First read this in '89 or '90, and raved to my buddy Stringer about the airplane scene where Roland looks through Eddie's eyes...awesome!First read this in '89 or '90, and raved to my buddy Stringer about the airplane scene where Roland looks through Eddie's eyes...awesome!...more
Roger Brown - professional corporate headhunter who's also an accomplished art thief. He's about to discover the find of his life. Enjoyable whodunit.Roger Brown - professional corporate headhunter who's also an accomplished art thief. He's about to discover the find of his life. Enjoyable whodunit....more
Quite the labyrinth. The kind of book you think about during the pauses when you're not reading it. Good perspective from the man's point of view.Quite the labyrinth. The kind of book you think about during the pauses when you're not reading it. Good perspective from the man's point of view....more
2nd reading - Going back through the series, and this is where I originally met Elvis and Joe. The timeline of this story is disjointed, but to me, ju2nd reading - Going back through the series, and this is where I originally met Elvis and Joe. The timeline of this story is disjointed, but to me, just adds to the suspense.
A wealthy Hispanic business owner contacts Elvis to look for her college-age daughter, who has been seeing a young man for several months. She thinks the girl has eloped or is in trouble. Unraveling the mystery, our hero discovers a web of illegal immigrant smugglers. If that isn't bad enough, there are groups of bandits who steal the smuggler's people then ransom them off to family members, killing them when the funds are exhausted.
Action-filled, with Elvis, Joe and Jon Stone in top notch form.
1st reading - My first Elvis and Joe book, excellent! Ready to start at No. 1...more
One of my earliest Koontz reads, written under the pen name Coffey back in '77. I'm a big fan of his earlier works, like "Phantoms", "Darkfall" and "WOne of my earliest Koontz reads, written under the pen name Coffey back in '77. I'm a big fan of his earlier works, like "Phantoms", "Darkfall" and "Watchers". In this one, Graham Harris is a successful publisher of mountain climbing magazines in New York City. He was an accomplished climber himself until an accident on Everest left him with lasting injuries and a bad case of low self-confidence.
His girlfriend, Connie, has taken on the job of helping him regain his courage and self esteem. One of the side effects of his fall is that he has a new found ability to supernaturally find murderers after he comes into contact with the victim's clothes or the murder scenes themselves.
It just so happens "The Butcher" has killed several young women in the metropolitan area, and Graham sees his latest bloodletting while being interviewed on television. This puts the killer on his trail - the 44 story skyscraper where Graham is working on his latest project, with Connie by his side.
The killer traps the couple inside, kills the security guards, and starts his patient stalking. The only way out is - rappelling/climbing down the outside of the building!
Great action yarn with likable protagonists. This novel was made into a TV movie by the same name in '90, starring Lee Horsley and Pam Dawber as Graham and Connie....more
One of the first Koontz books I read, back in the 80s, written originally under the pen name Owen West. Lieutenant Jack Dawson and his partner are looOne of the first Koontz books I read, back in the 80s, written originally under the pen name Owen West. Lieutenant Jack Dawson and his partner are looking into suspicious deaths among the organized crime creeps in New York.
Four hideously murdered corpses, and the most recent was Vincent and his bodyguard. Vince was killed inside his penthouse bathroom - and the door was locked from the inside.
Great mystery/crime/horror tale that rides like a roller coaster. There's a scene, set in a snowstorm, that has some baddies chasing the good guys that is still a fast fun read!...more
9th reading - Still my favorite novel, but I always see new things. This time, I focused on the development of Larry Underwood, the musician. Larry ha9th reading - Still my favorite novel, but I always see new things. This time, I focused on the development of Larry Underwood, the musician. Larry has always been the self-serving guy who never thinks of others. He has just hit the semi-big time with a rock/blues hit, coming into a few bucks. He's rented a beach house and throws a never-ending party complete with hangers-on, booze and drugs.
An acquaintance has pulled him aside to clue him in on the facts - he's in over his head and under water for the drugs and booze. Larry is pressed into leaving the area for a cooling off period, and heads home to NYC to see his blue collar mom. Then, the superflu hits, looking like over 99% mortality rate.
Nick and Stu have always been my favorite characters in this story, but Mr. Underwood may have taken over their place. The selfish, 'me, me' guy grows up through the story, thanks to the breakdown of society and the people who start to depend on him. He struggles and fails, but learns and keeps going. Kinda reminds me of .... me.
8th reading - I was in a laundromat in Pittsburg, Ks in '86 reading a Koontz novel when the attendant asked if I'd ever read King, and loaned me "The Stand". Thank you! My fav King book. I've read the orig ver 7 times and the expanded '90 tale once. Awesome character development. Nick was my favorite....more
3rd read - Ch. 4: "Clarice Starling was excited, depleted, running on her will. Some of the things Lecter had said about her were true, and some only 3rd read - Ch. 4: "Clarice Starling was excited, depleted, running on her will. Some of the things Lecter had said about her were true, and some only clanged on the truth. For a few seconds she had felt an alien consciousness loose in her head, slapping things off the shelves like a bear in a camper."
FBI trainee Starling is used by her supervisor, Crawford, to elicit info, and perhaps help, from sociopath serial killer Lecter in the search for a current killer of young women. Starling interviews Lecter in a state institution and tries to soak up his insight while parrying the intellectual thrusts into her mind.
In my opinion, when this novel was made into a movie, it was the best result I'd seen between the two mediums.
2nd read - Back in '89, my friend Steve said "Mike, when I'm done with this book, you have to check it out!" He was right, and it was time to revisit this classic thriller. Many have seen the movie, and it's awesome, but the real nuances are in the written pages.
Our young protagonist, FBI agent-in-training Clarice, is sent by the overseer of her department, Jack Crawford, to try to appeal to serial killer Lecter to answer a lengthy questionnaire. Thus begins the cat and mouse, quid pro quo of amateur and professional.
Clarice becomes Crawford's protege in a particularly gruesome series of murders involving young women by bad guy "Buffalo Bill"....more
Amazing closed door/missing girl mystery. Couldn't wait for the movie and loved it,too.Amazing closed door/missing girl mystery. Couldn't wait for the movie and loved it,too....more
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