Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tiffyb's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I was so excited to read this story bc this premise was cool and have to admit that i was thoroughly stressed the entire book (which is what a thriller is supposed to do, right?). But I didn’t enjoy it much.😅😅 It started strong and fell to pieces so fast, ending laughably.
~~~mr Koontz has published books??~~~
The writing was sosososo choppy and awkward, there was way too much “witty” banter and strange introspection scattered throughout. Actually some of the worst writing I’ve read in ages. Not a single character talked like a human being (has this author ever spoken to a woman??!).
~~~skim skim skim~~~
I had to skim the hit man’s chapters because of gratuitous gore/lewdness (his chapters genuinely did not add a single piece of relevant info). I skimmed the other chapters cause they were packed with stilted observations and asides that didn’t do anything for the story (people walked by; someone was flying a kite; books were on a shelf; boy brought girl flowers). Then I skimmed even more.
~~~flirting~~~
Also the MMC and FMC spend the entire book “flirting” by answering each other’s questions in cryptic and ambiguous metaphors.🥱🥱 Oh also just after they meet, he says he’d like to bite her lip. And she doesn’t even react, Ew. And we can’t forget that while these two unexplainably and endlessly flirt, they are being actively chased by a killer!!
~~do they rly wanna live?~~~
They just keep using their own phones and credit cards and cars! 🤪 Every chance they have to actually thwart the bad guy is conveniently ignored (let’s shoot his cars console instead of disabling the car!!!)(probably too busy thinking about moving in together eight hours after meeting!!!).
~~~~ohhhh mysterious🙄~~~~
I knew exactly what Tim’s big Secret Backstory was the entire book- because of the endless supply of hinty hints - but we were all supposed to be surprised that all his buddies are *gasp* military buddies?!?? And he’s a military hero?!? Cue the LITERAL TEARS and go thank this boy’s mama!!!
~~~that ending~~~
My soul the ending is silly- huh the bad guy is dead, we never even knew what his deal was after being subjected to his disgusting POV for half the book. Oh also I’ll just pop over to chat with Mr. Presidente and save the whole nation!!
~~~ugh early 2000’s dudes~~~
Even more Annoying Points awarded for “not-traditionally-pretty-but-unexplainably-pretty-and-not-like-other-girls” girl who likes CaRssss and GuNsssss and she never is scared (why btw lol), her favorite chic flic is Die Hard but she hates watching TV and doesn’t waste her time on AmErIcAn iDoL like all the other useless brainless women!!!!!
Anyways yes I hated this book and will *never ever* pick up a dean Koontz book again unless it’s to throw it in the garbage lol. It gets 1.5 stars bc I finished it
~~~mr Koontz has published books??~~~
The writing was sosososo choppy and awkward, there was way too much “witty” banter and strange introspection scattered throughout. Actually some of the worst writing I’ve read in ages. Not a single character talked like a human being (has this author ever spoken to a woman??!).
~~~skim skim skim~~~
I had to skim the hit man’s chapters because of gratuitous gore/lewdness (his chapters genuinely did not add a single piece of relevant info). I skimmed the other chapters cause they were packed with stilted observations and asides that didn’t do anything for the story (people walked by; someone was flying a kite; books were on a shelf; boy brought girl flowers). Then I skimmed even more.
~~~flirting~~~
Also the MMC and FMC spend the entire book “flirting” by answering each other’s questions in cryptic and ambiguous metaphors.🥱🥱 Oh also just after they meet, he says he’d like to bite her lip. And she doesn’t even react, Ew. And we can’t forget that while these two unexplainably and endlessly flirt, they are being actively chased by a killer!!
~~do they rly wanna live?~~~
They just keep using their own phones and credit cards and cars! 🤪 Every chance they have to actually thwart the bad guy is conveniently ignored (let’s shoot his cars console instead of disabling the car!!!)(probably too busy thinking about moving in together eight hours after meeting!!!).
~~~~ohhhh mysterious🙄~~~~
I knew exactly what Tim’s big Secret Backstory was the entire book- because of the endless supply of hinty hints - but we were all supposed to be surprised that
~~~that ending~~~
My soul the ending is silly-
~~~ugh early 2000’s dudes~~~
Even more Annoying Points awarded for “not-traditionally-pretty-but-unexplainably-pretty-and-not-like-other-girls” girl who likes CaRssss and GuNsssss and she never is scared (why btw lol), her favorite chic flic is Die Hard but she hates watching TV and doesn’t waste her time on AmErIcAn iDoL like all the other useless brainless women!!!!!
Anyways yes I hated this book and will *never ever* pick up a dean Koontz book again unless it’s to throw it in the garbage lol. It gets 1.5 stars bc I finished it
campnata's review
3.0
I loved the writing in this book. Very detailed and imaginative. The banter between the two main characters was very cute and funny. I read and listened to the audio. The audio was well read however the voice of the author made the characters feel a little older than they seemed. The writing and banter did match their age though.
northlands's review
2.0
I love Dean Koontz mostly for nostalgic reasons, because I have been reading him for most of my life. This one failed for me. It felt like Koontz was trying to out-Koontz himself somehow. The characters went beyond his usual eccentricity into absurdity and the instalove was flat.
ptenorio71's review
3.0
Timothy Carrier is an ordinary man who finds himself caught up in an extraordinary situation one night at a bar. A stranger mistakes him for someone else and passes him an envelope filled with cash, saying "Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she's gone." The envelope also contains a photo of a woman and her address, implying she is a target for murder.
Shortly after, another man sits beside Timothy, believing he is the one who hired him as a hitman to kill the woman. Thinking quickly, Timothy lies and says he had a change of heart, paying the man the $10,000 to do nothing as a "no-kill fee." When Timothy follows the hitman outside, he realizes the man is actually a cop.
Timothy now finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, the only person who can save the innocent woman whose life is threatened. He must tap into reserves of courage, selflessness and heroism he never knew he had in order to stop the corrupt cop who is determined to kill her. Despite being an ordinary guy, Timothy is forced into extraordinary circumstances that will test his morality and transform his idea of who he really is and what it means to be "the good guy."
Shortly after, another man sits beside Timothy, believing he is the one who hired him as a hitman to kill the woman. Thinking quickly, Timothy lies and says he had a change of heart, paying the man the $10,000 to do nothing as a "no-kill fee." When Timothy follows the hitman outside, he realizes the man is actually a cop.
Timothy now finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, the only person who can save the innocent woman whose life is threatened. He must tap into reserves of courage, selflessness and heroism he never knew he had in order to stop the corrupt cop who is determined to kill her. Despite being an ordinary guy, Timothy is forced into extraordinary circumstances that will test his morality and transform his idea of who he really is and what it means to be "the good guy."
carolsnotebook's review
4.0
It kept me hooked. I had to know what their secrets were, and the bad guy was just creepy.
krisrussel's review against another edition
4.0
Liked it. All the chases and close calls keep you reading. Only 4 stars because the ending was a bit sudden and a bit of a let-down.
obsidian_blue's review
1.0
Bah.
Bah I say.
I decided to read some Koontz to get into a Halloween type of mood. Why do I do this to myself?
Besides having a ridiculous premise (dude thinks guy at bar is hired hitman) and guy the so called Good Guy decides to do what it takes to stop a woman he does t know from getting killed. The development of the good guy and woman is woefully inadequate. Koontz spends most of the book giving us the hitman's world view and it sucks. One chapter was enough. But nope we keep going back to him. The dialogue between characters was awful and the ending ludicrous.
Also a freaking dog appears but at least it's not a golden retriever.
The good guy in this book, Tim is dark and mysterious, but sorry I pegged him as former military within ten minutes. I am getting fed up with Koontz writing every character now is military and former military. Guess that's the only way he can explain them using weapons proficiently.
And I'm sorry, I don't buy why Tim is hell bent on getting involved with this whole thing cause he sees the woman he's paid to kill, face. Linda (the target) is a writer and man oh man she's irking. She's Gillian Flynn's cool girl brought to life. She can't answer questions or act like a regular human being, just talks in puzzles for most of the book before pushing a big reveal onto Tim about her life that I didn't buy for a second.
The other characters are barely in this and we just follow Tim and Linda as they hide from the bad guy.
Tim and Linda also make stupid decisions so that was fun to read (no it wasn't).
The writing wasn't great. I don't know what else to say besides that. I feel like Koontz has forgotten how people speak to each other (not in cliche form). Also it's creepy for a man to pop up and be all hey I may be falling in love with you as you run for your lives.
The flow was awful. There's a distinct difference every time you shift from Tim, Tim's friend who is trying to help and the hired killer.
The ending was a joke. I won't even get into it besides it just made the book worse than I thought was possible at that point.
Bah I say.
I decided to read some Koontz to get into a Halloween type of mood. Why do I do this to myself?
Besides having a ridiculous premise (dude thinks guy at bar is hired hitman) and guy the so called Good Guy decides to do what it takes to stop a woman he does t know from getting killed. The development of the good guy and woman is woefully inadequate. Koontz spends most of the book giving us the hitman's world view and it sucks. One chapter was enough. But nope we keep going back to him. The dialogue between characters was awful and the ending ludicrous.
Also a freaking dog appears but at least it's not a golden retriever.
The good guy in this book, Tim is dark and mysterious, but sorry I pegged him as former military within ten minutes. I am getting fed up with Koontz writing every character now is military and former military. Guess that's the only way he can explain them using weapons proficiently.
And I'm sorry, I don't buy why Tim is hell bent on getting involved with this whole thing cause he sees the woman he's paid to kill, face. Linda (the target) is a writer and man oh man she's irking. She's Gillian Flynn's cool girl brought to life. She can't answer questions or act like a regular human being, just talks in puzzles for most of the book before pushing a big reveal onto Tim about her life that I didn't buy for a second.
The other characters are barely in this and we just follow Tim and Linda as they hide from the bad guy.
Tim and Linda also make stupid decisions so that was fun to read (no it wasn't).
The writing wasn't great. I don't know what else to say besides that. I feel like Koontz has forgotten how people speak to each other (not in cliche form). Also it's creepy for a man to pop up and be all hey I may be falling in love with you as you run for your lives.
The flow was awful. There's a distinct difference every time you shift from Tim, Tim's friend who is trying to help and the hired killer.
The ending was a joke. I won't even get into it besides it just made the book worse than I thought was possible at that point.
zhenya_crosbaya's review
4.0
This was a very interesting plot, and I found the main characters to be likable and engrossing. The villain of the novel was interesting, as well, and Koontz is very good at developing his villains as characters in their own right, not just hinges to base the main characters actions on.