The Good Guy

Koontz has done it again. Not that any of his fans had any doubt, but The Good Guy was one of the best reads that has graced my eyes. Having finished this book in only twenty-four hours proves that the 386-page novel is one that you will not be able to let go of until you have finished the ride.

Written in the classic, clear-cut voice that is found in all of Dean Koontz's novels, The Good Guy is a wonderfully intriguing read. His language and villain portrayal is enough to draw you in as you begin this tale of an unknown hero, but his characters' unique thought lines and style will keep you hooked.

As you begin the run of your life with Tim and Linda, you can't help but wonder: why? As the story unfolds further, the suspense grows. Foreshadowing will give you a small idea and some vague clues as to what may happen, but in the end, the why is still there. This why will dig and gnaw at you until you finally read those words that reveal the answer. The answer is one you may or may not expect, but it will be enough to move you. I sat with shining eyes as I digested the end, the answer. I felt an understanding, and a deep love for the realistic characters the Koontz so artfully created.

Koontz's flare for character creation really shines in this work. He creates an unknown normal-guy hero that you just want to believe in and hope for without having any clear-cut reason to. His unusual actions seem to belong to a unique, special personality rather than a thrill-seeking, lonely man. On the opposite side of that coin, Koontz writes into action an antagonist that you fear, not because he is a murdering hit man, but because he is steeped in everything that is wrong with society. He is real and yet outlandish at the same time. You will come to a realization about him halfway through the story, and he will become even more real. His actions will make more sense and his personality will be a nightmare that is all too really for Tim and Linda.

I tried to find something about this novel that I did not like, and I am left with a blank. The Good Guy is an artfully rendered suspense novel that has each of its reader's attention held and for just the right amount of time. Its characters are human and believable. The Good Guy is definitely the must read novel of the summer. It will give any beach reader goose bumps while laying in the sun, or that late night reader the chills that travel the spine. Mr. Koontz has given us yet another riveting example of what hides in the dark.