Beware! [Paperback]

Richard Laymon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 1992

Using ancient black magic a dangerous, vindictive maniac is made all-powerful by his ability to become invisible. Raping and murdering his way around the States, he is biding his time before fulfilling his one desire - to get even with the high school belle who rejected him years before.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; First edition & printing edition (November 5, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0450058034
• ISBN-13: 978-0450058035
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,940,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short title, small book - but quite a story!, April 29, 2000

By 

Donna (Tyngsboro, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beware! (Paperback)

I don't know about you, but to vision... fingers coming from nowhere and suddenly clutching your ankle while your in the dark -pretty much did it for me! One of the many themes, is that someonewho has the ability (can't tell you how) to be invisible! But, the fun part is when & how the other characters find out! This book was unlike any of his others! I've always been a Laymon fan, and even when you think you know what is coming it's always a pleasure to see how he's going to get you there. (as I'm sure you know if you've read any of his other books - his characters never go about things the easy way.) BEWARE... was an easy read. However, it was amazing to see just how many plot twists and challenges he had occur in such a short amount of time. I think that if you've read Laymon before, you should check out BEWARE. It's not like any of his others and it will surprise you. If you haven't read Laymon before BEWARE is a nice short one to start out with. But beware, as BEWARE quickly becomes a book you will not want to put down.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware of missing this book because you shouldn't!, November 24, 2002

By 

Mike Kazmierczak - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beware! (Paperback)

There are a few authors which I can't stop myself from finishing their books within a day or two from starting them. Richard Laymon is one of those authors. His books, and Beware is another that fits the pattern, are so exciting and engrossing that I can't put it down despite the late hour. Plus it is just a quick read. I look forward to reaching one of Laymon's book in my "to read" stack.

This novel involves Lacey Allen, a newspaper reporter in a small town who happens upon a series of attacks and murder in a local market. When the attacker takes a special liking to Lacey and follows her home, her life is quickly turned upside down. First she's taken hostage in her own home and tormented by the attacker who has gain mystical powers. (I won't relieve what or how so as to no spoil the surprise.) Then she escapes, finds help with an author of action books, is followed again by the attacker, and suffice to say there is more adventures and excitement culminating in a spectacular and frightening conclusion.

The only thing that I had a problem with in the book was the appearence of Scott, the action book author, and Dukane, Scott's friend. Their appearence was a little too convenient of a plot device. It wasn't that bad of an event but it was a bit too nice of an event to happen. Other than that which is very easy to overlook there were no issues. I would very highly recommend the book to everyone. Well, some of the descriptions are kind of intense so if you don't like sex or violence, skip it. But everyone else shouldn't miss it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When running away is harder then death, you know you're in trouble, November 6, 2008

By 

- Kasia S. (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Beware (Mass Market Paperback)

This was one of the craziest books I have ever read, the sheer magnitude of fantasy driven plot and violet scenarios mixed with black magic and the usual Laymonesque inappropriate behavior made it for an entertaining read but it was the weakest from all his works so far. I am a huge fan so I will not pass up a chance to read anything by this gentle man who wrote crazy stories, my favorite so far has to be "Island" which I read when on a trip to Poland years ago, I left it there and had to get another copy, now that was an exquisite book but twice as big as this one. For a short and off the beaten path type of a tale, of a local reporter being chased by her high school stalker, who tangled up with some very bad people and turned invisible with their magic, well one can imagine what a horny[...] will do with this great power, and he sure does, with chuckles and horror, his tale is very interesting, to say the least. Laymon let the reins of his imagination flow and it showed, I never knew what to expect and it was a fun albeit gruesome at times read.

The book is quite short, I read it in a few hours but the ups and downs and the smooth dialogue guided it well into the ending which was excellent, I think it saved the book in my eyes into a 4 star rating, I would have otherwise have to give it 3, but somehow the end was tricky and very, very suspenseful, but little abrupt - maybe one can say explosive. Laymon's books pop out every few months even though he's no longer with us and they shock and thrill, they jolt me but they are easy to read (despite the craziness) and the man was a good story teller, his ideas were truly his own, and I miss him, I wish he could have lived to be an old man surrounded by his own works with plenty of fans supporting him.

For a fast and little icky read, this is a fun book but like I said, not his best. I still adore him; after all I read from him he can do no wrong.

- Kasia S.