No Sanctuary [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Laymon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0843951036 | ISBN-13: 978-0843951035 | Publication Date: July 2003

Rick would do anything for his girlfriend Bert. He'd even spend his vacation in the wilderness, walking the trails around Fern Lake. After what happened last time, it's the one place in the world he'd prefer not to go. But Bert is a woman with a passion for the outdoors - and a passion for other things too. Rick would follow her to hell and back - which is what he's about to do. Gillian is off on vacation too, only her idea of a holiday is a little weird. She likes breaking into people's homes while they are away and living there. Pity that this time she chances on the home of a serial-killer. The kind of guy who likes to take his female victims out into the wilderness for his fun. Rick and Bert are not the only ones heading to Fern Lake...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Only three months after the posthumous release of Laymon's Darkness, Tell Us and nine months after the publication of his Night in the Lonesome October comes another gripper. This one is a curiosity, because it reads like two novellas stuck together, and the two "novellas" read like sketches for the preceding two books. One story line follows young hikers Rick and his girlfriend, Bert, who hook up with two young female backpackers in the California woods, then are menaced by three male hikers and preyed upon by a deepwoods madman and his wildcats. As always, Laymon does a good job of tracing the tensions-in Laymon's world, always spurred by lust-among the hikers, with Rick's backstory, involving a childhood camping trip during which his stepmother was raped and killed, adding an undercurrent of fear; but much of the violent action suffers from a gruesome sameness and moreover echoes the backwoods action of Darkness, Tell Us. More interesting is the interwoven second story line, about the adventures of independently wealthy Gillian O'Neill, whose passion in life is breaking into vacated homes and staying in them for a spell; Laymon fans will recall that a major character in Night in the Lonesome October shares a similar hobby. This time, Gillian breaks into the wrong home, because clues-S&M videos, clippings about missing young women-indicate it may be the abode of a serial killer. Although this patchwork offering has plenty of the teasing sex, outrageous violence and dawn-fresh writing that Laymon fans love, it lacks the magic of Laymon's best.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Richard Laymon grew up in California and worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian and a mystery magazine editor before becoming a full-time writer. He died in February 2001. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 333 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843951036
• ISBN-13: 978-0843951035
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just when you thought it was safe to go into the woods..., August 27, 2003

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Sanctuary (Mass Market Paperback)

Deep woods and house breaking are elements familiar to Laymon fans. In this book Laymon manages to combine the two in an interesting way.

The book opens with two separate stories that eventually twist together into an unpredictable knot. One story involves a comfortably wealthy young woman who likes to live in other peoples houses. Without their knowledge. The other story is about a couple going camping. Sounds simple enough.

But he young woman has found the house of a dangerous character and begins to be less careful about discovery. The couple contains a man who had a very bad experience in the woods when he was a boy.

Paranoia, new characters popping up, suspense, possible clues and plenty of Laymon twists keep the reader turning pages to find out what happens (or doesn't happen) next.

Many of Laymon's books deal with the theme of how easy someone can turn totally dark when something breaks society's control. This one is a little different. The evil characters are already evil when they walk onto the stage. Instead, we are treated to a story of people who have witnessed said evil in the past and now look for it as they know it can still be out there.

But despite the change of view, this is definitely a book for Laymon fans.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Laymon's best novels!, August 17, 2003

By 

FloozyFlapper1926 (Somewhere in the 20's) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Sanctuary (Mass Market Paperback)

"No Sanctuary" is the kind of book that makes you realize just how great Richard Laymon was. His ability to keep you turning the pages and the surprises always makes for interesting reading and this one doesn't diappoint.

When Bert decides to go camping in an isolated area in the Sierra Nevadas, Richard is hesitant to go along. He has a fear of camping for good reason and afraid she would find someone else to go along, he decides to conquer his fear and join her. On the other side of town is Gillian, a seemingly normal woman with a penchant for breaking in people's homes when they are on vacation. After years of doing this, she is horrified to find out the home she is currently residing in is that of a vicious madman who takes his victims to...you guessed it...the same place Bert and Richard are camping. The suspense builds and interweaves the two stories as well as Bert and Richard's fears of three teenage boys they encounter on the trail. Also they meet up with Andrea and Bonnie which adds the typical sexual tension and temptation that comes with one guy out in the woods with three good-looking women.

I won't give away any more plot details but you soon begin to wonder what is going to happen and just who is stalking Bert and Richard in the woods and just what will happen to Gillian in that house?

"No Sanctuary" will hook you from beginning to end and the horrifying ending will make you wonder just how safe it is to traipse in the woods. Typical of Laymon there are also the campy elements that makes his work so entertaining and of course, it always leaves you wishing he was still hear writing his great horror novels.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Laymon's Best, January 20, 2006

By 

Tim S. (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Sanctuary (Mass Market Paperback)

To me, Richard Laymon's books read like early 80's slasher films. Not exactly high-art, pretty misogonystic, and ultra-violent. Some people, like me, like this type of film and book, but this one just doesn't really do it for me.

First of all, it's really two novels in one. I kinda don't understand why that author just didn't make this into two books. I think it would have worked better. We don't need any Tarantino-esque plot melding in the literary equivalent of a Friday the 13th film.

Also, as with all of Laymon's novels, but especially in this one, the female characters are ridiculous. They are always wearing next to nothing, they always want to have sex with strangers, they're always beautiful. It seems like a lot of horror authors, especially Laymon, create female characters to be like what they wish most women were like. I know it's "fiction" but come on.

Additionally, every time a character in the novel comes across another person, their first thought is that the other person is a serial killer rapist. When I'm out hiking, or walking down the street, and I run across another group of hikers or pedestrians, I don't automatically think "thank god I brought my gun because these people are going to sodomize and mutilate my girlfriend." Laymon must have been one paranoid guy. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

It's also pretty slow and devoid of suspense until the end of the novel(s). Nothing, and I mean nothing, (not even any successful character development) happens within the first 200 pages.

Also, the word "breast" or "nipple" appears at least once every three pages. Seriously.

It's redeeming quality is that is does deliver the splatterpunk goods before all is said and done. Still, not recommended. Pick up "Night in the Lonesome October" as a much better example of what Laymon is capable of.