This was the first story I have read by Richard Laymon and I was quite pleased. The novel was a bit predictable and the characters were not terribly deep, but nonetheless this was an engaging entry in the horror genre. The basic plot is that a Mother and Daughter leave town when they learn that her ex-husband was freed from jail and will without a doubt hunt them down. The pair find themselves in a small town that is home to the infamous "Beast House". Blood, guts, gore, rape and many other unspeakable deeds follow. This is not a horror story for those that are easily disturbed by gruesome imagery.[return][return]Upon purchase of this book I did not realize that this was Richard Laymon's first novel. I look forward to picking up his later works to see how he matures as an author.