maybe his brother was pushing it and then set up his getting shot somehow. (hide spoiler)]

65% (view spoiler)[ I wonder if Butler has anything to do with Angela's previous captors. (hide spoiler)]

Justin wrote: "I'm about 45% shouldn't take long to get to sixty percent so I can read the other spoilers and comment. [spoilers removed]"

I agree Andy. All Laymon male characers are shady :) The nearly-naked forest guy is an interesting development. I would love if there was a connection to the woodspeople from The Woods are Dark.

I haven't read the woods are dark yet but I was wondering if it might be the mountain people from tread softly. It's not but for a section of the book I thought it might be. There are a lot of similarities between characters in his books.

Yes, Laymon always has his creepy old man, his horny yet cowardly young man who thinks of nothing but sex, the young woman who for whatever reason always describes her violation in the most detailed of terms, and the crazy people who come out of mountains/island/desert/forest/carnival to terrorize the main characters.

Very well put, Maxine! In Night in the Lonesome October, it was a crazy old woman, but it is usually a man. There is also usually a predatory, middle aged male villain.

Andy wrote: "50% who would think of putting a machete wielding, muscle bound and bronzed weirdo in a speedo in the middle the mountain wilderness?

Richard Laymon, that's who!

I loved the scene with the impro..."
Yes the poem was my favorite part so far

Andy wrote: "65% [spoilers removed]"

65% (view spoiler)[ until the teachers boyfriend got attacked I was thinking maybe the madman was angelas step dad and the teachers late husband/current boyfriend where his sons but then he got attacked and it also mentioned the madman is only in his 20s. He could still be one of the sons though. That would explain why she is the one who is going to less them to the treasure, maybe she knows something that will help (hide spoiler)]

Good theory, Justin. Everything must link up somehow, right?

90% (view spoiler)[ well, I never expected butler to be her mother. It's coming down to the end now and I have no guesses as to what it is going to be but I'm expecting it to have some kind of twist, it just feels like there is a shocker coming (hide spoiler)]

I need to catch up! I'm at the part where Howard finally gets laid and the teacher and her boyfriend found the kids' parked car.

加油！

I plan to finish today.

I finished! This was one of Laymon's better books, of those I've read. Some nice twists you didn't see coming! Can't wait to see what you guys thought of the ending. There were definitely some cliches but also some nice surprises, and as always, utter carnage.

Which subgenre are you filling this in for?

Ghosts
Occult
Serial Killers
Revenge

It would work for any of those but I would probably say occult just by the cover and description so I will stick with that.

I'll follow suit and say occult. The ghost of Butler wasn't really a haunting persay. Serial Killers or revenge would fit somewhat, but we could probably find much better examples of those subgenres.

Occult it is!