As a longtime fan of Dean Koontz, I put his thriller/suspense novels into two categories. There is the suspense-plus-humor group of books, most often with a child and a dog, most enjoyable to read, and the thriller/horror group aka Stephen King style that will often scare you. After Death is not really horror, but it IS scary.
Synopsis of “After Death”
Michael Mace is head of security at a top-secret research facility. He is having lunch in the office cafeteria with his best friend, Shelby Shewsberry, a scientist at the facility, when an 'event' occurs and everyone in the building dies.
A short time later, Michael awakens and finds himself with extraordinary abilities and manages to 'escape' before anyone discovers he is now alive. He knows that the government will want to capture him, lock him up and study him, which is not something Michael wants.
Enter Durand Calaphas, a most vicious assassin who works for the Internal Security Agency, a highly funded government agency who does not particularly have our nation's best interests at heart. Calaphas will stop at nothing to capture (and kill) Michael. If Michael dies twice, he will not live a third time.
Michael uses his new abilities to erase his past to keep the ISA from finding him and sets out to honor his late friend Shelby by helping a woman Shelby greatly admired. Nina Dozier and her son, John, age 13, are in trouble and only Michael can help them.
The action in this novel takes place from Beverly Hills to a small apple orchard 30 miles east of Los Angeles, to a walled estate on the outskirts of San Diego. Only Michael can protect Nina and John from the violent street gang who threatens their lives, defeat the ISA assassin, and bring new light to the current darkening world.
Summary
In After Death, the action is fast-paced, and the tension is nonstop and scary. But ~ the ending is peaceful and calm and all that you would want it to be. This novel is definitely worth reading!
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*This book review of After Death is written by Wednesday Elf
