The Good Guy
by Dean Koontz
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Book Reviews of The Good Guy
Book Review: The Good Guy might just be a little too
Summary: 4 Stars
3.5 stars
As a long time fan of Dean Koontz's novels, I was drawn into The Good Guy because of the intriguing premise: a nice guy in a bar gets mistaken for a hired assassin and is shown a picture of a woman that someone wants dead. The opening definitely grabbed my attention, as did the promise of more insight into Tim Carrier, the main protagonist, whose life is a bit of a mystery throughout most of the novel.
While the premise remained interesting, I'm afraid I started to lose interest in the characters. I craved to know more about Tim and Linda, the woman with the target on her back, and to feel some emotion from them. There wasn't enough back story to satisfy me and I just didn't care about them.
The constant witty banter between all the characters made everything seem like a joke or something to be made fun of. I don't see people reacting this way in real life. It took away from the believability of the novel. The most interesting character was the killer, a very sick and twisted man who gives the reader insight into the secret society that has hired him.
While The Good Guy won't be my favorite Koontz novel, it is a decent read. There is enough action and suspense to keep you reading. It doesn't compare, however, to most of Koontz's earlier works, such as Watchers or The Taking. It also misses out on the supernatural element that we usually think of when we think `Dean Koontz'.
He is one of my idols and a writer I greatly respect, so writing a review like this is difficult for me, but I pride myself on being honest. All reviews are personal preference and I give this book 3.5 stars. I am however looking forward to reading more Dean Koontz novels.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense.
Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Author of Divine Intervention
Book Review: One of Koontz's BEST!
Summary: 4 Stars
I completely agree with K. Corn from Indianapolis that this is definitely the best SUSPENSE novel that I've read in a long time...and for me it comes close to topping INTENSITY.
This book frequently propels you to the edge of your seat while you watch the hero and heroine helplessly try to evade a seemingly unstoppable killer who does seem to be psychic. However, in the chapters from the murderer's viewpoint, it's obvious, that he's just adept at anticipating what most people will do--a master of common sense clairvoyance, if you will.
And I think what makes this book awesome is that the killer DOESN'T have any supernatural attributes. The killer, alias, Krait (one of his many names) is a sociopath. He has no conscience and enjoys killing people-often in bizarre ways. Whereupon their flaws - as he sees them, are part of their tortuous deaths. Not a new idea, but what our killer finds offensive is truly unique. Makes ya wonder...what are you doing, Mr. Koontz, when you're not writing? Moonlighting as Krait's partner in crime? (BIG GRIN)...
And the big REVEAL in the end, which I won't spoil for you, of course, as to WHY the killer was hired to kill this beautiful and also fascinating, multi-dimensional woman, is also really interesting and absolutely MAKES YOU THINK about life in America these days...which I'm sure was part of Mr. K's plan. The urban paranoia that has swept our land for decades truly is played out in black and white (print, that is) for us in this book.
A MUST READ FOR KOONTZ fans...take it to the beach, make it your companion in the loo..whichever...but either way...it's a book that will keep you up into the wee hours to see how this ordinary guy and the beautiful artist will or won't survive their evil pursuer.
I would LOVE to see this one as a movie some day...so KUDOS TO MR. KOONTZ again.
Lynne Logan
Author of The Crime Chronicles of Decker Zane
Columbus, OH 43123
Book Review: To Portland and back seated between a mason and a psycho killer
Summary: 5 Stars
When I infrequently turn to a Dean Koontz thriller for entertainment, I usually discover some psycho that's evolved from a bad childhood. It makes one wonder what crowd the author ran with as a kid.
Here, stonemason Tim Carrier, minding his own business on a barstool, finds himself mistaken for a hit man by one who abruptly gives him an envelope of money and the note: "Half of its there. Ten thousand. The rest when she's gone." The "she" is author Linda Paquette.
Then, when hired killer Krait shows up at the same barstool, Tim endeavors to pass himself off as the one ordering the hit, but with a change of mind. He gives Krait the 10K to not carry out the pre-arranged contract. Krait is unmoved.
On flights from Burbank to Oakland to Portland to Las Vegas to Burbank, THE GOOD GUY was a book I couldn't put down. I barely noticed the packaged peanuts or, on the leg to Vegas, the young woman with the showgirl body and plunging neckline in the seat across the aisle. The read is that good.
As Carrier takes it upon himself to single-handedly save Linda's life, the hook of the plot is obviously to discover if he succeeds or if they both end up as corpses. Krait is one twisted and relentless dude in his pursuit of the fleeing pair. Then, there are the anticipated answers to the questions that the reader asks. What was Carrier before he started laying brick that enables him to keep himself and Paquette out of harm's way? You or I would be dead in a heartbeat, so don't try this at home. And why has Linda been targeted? Even she hasn't a clue.
Except for its diversionary potential, THE GOOD GUY has no redeeming value whatsoever; it's pure trash. But, for a plane ride from Burbank to Oakland to Portland to Las Vegas to Burbank, it was absolutely perfect. Even if I did pass on the opportunity to ogle the showgirl.
Book Review: Koontz fans, don't bother. Total retread & rip off.
Summary: 1 Stars
If I could give this minus stars, I would. I feel cheated of my time and money. If you are a big Koontz fan, you will recognize the creepy psycho killer who thinks himself a special, superior, entitled being who likes to randomly torment and kill perfect strangers, not just his original targets. You will recognize the plucky, emotionally-damaged hero with issues that will surface but be resolved now that he has met the right girl and the plucky, emotionally-damaged heroine with issues that will surface but be resolved now that she has met the right guy. Behind the evil lurks shadowy, utterly ruthless bureaucrats who aren't psycho, exactly, but who feel that they are special, superior, entitled beings who have the right to remake the world the way they see fit, etc., etc.
The biggest difference between this and a number of his earlier books is that Koontz not only essentially re-used--with only an insultingly-little surface disguise-- character types, scenes, situations, and plot elements, but he didn't even worry about plausibility when he ended this one. The "conclusion" is ridiculous. It's as if he felt, "Well, I have churned out the requisite number of pages, guess I'll throw something in so I can stop." If you haven't read his earlier third person narratives, you might find the book entertaining for a while because you won't be in a constant state of deja vu, but you will definitely feel bored and cheated by the time you are approaching the end.
I can only assume his publishers expect a certain number of books within a period of time, and no one cares if he shamelessly recycles old ideas if he can't think of anything new. It is as if a less talented writer were asked to come up with an imitation of earlier Koontz books.
Book Review: Good guy, average book
Summary: 3 Stars
What's nice about Dean Koontz is also his greatest fault: he's reliable. When you pick up a Koontz book, you know what you're going to get: a decently written page-turner. It's nice because Koontz rarely writes a bad book, even with around fifty books written. On the other hand, his success is based on a consistent formula that after a while can seem repetitive. Case in point: The Good Guy.
The Good Guy starts with easygoing Timothy Carrier drinking alone at a bar. He is mistaken for a hit man hired to kill Linda Paquette and given money and information about her before he can correct the employer. The killer comes in shortly thereafter and mistakes Tim for the employer, and though Tim tries to cancel the job, the killer - named Krait - refuses to back off.
Because Tim is a good guy, he tracks down Linda and convinces her of the danger she is in. Krait, however, is not far behind, leading to a cat-and-mouse game with Krait just behind the two of them. By now, Krait realizes what mistakes occurred at the bar and knows who Tim is too; he is unaware, however, how resourceful his prey really is.
For those familiar with Koontz, this book offers nothing that hasn't been seen in a dozen of his other books. We have the nice male hero, the beautiful heroine with a dark past and the clever byplay between the two; as always, the two click instantly and romance is a certainty. Krait is a nasty character, but a rather standard Koontz villain: an intelligent sociopath who thinks he is above mere humans. If you're unfamiliar with Koontz, this will be a suspenseful, fun read; but for Koontz fans, this is strictly been-there-done-that.