Dean Koontz' "Innocence"
933213
This was an okay book, not one of his best, but certainly not one of his worst.  I used to love Koontz' descriptive novels, but he has gone way beyond using descriptions to clerify a novel - now he uses them to "fill" a novel.  A dissapointment in his writing abilities.
1091992
Dean Koontz is one of the best authors I know. If you like books like Steven King or Dean Koontz writes then you will like Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz. The book is about a man named CHristopher Snow that has a condition where he is very vulnerable to light. I gave this book four stars because although it was very good, it took me a little while to get into it because of the way Dean Koontz explains things in complete detail.
2260904
Good Read, I'm a Dean Koontz fan and it definitely meet my expectations where the story is intertwined and comes together at the end with a twist.
3217221
Just picked this up for a re-read. I originally read it when it first came out, I'm not going to say how old I was! Like Stephen King, Dean Koontz had his prime period and this book came out of it. The writing is pure and simple, characters extremely well drawn and very suspenseful plot. The only thing I didn't like about this version were the cultural updates. In my 1983 there were no CDs, cell phones or DNA testing (in the popular sense a la CSI etc). Really no need for it - leave the story as was.
1852599
Darkest Evening is the latest thriller by prolific author Dean Koontz. It's the story of Amy Redwing, owner of a golden retriever rescue agency and keeper of a dark, secret past; and her boyfriend Brian McCarthy, an architect with his own sordid history. The book opens with Amy rescuing a golden named Nickie from the home of an abusive father. As soon as she takes Nickie home, strange things begin to happen--intruders break into Amy's house, cars follow her around town and Brian begins obsessively sketching the dog. When an e-mail shows up from Brian's ex-wife, it sets the trio on a dangerous adventure to save his long-lost daughter.

I haven't read a Koontz book in years. I picked this one up because I loved Watchers as a child, and because I currently own (and love!) a golden retriever.

Even as a confirmed golden-lover, sometimes I found Koontz' romanticism of the breed to be a bit over the top. He seems to think that dogs are like fur-covered humans, only perfect and minus the personality flaws. Like fuzzy Jesuses or something. Dogs aren't humans with fur. Yes, they have feelings and personalities and they make you laugh and feel happy when they get excited to see you--but they're still dogs, and humans should let them BE dogs.

That being said, I think this book is on par with most of other Koontz' works that I read (I have not ready any of his other recent stuff). The plot is slightly contrived, some things that happened are pretty improbable, and some of the characters are stereotypical--but this is a thriller, not a piece of top-shelf literature. It has what a thriller should have: the pace moves quickly, the plot constantly thickens and there's definitely enough intrigue and action to keep you reading. The ending definitely felt like an anticlimax, and almost rushed, which was surprising. He definitely could have added another 100 pages without turning anyone off. I finished this in one day, afterall. It's not a tough read.

I don't think this was as good as Watchers, though if you enjoyed that book, I don't see why you'd HATE this one, but apparently that's the case with most of the 1-star reviews. Therefore, I recommend this with caution.
1572754
I am a big fan of Dean Koontz's books.  His characters are so real, so well-developed.  There is usually a dog involved somewhere and not just as "window dressing."  The dog plays a major role.  The reader is drawn to his characters  and really pulls for them.  This was a great read!  I found it hard to put the story down.  The pages just fly by!  Dean Koontz gets into the mindset of his characters so well -- both the good characters and the evil ones.  The plot is well-crafted and keeps the reader guessing.  The supernatural element is well-founded and intrinsic to the story.  I highly recommend this one!
1570204
This is a fun read for a Dean Koontz book.  I was totally surprised and delighted.  A great job by Dean Koontz. I want more like this.
4950981
This is definitely one of those "can't put it down" books that Koontz is known for.  For some reason I wasn't expecting too much from this one, probably because I had just read one that although good it wasn't as great as most (and no!  I won't say which book it was!).  I soon discovered that Relentless was heart-pounding, fast-paced and as my heading suggests, thrilling!  Briefly this book is about a man and his family (wife, son and, of course, their dog).  The man is an author and he comes across a critic who prefers to remain reclusive, for the most part, retaining his anonymity.  When the author ventures unwittingly into the critics private world a roller coaster ride of terror begins for this innocent family.  What ensues is some of the best writing that Koontz has produced to date.  Of course, this is all just my opinion but I am an avid Dean Koontz enthusiast and as such I believe that I do have a least a laypersons ability to judge whether a novel is good (in this case great) or not.
  I think that it is well worth your while to read this book for yourself and see if you agree with me.  But a word of warning, be prepared to spend a night or two with a few less hours of rest.  And just maybe with the lights on to boot.  Enjoy!
4444446
What happens when a regular joe with a hidden past gets caught up in a murder plot? He doesn't know the intended female victim, but he can't sit helplessly by while someone's life is at risk. Oh, and he's a big guy, a towering, gentle giant. He's Tim Carrier.

"The Good Guy" races through a short time period, following Tim as he tries to decipher the murderer's motives as well as his own growing attraction to the target. Linda is no hapless victim herself. She's worldly-wise and weary, yet full of humor and hope. Together, Tim and Linda face forces larger than suspected. The killer is one of Koontz's more interesting antagonists, a mix of amoral charm, calculating evil, and disconnected emotion.

Some might say Dean Koontz is in a rut, kicking out books too quickly, serving up variations of the same basic themes. And yes, "The Good Guy" feels like a hybrid of "Odd Thomas" and "The Husband." But I say the Koontz-meister's in a groove. He throws out line after line of great dialogue, social commentary, and narrative description. Although the ending seems a bit forced, even hard to believe, it fits with the themes and characters. Koontz shows us that in a world of evil there is still a light to conquer the darkness.
2228898
I really enjoy books from Dean Koontz, I have a hard time putting down anything he writes, I enjoyed this one also
3309930
Yes, I guess it's time to confess. I am a huge Dean Koontz fan and have listened to Winter Moon at least twice now. I love this one and recommended it to my son who was intrigued when he saw all the Dean Koontz books in my library. Only a couple of reading and he told me he now understands why I love Dean Koontz so much. I am a sci-fi fan and #aliens all the time. This book begins with a horrible crime that forces a cop's and his family to move to Montana for a little peace. But things turn out differently when raccoons begin to act weird.
984016
Dean Koontz is an amazing author. I have yet to come across one of his books I didn't like. I couldn't put this one down. Great writer, great book. Kept me wanting more.
2101071
I did not know that this was a "starter" book for Innocence. I am a big Dean Koontz fan but I'm not able to buy Innocence just yet. This little book was a nice marketing tool!
2032104
I loved this book so much, I couldn't put it down but was so disappointed when it was done. I'm hoping that Dean Koontz is going to bring this character back in more stories to come. I was shocked by the outcome of this book, innocence took another turn in my imagination.
1915485
Dean Koontz can be all over the page .... but I got hooked by him a couple of years ago when someone gave the the audio tapes of his book "THE WATCHERS" ... now one of my very favorite books. "THE GOOD GUY" is a suspenseful & intelligent story about Tim.  By the end of the book, you will know why Tim is the "GOOD GUY!"  GREAT BOOK!
341423
Residue has the feel of a Dean R. Koontz horror/thriller, complete with the clueless protagonist and his hyper-competent girlfriend. If you like Koontz, you'll like this.
2139262
While "The City" is definitely not one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels but it offers a nice retrospective from the eyes of a talented musician as the story moves back and forth across decades and generations recounting the 'terrible and wonderful' events that began in his city in 1967, when he was ten.

A classic story of love and evil - or good and bad.  The story is predictable but we learn more about Koontz's knowledge of art, swing music and ideas about social mores.

Absolutely NOT my favorite Koontz read and somewhat predictable but Dean Koontz is an awesome story teller and I've always been a big fan of his writing.

If you are a lover of Dean Koontz, you should enjoy this book because he's really got the gift of storytelling.