Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsOver The Top
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2002
Intrigued by what I had read about the author, inspired by the reviews contained on this website, I couldn't wait to read LADIES NIGHT. And the first of the book doesn't disappoint, as Ketchum masterfully sets the stage for pending disaster, develops the plot and inserts interesting sub-plots of tension and conflict among all of his characters. The table is set for a grand seat-squirmer...
...and then the book goes over the top. Do you remember the scene from the movie, "The Shining," the scene where the elevator doors open and a river of blood comes cascading out to bathe the lobby with gallons and gallons of crimson? Such is the case with LADIES NIGHT, as horror and suspense are carelessly cast aside in favor of mindless gore, gore, and more gore. Halfway through the book the reader becomes so desensitized to all the blood and guts it is impossible to care what happens to the characters. Instead of being wrapped in the story, I found myself chuckling after each grisly scene, asking myself, "OK, what kind of mutilation are we going to see next?" Ketchum is, if nothing else, imaginative when it comes to chopping, stabbing, smashing, cleaving (insert any verb you want) people to pieces.
I take back my earlier statement: this is a seat-squirmer, but only because of the discomfort caused by all the glaring typos and inept editing. (It would appear that the copy editors at Gauntlet have never heard of a comma, colon, or semi-colon.) Save your money if you're wanting a nailbiter: LADIES NIGHT starts off with much promise then fizzles into a bloodsoaked whimper.
