Among the Missing by Richard Laymon
Among the Missing
October 2000
Leisure
393 pages
Horror / Killer
For the first week of June, and a first week of the Richard Laymon read-a-thon I chose Among the Missing as I was sure I’d not read this one before; and I was right. A really great entry level Laymon I’d say as the brutality is not overly explicit, the sex is fairly normal with consent (well, among the living, that is) and it is more focused on the victims and friends of them if you like to focus on that kind of thing. Fo rthe seasoned Laymon reader, it may be awfully light. For someone looking to read the most extreme horror ever, they would find this very tame.
From the back cover:
A Jaguar roars along a lonely road high in the California 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.
A body in the woods…
This book starts with a bang, if not a double tap. The discovery of the body is as shocking as the murder we just witnessed really, but then, it gets a little slow. For a nice plain beachy summer horror read this is perfect as we get to meet the couple who witnessed murder on the beach, Bass and Faye. Yes; Bass as in the fish. We then get to meet the police in town, Rusty who is the sheriff and his tough as nails female deputy ‘Pac’. And then Merton, the number one suspect who makes for a very interesting picture of the local gay drug dealer. With a fairly colourful cast of locals criss-crossing into the story, it is small town horror, Laymon style.
We follow the cops who are trying to not only find the killer, but the head that belongs to the dead body he left behind. Along the way they uncover more small town drama than you can shake a stick at. Bonus points for a street named ‘Malfi’ which must have been the author’s nod to then up-and-coming author Ronald Malfi, if I had to guess as they were Leisure press alumni.
Rump one, rump two…
I only counted two rumps here! Disappointed kind of as it usually takes more than two rumps to get the centre of a Richard Laymon horror novel. There are loads of oddly placed moans. strange choices of underwear worn in public, and everyone leering hornily at everyone else. For a kick-off to summer reading this was a really great fit. While not a picture-perfect Laymon novel for me, it was a very fun pick.