Richard Laymon has a knack for basing an entire story in a short amount of time. The last book I read by him, AMONG THE MISSING, also occurred in a single evening. And Laymon makes it all seem so easy and natural, or unnatural as the case may be. This is another excellent book in that vein. This time a mysterious black rain falls on a town and everyone who is struck by it turns into a enraged killer. As is also normal, a wide number of characters are all involved in the story and each and every one of them seems real. And that tops off what you would expect from a horror novel: a good story, excellent characters and a fast paced read. Definitely a recommendation! ( )

It's a real pleasure to read Richard Laymon once again. It's been years since I read the 4 Beast House novels and I'm certainly not going to leave it that long before reading another.

A simple enough story here, the black rain turning people into violent, sexually ravenous, inhibition free creatures, but for the fact that they still look all too human of course.

And then of course, much as you'd expect, there's always the good old reliable Richard Laymon trademark sex, and as if that wasn't enough we have 'Red Gym Shorts Girl' to look forward to as well. Well, can it truly be said to be a Richard Laymon novel without a hot girl in red gym shorts? I think not!

Very enjoyable, so long as you understand what you're getting. If you're in the mood for a bit of B-movie fun with all that that entails then you're in luck, here it is. Have fun, I certainly did... ( )

One Rainy Night takes place in a small California town, where on one evening, black rain falls from the sky, and turns anyone who the rain lands on into a complete ultraviolent psychopath whose only concern is to inflict violent suffering on anyone they can get a hold of. The novel follows several different groups of individuals related to each other in some way as they try to survive this evening. The scenarios range from a babysitter trying to keep a child safe, to a cop trying to find his girlfriend, to a group of individuals barricaded in a restaurant.

The concept of the novel is interesting and there were some scenes that worked well. I wanted to really like this novel since I’m generally a fan of Laymon’s work, but there were several things holding this novel back. One thing is that there were some weak characters in this novel, especially a trio of teens and their girlfriends who didn’t need the rain to become fiendishly evil. They didn’t come off as real characters to me. I also thought that there was some inconsistency in how the characters reacted to the black rain that wasn’t well explained. There was also some over the top violence in some places. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable read but not something that I would consider a great horror novel.

Carl Alves – author of Conjesero ( )

One Rainy Night - Richard Laymon ****

I have been a Laymon fan for a number of years since first picking up 'Island', but after a while all his books seemed to blend into one. The last few that I have read (including Beast House) have all failed to grip me and dare I say it, become a little boring.

Fortunately One Rainy Night offered something a little bit different and was just enough to make me want to rediscover Laymon. Obviously all of his books follow a distinct pattern whereby the reader can expect to find gratuitous violence, rape and occasionally incest or paedophilia. Some people rate his books low as they cannot handle the subject matter but most readers these days seem to know what to expect.

This novel is no exception, containing graphic rape scenes and killings galore. A local black lad is burnt alive by a gang, and starts with the investigation into the killing just beginning. However two days later a thick black rain descends upon the town, turning whoever it touches into a psychopathic killer with a lust for blood. Some people welcome this change in their personality while other try to remain safe and look out for the safety of others. What Laymon attempts to convey to us is that whatever bad things can happen to us in life, it is our underlying morals that will steer any decisions we make.

The novel follows 4 groups of individual parties and explores how they cope with the deadly precipitation. I won't give away any spoilers but there are a number of twists and turns that will keep the pages turning (although I feel the ending was a little weak and not too hard to work out).

Well worth a read and an ideal introduction to the author. ( )

This is a fantastic book, the kind that lingers in your mind with vivid images. Lots of gore and nudity, not for the faint of heart. ( )