Elsewhere by Dean Koontz – Book Review

They have a key to open doors that no one else can see. It's the “Key to Everything”

As is now almost expected from a story by Dean Koontz, a best-selling master of suspense, this is a novel of wonder; this is a novel of terror!

Synopsis

Jeffy Coltrane lives a quiet life in Suavidad Beach, CA where he works at maintaining a normal life for himself and his 11-year-old daughter Amity since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago.  Life is simple for the pair of them. Jeffy is a dreamer who wishes he had lived in the era of the 1930s when Big Bands like Benny Goodman performed. Or in worlds that never were and never can be. He admits he's all about Big Bands and Hobbits. Amity shares his love of Science Fiction and Fantasy. They share a small house and a simple life where Amity is home-schooled and Jeffy repairs and restores Bakelite radios and collects and sells vintage posters and other Art-Deco articles from past times. 

Then, a local eccentric they call 'Spooky Ed” shows up on their doorstep.  Ed insists that Jeffy hide a strange and dangerous object that “he must never use”. 

The next morning, a group of ominous men visit and search their house. Jeffy & Amity have hidden the 'object' from the subsequent search these supposedly government agents make. Later, they accidentally activate the object Ed had called “the key to everything”, where they discover an extraordinary truth. The device allows them to jump between parallel planes both familiar and bizarre, wondrous and terrifying.  And they wonder if the key could help them find Michelle. 

But Jeffy and Amity soon find that others are interested in the device, including a man determined to use the key's grand potential for profound evil. Unless Amity and Jeffy can outwit him, the place they call home may never be safe again. 

Author Dean Koontz

*Image of Dean Koontz - "424471817_e337d8f8ec_o"  by  jeremyvaught  is licensed under  CC BY-NC 2.0 

Dean Koontz has written more than 100 books, 14 of which have hit the top spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. He has sold over 500 million copies. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, and their current Golden Retriever, Elsa. Koontz has a deep love for Goldens and has included them in several stories.

Summary

ELSEWHERE by Dean Koontz

Elsewhere is suspenseful, sometimes terrifying, often humorous and a delightful read consistent with what readers and fans expect from Dean Koontz. 

Book Review of ELSEWHERE by Dean Koontz written by (c) Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Devoted by Dean Koontz – A Book Review

 

Long-time fans of Dean Koontz know he is a dog-lover and, in particular, of Golden Retrievers. He has written 3 books from the point of view of Trixie, the first Golden that he and wife, Gerda, owned, plus a memoir about Trixie after her death.  Today they live with their Golden Retriever Elsa and the enduring spirits of Goldens Anna and Trixie.

All of us Koontz fans have read Watchers, which featured a very smart Golden Retriever. All together, Dean Koontz has written four novels where one of the main characters is a dog.  Now, with Devoted, he again features a very special Golden Retriever around whom the story revolves. 

Cast of Characters:

Woody Bookman – an 11-year-old boy who has never spoken a word. Woody has been diagnosed with a rare form of autism, although he is also a high-functioning autodidact with a high IQ. He taught himself to read at age 4 and was reading at the college level by age 7. He is also an accomplished computer hacker. 

Megan Bookman – Woody's mother, who loves him with all her heart.  Widowed at age 30, she is an artist whose paintings are quickly gaining a following. She doesn't really care whether critical acclaim waxes or wans; she's just grateful to have discovered that there was life after life after her first life ended with the death of her husband, Jason. Now her art and her child are enough for her. Keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. 

Kipp – a uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed. Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it's too late. 

Lee  Shacker – The villain protagonist.

The Plot

A Mother, A Boy, and a Dog Against the Night

Woody believes his father's death was not an accident. He believes a tremendous evil was behind it and now threatens him and his mother.  As Woody gathers information through his computer skills and his suspicions take shape, an evil man sets a depraved plan into motion. And he's coming after Woody and his mother. Only a force greater than evil can stop what is coming next.

One boy with the power to save the world. One man with the will to destroy it.  ~Google Books

Other Dean Koontz Books Featuring Dogs

Watchers, Fear Nothing, and its sequel Seize the Night, and The Darkest Evening of the Year.

Summary

Devoted by Dean Koontz

Devoted was published in March, 2020. If you love mysteries or thrillers with dogs and children and great writing, you will love this book. I  found it fascinating and impossible to put down.

Dean Koontz writing has the ability to show the extremes of good and evil, and the overwhelming power of love.

Book Facts:

Originally published: March 31, 2020

Author: Dean Koontz

Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Horror fiction

*Available in hardcover, paperback, audio book and on Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.

Book Review of Devoted written by (c) Wednesday Elf.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz – Book Review

Dean Koontz is a master storyteller. His fiction journey began when he was a senior in college and won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition. Since then, he has never stopped writing.

Koontz latest book published in 2022, The Big Dark Sky, is all we have come to expect from this master of suspense.

Synopsis

Image by Daniel Burkett  from Pixabay 

The setting is Montana where, as a girl, Joanna Chase lived on a ranch until tragedy changed her life. At age 9, after both parents die, Joanna goes to live with an aunt in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Now it is twenty-five years later. Joanna is a writer still living in Santa Fe. She has only vague memories of the past until she begins to receive pleas – by phone, through her TV, in her dreams.

I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me.

Unable to ignore these desperate pleas, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana.  Unknown to her until she arrives back at Rustling Willows Ranch, other people, including a scientist, a boy from Joanna's childhood, a private investigator and a computer expert, have also been drawn to this isolated area in Montana, haunted by a sense of imminent danger.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of this remote ranch, a madman lurks with a disturbing vision which tells him that mass murder is the only way to save the future. 

Summary

Available on Amazon

The synchronicity of coincidences brings together this band of strangers under Montana's big dark sky. Will they be able to defeat the threat that could spell the end for humanity? 

The Big Dark Sky is listed as a #1 Bestseller in Amazon's Science Fiction Adventures~

More Reviews of Books by Dean Koontz:

• Elsewhere
• Devoted
• Quicksilver
• For More Book Reviews by the writers on Review This Reviews, click on ReviewThisBooks.com

*The Big Dark Sky – Book Review by Wednesday Elf

  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Book Review of Relentless, a Dean Koontz Novel

 

Relentless, published in 2009, is a completely compelling suspense thriller that is fearless and funny.

Synopsis of 'Relentless'

Cullen Greenwich, known as “Cubby” is a successful and happy man. He is a bestselling novelist and knows how lucky he is to be making a living doing what he enjoys.  The love of his life is his wife, Penny, a children's book author and illustrator. Together, Penny & Cubby have a brilliant six-year-old son, Milo (affectionately called 'Spooky' for his genius abilities in math and science), and an unusual non-collie puppy Milo insisted on naming Lassie. 

Life in the  Greenwich household is happy and serene until Cubby receives a bad review on his otherwise well-received newest book. The bad review is penned by a much feared and seldom seen critic Shearman Waxx.  Cubby knows he should ignore the review, Penny & Milo know this; even Lassie knows. And he plans to do just that. Then he happens to learn where Shearman Waxx is taking his lunch and Cubby wants to just get a look at this mysterious recluse whose mere opinion seems to affect careers, and maybe even a life.

But Waxx isn't what anyone would expect and what seemed to be an innocent encounter turns into an escalating terror. It seems Waxx gives criticism but doesn't take it and he has ways of dealing with those who cross him. Soon Cubby and his family find themselves desperately struggling against a relentless sociopath and on the run for their lives.

Summary

In Relentless, Dean Koontz brings us another unforgettable tale involving evil, fate, and the power of love.  You will be cheering for Cubby, Penny, Milo and Lassie and their extended family and friends as they set out to free themselves from the force that is Shearman Waxx. 

Relentless, available on Amazon
in several formats

For Several More Dean Koontz Book Reviews, 

click here.

For More Book Reviews, check out 

ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of Relentless written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Quicksilver by Dean Koontz

 

A Book Review

Synopsis

Shortly after dawn, on a lonely highway outside the tiny town of Peptoe, Arizona, three men on their way to work discover an abandoned infant nestled in a white bassinet.  Except for the blue blanket which wrapped the baby, the only other item with him is a note with the name “Quinn Quicksilver”, and his date of birth. The men turn the 3-day-old baby over to the police who place him in a Catholic orphanage in Phoenix. 

For whatever reason, the baby is never placed and grows up – mainly happily – in the orphanage. As he nears his 18th birthday, typically the time orphans must leave the home, the kind Sisters locate a job for him as a writer/researcher at a locally published magazine.

Though unexceptional, Quinn was happy with his life until the day of strange magnetism which compelled him to drive out into the middle of nowhere. Then it helped him find a valuable coin. Shortly thereafter, this strange magnetism helped save his life when two government agents began to pursue him for an unknown reason.

During a shoot-out at a desolate former dude ranch, Quinn finally meets his destined traveling companions – the beautiful Bridgett and her grandfather Sparky.

The trio discover they are all compelled by the same strange magnetism.  As they travel together through the Arizona Sonoran Desert, they are drawn toward something sinister and an enemy they must defeat.  Although we are looking at just two 19-year-olds and a grandfather, they discover resources within themselves they did not know they possessed.

Summary

Quick Silver by Dean Koontz

Once again, Dean Koontz takes us on a combination Sci-Fi and Mystery adventure that keeps up the suspense until the very end. 

Quicksilver, just published in 2022, is the newest novel by award-winning author Dean Koontz.

For more book reviews on Review This!

check out ReviewThisBooks.com

Quicksilver book review written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Book Review of 'Ashley Bell' by Dean Koontz

 

Plot Synopsis

Bibi Blair, a funny, clever and fierce young woman – a writer by trade – is a girl who said 'no' to death.  When her doctor told her she had one year to live, Bibi replied “We'll see!”

And, suddenly, she is completely free of the rare, and fatal, brain cancer she has been diagnosed with. Bibi astounds medical science.

After returning home from the hospital, Bibi meets a mysterious woman who convinces her that she escaped death so she can save someone else; someone named Ashley Bell. 

Who is Ashley Bell, where is she, and why does Bibi Blair have to find ~ and save ~ her?

Bibi now finds herself on the run from threats that are both mystical and ordinary. It all appears to stem from a rich and very strange cult leader who has terrifying ambitions. One of his aims is to kill Ashley Bell. 

Summary

Bibi Blair is a delightful character whose story is told in sections. There is the present time when she is 22, on the verge of becoming a successful writer, and engaged to Pax, a Navy Seal, plus her friendship with her childhood surfing friend, Pogo. And there is the past when she is first 6-years-old, and we learn all about her special friendship with The Captain, who rents the garage apartment at her parent's home. And later at age 10 when 'Olaf' the Golden Retriever suddenly appears one afternoon and becomes Bibi's faithful companion. 

Bibi also has been writing stories since she was a child and this fact becomes very important as the plot unfolds. The story flips back and forth between 'young' Bibi and present-day Bibi. 

This is a fast-paced story with a fascinating heroine who has a good heart and a troubling gift we learn about in a twisting plot filled with many surprises. A suspenseful thriller with a mystery to solve.

Ashley Bell was published in 2015 (and somehow missed by me until now). It is listed by Amazon as Book 1 of 1 in the Ashley Bell series. I just discovered that Koontz also wrote a Trilogy entitled Darkest Desires: The Makani Trilogy, which leads into the Ashley Bell series. Darkest Desires is available in Audible Book form. 

For more Book Reviews on ReviewThisReviews
Check out ReviewThisBooks.com 

Links to other Reviews of books by Dean Koontz:

• Elsewhere
• Devoted
• Quicksilver
• The Big Dark Sky

*Book Review of Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz written by Wednesday Elf.

 

Available on Amazon
in four different formats

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The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz - Book Review

We have all known ‘fair weather friends’. But it is not fair weather all the time. What everyone could use is a ‘bad weather friend’ who is there for you in good times and bad! Dean Koontz latest novel, The Bad Weather Friend, deals with that premise. 

Once again we have a new Koontz novel to enjoy. This one is a little bit on the Science Fiction side and a good amount in the humor area.

Main Characters:

Benny Catspaw - a kind man with a sunny disposition who is enjoying his life.

Harper - a waitress at Benny’s favorite diner who is also a PI-in-Training.

Spike - A Craggle. A Craggle’s main function is to protect those who are too nice for their time and culture. Spike becomes Benny’s Craggle.

Synopsis

The Bad Weather Friend

Benny’s life was going along smoothly until the day he lost his job, his reputation, his girlfriend, and his favorite chair. One would think that Benny is just being paranoid. But, no! Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Nevertheless, he soon learns that there is a faction out there who feel compelled to destroy Benny because he is so nice! The nice people in the world do not fit into the way this group wants their world to be! 

Then, a giant crate is delivered to  Benny, from an uncle he never heard of, accompanied by a video message that states All Will Be Well in Time!

Inside the crate is a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike! Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. 

Summary

Benny and Harper end up joining Spike in seeking out and eliminating this group, or at least making their threats useless. As the story draws to a conclusion, Benny & Harper find they are very compatible as a couple, and Spike, the Craggle, becomes a valued friend for life. 

If you want to know what a ‘Craggle’ is, you’ll have to read the story! A delightful Dean Koontz story his fans will love.

*Book Review of The Bad Weather Friend, written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Forest of Lost Souls - Book Review

 

A Dean Koontz suspense thriller novel published in 2024.

Synopsis

Raised in the wilderness, Vida knows the forest well. 

The Forest of Lost Souls: A Novel

She was brought to the forested mountains by her great-uncle after becoming orphaned at the age of five. As a result, she has developed a special affinity for nature and for the animals who call it home. Her life has been filled with hard experiences and loss, but shaped by love and by the prophecies of a fortune teller.

All Vida ever wanted was to live her life peacefully in her simple home. She would have willingly shared it with the love of her life, local hero Jose Nochelobo, except he dies in what, at first, appears to be a tragic accident.

Eventually, Vida learns that nearby Kettleton County has powerful men who are determined to proceed with a plan that will only benefit them financially, and Jose was standing in the way. 

Vida is determined to discover the truth, but now these men of power want her to disappear forever. 

As these men begin to come for her, one by one, prepared to see their plans through, Vida prepares for them.

Summary

Vida has goodness and hope in her favor and the help of her knowledge of the forest and its animals. The wolves, especially, have become her friends and will play a role in her survival. Her determination will help her prepare to defeat evil brought to the area by powerful and greedy men and restore the natural order of life in her world. 

Another spellbinding thriller by Dean Koontz! 

• For More Dean Koontz Book Reviews on ReviewThisReviews, Click Here
• For More Book Reviews, Check out ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of The Forest of Lost Souls written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Book Review of After Death, A Novel by Dean Koontz

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! 

Related Links to Dean Koontz Book Reviews:

• Elsewhere
• Devoted
• The Big Dark Sky
• Relentless
• Quicksilver
• Ashley Bell

After Death

*This book review of After Death is written by Wednesday Elf  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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