The Key to Midnight by Dean Koontz

As with most human endeavors, writing usually gets better with practice. That's why it is interesting to step back from the current offerings of your favorite author and instead look to some of his or her earlier material. That's one way to see how that particular writer has progressed at the craft over the years. Recently I completed reading a copy of The Key to Midnight by Dean Koontz. When the book was originally published, however, the author listed on the cover was Leigh Nichols.

Don't worry folks, there is no plagiarism involved here. Leigh Nichols was one among several pen names used by the self-described "still wet behind the ears" Dean Koontz. Written 10 years after Koontz became a full-time writer, The Key to Midnight was his first bestseller, with over a million copies sold on the initial publication.

Even in this early work, the reader is able to see indications of the remarkable writer that Dean Koontz was to become. His ability at research and his eye for fine detailing the city of Kyoto in print might make you think Koontz went to Japan to research the book, but you'd be wrong. Still, from the color of the taxis to minute details of Kyotoean life, Koontz does an excellent job of making his characters seem as real as the real life city they inhabit.

The story centers around Joanna Rand. Owner and headliner of the Moonglow Lounge, Joanna is troubled by a recurring nightmare of a terrifying man with steel fingers and a hypodermic syringe. The hero to this tale is private detective Alex Hunter. On vacation in Kyoto, Alex is certain that the beautiful singer Joanna is a key element to an unsolved case in his past. Throw an American Senator and some Russians into the mix and you have the ingredients for international intrigue Koontz style!

While The Key to Midnight does not have the emotional intensity and depth of Koontz later works, it is nonetheless an enjoyable read. You can't ask much more than that of any author.