I feel like I'm the last person on earth to start this series ha ha! Feyre is lacking in common sense, which drove me crazy. I kept yelling at her. But I think that was the point, to further solidified her upbringing, humans following folk lure without proof to back it, etc and to give her growth throughout the book. Sarah J. Maas has description skills in league with those of Scott Lynch. Which is amazing, so her world is built beautifully. You can really get lost in her words. But the story line left some to be desired. I mean so much of it is typical troupes, and expected so it lost some of the mystery of what will happen next. But other parts are full of mystery and wonder. I guess it was really a mixed bag for me, but I'm going to read the next in the series to see if it grows as a series, and moves away from this typical fairy tale feel. ( )

I always know what I'm getting with Richard Laymon. It's impossible not to smile while reading one of his books. This one's a little different(but only a little) in that it's told in flashback, so we know from the very beginning that the main protagonist does at least survive. In short, Alice, which she goes to great lengths to tell us isn't her real name turns out to be a bit of a maniac. She inadvertently kills a guy that dials a wrong number when he turns up at her door to make sure she's ok after she sees an intruder in the pool. This is just the start of her killing spree which is punctuated at regular intervals with lots of clothes being removed/discarded/ripped off etc and, this being a Richard Laymon novel, we're also treated to wonderful descriptions of Alice's breasts, usually while she(and they...) are in motion. It's classic Laymon stuff and very enjoyable in it's own way. Mr Laymon always reminds me of the very best b-movies writ large.

Very enjoyable, although not his best in my view. ( )

went through about 4 chapters and nope, just couldn't force myself to finish this book. not even half way. too many repetitive thoughts to read. The suspense seems like its the excuse to fill up the book. sorry but this is not one of the good reads iv picked up from laymon at all. ( )

After Midnight follows the story of Alice (not her real name, as she is quick to point out) who has one hell of a killer (heh heh) night. It begins with being freaked out by a stalker in the backyard, then when the doorbell rings she thinks it's the stalker, arms herself, opens the door and when arms reach for her she swings her weapon and kills the unexpected guest.

So begins a trail of bodies as she desperately tries to clear herself from evidence of a murder charge, racking up quite the body count. As things fall apart for her we get a view of a broken woman struggling against circumstances trying to make things turn out okay for herself.

It's quite the page turner, plenty of violence and adult themes so definitely not one for the younger audience, it is however quite the entertaining and captivating book as you wonder where things are going and if Alice will finally get clear of her one original mistake. ( )

After Midnight is not just another great horror novel by Richard Laymon, but it is one of his more original works that stands out among his many books. The book is written in first-person, narrator Alice (not her real name, she is quick to reveal), who has decided to document the details of a series of past events in case the authorities ever get involved. What starts as a quiet and mundane setting involving a timid woman with hints of a disturbed past house-sitting for a friend quickly descends into a non-stop cavalcade of unfortunate events and multiple deaths packed into a forty-eight hour race against the devil – even if the line between good and evil tends to blur.

The strongest aspect of After Midnight is, without a doubt, the pseudonymous narrator Alice, whose meticulous recording of her thoughts and internal monologues throughout her confessional memoir not only help retain the reader’s attention during what would normally be passive stretches of inaction, but Laymon also manages to allow Alice to reveal – both intentionally and accidentally - hidden aspects of her murky past and guarded personality that create one of the most complex and remarkable characters of his body of work. There are some points during the story – okay, many points – during which the reader will openly question Alice’s actions, motivations, and whether or not they should be on her side, but the undeniable humanity that emerges from her contradictory naiveté and ruthless pragmatism makes her an endearing anti-hero that you can’t help rooting for.

The events that unfold through the two-day period of the story occasionally challenge the credulity of the reader, but that’s to be expected from a Laymon novel in the first place. I hesitate to list any of the violent acts or situations that befall (or are perpetrated by) Alice out of fear of ruining any of the book’s twists and turns, but I can guarantee that even the most jaded horror novel fan will be caught off guard at least once or twice.

If there is any shortcoming to After Midnight, it is that the endless sequence of events that befall Alice are presented to the reader at roughly the same pace, and so the fatigue that befalls her at certain points is also felt by the reader, with little if any chance to pause or regroup. The result is a novel that urges you to read on while simultaneously leaving you needing to take a break. However, this is probably a testament to Laymon’s skills as a writer, and while it can make reading the book in one sitting more difficult than it should be, After Midnight is definitely worth the effort. ( )