THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE

by Laird Koenig ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 8, 1973

. . . All alone, although her poet-father is said to be upstairs, is Rynn, a monstrum horrendum of simulated and diverse origins (the publishers refer to Child's Play, Burnt Offerings, Sleuth (?) and Psycho) with a chipped front tooth and a badly dented character and a white rat Gordon who doesn't last long. Neither does Mrs. Hallet who rented them the house on Long Island and tries to get rid of her although her freaky son Frank, a grown man, smelling of cologne and evil, is cleverer. You begin to feel a little sorry for Rynn after the crippled boy Marie becomes her friend -- more than her friend (there's that too and to think she's only thirteen) and when he gets sick and goes to the hospital and leaves her more alone than ever. Koenig's first book -- he's a scenarist -- belongs to the more the merrier school of gruesomeness designed to screw your thumbs to the pages you can hardly turn fast enough because you are curious and repelled and unbelieving all at the same time.

Pub Date: Feb. 8, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1973

Categories: FICTION