Among the Missing (Mass Market Paperback)

by Richard Laymon (Author)
Key Phrases: waist button, tire tool, Richard Laymon, Alison Parkington, Sweet Meadow (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The shocking discovery of a woman's body naked and headlessDalong the shores of the Silver River in Sierra County, Calif., sets off a series of interrelated events that will have readers guessing about the killer's identity until the final pages of this thriller. The small-town suspects are many, including the victim's husband, Professor Grant Parkington, who has a reputation for fooling around with his students; Bass Paxton, whoDalong with girlfriend Faye Everett (with whom Parkington once had an affair) found the body; and Merton LeRoy, a gay ex-convict who sells drugs and turns tricks inside a van parked down by the river. At the center of the investigation are Sheriff Rusty Hodges and his hotshot female deputy and daughter-in-law, Mary, nicknamed "Pac" because of her father's allegiance to football's Green Bay Packers. The murder occurs almost immediately, and Laymon (Bite, etc.) devotes the rest of his book to the search for the killer, rarely detouring from his primary aim except to throw in an occasional provocative story twist or a bit of gratuitous sex and gore. Outside of Hodges, few characters are worth rooting for, as all of them display despicable qualities. But such flaws make Laymon's one-track story more intriguing and more realistic. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'AMONG THE MISSING is strikingly different. From the chilling opening...we are plunged into a disturbing world of twisted psychopathology' -- THE TIMES More reviews for Richard Laymon: 'No one writes like Laymon and you're going to have a good time with anything he writes' Dean Koontz 'This author knows how to sock it to the reader' THE TIMES If you've missed Laymon you've missed a treat' Stephen King --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843947888
• ISBN-13: 978-0843947885
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #370,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars among the missing, November 11, 2000

By	D. Hensley (jamestown, nc United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once again Laymon has shown us what a horror novel should be. He does not pull any punches. This is a very good novel. It may not be his best (The Traveling Vampire Show is his best) but it is in the top 10 and that's a good group.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missing some substance but still good, February 7, 2004

By	James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Not a great book but still a good read. All of the town's female characters, even the police seem to very easy women which makes this book pretty unrealistic. It seems like the author must be a teenager who has never had a girlfriend, even though as we know he is not. If you can accept the constant sleaze and sluttiness of the characters this is a pretty simple fast read book.

A young couple, Bass and Faye out for a canoe picnic come across a naked decapitated female corpse with the killer running off across the river carrying the woman's head when he sees them. Once back in the town Faye disappears and it becomes apparent someone is out to kill Bass before he can identify him to the police.

Among the Missing is no literary masterpiece but it is enjoyable enough to read if you can get it cheap and it will pass the time nicely.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Laymon's Best but darn good, January 21, 2004

By	PMurphy (CA) - See all my reviews

After reading a marathon of Laymon, I think this one falls right in the middle. It's a typical horror/gore/mystery, and I think the biggest flaw is most of the characters are kinda hard to like. However, I was still pretty gripped throughout the entire thing. A must-read for people who like this author.