The fires were raging through Washington State. Nothing
could withstand the fury. Easton, Lavender and Nelson lay
in ruins. There was only one thing left to do now the fires
had taken hold...
Flee.
THE BUS
A handful of residents from Ronald take a school bus, grab
all the worldly possessions they can hold and escape the
flames as the fires near their town.
THE CADILLAC
Donna and Kurt are camping in the Wenatchee National Forest
when they hear the news. They need to get back to
Ellensberg before the fires cut them off. They need to
leave - pronto.
“In the distance the dancing red curtain of flame and
destruction rose into the night sky.”
And then the sheriff detours them...
Detoured onto a little-used and winding backroad that no
one knows. Nobody knew what lay ahead - only what was
behind them.
They were all fleeing from hell.
And they arrived someplace worse...
Read reviews of THE NOCTURNE by Steve Gerlach here:
"A really fast paced, grim, exciting, sexy
novel.
It's very gripping, violent, and weird. I really enjoyed
it.
The Nocturne is a book that any Laymon fan ought to enjoy.
"
-- Richard Laymon, author of The Cellar, USA
"The Nocturne is a guilty pleasure, full of wall-to-wall
action.
Forget about going to bed. Reschedule that appointment.
Gerlach has pulled you into his world and won't let go.
The Nocturne is a wonderfully enjoyable and gruesome ride."
-- Barry Hoffman, author of Judas Eyes, USA
"The Nocturne is a horror/sci-fi thrill ride.
The full-throttle, staccato pacing of this novel is
extreme."
-- Cemetery Dance Magazine, Issue 51, USA
"If I didn't know better I'd say Richard Laymon had a pen
name!
Plenty of fast paced action and a feeling of escapism set
the grounds for a great read that is hard to find among
most of the mundane authors I have read of late.
It's fantastic to see an Aussie writer with the flair and
imagination to create such a gripping novel and I hope
there is plenty more where that came from."
-- Rick Smith, NSW, Australia -
smithr.emd@tubemakers.com.au
"I admire anyone who can bring a story to credible print
and make it hold together. I enjoyed the story of The
Nocturne. The book was well written, fast paced and the
plot was strong.
The story is set in Washington State where forest fires are
common. As I write (Aug 2000) the northwestern part of the
U.S. is being plagued with conflagrations!! A large fire
prompts the evacuation of several groups of people. They
end up in an isolated town where the locals are not very
"friendly." There is enough misadventure, gore, and
misdirection to make Richard Laymon proud! The fire is ever
present, and plays a large role in the end of the book.
All in all, it was a rip roaring story. Looking forward to
the author's next work."
-- Dave Stark, Texas, USA - DStark6701@aol.com
"I enjoyed every page. I could not fault it, it kept me
enthralled throughout."
-- Jerry Farrell, Northants, UK -
SALLYFARRELL.@breathemail.net
"I have just finished reading The Nocturne and I absolutely
loved it. It contains all the attributes I love in a horror
novel; short chapters,(but plenty of them), rapid pace,
people in dire circumstances, blood & gore, deviant
sex, and the ability to make the reader feel that they are
there living it with the characters, without spending pages
on descriptive passages and character development. Can't
wait to make a start on Love Lies Dying."
-- John Lockwood, UK - john@warmsworth.demon.co.uk
"An amazing story about a group of strangers forced
together in an attempt to stay alive. If the ever present
fire wasn't enough for them to combat, then the
introduction of the locals would soon give them the
strength, ingenuity and the will to survive. An excellent,
fast paced book that will keep you guessing and intrigued
until the final word. I'm looking forward to reading the
next offering from Steve Gerlach."
-- Sharon Gough, Victoria, Australia -
Sharon.Gough@carrier.utc.com
"Aspiring Australian novelist Steve Gerlach continues his
quest for mainstream recognition and publication with his
finest work to date, THE NOCTURNE, a chilling and
suspenseful tale which demonstrates a stunning literary
talent that promises his quest will assuredly - and
deservedly - become short-lived.
THE NOCTURNE starts off with a vivid, yet seemingly
incidental bus accident within a woodsy area. As the dazed,
unsuspecting riders welcome their nighttime rescuers, they
are instantly met with a barrage of bullets, propelling a
group of individuals into a maelstrom of insanity and
ritualistic savagery. Gerlach's novel follows this intrepid
band of survivors as they battle the bizarre residents of
the town of Liberty, whose bloodthirsty motives remain
tantalizingly unclear throughout most of this fast-paced
novel, adding an eerie puzzle to a novel already drenched
in gut-wrenching suspense.
A perfect balance of striking characterizations, staccato
pacing and graphic violence make THE NOCTURNE an incredible
work of visceral dread and full-throttle suspense,
doubtlessly assuring one alert publishing house will soon
tout Gerlach as the heir apparent to the recent
resurrection of mainstream horror fiction."
-- Ron Clinton, Washington, USA -
r-and-jclinton@email.msn.com
"Well, I just finished reading The Nocturne and I loved it!
It was fantastic!
The characters were great and to see what happened to some
of them was heartbreaking.
The mystery and intrigue holds through the entire book.
You're kept waiting from first page to last to find out
what is actually happening, and this is a good thing,
because you just can't help but keep flicking through the
pages.
The Nocturne is a long book but the story holds you in so
deep that I read it in three days, always dreading the time
when I actually had to put it down and sleep.
After reading this I can't help but rub my hands together
in hope and excitement of getting another one of Steve
Gerlach's books.
A most enjoyable trip - definitely one I will take again. 9
out of 10"
-- Troy Taylor, Victoria, Australia -
troyandrach@hotmail.com
"The first 100 pages of The Nocturne left me breathless,
and I found myself trying to hide behind the couch from the
book. I'll say it was like a punch in the stomach. The
Nocturne is the most intense novel I've read in a long long
time.
The writing was superb and The Nocturne was fresher and
more exciting than anything that I've read recently. It was
better than latest offerings by Nicci French, Richard
Laymon and Jeffrey Deaver. I read them all in the same
week, but I read The Nocturne in one day! I was up until
3am the other night reading it. It was such a page turner!
Excellent writing and fast-paced too!!"
-- Relle Treble, Victoria, Australia -
eppingk@eisa.net.au
"A fast moving, energetic story that gripped me from the
first page to the last. The only down side to it was that
it had to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
-- Paul Nobbs, Denbighshire, UK -
paul.nobbs@btinternet.com
"Woah! Just finished reading The Nocturne, and what a night
THAT was!! In some ways it reminded me of an x-rated X-File
from Hicksville, the main difference of course is that
contrary to Mulder & Scully who never accomplish
anything, the characters of The Nocturne (both good and
very bad) accomplish a lot - and in the most bizarre ways!
Short action-filled chapters (I love that) propel the story
along at a fast pace with violent and weird twists and
turns. I think Gerlach manages to keep up that eerie
feeling all way through the book and come up with a fitting
end - making it a classic horror that just keeps you turn
that pages wondering what mischief he'll throw in your face
next.
A must for the horror section of your library... Thumbs
up!"
-- Tord, Norway - tophus@online.no
"I just finished The Nocturne! A real page turner,
breathtaking every step of the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it
and look forward to reading more and more of Steve's work."
-- Dana Danchik, USA - ddanchik@speakeasy.net
"Finally finished The Nocturne. It was very good. I'm the
sort of person who can't keep on reading a book that I'm
not enjoying. I'm a hard man to please whn it comes to
books, so the fact that I got through The Noctunre is a
testament to Steve's writing ability. Right from the start
this had me hooked - I had to know what happened next. I
wanted to read on. It was very enjoyable in a sick and
perverted way and there wasn't a dull moment. Essentially
this is an action novel, so although I would've liked more
shades in the characters, this really isn't that sort of
novel, so Steve met that balance of character depth vs
keeping the action moving very well. Great atmosphere, good
characters and a lot of sex and violence. I highly
recommend this book."
-- Brett McBean, Australia -
brettmcbean@hotmail.com
"This is the first book by Steve Gerlach I have read and
already I'm itching to get my hands on more. Laymon fans
expect all the horror, sex, blood and gore from The
Nocturne. This is a highly entertaining book, if you enjoy
all the fast-paced, nail biting action that we have come to
know and love, then The Nocturne will leave you wanting
more. I won't give away the plot, read the first chapter if
you haven't already, and I guarantee you will be
captivated. It's a KILLER!! RATING: 9/10"
-- Paulette Reed, Victoria, Australia -
melper@aei-aust.com.au
"The Nocture is most impressive. It certainly reads better
than a number of other published books I have read
recently. It's extremely good."
-- Mike Slusher, Victoria, Australia
"The Nocturne was a creepy and enjoyable book. I liked the
short chapters, the roller coaster ride, and the various
plots all tying in together in the end. As I was reading
it, I thought that it was like a millennium version of the
Twilight Zone with an R rating."
-- Sam Smith, Evansville Police, Indiana, USA -
samuraismith@webtv.net
"The Nocturne was definitely a gripping read. First off, I
had to keep reading just to find out what the hell was
going on. And that's not a criticism. His characters wind
up stranded in a town out of the Twilight Zone, where
killing the outsiders is its only focus... never giving the
all-consuming forest fire bearing down all around a second
thought.
And then there's the action. Gerlach does not pull any
punches with this gut churner. People are used and abused
to no end, before and after they die. It was relentless.
If you are looking for something to read, that does not
handle your mind with kid gloves, check out The Nocturne."
-- Dwayne Holmes, Producer, Gemineye Film Productions,
USA - dholmes@enteract.com
"Absolutely great! I really really loved The Nocture and as
soon as you can get your hands on it...grab a copy!! I
would give it 9/10."
-- Karen Fry, Laymon Discussion List, South Australia -
sinnamon@chariot.net.au
"What can I say about The Nocturne? I loved it!"
-- Chris Martin, The Laymon Project, South Australia -
chris_nat@picknowl.com.au