First published back in September of 1980, US author Richard Laymon’s novel ‘Your Secret Admirer’ was the author’s second published novel. Unlike the author’s debut ‘The Cellar’ (1980), ‘Your Secret Admirer’ was released under the pseudonym ‘Carl Laymon’.
The book was originally released in paperback format only. Although the cover art is very pastel, giving off a mild ‘teen romance’ vibe, the novel does nevertheless have some creepy undertones within it.
Since its original publication, to date the book has not been reprinted, other than in ebook format in 2014. As such, the paperback has become a highly sought after Richard Laymon collectable, often fetching relatively high amounts from collectors.
Janice O’Neill is a fifteen-year-old tenth grader at Webster High School. She’s a young schoolgirl like any other. However, her life is about to become wrapped up in worry and concern. It all starts with a letter. An anonymous, typed letter, from a secret admirer.
The writer of the letter seems to know a worrying amount about Janice. He also writes about how, from the moment he saw her in the park, he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind. How he longs to be near her, to speak with her, to look into the depths of her eyes.
But he dare not reveal himself. He must keep his identity a secret from her. For now, perhaps forever. So, he explains, he will simply adore her from afar and write to her sometimes of his love. Be her secret admirer.
Although flattering, the letter raises instant alarm bells for Janice and her best friend, Susan Anzio. Then after Janice and Susan go to the cinema to catch a late-night horror movie, the situation becomes even more concerning. A letter arrives mentioning how this secret admirer had been watching her. Following her. Knew of her every move.
Susan’s brother, Mike, is incredibly concerned. So much so, he starts to keep an eye out for Janice in a hope of identifying this strange man stalking her. Although, Mike’s sudden attention has its advantages. She’d always been careful to keep her feelings for Mike a secret. Not wanting to upset her best friend. Now she was seeing a lot more of Mike. Getting closer to him each day.
However, Janice has more than just a secret admirer to watch out for. After joining the Webster High School Charger Band as their clarinettist, she inadvertently catches the attention of Glen Rastick. A problematic older schoolboy, who just won’t take no for an answer. And he’s becoming more aggressive with his advances upon Janice as each day passes.
With the big post-game school dance on the horizon, it seems everything around Janice is escalating quickly. The letters from her secret admirer keep arriving, and Glen’s unwanted attention is becoming increasingly hostile. If only Janice could find out who this man stalking her is. Could it be Glen? Could it be her classmate, Eddie? Could it even be Mike?
Only time will tell…
Looking at the cover art on the book, you’re probably expecting the book to be a mild teen romance. And in some ways, it is that. It’s definitely got ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985) kind of vibes going for it. That whole 1980s American teen coming-of-age type of story.
However, what you might not have expected from the cover art, is the sinister undertone that’s embedded within the story. Essentially, we have an anonymous stalker who appears to be following this fifteen-year-old schoolgirl’s every move. Furthermore, the stalker appears to be an adult. As the story develops, this creepy situation worsens. The letters start to talk of taking her away with him in a campervan. Of punishing her and those in her life if she tries to double-cross him. It’s damn worrying shit!
Then we have the character of Glen Rastick. The sort of oddball creep who instantly gives off incel vibes. He’s arrogant, aggressive, misogynistic and downright dangerous. Throwing this nasty piece of work into the mix adds a whole new layer to the story. A sort of juxtaposition between these two worrying situations – where we have an unknown stalker on one side, and an in-you-face aggressive incel type on the other.
As such, we get to see plenty of classic Richard Laymon themes emerging. A simmering threat that unnerves us. A gradual escalation of the danger. A young, defenceless teen who’s faced with these two deeply troubling situations. So yeah, despite it being much tamer than Laymon’s horror offerings, it certainly isn’t without its darker tones.
The dual-running storylines build up towards a big post-football-game school dance, which both Janice and Susan are dateless for up until just before the event. The general setup for this draw’s parallels to the big finale within ‘Carrie’ (1974), although here we’re not entirely sure exactly where the danger will come from.
And that’s very much a theme within the novel as a whole. The mystery behind who the fuck is sending these anonymous letters! Laymon of course sets our minds off on all sorts of tangents. Is it Glen…the undoubted prime suspect? Maybe Janice’s music teacher? After all, this secret admirer is clearly an adult. Maybe Mike? Oh, the possibilities seem almost endless, and the mystery behind it all is wonderfully engaging.
The big reveal at the end, and we’re talking right at the very end of the book, is superb. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see that coming. An excellent twist and one that had me smiling at the way Laymon had masterfully managed to keep it a mystery throughout the entirety of the story.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to like this novel as much as I did. That old adage – never judge a book by its cover – is very relevant here. Definitely worth a read.
The novel runs for a total of 150 pages.
© DLS Reviews
