3.5 stars

As a long time fan of Dean Koontz's novels, I was drawn into The Good Guy because of the intriguing premise: a nice guy in a bar gets mistaken for a hired assassin and is shown a picture of a woman that someone wants dead. The opening definitely grabbed my attention, as did the promise of more insight into Tim Carrier, the main protagonist, whose life is a bit of a mystery throughout most of the novel.

While the premise remained interesting, I'm afraid I started to lose interest in the characters. I craved to know more about Tim and Linda, the woman with the target on her back, and to feel some emotion from them. There wasn't enough back story to satisfy me and I just didn't care about them.

The constant witty banter between all the characters made everything seem like a joke or something to be made fun of. I don't see people reacting this way in real life. It took away from the believability of the novel. The most interesting character was the killer, a very sick and twisted man who gives the reader insight into the secret society that has hired him.

While The Good Guy won't be my favorite Koontz novel, it is a decent read. There is enough action and suspense to keep you reading. It doesn't compare, however, to most of Koontz's earlier works, such as Watchers or The Taking. It also misses out on the supernatural element that we usually think of when we think `Dean Koontz'.

He is one of my idols and a writer I greatly respect, so writing a review like this is difficult for me, but I pride myself on being honest. All reviews are personal preference and I give this book 3.5 stars. I am however looking forward to reading more Dean Koontz novels.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
author of The River and Divine Intervention

YAWN!!!! More like a comic book without pages. Mr. Koontz is good enough to turn out mindless dribble like this every day of the week without much effort, which isn't a bad thing, but then again, why? What happened to trying to stretch oneself? What happened to trying to create " art", or better yet, something that will last long after each of us here are dead and gone? I've read enough Koontz that I'm ready for something better than "OK". I'd like to know, Mr. Koontz, when do we get that which you're truly capable of? When do we get substance? When do we get your defining work? And don't say Odd Thomas, again, YAWN!!!, mediocre at best. You're a very talented gifted story teller, surprise us!I want $14.99 work for $7.99.

Did you ever hear the one about the guy in the bar? Only Dean Koontz could take the start of a joke and find a way to twist an interesting thriller out of it. I thought the characters were a bit thin and many of the plot twists questionable, but in the end a nice read.

I saw so many possibilities for Tim Carrier. I wanted him to be tempted by the thought of playing the roll of hit-man. I needed some internal struggle and a shade of darkness from our hero. But he was a Good Guy. I guess that makes sense.

You know what else I wanted? I wanted more tension between Tim and Linda. The relationship came too easily for them.

The Good Guy is a call to order for anyone who is looking for a fast turner and doesn't mind doing it with strangers.

I have not read any Koontz for a while. This one caught my eye so I decided to order it. I have the hard copy.
I couldn't put this book down. I loved the characters, the plot, the story and most of all the hero. From cover to cover i could not put this book down. By far one one of the best books in my collection!

Dean Koontz is never at a loss for words, you can be sure of that. But sometimes you read this guy, and while the story is told well, you have questions. Is that really all there is to it? And I guess there is a good mix throughout this whole ordeal in "The Good Guy," but I walked away from it not really caring. I wanted to love everything this had to offer, and I didn't. But even if I didn't like it as much as others, I'm sure it turned some heads.

We meet Timothy Carrier right after work, he's enjoying a cold beer. And then he gets a message, delivered right to him, with a present. And Tim Carrier is expected to kill. But there's one problem. Tim doesn't want to kill the woman in the photo. He wants to save her. And he meets the mysterious Linda Paquette, and the chase is on! Because somebody is going to make sure this woman dies, and Tim just might die with her. Let the race begin.

As much as I hate to say it, I wasn't convinced with the antagonist in this. In Koontz's other works, I'm more than convinced, and I want to know about the killer. This killer was way too ho-hum for me. And when he was finished, it never came as a surprise to me! I wish it would've.

But there is a certain twist in this that keeps the pages turning, keeps the reader interested. In the end, you may want fries with this. If not, maybe some cream and sugar to make it interesting. And if that's the way you like it, that's great!! Maybe next time, Dean, it will be better for me.

It is really hard to imagine a better plot developer that Koontz. I recently started reading his novels and I must say he is a master attention getter or curiousity arouser. For that reason once you pick up one of his works you are automatically turn into a page turner. This title begins with the why? to the how? and with the twist and turns at the end you have a complete story with a moral lesson at the end. That is what intrigues me the most.

Koontz is a popular horror novelist but there is nothing of a supernatural or ghoulish nature in The Good Guy ,which like many other recent Koontz novels such as The Husband,is a thriller-and a good one .The title character is Jim ,a landscape gardener with his own business.He is seated at the bar of his favourite watering hole ,drinking a post work beer when a total stranger hands him $10,000 saying the rest will follow "when she's gone" He has been mistaken for a hired killer and when the real killer turns up Jim finds himself the target of his wrath .Along with the intended victim ,Linda Paquelle ,he goes on the run seeking to evade the killer and hopefully turn the tables on him .It is cleasr that Krait ,the killer ,is being employed by a well resourced organisation and that he is also a stone killing machine .

What follows is a triple pursuit story-Jim/Linda in pursuit of the assassin ,the assassin pursuing them and behind it all and the organisataion keeping an eye on the situation to ensure all goes as smoothly as possible

There are hints of political paranoia ,with a key role being played by a shadowy ,ultra secret Federal organisation but essentially this is good ,old fashioned chasetthriller with shades of Hitchcock's classic movie North by Northwest

The dialogue is sharp and brittle with strong doses of mordaunt wit and humour.While there are some formulaic elements repeated from other recent Koontz novels -the blue collar hero with a past that is not exactly unblemished ,running from a sociopath-the book has pace and power to spare and is a good ,compelling read for lovers of the genre

this one kept me up late into the night!
i just had to get to the end! highly recommended!
get this, this was my first koontz book!
looking forward to reading more of his works!

I enjoyed this book. I liked it from the start, it was interesting and suspenseful. It had Koontz' good humor in it as well. Throughout most of the book, you are reading from either Tim or the hired killers perspectives. I liked this, because this way you get to see what both are thinking during the story.
I also liked Linda and Tim's romance, it's not forced and gradually shows up.

I am a devoted Dean Koontz reader, but this book falls flat on a number of fronts. The characters are derivative and wholly uninteresting. Koontz violates the first rule of good writing: SHOW the reader, don't TELL them. Koontz tells us over any over how noble and courageous the main characters are, but he never actually shows us enough about them to allow us to come to that conclusion on our own. The plot is also quite derivative. If you're a loyal Koontz reader, you can see exactly where the plot is headed at every turn. There's no innovation, no surprises (except a few cheap ones), and therefore precious little suspense.

It really feels like Koontz phoned this one in. Even the bad guy is a weird-yet-incomplete cocktail of former Koontz villains. This flat, uneven, boring book is possibly his worst. There are better things to spend a few hours of your life reading. Sorry, Dean, maybe next time old friend.

You could use some of these getaway hints if you ever find yourself stalked by a hit men; it could happen to even you. And he worked in a Golden Retreiver, too.

As far as I can remember, this is my first Koontz novel. My wife and I listen to books on tapes when we travel. "The Good Guy" is admittedly interesting and held our attention but the plot was absurd, the main protagonist unbelievable if not ridiculously contrived. The hero, is of course, larger than life and the damsel in distress has deep inner strength founded in an injustice to her family. Cookie Cutter plot. Life is too short and there are too many equally entertaining novels out there that have a lot more to offer than this one.

I loved this book! I had gotten away from reading Dean Koontz, because i'm not a fan of the "Odd" books or the Christopher Snow books. However, Velocity, The Husband and now The Good Guy are what i look forward to in a Dean Koontz novel. I thought the relationship between Timothy Carrier and Linda Paquette was beautiful. And the way Mr. Koontz was able to impart a sense of humor in the midst of edge of your seat suspense shows what a masterful story teller he is.

The Good Guy is an example of Dean Koontz's talents.
For more go to http://youtube.com/Bobsbooks

When I infrequently turn to a Dean Koontz thriller for entertainment, I usually discover some psycho that's evolved from a bad childhood. It makes one wonder what crowd the author ran with as a kid.

Here, stonemason Tim Carrier, minding his own business on a barstool, finds himself mistaken for a hit man by one who abruptly gives him an envelope of money and the note: "Half of its there. Ten thousand. The rest when she's gone." The "she" is author Linda Paquette.

Then, when hired killer Krait shows up at the same barstool, Tim endeavors to pass himself off as the one ordering the hit, but with a change of mind. He gives Krait the 10K to not carry out the pre-arranged contract. Krait is unmoved.

On flights from Burbank to Oakland to Portland to Las Vegas to Burbank, THE GOOD GUY was a book I couldn't put down. I barely noticed the packaged peanuts or, on the leg to Vegas, the young woman with the showgirl body and plunging neckline in the seat across the aisle. The read is that good.

As Carrier takes it upon himself to single-handedly save Linda's life, the hook of the plot is obviously to discover if he succeeds or if they both end up as corpses. Krait is one twisted and relentless dude in his pursuit of the fleeing pair. Then, there are the anticipated answers to the questions that the reader asks. What was Carrier before he started laying brick that enables him to keep himself and Paquette out of harm's way? You or I would be dead in a heartbeat, so don't try this at home. And why has Linda been targeted? Even she hasn't a clue.

Except for its diversionary potential, THE GOOD GUY has no redeeming value whatsoever; it's pure trash. But, for a plane ride from Burbank to Oakland to Portland to Las Vegas to Burbank, it was absolutely perfect. Even if I did pass on the opportunity to ogle the showgirl.

In "The Good Guy", author Dean Koontz creates some memorable and believable characters who could seem as average as your next door neighbors. That's where any comparison to your normal, average American life will end as a stirring and violent plot shoots off the pages from the very start of the novel.

Unlikely protagionist Timothy Carrier was just enjoying a beer after a long day on the job when he is approached by a suspicious character who gives a bundle of money and a picture of a women he wants killed. Before Carrier can sort all of this out, he is soon approached by the real hitman, a sociopath by the name of Krait, who confuses the situation even more. Carrier nows finds himself caught in the web between contractor and killer and takes it upon himself to save the real victim, author Linda Paquette.

As Carrier and Paquette flee from Krait, Koontz slowly develops each character to the point where the reader has no choice but to be drawn into the bizarre plot just as deeply as the characters are. Krait truly is the epitome of evil and ranks with the Lecters of the literary world. As with many non-supernatural Koontz novels, humor and violence are wonderfully mixed in measured doses to the point where the book is nearly impossible to put down.

Reders of the recent Koontz book, "The Husband" will find this novel just as satisfying and fast-moving. Creepy, suspenseful, and well-crafted, the legion of Dean Koontz fans will find "The Good Guy" singularly entertaining and worthy to be recognized as one of his better recent novels.

It's been a while since I last read a good story from Mr. Koontz. This one was boring and very predictable, the characters lacked depth and the plot was flat.

This reminded me of Stephen King's attempt at the old detective novels "The Colorado Kid". The dialogue is unreal and "This dame walks into my office" like. The story is good and the plot keeps you reading. My scale of a good read is weather I care enough about the characters to keep reading and I have to say I really did. The hired killer was worth reading about alone. I like what Dean Koontz did with this book it never let me down.

I don't typically read Dean Koontz, but once in awhile I will pick one up. From the very beginning of this book, I had trouble getting into it. The story line just seemed confusing and jumbled from the start. I bought the book, so I forced myself to read it, but every time I picked it up, I just dreaded it! The ending did have a bit more excitement, but maybe that was just because I knew I was almost done.

This book sounded somewhat similar to one of my favorite movies ¡V Red Rock West (directed by John Dahl and starring Nicholas Cage & Dennis Hopper) and I have always enjoyed reading Koontz.

It¡¦s been a while since I¡¦ve read a Koontz novel ¡V I used to read him all of the time ¡V I forgot what a master of metaphors he is. . . I used to always pick my favorite ones from each book ¡V my favorite metaphor in this book is:
¡¥The mild May night breathed as shallowly as an anesthetized patient waiting for the surgeon.¡¦ I love it! º

Like all Koontz¡¦s novels, this one is a great read! One of those books that keeps you turning pages, into the wee hours of the morning. . .
I particularly liked the killer in this novel ¡V one whom you will always remember!

myspace.com/horror_reviews

First let me say that I have enjoyed many Koontz books. One of my favorites was LIGHTNING, and I love all of the ODD books. Second, I disagree with reviewers who say you can't put this book down. I did. I put it down and did not get back to it for two weeks. Did not even feel the "call" that you feel when a really good book is waiting for you. My real problem lies, however, with the ending. As is the case with far too many Koontz books, there is a big let down in the last few pages. Bad guy meets his end. End of story. It happens all too often in Koontz books, it happened here, and I am one reader who is getting tired of these abrupt endings. I want the satisfaction of seeing the villain suffer (a little payback in return for the suffering he has caused); and sometimes I feel the need to know a little more about what happened in the protagonist's life after the story has come to an end. Frankly, it feels like Koontz is so happy to reach the end of his stories that he rushes the conclusions just to be done.

I have read most of Koontz' books, liked "The Husband," but this one beats it. No supernatural stuff, just a plain old thriller that really is funny, intriguing and a fast read. The underlying spook-FBI conspiracy premise may not be new, but... as in other Koontz works, the characters make the book. The good guys (and girls) are blends of those we have met in the past, lovable AND believable, once you figure out the whole story, battling one of the most eccentric neurotic/psychotic villains in fiction. For animal lovers though, no dog hero (sorry). As for the ending, had me guessing all the way through. Koontz is definitely on track with this book and hope to see more like them, with or with out the ghosts. Take it to the beach!

It's a quick enough read, but the reasons for the murder-for-hire turn out to be so ridiculously over the top, I ended up laughing out loud at Dean Koontz's novel. This was the first book I read by this author (whose popularity baffles me) and it will likely be the last.

Yes, spoilers ahead!


+++


First, of the good, for The Good Guy. I liked Tim. I liked Linda. Their back and forth was one of my favorite things of the book. Pete and Zoey - gotta have a dog don't we? His mom. His pilot. His bartender. Everyone was likable. The chase was pretty good. One of the best cat and mice things I've read. Clipped along at a great pace. Very good!

And then there's The Bad Guy.

He was strange. And violent. And has no memory before the age of eighteen. Why? Don't ask. You'll never know. (Okay, he chose to lose his memory - moving along).

Yes, Dean Koontz is still one of my favorite authors. And yes, I couldn't put The Good Guy down. No red herrings - of the good! Definitely.

How'd The Bad Guy find them? Oh! Answered!

How'd The Good Guy and The Good Girl get away this time? Oh! Answered.

Nothing along those lines were left hanging. It was asked, answered, and even made sense.

Of the bad, the ending just killed me again! It suffers from The Darkest Evening of the Year syndrome. The closer the conclusion came the more I dreaded what was going to happen. And it happened! No!

But alas, yes.

It was a cop out to me. Too tidy. Again.

And I wanted to know more about the killer.

Linda and Tim's secrets were okay. Tim's far better than Linda's. What is it with the dogs? Dean's writing has changed since Trixie has gone on, and I get that, but jeepers. Abused kids. Euthanized dogs. Just Leave.It.Alone. Please.

It wasn't enough that Linda lost both of her parents and her dog. She had to be abused as well. Little much for me.

Personally, I was right there with Tim all the way until the ending, like I stated earlier. "Don't do it!" He did it. I wasn't happy.

So, that's why there's a three for this one. It kept me interested. I liked the characters. I liked the pacing.

The plot? Meh? The ending? Double meh.

This book was great, i could not put it down from the time i got it in the mail. I suggest this book for anyone was loves a ride.

I thought it was one of Dean Kootz poorest books. I did not enjoy it.

The Good Guy
This book was so good. It was a fast read. I really enjoyed it. And the best part was I bought the book in LARGE print.

I enjoy the character discriptions, exciting adventure, and helps me to realize that my problems are not so bad.

Good page turner. I bought this for a plane trip and it made the time fly by (no pun intended). I thought the ending was a bit weak/implausible but that didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the book.

Though technically not a horror novel, nor Koontz's strongest effort, The Good Guy, nevertheless, doesn't disappoint, primarily in its ability to create a sense of looming danger that not once flags in its intensity and, to boot, is delivered at breakneck speed. Furthermore, Koontz gives us a set of primary characters that are appealing and three dimensional and to whom the reader will immediately respond. Even the antagonist is interesting and quirky, if wholly deranged and clinical in his savagery. There was nothing either superfluous or gratuitous in the story; everything and everyone has its purpose and it is blessedly free of contrivances and filler. It doesn't take itself too seriously, either. Koontz is merely offering his reader a rollercoaster ride and though some may quickly dismiss it as a reactionary story, the characters and how they respond to their predicament from a psychological perspective lends it a sense of purpose. I enjoyed it a great deal, so much so that I read it in 5 hours. I believe that if you enjoyed Intensity or Servants of Twilight or even Mr. Murder, you will enjoy The Good Guy.

This is my second Koontz read, (right after "The Darkest Evening of the Year." There were certain things about each book that absolutely glued me to the pages. For "Darkest Evening" it was undoubtedly the supernatural suspense and horrific revelations. With "Good Guy" I almost got runners high during the intense cat and mouse scenes.
Unfortunately for both books, Koontz is a guy who repeats himself TIME AND AGAIN. Many times "The Good Guy" sounded almost identical to "Darkest Evening.." Not to mention that the female character are CONSTANTLY victims in Koontz' books. He seems to always leave his heroines in danger of rape and molestation... I thought this was better in "The Good Guy." I thought that, just maybe, we could get a story without it... Alas no. 300 or so pages into the book, Linda relates to Tim a horrific experience with a perverted psychiatrist when she was a small child. Now, mind you, Koontz shows considerable restrain in his descriptives nowadays... I wasn't exploited in any way because he's a very tasteful righter. On the other hand, however, this theme is just downright tired in Koontz's books and I think it's time he moved on to other things.

OK. All things considered, Koontz DOES rock to a certain extent. My gripes are legit, but not enough to merit the boycott of an otherwise extremely engaging novelist.

Mason Timothy Carrier is a simple man, a guy who just wants to do his job, do it well and maybe enjoy a quiet beer after work. One day while having that beer in his friend's bar someone talks to him for a bit, then leaves him an envelope stuffed with money and a picture of a woman. It doesn't take Tim long to figure out that he's been mistaken for a hit man. Then the real hit man comes into the bar. Tim tries to tell him that he's the guy who hired him and that the deal's off. Tim is trying to be the good guy.

However, as I'm sure you've guessed, the real hit man doesn't go for the story and it's not long before Tim and the woman he'd tried to save are on the run. This is a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat as you rapidly pour through the pages. I couldn't put it down and I don't think you will be able to either.

Dean Koontz's latest novel, The Good Guy, is a bumpy thriller that can't quite match the speed of previous novels such as Intensity.

Tim Carrier lives a low-key life in Northern California, using his masonry skills to build walls. His life takes an exciting turn when one day, while enjoying a beer in the local tavern, a man with a manila envelope mistakes Tim for a hired killer. When the real killer enters the bar moments after the mysterious man leaves, Tim makes a snap decision to offer the $10,000 as a no-kill fee, and to warn the woman, Linda Parquette, that someone is out to end her life. Tim and Linda have no idea that they are dealing with a tenacious killer who will stop at nothing to rid the world of Linda, Tim, and anyone else who gets in his way. Tim enlists the help of his police-buddy, Pete Santos, who then also becomes a target of the hit man, to find out as much as possible about who the killer is.

While the plot is fast-paced, there are numerous character flaws that Koontz ignores by creating a "mysterious" background for the killer. The readers are never given a name for him, as Santos discovers that he has several false identities, the only continuity of which is the initials RK. Even RK refers to himself with several different names including Rudyard Kipling and Romulus K. Koontz doesn't explain how RK became a hit man, first for the mob, and now for a mysterious organization RK refers to as The Gentleman's Club, a group of support people who help RK maintain his ability to complete his murderous tasks. Koontz paints RK as charming enough to fool most people, but as a person who is ignorant of his own background, being unable to remember anything prior to being 18 years old. RK is a socio/psychopath in the first degree, having no sympathy or empathy for other people including having the desire to kill everyone in the world. He is a homeless man who loves the coziness of a clean home, but has to break into homes every day in order to shower, eat, and enjoy the home life. The reader is teased with getting to the truth of who the killer and the mysterious organization he works for, but Koontz denies the reader a full understanding of RK. While the story is definitely about Tim and why he chooses to sacrifice his own life and family, if necessary, to protect a woman he had never previously met, the reader is left unsatisfied with the explanation of pure evil as exhibited by RK. The character has a quality of paranormal abilities without actually being drawn as a paranormal. It is as if Koontz is trying to write a thriller without supernatural elements, but is not completely successful.

Less of a problem, but still as frustrating, are the characters of Tim's mother, Mary, and of Linda Parquette. Linda lives a solitary writer's life, obsessed with the American depression era. Koontz has a disjointed explanation of her background, how her parents had been wrongly accused of molesting their day-care children, and both died in prison while Linda was sent to her evil great-uncle to live. Her strength of character is supposedly from enduring this terrible childhood, but her acceptance of her fate doesn't jibe with how she has chosen to react through writing her depressing novels. Koontz intimates that Mary's strength of character is inborn, and that is where Tim gets his from, but again, this isn't explored in a satisfactory manner.

As Tim and Linda struggle to keep one step ahead of the killer, Santos discovers the hit on Linda has something to do with The Cream & Sugar murders that happened the previous year. Santos and his Golden Retriever, Zoey, a staple in nearly any Koontz novel, join with Linda and Tim at the penultimate scene in order to defeat the killer and learn who The Club is and why they exist.

The conclusion is a bit too pat, the explanations a bit too thin, and the sometimes disjointed style with which Koontz writes this novel may leave readers unsatisfied.

One of the reasons I (and probably most of you) purchased a kindle is for the discount prices on books. Koontz THE GOOD GUY is not discounted at all. It sells for the same price as the paperback hard copy sells for in any retail store. If this is what is going to happen in the future I feel cheated.

Eh, not as great as some of his other stuff but it a catchy way of telling a story. Personally, I like Koontz more when he deals with more fantastic elements then the crime/thriller style of stories. He does them well, I just don't think he does them as well as his fantasy/horror.

Recommended.

An excellent novel by a master storyteller. This one kept me up late to finish the book - the sign of some very good writing.

Timothy Carrier just wanted to stop into a friend's bar for a quiet beer or two after a hard day on the job as a mason laying bricks. A case of mistaken identity pulls him into a conflict with a killer for hire. The case becomes a mystery because the intended victim does not have a clue as to why someone would want to kill her.

The case becomes tangled as events from the past are revealed, and an insidious plot involving high placed people comes to light. There is a lot of collateral damage as various innocent people just show up at the wrong time, but that is the nature of the story, i.e., being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I would note that, as s side issue, a psychopath wants to hunt down authors who write things displeasing to him - he will torture and kill them.

First off, you people who rate this book 5 stars, what do you rate books like Odd Thomas or The Face? Or do you seriuosly compare the two as equals?

I am aware that every author has his good and bad days. This is not a good day for Koontz. This is a straight forward, utterly predictable action thriller filled with "seen this before"-moments. That is actually the sensation you have during the entire book. There is nothing innovative about this book and you will forget it 5 minutes after you read it. What baffels me the most though, is that he choose to put the ONLY plot twist (wich really isnt much of a twist) as a "post-it" on the cover - the clever reader (wich I suspect are few judging from the hight ratings) will put too and too together from page, well, 20.

Sometimes i feel its better if great authurs just take a break between inspiration..but i guess their contracts wont allow that.

After having read multiple Koontz novels, I have come to expect a certain subtle wit and internal dialogue that keeps me laughing even through the most suspenseful of scenes. The Good Guy, while delivering on the action and thrill, failed to meet Koontz' usual standard of excellent writing style.
If you have read Koontz before, you will know that his novels are a metaphor for his vision of good and evil in the world. The protagonist is an idealized "good", while the villain is a shattered soul who embodies evil. Spiritual themes and social commentary are subtly interwoven to provide intellectual entertainment on another level, making Koontz more than just a throwaway beach read.
The Good Guy had a very satisfying protagonist, of the sort we have come to expect from Koontz. The villain, however, was a bit less well developed, and didn't really reveal the motivation behind his fallenness. The dialogue was a bit too much like tv series patter--you know, the kind where they all laugh at the end of the show over some inane remark.
All in all, this was a good page turner and served well as an antidote to an otherwise dull evening. Yes, I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I got it in paperback instead of hardcover. "Three stars"--could be better.

if this book were a dish, it would have been burnt on the outside and raw inside.
if it were a person, it would have been shallow and all talk.
if it were a land, it would have been a dry soil, with deep cracks.
and if it were a movie, it would have been a comedy.

Stone mason, bachelor Tim Carrier is sitting in a pal's bar having a beer when a man approaches him and gives him an envelope. Tim looks inside, finds ten grand and a photo. Not an idiot Tim, he figures out he's been mistaken for a hit man. That's bad enough, but shortly after the real hit man arrives. Tim, wanting to do the right thing, to be the good guy, takes out the intended victim's info, pretends to be the first guy, gives the bad guy the ten large and tells him the deal's off.

Of course, Kraut, the bad guy, doesn't buy it and now Tim, continuing to be the good guy, seeks out Laguna Beach writer Linda Paquette, the intended victim. After all, it's a good guy's job to save the beautiful girl from the bad guy. But saving her isn't going to be a piece of cake, because now the bad guy is hot on their trail.

There you have it, the setup for this book. It's not a horror story, but it's stuffed full of suspense, twists and turns and I liked it a lot. The characters were great, though I gotta admit I liked the bad guy the best. Dean Koontz just keeps churning out fast-paced, well thought out tales of suspense.

Jack Priest, author of Ragged Man, Gecko & Night Witch.

I'll not waste your time with another run at the plot. If you usually like Koontz, you will probably have this book already; if you don't care for Koontz, give it a try anyhow. It is not his usual story. It will keep you interested to the end! And, yes, it would make a great movie plot! Hope someday it makes it to the screen!