A normal American town. A group of travellers. A deadly monster. 
Richard Laymon's The Woods Are Dark thrills with suspense and vivid accounts of pure terror. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
In the woods are six dead trees. The Killing Trees. That's where they take them. Innocent travellers on the road in California. Seized and bound, stripped of their valuables and shackled to the Trees. To wait. In the woods. In the dark...
What readers are saying about The Woods Are Dark: 
'This is the best Richard Laymon I have read. So compelling that I literally could not stop reading. It's an erotic thriller that will have your heart racing from the first page to the last'
'A brilliant read. A typical Laymon book full of suspense and thrill. A satisfying read that leaves the reader wanting more'
'Five stars

The Woods are Dark

The night promises more than one encounter for Sherry... 
In Come Out Tonight, Richard Laymon writes a chilling horror story full of suspense, dark humour and a deadly killer. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
'A grisly cocktail of horror, murder and mayhem laced with Laymon's distinct blend of black humour. Great stuff' - Yorkshire Evening Press
Sherry's getting nervous. When Duane left for the 24-hour Speed-D-Mart, he said he'd be back in ten minutes. But that was twenty minutes ago, and that store isn't someplace you'd generally want to go at this time of night. Then Sherry hears a noise from up the street. It could have been a car door slamming. Or a backfire. But it sounded like a gunshot. 
Sherry tells herself she has nothing to worry about. Still, she puts on her clothes and heads out into the night. She's afraid of what she'll find, but she has no idea of what's really in store for her. If she did, she would never have left the safety of her home. And she never would have met a madman named Toby Bones... 
What readers are saying about Come Out Tonight: 
'It will have you gripped from start to finish and you won't want to put it down. The excitement and tension is out of this world' 
'Sheer brilliance. The way the story keeps twisting and turning kept me turning the pages so fast I left scorch marks'
'Five stars

Come Out Tonight

She thought he was offering her a chance of escape. She was wrong. 
Richard Laymon's Among the Missing is a riveting horror novel, full of shocking revelations, twists and turns. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker.
'Among the Missing is strikingly different. From the chilling opening...we are plunged into a disturbing world of twisted psychopathology' - The Times
At 2:32 in the morning a Jaguar roars along a lonely road high in the Californian mountains. Behind the wheel sits a beautiful woman wearing only a skimpy, revealing nightgown. She's left her husband behind. She's after a different kind of man - someone as wild, daring and passionate as herself. The man she wants is waiting for her... with wild plans of his own.
The man waits patiently in the woods. When the woman stops to pick him up, he suggests they go to the Bend, where the river widens and there's a soft sandy beach. With the stars overhead and moonlight on the water, it's an ideal place for love. But there will be no love tonight. In the morning a naked body will be found at the Bend - a body missing more than its clothes. And the man will be waiting for someone else...
What readers are saying about Among the Missing: 
'Throw in some dark humour and Laymon's assortment of oddball characters and the book delivers a nice chunk of escapism for a few hours, with some surprising plot twists'
'Without a doubt one of the most gripping stories he has ever written. A classic story of murder, mayhem, decapitation and double-edged twists [that run] the whole way through'
'The suspense lurks beneath the surface until the final Hollywood-style ending

Among the Missing

An innocent woman... or a vampire? 
The Stake is a spine-chilling tale of horror by Richard Laymon, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker.
'Laymon uses a typewriter ribbon soaked in cold blood' - Burt Hirschfeld
In an abandoned hotel in a Californian ghost town, horror writer Larry Dunbar and his friends make a chilling discovery. By chance they stumble on a coffin hidden under the stairs. Within lies the corpse of a naked female - with a stake through its heart. Was she the innocent victim of a gruesome murder? Or was she a vampire? There's only one way for Larry to solve the mystery - he must pull out the stake...
What readers are saying about The Stake: 
'A totally brilliant and vibrant read, the storyline was always nail biting'
'The characters are richly developed, and the story is a real page turner; so much so you end up hoping you never reach the end'
'Richard Laymon is the king of horror

The Stake

Don't even think about going into the cellar... 
The first gripping title in Richard Laymon's acclaimed Beast House Chronicles, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
'The Cellar is a genuine cult classic. I should know. I'm one of the cultists' - Bentley Little
They call it Beast House. Tourists flock to see it, lured by its history of butchery and sadistic sexual enslavement. They enter, armed with cameras and camcorders, but many never return. The men are slaughtered quickly. The women have a far worse fate in store. But the worst part of the house is what lies beneath it. Behind the cellar door, down the creaky steps, waits a creature of pure evil. At night, when the house is dark and all is quiet... the beast comes out. 
Awakened by an early-morning phone call, Donna found out that her ex-husband, Roy, has been released from prison. She immediately dragged her twelve-year-old daughter out of bed and together they hit the road - fast. The last she wants is for Roy to get his hands on them again. But in fleeing one danger, Donna and her daughter are unknowingly heading straight towards another. They're heading towards Beast House. 
What readers are saying about The Cellar: 
'Excellent, gripping tale... Very hard to put down'
'A tale of bizarre, almost comic book like, tongue-in-cheek horror'
'The best book I have read in such a long time

The Cellar (Beast House Chronicles, Book 1)

An old acquaintance has deadly intentions... 
Resurrection Dreams is a terrifying novel of small-town America and a recently released madman from much-loved horror writer, Richard Laymon. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Melvin was definitely the biggest creep in Ellsworth High, and the other kids mercilessly taunted him for his odd looks and weird behaviour. Vicki was the only one to stand up for him and show him any kindness - but even she had to admit he'd gone too far when he dug up the body of the school's recently deceased blonde sex-bomb, Darlene, and publicly attempted to bring her back to life with the aid of a car battery. 
Year later, Vicki still has nightmares about Melvin and his stomach-churning 'joke'. And when she returns to Ellsworth to work in a local medical practice, she knows she's going to have to see him again. For Melvin, recently released from a mental institution, is back in town - and weirder than ever.
Melvin hasn't forgotten Vicki either. Nor has he given up trying to bring the dead back to life. In fact, his experiments have been progressing rather well. And as soon as he can get Vicki - or rather her body - where he wants her, he can begin to realise his wildest dream of all... 
What readers are saying about Resurrection Dreams: 
'The unbelievable becomes believable - Richard Laymon is the best horror writer about!'
'Absolutely loved it'
'Five stars

Resurrection Dreams

All signs point to foul play... 
Alarums is a haunting novel from the master of horror, Richard Laymon. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Joe Hill. 
Melanie Conway knows something is wrong when she starts having visions again. Her boyfriend, Bodie, wants to help but they are too late. Her father has been in a hit and run accident. Melanie's sister, Penelope, is having problems of her own. She keeps receiving strange calls. Bodie is drawn into the mystery and gets more than he bargained for...
What readers are saying about Alarums: 
'Brilliant! Everything you would expect from the master of horror'
'Another masterpiece by Mr Laymon'
'Five stars

Alarums

Pluie vaudou

Aucun livre, peu importe la qualité, a une chance d'atteindre un large public à moins que l'éditeur ne voit la valeur du livre.

Sauf que je pense que cela ressemble plus à un estomac vide qu'un cœur brisé. Un crispiste douloureux que la nourriture ne peut pas guérir. Tu sais. Vous l'avez senti vous-même, je parie. Vous vous blessez tout le temps, vous êtes agité, vous ne pouvez pas penser droit, vous souhaitez en quelque sorte que vous étiez mort mais ce que vous voulez vraiment, c'est que tout soit le même que lorsque vous étiez toujours avec elle ... ou lui

Ray Garton ne manque jamais pour la gorge!

Les écrivains d'horreur sont des spécialistes dans le pire des cas

Dans un sens, toute fiction est expérimentale. Chaque nouveau livre est une aventure dans un territoire inconnu. Comme Hemingway nous l'a dit, vous (l'écrivain) devez sortir au-delà de l'endroit où vous êtes allé auparavant.

Apportez un vampire autour, les gens commencent à découvrir la religion.

Quelques-uns de mes livres, au fil des ans, ont été choisis pour le cinéma. Le sujet de mes livres, cependant, n'est pas exactement propice au traitement cinématographique hollywoodien. Si et quand un film à "gros budget" est réalisé sur la base d'un de mes livres, mes fans et moi le détesterons plus que probablement parce qu'il ne sera pas fidèle à sa source. C'est presque une donnée.

Mon sentiment à propos de la fiction, quel que soit le genre, est qu'il est censé être une représentation de la vie. Je veux que mes livres donnent tout un éventail d'expériences à mes lecteurs. Pas seulement la peur ou la terreur ou la répulsion, mais l'excitation, le rire, la douleur, le chagrin, le désir, etc.

Dans ma vaste expérience, j'ai trouvé toujours plus sage de suivre des conseils féminins ... Tout d'abord, vous les rendez heureux en faisant ce qu'ils vous disent. C'est l'essentiel. Laissez-les penser qu'ils contrôlent. Ils l'adorent. Ensuite, s'il s'avère qu'ils avaient raison, tout est cool. S'il s'avère qu'ils avaient tort ... alors vous avez le plaisir de se prélasser dans la lueur de la supériorité.

Je ne me soucie pas beaucoup de savoir si une de mes histoires contient ou non des éléments du surnaturel. Si je trouve ce que je pense être un concept astucieux, je vais lui donner un tourbillon.

Ses oeuvres

Ses derniers livres