The Good Guy
by Dean Koontz
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Book Reviews of The Good Guy
Book Review: PLEASE, PEOPLE, TELL ME YOU ARE JOKING!!!
Summary: 2 Stars
I have no idea why this book or many of Koontz' novels get so good reviews. Are you all good friends of his, grew up with him, are on his payroll or live in the same neighbourhood? Or do you secretly dislike his stories? - because a long time ago you had put Koontz on a pedestal and now you just don't want to admit you're wrong. 4 Stars, 5 stars. Tell me you're joking, please, 5 stars is like a TEN. Get real. Buyers want to read serious reviews, grounded criticism.
Okay then.
Pageturning excitement, sharp dialogues, riveting storylines - none of this you'll experience in Koontz' latest injection of trash. This thriller story gets off the ground, like all his stories, with a small inventive idea that promises a wide range of possibilities. Beyond lies the unknown, the danger, excitement. We start anticipating. Our blood rushes. This could be so so good. The hero of the story is mistaken for the wrong man - a contract killer - left with money and a job to do. We can see it all, instantly. His dangerous moblike enemy. The damsel in distress he's supposed to save. How is he going to defeat his pursuer? How is he going to save the love-interest? - because, surely, that is what she will be in this story, she just has to be!! How is Koontz going to make our heart race till it blows in our chest?
He isn't. Koontz sidetracks us into an overly familiar territory to the generic extreme - a chase, a beautiful well-spoken lady, a hero with hidden talents but with faults, and, of COURSE sir, immediately sir, one one-dimensional psycho-killer coming up! In the end we're not even suprised that yet another climax has bombed. Let's not shame Koontz further by discussing the implausibility of the story development.
Koontz doesn't stop with using only the antagonist's selfcentered sadistic profile he used two dozen times before, no no, his other main characters are only too happy to lend him aid by jumping from his other novels. He doesn't think of creating completely original characters, no, says Koontz challegingly, you think I don't dare using the same profiles again and again and again? - no? - watch me. Here we go... ah, Intensity... mm, antagonist Edgler Vess (the sociopath from Koontz' Intensity)... let me see, yeah, that profile worked in many of my novels, great, let's call him... Krait. Then Koontz smiles proudly: man, I can do this for another two decades AT LEAST.
Sure, mr Koontz, we'll turn a blind eye, we pretend we don't notice. Perhaps the story and dialogue will make us forget this unsulting plagiarism of your own work (surely you can make us forget THAT, how else could you be selling 300 million copies worldwide, right?). Wrong, we don't forget, we can't because there goes Koontz again, the obviously obligatory cocky-funny getting-to-know-the-love-interest dialogue, almost completely ripped from his previous novels, with the exception of it being even less funny, and even more forced, as if he's still experimenting in the hope he gets it right one day. Sure, mr Koontz, I'll play the guinea pig once more, even though I can almost figure out what the next line in the dialogue is gonna be before I read it (you know, like the next lyric in an average country song).
Seriously though, let's stop pretending, Koontz' books have not changed for the last twenty years. Sure, his stories vary on occasion, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack looking for an original plotline. With approx. three novels a year, you think he'd catch on. Problem is, he probably has, he knows, but he's not going to change it, or quit. When a writer produces three novels a year, there must be something wrong with him. Does he only write first drafts and let the editor take it from there? I dare wager that 80% of his books wouldn't have been published if it was offered a publishing house by a new writer longing to debut. Pity for this new writer, who might really be much better than the established Koontz who doesn't have to defend his crap anymore.
I'm not a Koontz hater, I actually read, with a few exceptions, every single one of his books. I only immensely enjoyed "Watchers", "Strangers" and "Lightning" with which he proved to be a very good writer. He is still a good writer, but unfortunately one that now only writes lousy generic stories which we all read, saw and heard before. After almost twenty years of mediocrity, as far as I'm concerned, he needs to prove himself all over again. Start from scratch, mr Koontz, and like for any new writer, with enough passion, you'll get there.
Book Review: An old plot, but well written none the less
Summary: 4 Stars
As anyone who knows me, or even reads my reviews can attest, I'm not a huge fan of the Horror genre, even though it does share a lot in common with one of my previous favourite literature genres - the post apocalyptic setting.
Thus, because of this, I have only read one book by Dean Koontz until now. I recently picked up his novel The Good Guy after reading the back cover and the whole plot, even though it's been done before, caught my interest.
Besides, as is the case, I'm always looking for new authors (or in this case, authors that I've not read before) to start following.
So, before I go any further, let me state my usual disclaimer - I will not reveal any spoilers other than what is printed on the back cover of the novel.
The novel is about a very common theme in novels and movies - being in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time, depending on your point of view.
That is exactly the case with this novel. The main protagonist, a Mason named Tim Carrier is hanging out at his favourite watering hole when a man hands him a package containing a photo and $10,000 in cash.
His instructions are clear. Kill the woman in the photo and get the other half when the job is complete.
Of course Tim ends up encountering the real hit man shortly afterwards and attempts to play the man who's hiring him, to tell him he's changed his mind and to keep the money and walk away.
After the encounter, Tim goes to meet the woman to tell her she's been targeted for termination (sorry, couldn't resist!) and he ends up on the run with her, trying to stay one step ahead of the assassin.
There you have it, the basic plot in a nutshell. Yup, I know I've seen this plot before, dozens of times as a matter of fact, but it was how the plot was set up and written that sets it apart from all the rest.
Now, I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Koontz after reading this book, but I am tempted now to pick up some of his other works and give them a go. He has a very interesting style when it comes to telling a tale... he introduces the characters with very little background information at the start.
This gives him the time to flesh out the characters as he writes the novel. And this was the case with every character in the book. It was clear from the first few chapters that the assassin was very unique. Pure evil, but one hell of a character.
Tim himself, clearly there was more to him that met the eye, as well as his friends and the other characters he interacted with initially.
Take heart in the fact that all the information will eventually be revealed as the book progresses, including the reason why this woman is to be killed and in a brutal fashion.
This type of storytelling took me a little while to get used to, as I am much more used to reading novels where you already know everything about the characters (because I like well established series so much), or you learn about them in the first few chapters.
I'll state this - it's one way to keep a person reading, as they get interested in the characters and they (such as myself) wish to learn more about them as the book progresses.
When all is finally revealed, it was pretty satisfying. Well, with one exception, but I can't really reveal it without giving away about the novel. For those of you who read it, you'll probably agree with me.
Another thing I enjoyed about Mr. Koontz's style is the dialog. It was pretty rapid fire, and often quite witty... It reminded me of the banter that usually takes place between myself and some of my life long friends.
In closing, I can't say it was a perfect novel, and I have to admit that I found that the beginning did drag a little, but it quickly picked up in pace and I found it difficult to put down.
I really wanted to know how Tim and Lynda were going to escape this killer and what would happen to all of them by the end. I also wanted to discover the motivations and the reasons behind the characters.
For the most part, I was, as I stated, satisfied.
4 out of 5.
Book Review: good, but not his best effort
Summary: 4 Stars
Dean Koontz's latest novel, The Good Guy, is a bumpy thriller that can't quite match the speed of previous novels such as Intensity.
Tim Carrier lives a low-key life in Northern California, using his masonry skills to build walls. His life takes an exciting turn when one day, while enjoying a beer in the local tavern, a man with a manila envelope mistakes Tim for a hired killer. When the real killer enters the bar moments after the mysterious man leaves, Tim makes a snap decision to offer the $10,000 as a no-kill fee, and to warn the woman, Linda Parquette, that someone is out to end her life. Tim and Linda have no idea that they are dealing with a tenacious killer who will stop at nothing to rid the world of Linda, Tim, and anyone else who gets in his way. Tim enlists the help of his police-buddy, Pete Santos, who then also becomes a target of the hit man, to find out as much as possible about who the killer is.
While the plot is fast-paced, there are numerous character flaws that Koontz ignores by creating a "mysterious" background for the killer. The readers are never given a name for him, as Santos discovers that he has several false identities, the only continuity of which is the initials RK. Even RK refers to himself with several different names including Rudyard Kipling and Romulus K. Koontz doesn't explain how RK became a hit man, first for the mob, and now for a mysterious organization RK refers to as The Gentleman's Club, a group of support people who help RK maintain his ability to complete his murderous tasks. Koontz paints RK as charming enough to fool most people, but as a person who is ignorant of his own background, being unable to remember anything prior to being 18 years old. RK is a socio/psychopath in the first degree, having no sympathy or empathy for other people including having the desire to kill everyone in the world. He is a homeless man who loves the coziness of a clean home, but has to break into homes every day in order to shower, eat, and enjoy the home life. The reader is teased with getting to the truth of who the killer and the mysterious organization he works for, but Koontz denies the reader a full understanding of RK. While the story is definitely about Tim and why he chooses to sacrifice his own life and family, if necessary, to protect a woman he had never previously met, the reader is left unsatisfied with the explanation of pure evil as exhibited by RK. The character has a quality of paranormal abilities without actually being drawn as a paranormal. It is as if Koontz is trying to write a thriller without supernatural elements, but is not completely successful.
Less of a problem, but still as frustrating, are the characters of Tim's mother, Mary, and of Linda Parquette. Linda lives a solitary writer's life, obsessed with the American depression era. Koontz has a disjointed explanation of her background, how her parents had been wrongly accused of molesting their day-care children, and both died in prison while Linda was sent to her evil great-uncle to live. Her strength of character is supposedly from enduring this terrible childhood, but her acceptance of her fate doesn't jibe with how she has chosen to react through writing her depressing novels. Koontz intimates that Mary's strength of character is inborn, and that is where Tim gets his from, but again, this isn't explored in a satisfactory manner.
As Tim and Linda struggle to keep one step ahead of the killer, Santos discovers the hit on Linda has something to do with The Cream & Sugar murders that happened the previous year. Santos and his Golden Retriever, Zoey, a staple in nearly any Koontz novel, join with Linda and Tim at the penultimate scene in order to defeat the killer and learn who The Club is and why they exist.
The conclusion is a bit too pat, the explanations a bit too thin, and the sometimes disjointed style with which Koontz writes this novel may leave readers unsatisfied.
Book Review: Good Guys Can Win
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a standard Koontz thriller with tension increasing to the point you wonder how the good guys can win. Unlike The Darkest Evening of the Year, there's no miracle to rescue the good guys, it is just plain determination.
You can read a summary in other reviews so I'll just say I enjoyed this book and as with all Koontz books, I'm amazed at how fast I read them compared to other authors.
There's plenty of action and suspense. The main characters are likeable, if mysterious, and the bad guy is just as mysterious in his actions and motives. One thing I like about Koontz is that his bad guys are WEIRD!
If there's one complaint (and it's a minor one) the story has shades of "the unstoppable government conspiracy" that dominated some of Koontz's books for a few years. At least in this one, it looks as if the Tim Carrier, the good guy, takes some action, with some success, toward dismantling it.
Koontz books are a sure bet for a great story and The Good Guy doesn't disappoint.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Bestseller Koontz (The Husband) delivers a thriller so compelling many readers will race through the book in one sitting. In the Hitchcockian opening, which resembles that of the cult noir film Red Rock West (1992), Timothy Carrier, a quiet stone mason having a beer in a California bar, meets a stranger who mistakes him for a hit man. The stranger slips Tim a manila envelope containing $10,000 in cash and a photo of the intended victim, Linda Paquette, a writer in Laguna Beach, then leaves. A moment later, Krait, the real killer, shows up and assumes Tim is his client. Tim manages to distract Krait from immediately carrying out the hit by saying he's had a change of heart and offering Krait the $10,000 he just received. This ploy gives the stone mason enough time to warn Linda before they begin a frantic flight for their lives. While it may be a stretch that the first man wouldn't do a better job of confirming Tim's identity, the novel's breathless pacing, clever twists and adroit characterizations all add up to superior entertainment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Review: Pulse-raising thriller, excellent dialogue, slightly disappointing ending
Summary: 5 Stars
The starting point of this thriller by Dean Koontz is quite clever - due to a case of mistaken identity in a bar, the "good guy" Tim Carrier comes between a contract killer and his intended victim, Linda Paquette.
Tim gets the name and picture of Linda Paquette, and he goes off to warn her that someone is paying $20,000 to have her killed. But soon the killer is out to get not only Linda, but Tim as well, and the chase begins.
Tim and Linda have to run away from the killer, Krait, while simultaneously trying to figure out why anybody wants Linda dead - she doesn't know herself. The action starts immediately, and doesn't let up until the very end. Of course, being thrown together by chance (and this being a book), Tim and Linda start to warm up to each other during the pursuit.
One of the best parts of the book, apart from the action, is the dialogue between Tim and Linda as they get to know each other. Their banter is both witty and in places laugh-out-aloud funny, while at the same time feeling completely authentic. No small feat.
In Krait, the contract killer, Dean Koontz has created a really creepy assassin. A real psychopath, who can be extremely charming and affable when he wants to, and who is obsessed with cleanliness. Also, he is very good at what he does, which is killing people. We get to know quite a bit about Krait and how he sees the world, and that makes him even scarier.
So, there is great action, great dialogue and a great (if that's the word) killer. The only disappointment of the book is the ending, or rather the reason why Krait is trying to kill Linda. Given how good everything else is in the book, I expected some clever reason as well. But in my mind the reason given is pretty weak and far-fetched, not on a par with the quality of the rest of the book. It is a minor complaint though, and I still rate it at five stars.
This is, believe it or not, the first novel by Dean Koontz that I have read, but it won't be the last. I was really impressed by his writing style and rich language, and the suspense was top notch. I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Dean Koontz.