2-in-1: The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul & Blood Games by Richard Laymon

1. The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul

The book's description from the author's website:

When the Conways move into their ancestral home in Louisiana after the death of an estranged aunt, it is with the promise of a new beginning. But the house has a life of its own. Abandoned for the last forty years, surrounded by thick trees and a stifling sense of melancholy, the sprawling Victorian house seems to swallow up the sunlight. Deep within the cold cellar and etched into the very walls is a long, dark history of the Conway name--a grim bloodline poisoned by suicide, strange disappearances, voodoo rituals and rumors of murder. But the family knows nothing of the soul-shattering secrets that snake through generations of their past.They do not know that terror awaits them. For with each generation of the Conways comes a hellish day of reckoning...

Simply put, if you're looking for a scary book, this is it. I have to say that I don't get spooked easily but The Right Hand of Evil came pretty close to doing just that. Granted, it's not an awesome, scariest book I've ever read but it was a nice read that sent some chills up my spine. And I think it will do the same for you, especially if you like stories with haunted houses in them, because there is a haunted house in this story. haunted by pure evil as a matter of fact.

2. Blood Games by Richard Laymon

The book's description from the publisher's website:

They meet for one week every year, five young women, best friends since college, in search of fun and thrills. Each year they choose a different place for their reunion. This year it's Helen's choice, and she chooses the Totem Pole Lodge. Bad choice. The Totem Pole Lodge is a deserted resort hotel deep in the woods with a gory, shocking past. Helen has a macabre streak and she can't wait to tell her friends all about what happened at the lodge and why it's now abandoned. But Helen and the others are in for a nasty surprise. The resort isn't quite as deserted as they think. And not all the gruesome events at the Totem Pole Lodge are in its past. The worst are still to come....

It's my first Richard Laymon experience and I have to tell you, if you really want to get creep-ed out, this is the author for you and this is the book for you. Nothing supernatural here, just plain, pure human evil . Mix the movies Descent with Hills Have Eyes and you get the idea of what you'll be reading in Blood Games. I felt like I was reading the whole time on an inhale, thinking I won't come up for air again. It's definitely a fun book. The only thing that spoiled it for me were the sexual overtures between the girl friends. I think Mr. Laymon's imagination as to how a few girlfriends spend quality time together went really wild. But other than that (at least for me), it's a solid horror story and I'll definitely be reading more of his books.