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The Bad Place
#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz delivers terrifying thrills in this novel about a man caught in a never-ending nightmare.
Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning he awakes, he discovers something strange—like blood on his hands—a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person—a young man with Down's syndrome—can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns...
Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning he awakes, he discovers something strange—like blood on his hands—a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person—a young man with Down's syndrome—can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns...
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 1990
941 people are currently reading
15395 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
879 books39.8k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 992 reviews
December 17, 2022
2012 review: Exceedingly dark, and gripping detective agency horror. A couple of private investigators get involved with a manic family feud between brothers with psi powers. Reads a lot better than it sounds. One of Dean Koontz's best, in my opinion. Up to 8 out of 12.
2009 review: A pretty dark, and at times gripping detective agency horror. A couple of private investigators get involved with a manic family feud between brothers with psi powers. One of the more interesting Koontz reads. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2012 read, 2009 read
2009 review: A pretty dark, and at times gripping detective agency horror. A couple of private investigators get involved with a manic family feud between brothers with psi powers. One of the more interesting Koontz reads. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2012 read, 2009 read
September 3, 2015
I hate putting down a book once I’ve started it, until I have turned that final page. But in life sometimes exceptions must be made and this is definitely one of those times.
What can I say? This book, this story, simply did not connect with me in any way. I suppose that the concept does indeed have promise, but what ever little bit of interest it was successful in generating within me has wicked out.
The characters are beige, the scenes are beige, the writing is blah, blah, blah, full of cliché, beige and I do not care about any of it.
One thing Dean Koontz got right is that this is The Bad Place that no reader ever wants to visit.
Listen up critics, I can and have stopped reading this book.
What can I say? This book, this story, simply did not connect with me in any way. I suppose that the concept does indeed have promise, but what ever little bit of interest it was successful in generating within me has wicked out.
The characters are beige, the scenes are beige, the writing is blah, blah, blah, full of cliché, beige and I do not care about any of it.
One thing Dean Koontz got right is that this is The Bad Place that no reader ever wants to visit.
Listen up critics, I can and have stopped reading this book.
July 2, 2010
"Not funny ha ha, funny weird".
That is a quote from this book that my friends and I used to repeat constantly in high school. "The Bad Place" is actually the first Koontz novel I ever read, and it got me hooked - rightfully so. I still love this book and have re-read it a few times.
It only loses one star because there are other Koontz novels I prefer over this one. It's not one of my all-time favourites, but it's pretty close, and it holds sentimental value.
EDIT: I should add that I went back on my original word and gave it 5 stars. I had to!!
That is a quote from this book that my friends and I used to repeat constantly in high school. "The Bad Place" is actually the first Koontz novel I ever read, and it got me hooked - rightfully so. I still love this book and have re-read it a few times.
It only loses one star because there are other Koontz novels I prefer over this one. It's not one of my all-time favourites, but it's pretty close, and it holds sentimental value.
EDIT: I should add that I went back on my original word and gave it 5 stars. I had to!!
June 18, 2016
Τη πρώτη φορά που έπιασα στα χέρια μου το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο το παράτησα στις εκατό πρώτες σελίδες, μου φάνηκε αλλόκοτο, πριν λίγες ημέρες του έδωσα μια δεύτερη ευκαιρία. Λοιπόν, αποκατάσταση βλάβης, οι -Νύχτες τρόμου- αποδείχτηκαν τελικά διαμαντάκι.
Ο Φράνκ Πόλαρντ κάθε πρωί ξυπνά σε μέρη περίεργα με χέρια βαμμένα στο αίμα, βαλίτσες γεμάτες χρήματα, πάντα με την αίσθηση του φόβου στα ύψη χωρίς ωστόσο να θυμάται το οτιδήποτε. Οι ντεντέκτιβ Μπόμπι και Τζούλια Ντακότα αναλαμβάνουν να διαλευκάνουν την υπόθεση ακολουθώντας τις νυχτερινές του εξορμήσεις.
Η πλοκή όπως πάντα σε κάθε βιβλίο του Koontz είναι καλοδουλεμένη και κρατά αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη, η δράση είναι κλιμακωτή και οι χαρακτήρες παρόλο που είναι για τα σίδερα (μοναδική εξαίρεση το ζευγαράκι του βιβλίου που είναι απλά λιγότερο τρελοί), είναι απολαυστικοί.
Το ερωτικό σκέλος στα βιβλία σου βρε Koontz θέλει λίγο δουλίτσα. Είναι απολαυστικές δε λέω οι ατάκες σου αλλά βρες μου έναν, ΕΝΑΝ, που έχει πετύχει τον στόχο του έτσι:
-ταιριάζουμε καλύτερα από δυο κομμάτια παζλ. Ταιριάζουμε όπως το βύσμα με την πρίζα-, και -μεγάλο βύσμα, στενή πρίζα, καλή επαφή- και συνεχίζει ο τροβαδούρος του έρωτα με το κλασσικό –αργότερα θα ελέγξω τις καλωδιώσεις σου-.
Συγνώμη αλλά έτσι δε πήδηξε ποτέ κανείς (ο Σάκης ο υδραυλικός ήταν φαινόμενο εντάξει?). Αυτό είναι το ερωτικό κάλεσμα μιας τοστιέρας και ενός στίφτη, του Ρόμποκοπ και μιας σούκο φις με διακόπτη, όχι πάντως ανθρώπων.
Μ΄αυτά και μ΄αυτά το βιβλίο είναι διασκεδαστικότατο πάντως.
Ο Φράνκ Πόλαρντ κάθε πρωί ξυπνά σε μέρη περίεργα με χέρια βαμμένα στο αίμα, βαλίτσες γεμάτες χρήματα, πάντα με την αίσθηση του φόβου στα ύψη χωρίς ωστόσο να θυμάται το οτιδήποτε. Οι ντεντέκτιβ Μπόμπι και Τζούλια Ντακότα αναλαμβάνουν να διαλευκάνουν την υπόθεση ακολουθώντας τις νυχτερινές του εξορμήσεις.
Η πλοκή όπως πάντα σε κάθε βιβλίο του Koontz είναι καλοδουλεμένη και κρατά αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη, η δράση είναι κλιμακωτή και οι χαρακτήρες παρόλο που είναι για τα σίδερα (μοναδική εξαίρεση το ζευγαράκι του βιβλίου που είναι απλά λιγότερο τρελοί), είναι απολαυστικοί.
Το ερωτικό σκέλος στα βιβλία σου βρε Koontz θέλει λίγο δουλίτσα. Είναι απολαυστικές δε λέω οι ατάκες σου αλλά βρες μου έναν, ΕΝΑΝ, που έχει πετύχει τον στόχο του έτσι:
-ταιριάζουμε καλύτερα από δυο κομμάτια παζλ. Ταιριάζουμε όπως το βύσμα με την πρίζα-, και -μεγάλο βύσμα, στενή πρίζα, καλή επαφή- και συνεχίζει ο τροβαδούρος του έρωτα με το κλασσικό –αργότερα θα ελέγξω τις καλωδιώσεις σου-.
Συγνώμη αλλά έτσι δε πήδηξε ποτέ κανείς (ο Σάκης ο υδραυλικός ήταν φαινόμενο εντάξει?). Αυτό είναι το ερωτικό κάλεσμα μιας τοστιέρας και ενός στίφτη, του Ρόμποκοπ και μιας σούκο φις με διακόπτη, όχι πάντως ανθρώπων.
Μ΄αυτά και μ΄αυτά το βιβλίο είναι διασκεδαστικότατο πάντως.
October 14, 2016
With The Bad Place, Dean Koontz did something he's never done before — gross me out. This book had me gagging on multiple occasions, especially toward the end. "Four testicles." Need I say more?
Written during what many consider Koontz's peak period (which most tend to agree was from 1983 to 1995 or so), I went into this novel with relatively high expectations and was not let down. This makes for my tenth or eleventh Koontz read, so I don't claim to be well-versed in his works yet . . . but this novel seems to lack most of what reviewers complain about when reviewing DK (e.g. the overwhelming sentimentality, laborious moralizing, repetitive/genius dog characters, et cetera). Yeah, it had some goofy-ass dialogue and I do not think the relationship between the two main characters was believable AT ALL, but I enjoyed myself. Koontz's works are not so much about the characterization as the thrill of the ride. The Bad Place grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. There were no lulls in the story, and almost every character was enjoyable to read about. I especially dug Thomas. Man, I loved that kid.
This is one of the few books in which Koontz seems totally comfortable writing straight-up horror. A few scenes genuinely scared me. A lot of blood flows and the body count was shockingly high. As well, the mystery was exceptionally intriguing. I was kept guessing until the final chapter, which is quite the rarity (especially when reading books by this author). Despite its few flaws, The Bad Place is an enjoyable read and quite appropriate for the Halloween season.
Written during what many consider Koontz's peak period (which most tend to agree was from 1983 to 1995 or so), I went into this novel with relatively high expectations and was not let down. This makes for my tenth or eleventh Koontz read, so I don't claim to be well-versed in his works yet . . . but this novel seems to lack most of what reviewers complain about when reviewing DK (e.g. the overwhelming sentimentality, laborious moralizing, repetitive/genius dog characters, et cetera). Yeah, it had some goofy-ass dialogue and I do not think the relationship between the two main characters was believable AT ALL, but I enjoyed myself. Koontz's works are not so much about the characterization as the thrill of the ride. The Bad Place grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. There were no lulls in the story, and almost every character was enjoyable to read about. I especially dug Thomas. Man, I loved that kid.
This is one of the few books in which Koontz seems totally comfortable writing straight-up horror. A few scenes genuinely scared me. A lot of blood flows and the body count was shockingly high. As well, the mystery was exceptionally intriguing. I was kept guessing until the final chapter, which is quite the rarity (especially when reading books by this author). Despite its few flaws, The Bad Place is an enjoyable read and quite appropriate for the Halloween season.
May 24, 2023
The Bad Place starts out following our two leads Bobby and Julie Dakota who run a private investigations company when a prospective client Frank approaches them seeking help for an unusual problem. Frank has amnesia and only knows his name and that someone is after him.
Strange events start occurring to Frank. As the Dakota's attempt to figure out Frank's past and who is after him their world is turned upside down and everything they knew to be true in life comes shattering down around them.
Frank and the Dakota's are in serious trouble and so is the life of everyone close to them.
The Bad Place is jam packed full of supernatural phenomena, gritty grotesque violence, alien creatures, terrible sadness, overwhelming fear and one psychotic madman on the loose. The character development is top notch as always by Koontz even the side characters who are fully developed and engaging never making a dull moment when the words are not on the action.
Whilst it may not be as highly praised as some of his works The Bad Place is a horror novel which will stay with you and delivers real scares with the tension, violence and action rocketed up to 100 in the final quarter of the book.
Strange events start occurring to Frank. As the Dakota's attempt to figure out Frank's past and who is after him their world is turned upside down and everything they knew to be true in life comes shattering down around them.
Frank and the Dakota's are in serious trouble and so is the life of everyone close to them.
The Bad Place is jam packed full of supernatural phenomena, gritty grotesque violence, alien creatures, terrible sadness, overwhelming fear and one psychotic madman on the loose. The character development is top notch as always by Koontz even the side characters who are fully developed and engaging never making a dull moment when the words are not on the action.
Whilst it may not be as highly praised as some of his works The Bad Place is a horror novel which will stay with you and delivers real scares with the tension, violence and action rocketed up to 100 in the final quarter of the book.
May 18, 2022
The Bad Place is an entertaining chiller, though not among Koontz's best. It is one of his darker books, with some content many readers will find disturbing, and it's a very well-crafted plot, with many intriguing twists and turns. There's no memorable canine character, but the humans are all somewhat annoyingly either all good or bad with no shades of grey. There were a couple of twists that didn't get resolved to my complete satisfaction, but I wasn't engaged enough to fret about it much. Bad Place, good read, move along...
January 19, 2021
Koontz packs compelling protagonists, chilling prose and a terrifying antagonist with a twisted back story efficiently into 400 pages. Perfect length. Nothing about the novel felt drawn out or bloated at all. Also less predictable than some of his other books I’ve read. Koontz packs his characters with his own convictions and counter-convictions and I could not help but feel mildly, emotionally invested in the conflict and resolution. Great read.
January 29, 2015
The Bad Place - Dean R Koontz
Let me just start by saying that I would actually consider this is 3.5 stars than just a 3! :)
Frank pollard awakes at night, in the middle of an alley, with nothing but his confusion and panic. His mind is a complete blank; he can’t remember who he is, doesn’t recall how he got in the alley, and doesn’t know who to turn to for help. He knows nothing but his name. Every time Frank goes to sleep, he wakes up with things he can’t explain – valuables in his pockets, blood on his hands – and has no recollection of his nightly travels. Afraid of his own actions, Frank enlists the help of Bobby and Julie Dakota, a husband-wife investigation team. After initially considering his story absurd, the Dakotas delve deeper into the enigmatic life of Frank Pollard and begin to uncover an increasingly bizarre and risky world threatened by a mysterious madman known as Candy, who simply thirsts for the blood of animals, humans, and in particular, Frank.
There is no denying that Koontz is a fabulous writer with a magnificent, imaginative mind. He can string words together in the most amazing way, and his stories run smoothly and quickly. However, despite being brilliantly descriptive and using great imagery, I found it greatly difficult to vision or connect with the characters. I found that although I wanted to know what how the book would end, I wasn’t particularly worried about what would happen to the main characters. In fact, I found myself caring more about the secondary characters such as Clint and his wife, and Thomas and his roommate.
That being said, Candy and his sister were terrifyingly intriguing characters, and Julie's Down Syndrome brother was simply wonderful and endearing. A lot of insight and understanding clearly went into writing chapters from his point of view, and Koontz did an incredible job of writing from the mind of a lovable, endearing man suffering with Down Syndrome. His character development is brilliant to witness and we see him become stronger than one could have guessed.
One final nit-pick from me is that there seemed to be a couple of loose ends left by time I reached the ending. I was left confused about the strange bugs, the peculiar planet and the creepy UFOs we get to witness a couple of times. Personally, I felt it had no purpose and the story would not have suffered without it. It left me kind of like huh?
The concept of this book, I think, is a brilliant one, and the blurb reads fabulously. Unfortunately, I just feel it wasn’t executed as well as I’d have liked it to have been, and I didn’t find myself believing the story. I love books with paranormal aspects, other worldly moments, indulgently horrific scenes and imaginary components, but the author has to make me believe it, and in this case Koontz didn’t exceed in doing so.
Had it not been for the brilliant concept, Koontz magnificent writing, and Thomas’s wonderful character, I would have rated this lower. Quite simply, this book just didn’t keep me hooked. I found it easy to put down and didn’t find myself needing to read just one more chapter before bed. Sorry! :(
January 27, 2016
The Bad Place is an unpredictable, surprising novel with more strengths than weaknesses. The characters are written well and in depth; the suspense and horror are strong, the drama is high when shown - I even cried at one scene involving Thomas.
The middle and end paid off big time, keeping me flipping through the pages. On bad points, The Bad Place was a little hard to get into because of how outlandish the story was at first. I was confused, and didn't want to dig that much to get 'into it'. The pace was hurt a bit at first for this reason, but it quickly sped up when I got the just of what was going on. I didn’t warm up to the novel until a few chapters had passed, and then I was caught, ensnared in the trap Koontz had so artfully weaved. Heart-stopping action was continuous, pounding itself mercilessly upon the pages, keeping the story going full blast.
As always, Koontzs' style of writing is strong and impactual. His way with words if fantastic. As always with his work, it injects real lessons, and one thing rings clear when reading this: Life is hard, life is rough, but it is still life, and because of this, we have no choice but to grin and bear it, surviving as best as we can.
I recommend this book highly to all Koontz fans; just endure the storm for awhile, then it pays off.
The middle and end paid off big time, keeping me flipping through the pages. On bad points, The Bad Place was a little hard to get into because of how outlandish the story was at first. I was confused, and didn't want to dig that much to get 'into it'. The pace was hurt a bit at first for this reason, but it quickly sped up when I got the just of what was going on. I didn’t warm up to the novel until a few chapters had passed, and then I was caught, ensnared in the trap Koontz had so artfully weaved. Heart-stopping action was continuous, pounding itself mercilessly upon the pages, keeping the story going full blast.
As always, Koontzs' style of writing is strong and impactual. His way with words if fantastic. As always with his work, it injects real lessons, and one thing rings clear when reading this: Life is hard, life is rough, but it is still life, and because of this, we have no choice but to grin and bear it, surviving as best as we can.
I recommend this book highly to all Koontz fans; just endure the storm for awhile, then it pays off.
July 13, 2023
A good horror read. Candy was a great monster. The romance between Bobby and Julia a bit over the top but the mixture of sci-fi, supernatural and horror was intriguing. Poor Frank the good one was between a rock and a hard place. Dr Fogarty was a nasty piece of work.
The setting in California made me realize when I thing of LA I now automatically think of traffic jams rather than glamour. Overall the story was page turning with the teleportation and the horror of inbreeding and genetic mutants.
The ending was particularly gruesome for Frank and Candy.
The setting in California made me realize when I thing of LA I now automatically think of traffic jams rather than glamour. Overall the story was page turning with the teleportation and the horror of inbreeding and genetic mutants.
The ending was particularly gruesome for Frank and Candy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2011
The first time I read this book I was in 8th grade, and wasn't exactly brimming with literary experience. Now I'm 26 and just read it again for the second time... my god, I can't believe how awful this book is. I'll be fair and mention the positive first: the "bad guys" are rather... unique. You won't find characters like them in other books. And I thought their psychology, the plot twist at the end, and some of the strange powers that they have and places they get to were pretty interesting. THAT BEING SAID. The rest is trash. Dean Koontz pulls out all the stops here, piling on his favorite things: Asians (especially Vietnamese boat people), the mentally disabled, a duo of boring protagonists. As an authentic Asian person (wow) with a mentally disabled brother, I find his writing EXTREMELY annoying. He stereotypes his characters with a lot of "good" characteristics, but it's still stereotyping. Yes, Asians are quiet and tend to have a great work ethic. Except when we don't, because we weren't all pressed from some special mold. Moving on. Dean also can't go a book or two without giving the mentally disabled some kind of super power, which is a pretty shitty consolation prize if you ask me. Why can't they just be the awesome people they are? Unless you just wrote him in to yank on the easiest heartstrings. Before I stop ranting I'll mention the duo, who have some of the worst written dialogue in the world. They are utterly hateful people who justify their morally gray decisions by claiming to be "the good guys." I mean, yeah compared with the alternative, you are wonderful people. But in real life I'd be tempted to throw both of them under a bus. It's a sad day when you root for the generously besacked psycho at the end to finish all of them off. And then on top of all of that, Dean still can't one sentence without some ill-thought out metaphor ("the grass was as dry as sand, and twice as brown"). This guy gets paid good money for this, people. If I were you'd I'd skip this book unless you are in the mood for tearing your hair out.
December 13, 2009
It's been a good ten years since I read this one but I have never forgotten it. I would probably not enjoy it so much now as I ten more towards the historical fiction genre but when I read this, I was blown away. This particular Koontz book had a husband/wife team time traveling together. It was very exciting and fast paced. Between this and Cold Fire, I became a Koontz fan.
December 16, 2015
I read this book for the May group read for the Dean Koontz Group, of which I'm currently a member. Unfortunately, I can't really say that liked this one at all. It seemed to me that it was both lacking and overdone at the same time. Lacking in characterization (which is important to me), but overdone in drama and strangeness.
Dean Koontz is not the best character writer. This is a big deal for me, because characters are my vehicle to the story. I don't care how great the plot is, or how unique the story, if I can't put myself in the shoes of a character, even as an observer, it doesn't work for me. And this one didn't work for me.
I couldn't care about any of the characters for much (say like 90%) of the story. Toward the very end, I started to care about Bobby, and to a lesser extent, Julie, simply because at the very end, they seemed to become a little more than the card-board cut-outs that they had been. Not liking a character is not the end of the world for me and I can still enjoy a book with unlikeable characters, although it's difficult at times, but not caring about the characters is a deal-breaker. If I can't identify with, and at least care about ONE character, even if it's simply to wish them dead, that's a problem. You'd think that this last situation would apply to Candy Pollard, our socio- and psychopathic murderer, but no. His habits and appetites were appalling and sickening, but as I didn't care about the people they were applied to, I didn't care that he was applying them. It was too distant, too impersonal, too fictional.
On top of the missing spark of life in these characters, I was actually offended by the characterization and description of one of them, a character with Down Syndrome. I probably won't explain this well - I haven't been very eloquent today - but essentially I felt like Koontz's description/characterization of this "special" character was derogatory and old fashioned and out-dated and condescending. Thomas, the character I'm referring to, was constantly referred to as a "moron" both in the general narration and in the sections of the story that were from Thomas's point of view. Thomas also referred to himself as "dumb" so many times that I lost count. Literally. During the discussion of the book, a friend mentioned that he did not feel that this was condescending or meant in an insulting manner, but rather just as a member of a particular group refers to themselves in identification. I don't know if it is meant to be insulting or condescending (I hope not), but to me it came across that way. *shrug*
This is the second Koontz book in a row that I've read which started with a character waking up and having no idea who or where they are. I think that this could be a kind of running theme with Koontz, simply because it plays on our fears of losing our identity and our hold on reality. This loss of self is more frightening to many people than death.
Another commonality that I noticed is the undertone of religion in the book. This comes in many shapes and sizes, from religious "avengers" exploiting a perceived connection with God in order to rid the world of sinners, to people who have and are content with their (Christian based) faith, to those who are just discovering that there may be something more than nothingness, which Koontz portrays as a surety but his characters aren't yet enlightened about.
There's also more than a little supernatural stuff in this one, some that I could accept, and one thing in particular that seemed incredibly out of place to me, namely the diamond mine. What the heck? The explanation for the supernatural stuff in this book seemed mighty far-fetched as well, more like Koontz's idea of what could have caused it than any scientific proof.
I didn't care for this one, honestly. Thinking back now, I can't think of anything that I really liked about the story. *sigh* I can see how this would appeal to some people, but I'm just not one of them.
Dean Koontz is not the best character writer. This is a big deal for me, because characters are my vehicle to the story. I don't care how great the plot is, or how unique the story, if I can't put myself in the shoes of a character, even as an observer, it doesn't work for me. And this one didn't work for me.
I couldn't care about any of the characters for much (say like 90%) of the story. Toward the very end, I started to care about Bobby, and to a lesser extent, Julie, simply because at the very end, they seemed to become a little more than the card-board cut-outs that they had been. Not liking a character is not the end of the world for me and I can still enjoy a book with unlikeable characters, although it's difficult at times, but not caring about the characters is a deal-breaker. If I can't identify with, and at least care about ONE character, even if it's simply to wish them dead, that's a problem. You'd think that this last situation would apply to Candy Pollard, our socio- and psychopathic murderer, but no. His habits and appetites were appalling and sickening, but as I didn't care about the people they were applied to, I didn't care that he was applying them. It was too distant, too impersonal, too fictional.
On top of the missing spark of life in these characters, I was actually offended by the characterization and description of one of them, a character with Down Syndrome. I probably won't explain this well - I haven't been very eloquent today - but essentially I felt like Koontz's description/characterization of this "special" character was derogatory and old fashioned and out-dated and condescending. Thomas, the character I'm referring to, was constantly referred to as a "moron" both in the general narration and in the sections of the story that were from Thomas's point of view. Thomas also referred to himself as "dumb" so many times that I lost count. Literally. During the discussion of the book, a friend mentioned that he did not feel that this was condescending or meant in an insulting manner, but rather just as a member of a particular group refers to themselves in identification. I don't know if it is meant to be insulting or condescending (I hope not), but to me it came across that way. *shrug*
This is the second Koontz book in a row that I've read which started with a character waking up and having no idea who or where they are. I think that this could be a kind of running theme with Koontz, simply because it plays on our fears of losing our identity and our hold on reality. This loss of self is more frightening to many people than death.
Another commonality that I noticed is the undertone of religion in the book. This comes in many shapes and sizes, from religious "avengers" exploiting a perceived connection with God in order to rid the world of sinners, to people who have and are content with their (Christian based) faith, to those who are just discovering that there may be something more than nothingness, which Koontz portrays as a surety but his characters aren't yet enlightened about.
There's also more than a little supernatural stuff in this one, some that I could accept, and one thing in particular that seemed incredibly out of place to me, namely the diamond mine. What the heck? The explanation for the supernatural stuff in this book seemed mighty far-fetched as well, more like Koontz's idea of what could have caused it than any scientific proof.
I didn't care for this one, honestly. Thinking back now, I can't think of anything that I really liked about the story. *sigh* I can see how this would appeal to some people, but I'm just not one of them.
March 14, 2020
Every eye sees its own special vision;
every ear hears a most different song.
In each man's troubled heart, an incision
would reveal a unique, shameful wrong.
Stranger fiends hide here in human guise
than reside in the valleys of Hell.
But goodness, kindness and love arise
in the heart of the poor beast, as well.
- The Book of Counted Sorrows
Holy Wowzers! Certainly one of Dean Koontz's best. Similar to Cold Fire, but The Bad Place is more bizarre & disturbing. An impressive Cross-Genre novel with Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Horror, Fantasy, Suspense etc. This is the Dean Koontz storytelling that I love.
Favorite Passages:
Fireflies in a windstorm . . .
_______
His picture poems did not tell stories or have recognizable thematic narrative, but neither were they merely random jumbles of images. A church spire, a mouse, a beautiful woman in an emerald-green ball gown, a field of daisies, a can of Dole pineapple rings, a crescent moon, pancakes in a stack with syrup drizzling down, rubies gleaming on a black-velvet display cloth, a fish with mouth agape, a child laughing, a nun praying, a woman crying over the blasted body of a loved one in some Godforsaken war zone, a pack of Lifesavers, a puppy with floppy ears, black-clad nuns with starched white wimples - from those and thousands of other pictures in his treasured boxes of clippings, Thomas selected the elements of his compositions. From the beginning Bobby recognized an uncanny rightness to many of the poems, a symmetry too fundamental to be defined, juxtapositions that were both naïve and profound, rhythms as real as they were elusive, a personal vision plain to see but too mysterious to comprehend to any significant degree.
________
"You mean a bad thing might come at breakfast?"
"Might," Thomas said.
"Could it be . . . poached eggs?"
"Huh?"
"The bad thing - could it be poached eggs? I don't like poached eggs, all slimy, yuck, that'd be real bad, not good at all like cereal and bananas and sticky buns."
"No, no," Thomas said. "The bad thing isn't poached eggs. It's a person, some funny-weird person. I'll feel when it's coming, and tell you, and you'll run."
_______
In a sudden moment of enlightenment, Bobby realized that his entire life (and perhaps nearly everyone else's) was like this street at this precise point in time; all bustle and noise, glare and movement, a desperate rush to break out of the herd, to achieve something and transcend the frantic while of commerce, thereby earning respite for reflection and a shot at serenity - when all the time serenity was only a few steps away, on the far side of the street, just out of sight.
_______
"I don't think I've ever seen you grinning. I don't think I like you grinning."
_______
Like a memory from wars past or a presentiment of an ultimate war to come, a searing flash of lightning and a sky-shattering crash of thunder shook the night. The windows of the study vibrated. It was the first thunder Bobby had heard since the faint and distant peal when they had come out of the motel, nearly an hour and a half ago. In spite of the fireworks in the sky, rain was not yet falling. But though the tempest was slow-moving, it was almost upon them. The pyrotechnics of a storm was an ideal backdrop to Fogarty's tale.
every ear hears a most different song.
In each man's troubled heart, an incision
would reveal a unique, shameful wrong.
Stranger fiends hide here in human guise
than reside in the valleys of Hell.
But goodness, kindness and love arise
in the heart of the poor beast, as well.
- The Book of Counted Sorrows
Holy Wowzers! Certainly one of Dean Koontz's best. Similar to Cold Fire, but The Bad Place is more bizarre & disturbing. An impressive Cross-Genre novel with Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Horror, Fantasy, Suspense etc. This is the Dean Koontz storytelling that I love.
Favorite Passages:
Fireflies in a windstorm . . .
_______
His picture poems did not tell stories or have recognizable thematic narrative, but neither were they merely random jumbles of images. A church spire, a mouse, a beautiful woman in an emerald-green ball gown, a field of daisies, a can of Dole pineapple rings, a crescent moon, pancakes in a stack with syrup drizzling down, rubies gleaming on a black-velvet display cloth, a fish with mouth agape, a child laughing, a nun praying, a woman crying over the blasted body of a loved one in some Godforsaken war zone, a pack of Lifesavers, a puppy with floppy ears, black-clad nuns with starched white wimples - from those and thousands of other pictures in his treasured boxes of clippings, Thomas selected the elements of his compositions. From the beginning Bobby recognized an uncanny rightness to many of the poems, a symmetry too fundamental to be defined, juxtapositions that were both naïve and profound, rhythms as real as they were elusive, a personal vision plain to see but too mysterious to comprehend to any significant degree.
________
"You mean a bad thing might come at breakfast?"
"Might," Thomas said.
"Could it be . . . poached eggs?"
"Huh?"
"The bad thing - could it be poached eggs? I don't like poached eggs, all slimy, yuck, that'd be real bad, not good at all like cereal and bananas and sticky buns."
"No, no," Thomas said. "The bad thing isn't poached eggs. It's a person, some funny-weird person. I'll feel when it's coming, and tell you, and you'll run."
_______
In a sudden moment of enlightenment, Bobby realized that his entire life (and perhaps nearly everyone else's) was like this street at this precise point in time; all bustle and noise, glare and movement, a desperate rush to break out of the herd, to achieve something and transcend the frantic while of commerce, thereby earning respite for reflection and a shot at serenity - when all the time serenity was only a few steps away, on the far side of the street, just out of sight.
_______
"I don't think I've ever seen you grinning. I don't think I like you grinning."
_______
Like a memory from wars past or a presentiment of an ultimate war to come, a searing flash of lightning and a sky-shattering crash of thunder shook the night. The windows of the study vibrated. It was the first thunder Bobby had heard since the faint and distant peal when they had come out of the motel, nearly an hour and a half ago. In spite of the fireworks in the sky, rain was not yet falling. But though the tempest was slow-moving, it was almost upon them. The pyrotechnics of a storm was an ideal backdrop to Fogarty's tale.
April 9, 2018
7,5/10
Κυρίως γιατί οι προσδοκίες μου είχαν πιάσει πάτο, καθώς δεν πολυσυμπαθώ τον συγγραφέα και ότι έχω διαβάσει μου φάνηκε από κακό εως αδιάφορο. Αλλά ήταν λίγο διαφορετικό από τα υπόλοιπα. Δεν έλειψαν βέβαια οι απίστευτες ευκολίες στην πλοκή, αλλά πέρασα καλά διαβάζοντάς το.
Κυρίως γιατί οι προσδοκίες μου είχαν πιάσει πάτο, καθώς δεν πολυσυμπαθώ τον συγγραφέα και ότι έχω διαβάσει μου φάνηκε από κακό εως αδιάφορο. Αλλά ήταν λίγο διαφορετικό από τα υπόλοιπα. Δεν έλειψαν βέβαια οι απίστευτες ευκολίες στην πλοκή, αλλά πέρασα καλά διαβάζοντάς το.
October 20, 2019
Η αλήθεια είναι πως, όταν ξεκίνησα το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, δεν πολυενθουσιάστηκα. Διάβαζα λίγες σελίδες και μετά το άφηνα, γιατί όλο και καμιά δουλειά προέκυπτε και δεν είχα χρόνο. Αν με είχε "κρατήσει" για τα καλά εξαρχής, βέβαια, μπορεί να το διάβαζα και μέσα σε 2 μέρες...
Αρχικά, η ιστορία δεν με τράβηξε. Δεν ξέρω γιατί ακριβώς. Δεν μου είναι ανοίκειο το υπερφυσικό στοιχείο σε ένα βιβλίο, για να ρίξω εκεί το φταίξιμο. Όσο προχωρούσε η υπόθεση, τόσο εκνευριζόμουν. Τόσο ήθελα να δω τι θα γίνει τελικά, πού το πάει το πράγμα ο Koontz. Τόσο ήθελα να πιάσω στα χέρια μου αυτόν τον αχαρακτήριστο "κύριο Γαλάζιο Φως" και να του κάνω οθωμανικά βασανιστήρια. Τόσο μου έσπαγε τα νεύρα. Τόσο δεν τον άντεχα, σελίδα τη σελίδα. Μα τι χαρακτήρας είναι ετούτος; Μιλάμε για το είδος εκείνο που θες απλά να ψοφήσει από την αρχή, να μην σε ταλαιπωρήσει περαιτέρω - κι ας ξέρεις πως χωρίς αυτόν, η πλοκή δεν κυλάει.
Μετά τη μέση άρχισα να παίρνω γρηγορότερες στροφές, πείσμωσα και είπα πως θα το τελειώσω το συντομότερο. Εν μέρει, και για να ησυχάσω από αυτό. Και φτάνοντας λίγο πριν το τέλος, έπιασα τον εαυτό μου να μη θέλει και να μην μπορεί να το αφήσει. Με έπιασα να γίνομαι έξαλλη με όσα διάβαζα, να επιθυμώ να μπω μέσα στο βιβλίο και να κάνω κι άλλα οθωμανικά βασανιστήρια στον συγκεκριμένο χαρακτήρα, να γλιτώσω τη λογοτεχνική ανθρωπότητα από αυτόν τον άρρωστο σιχαμένο μ@λ@κ@!
Αγαπώ τους κακούς που έχουν ένα κίνητρο, ένα πλάνο, έναν σκοπό, και δρουν/πράττουν/κινούνται όσο πιο αδίστακτα και ψύχραιμα γίνεται προκειμένου να τον πετύχουν. Αυτοί είναι οι πιο ενδιαφέροντες για μένα. Αγαπώ επίσης τους κακούς που είναι ψυχασθενείς, τρελοί, αλλά έχουν ένα παράξενο/περίεργο/κουλό μοτίβο στο μυαλό τους και η συμπεριφορά τους συμβαδίζει με αυτό. Δεν αγαπώ, δεν συμπαθώ, ΑΠΕΧΘΑΝΟΜΑΙ τους κακούς που είναι ανώμαλοι, θεότρελοι και σκοτώνουν απλά γιατί έτσι! Γιατί μπορούν, γιατί είναι κατάλληλο το timing, γιατί το θύμα βρέθηκε στον δρόμο τους, για να βοηθήσουν τον πλανήτη να αποσυμφορηθεί από τον υπερπληθυσμό... Αυτούς που δεν ξέρουν γιατί κάνουν κάτι, απλά το κάνουν. Κι ένας τέτοιος είναι και τούτος εδώ. Γιατί ο "στόχος" του άρρωστου μυαλού του δεν ήταν αρκετός για μένα, ώστε να συμπεριφέρεται έτσι όπως συμπεριφέρεται. Δεν δικαιολογεί τις πράξεις του. Και γιατί με έκανε να θέλω να του κάνω τα ίδια και χειρότερα, πριν τον κόψω φέτες και λιώσω την ηλίθια καρδιά του ενώ χτυπάει ακόμα με τα ορειβατικά μου μποτάκια (ΟΚ, δεν έχω ορειβατικά μποτάκια, αλλά τέλος πάντων με ό,τι κοντινότερο σε αυτά διαθέτω).
Γι' αυτό και τα 4 αστεράκια.
Γιατί ο Koontz, με τη γραφή του και την πλοκή του, με έκανε να βγάζω καπνούς από τα αυτιά. Να μισήσω τον ήρωά του. Να θέλω να τον σουβλίσω ζωντανό. Να θέλω να εξαφανιστεί από προσώπου γης, αφού πρώτα υποφέρει τα πάνδεινα.
Γιατί κατάφερε να με "μπάσει" στην πλοκή, κι ας άργησε να το πετύχει.
Γιατί, ενώ πίστευα πως δεν θα κατάφερνε να δικαιολογήσει τα αδικαιολόγητα, στο τέλος τα κατάφερε και με το παραπάνω. Φυσικά υπήρχε μια δόση υπερφυσικού σε όλα αυτά, όμως η (αρρωστημένη, ναι) πραγματικότητα κατάφερε να δώσει κάποιες απαντήσεις σε όλες τις (δικαιολογημένες) απορίες, όσο το δυνατόν πιο ρεαλιστικά.
Και γιατί επίσης το τέλος κατάφερε και να με συγκινήσει. Ο χαρακτήρας του Φρανκ Πόλαρντ, που φοβάται να κοιμηθεί και πιστεύει πως δεν θα υπάρξει κανείς που θα τον θυμάται αφότου θα έχει φύγει, κατάφερε να με συγκινήσει με τις συνθήκες της ζωής του και τις πράξεις του. Και να με κάνει να τον συμπονέσω τόσο, όσο ήθελα να βασανίσω τον... άλλον.
Γιατί αυτό είναι το μεγαλείο ενός συγγραφέα. Να γεννάει τέτοια συναισθήματα - σφοδρά, δυνατά, παλλόμενα, ζωντανά, εκρηκτικά.
Δεν το αγάπησα το βιβλίο. Όμως παραδέχομαι τον συγγραφέα του.
Δεν το κατατάσσω στα αγαπημένα μου. Όμως χαίρομαι που το διάβασα.
Αρχικά, η ιστορία δεν με τράβηξε. Δεν ξέρω γιατί ακριβώς. Δεν μου είναι ανοίκειο το υπερφυσικό στοιχείο σε ένα βιβλίο, για να ρίξω εκεί το φταίξιμο. Όσο προχωρούσε η υπόθεση, τόσο εκνευριζόμουν. Τόσο ήθελα να δω τι θα γίνει τελικά, πού το πάει το πράγμα ο Koontz. Τόσο ήθελα να πιάσω στα χέρια μου αυτόν τον αχαρακτήριστο "κύριο Γαλάζιο Φως" και να του κάνω οθωμανικά βασανιστήρια. Τόσο μου έσπαγε τα νεύρα. Τόσο δεν τον άντεχα, σελίδα τη σελίδα. Μα τι χαρακτήρας είναι ετούτος; Μιλάμε για το είδος εκείνο που θες απλά να ψοφήσει από την αρχή, να μην σε ταλαιπωρήσει περαιτέρω - κι ας ξέρεις πως χωρίς αυτόν, η πλοκή δεν κυλάει.
Μετά τη μέση άρχισα να παίρνω γρηγορότερες στροφές, πείσμωσα και είπα πως θα το τελειώσω το συντομότερο. Εν μέρει, και για να ησυχάσω από αυτό. Και φτάνοντας λίγο πριν το τέλος, έπιασα τον εαυτό μου να μη θέλει και να μην μπορεί να το αφήσει. Με έπιασα να γίνομαι έξαλλη με όσα διάβαζα, να επιθυμώ να μπω μέσα στο βιβλίο και να κάνω κι άλλα οθωμανικά βασανιστήρια στον συγκεκριμένο χαρακτήρα, να γλιτώσω τη λογοτεχνική ανθρωπότητα από αυτόν τον άρρωστο σιχαμένο μ@λ@κ@!
Αγαπώ τους κακούς που έχουν ένα κίνητρο, ένα πλάνο, έναν σκοπό, και δρουν/πράττουν/κινούνται όσο πιο αδίστακτα και ψύχραιμα γίνεται προκειμένου να τον πετύχουν. Αυτοί είναι οι πιο ενδιαφέροντες για μένα. Αγαπώ επίσης τους κακούς που είναι ψυχασθενείς, τρελοί, αλλά έχουν ένα παράξενο/περίεργο/κουλό μοτίβο στο μυαλό τους και η συμπεριφορά τους συμβαδίζει με αυτό. Δεν αγαπώ, δεν συμπαθώ, ΑΠΕΧΘΑΝΟΜΑΙ τους κακούς που είναι ανώμαλοι, θεότρελοι και σκοτώνουν απλά γιατί έτσι! Γιατί μπορούν, γιατί είναι κατάλληλο το timing, γιατί το θύμα βρέθηκε στον δρόμο τους, για να βοηθήσουν τον πλανήτη να αποσυμφορηθεί από τον υπερπληθυσμό... Αυτούς που δεν ξέρουν γιατί κάνουν κάτι, απλά το κάνουν. Κι ένας τέτοιος είναι και τούτος εδώ. Γιατί ο "στόχος" του άρρωστου μυαλού του δεν ήταν αρκετός για μένα, ώστε να συμπεριφέρεται έτσι όπως συμπεριφέρεται. Δεν δικαιολογεί τις πράξεις του. Και γιατί με έκανε να θέλω να του κάνω τα ίδια και χειρότερα, πριν τον κόψω φέτες και λιώσω την ηλίθια καρδιά του ενώ χτυπάει ακόμα με τα ορειβατικά μου μποτάκια (ΟΚ, δεν έχω ορειβατικά μποτάκια, αλλά τέλος πάντων με ό,τι κοντινότερο σε αυτά διαθέτω).
Γι' αυτό και τα 4 αστεράκια.
Γιατί ο Koontz, με τη γραφή του και την πλοκή του, με έκανε να βγάζω καπνούς από τα αυτιά. Να μισήσω τον ήρωά του. Να θέλω να τον σουβλίσω ζωντανό. Να θέλω να εξαφανιστεί από προσώπου γης, αφού πρώτα υποφέρει τα πάνδεινα.
Γιατί κατάφερε να με "μπάσει" στην πλοκή, κι ας άργησε να το πετύχει.
Γιατί, ενώ πίστευα πως δεν θα κατάφερνε να δικαιολογήσει τα αδικαιολόγητα, στο τέλος τα κατάφερε και με το παραπάνω. Φυσικά υπήρχε μια δόση υπερφυσικού σε όλα αυτά, όμως η (αρρωστημένη, ναι) πραγματικότητα κατάφερε να δώσει κάποιες απαντήσεις σε όλες τις (δικαιολογημένες) απορίες, όσο το δυνατόν πιο ρεαλιστικά.
Και γιατί επίσης το τέλος κατάφερε και να με συγκινήσει. Ο χαρακτήρας του Φρανκ Πόλαρντ, που φοβάται να κοιμηθεί και πιστεύει πως δεν θα υπάρξει κανείς που θα τον θυμάται αφότου θα έχει φύγει, κατάφερε να με συγκινήσει με τις συνθήκες της ζωής του και τις πράξεις του. Και να με κάνει να τον συμπονέσω τόσο, όσο ήθελα να βασανίσω τον... άλλον.
Γιατί αυτό είναι το μεγαλείο ενός συγγραφέα. Να γεννάει τέτοια συναισθήματα - σφοδρά, δυνατά, παλλόμενα, ζωντανά, εκρηκτικά.
Δεν το αγάπησα το βιβλίο. Όμως παραδέχομαι τον συγγραφέα του.
Δεν το κατατάσσω στα αγαπημένα μου. Όμως χαίρομαι που το διάβασα.
February 6, 2025
Hot garbage, wet dog, double cheesy, turbo trash!!!
This kind of thing is right up my alley and I have a checklist:
Freaks: yes
Genetic nightmares: certainly
Children of hell in twisted masses of living, breathing, tormented flesh: definitely!!!
Super cute husband/wife private investigator duo with uzis, a Suzuki sidekick and a penchant for big band swing music: …..if you must
A giant monster freak who thirsts for human blood and has a special wash mit so he doesn’t corrupt his virgin hand while washing his sinful, filthy, seeeeeex parts!!!: ….weather you like it or not!!!
A psychic medium with Down’s syndrome: without that there is no book
Whatever the magical charm that elevated watchers from cheesy trash to pure 80s cheese gold was: no, sorry. Must have been the dog.
This kind of thing is right up my alley and I have a checklist:
Freaks: yes
Genetic nightmares: certainly
Children of hell in twisted masses of living, breathing, tormented flesh: definitely!!!
Super cute husband/wife private investigator duo with uzis, a Suzuki sidekick and a penchant for big band swing music: …..if you must
A giant monster freak who thirsts for human blood and has a special wash mit so he doesn’t corrupt his virgin hand while washing his sinful, filthy, seeeeeex parts!!!: ….weather you like it or not!!!
A psychic medium with Down’s syndrome: without that there is no book
Whatever the magical charm that elevated watchers from cheesy trash to pure 80s cheese gold was: no, sorry. Must have been the dog.
August 17, 2008
This book was a nice change from Koontz usual stuff. The main character’s dilemma is intriguing: he teleports randomly and without control, finds unusual stuff in his pockets (and occasionally blood on his hands) and has no memory of who he is, where he’s been, or what in God’s name is going on. That alone would make this a good read, but there’s also some pretty fascinating bad-guy characters, like the vampire-like killer, his psychic and decadent sisters, and their devoted, lunatic, deceased mother. I’d also like for Koontz to further explore the strange worlds that the main character travels to. That planet made of jewels and bugs certainly deserves another look, or at least some more explanation.
The only thing that keeps this book from getting a higher score is the personalities of the characters. Everyone is so damn two-dimensional, it’s as if the characters go around with a little title floating over their heads: “Evil”, “Good”, “Greedy”, “Saintly”, “Doomed”. It’s the same problem I’ve had with all of Koontz’s novels; he tries to draw an 88-crayon story with three colors.
The only thing that keeps this book from getting a higher score is the personalities of the characters. Everyone is so damn two-dimensional, it’s as if the characters go around with a little title floating over their heads: “Evil”, “Good”, “Greedy”, “Saintly”, “Doomed”. It’s the same problem I’ve had with all of Koontz’s novels; he tries to draw an 88-crayon story with three colors.
July 28, 2012
My thoughts:
I read a lot of Koontz when I was younger. 13 books in a couple weeks once, had to quit reading his stories because I started to be afraid to go out in the dark by myself - I got over it! I was thrilled when I got this audio book as a gift even though I had read it during what I called my "Koontz phase." Many of the books had run together in my memory because I read so many in such a short period of time, but this one always stood out as truly scary and one of my favorites. I was shocked at how much of the story had been lost by time and I found myself driving out of my way so I could listen longer in my car.
Koontz has created a wonderfully imaginative, dark story of evil at its finest. But what stood out the most for me were the characters. Koontz has given us astounding characters, my favorite being Thomas. The development of Thomas is sheer brilliance. Thomas has Downs Syndrome and lives in a care facility. The insight and understanding that went into the creation of Thomas is incredible. All of the characters are fantastic. They are well developed, cleverly written and span such a wide scope of personalities, abilities, and characteristics that it is hard to imagine that someone could create them and they seem as if they are truly real people. The evil that is Frank's brother Candy is terrifying. His sisters are frightening on a whole other level. The doctor that we meet is evil of another kind, and I found myself revolted by his part in the family history and him as a person. Koontz has a way writing his characters so you love and hate them as readily as Bobby and Julie do in the story.
The setting of the story varies as Frank "travels" and we learn about the places that he goes. The descriptions of the people, places and things that are encountered on the travels are vivid and clever. Koontz is a master wordsmith and draws the reader into the story with his language, creativity and imagination. Well worth the read - or the listen.
I read a lot of Koontz when I was younger. 13 books in a couple weeks once, had to quit reading his stories because I started to be afraid to go out in the dark by myself - I got over it! I was thrilled when I got this audio book as a gift even though I had read it during what I called my "Koontz phase." Many of the books had run together in my memory because I read so many in such a short period of time, but this one always stood out as truly scary and one of my favorites. I was shocked at how much of the story had been lost by time and I found myself driving out of my way so I could listen longer in my car.
Koontz has created a wonderfully imaginative, dark story of evil at its finest. But what stood out the most for me were the characters. Koontz has given us astounding characters, my favorite being Thomas. The development of Thomas is sheer brilliance. Thomas has Downs Syndrome and lives in a care facility. The insight and understanding that went into the creation of Thomas is incredible. All of the characters are fantastic. They are well developed, cleverly written and span such a wide scope of personalities, abilities, and characteristics that it is hard to imagine that someone could create them and they seem as if they are truly real people. The evil that is Frank's brother Candy is terrifying. His sisters are frightening on a whole other level. The doctor that we meet is evil of another kind, and I found myself revolted by his part in the family history and him as a person. Koontz has a way writing his characters so you love and hate them as readily as Bobby and Julie do in the story.
The setting of the story varies as Frank "travels" and we learn about the places that he goes. The descriptions of the people, places and things that are encountered on the travels are vivid and clever. Koontz is a master wordsmith and draws the reader into the story with his language, creativity and imagination. Well worth the read - or the listen.
September 7, 2025
Wow. The story starts off with a bang and drops the reader into the middle of chaos. The MCs are a husband-wife PI team and their client, a dude with amnesia who appears to be mixed up in something bizarre and creepy. There is a really creepy psycho killer prowling around and some supernatural weirdness. This results in a great story that is part mystery, part horror, part urban fantasy. It has funny moments and tender moments that almost made me cry. When two characters were introduced, I predicted their deaths, and I was right, but there were more deaths I hadn’t expected. There’s a pretty high body count in this one.
Writing is solid; it was very intriguing. Just be aware of TW for this one.
Language: Some moderate language
Sexual Content: References to sexual functions, nudity
Violence/Gore: Moderate/severe: attempted murder, murder; body horror
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Writing is solid; it was very intriguing. Just be aware of TW for this one.
Language: Some moderate language
Sexual Content: References to sexual functions, nudity
Violence/Gore: Moderate/severe: attempted murder, murder; body horror
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
October 20, 2010
I read this years ago and decided recently to revisit my Koontz days. These were the days before I was cynical and jaded by the same story repeated seven thousand times. What I discovered was so wonderful that I actually remembered the feeling of falling in love with this Author. His ability to somehow infuse you with hope for the human condition while allowing you , simultaneously to enjoy simple, bloody terror. It is, I will admit a strange combination , but it is ultimately one I crave in all of my reading. I realized it was these books I devoured in my twenties that cultivated my taste in novels and motivated me to become a writer. The bad place is a book about the human spirit overcoming tragedy to discover that dreams do come true, even if they change for the dreamer. I loved this Novel as much as i did the first time I read it.I must admit some of my favorite scenes were the way Koontz stepped into the mind of the psychopath, Candy. Bizarre , Dark and simply Brilliant. I love Koontz.
May 23, 2021
Guilty pleasure τα pocketbook της bell αυτή την εποχή!
Dean Koontz δεν είχα διαβάσει ποτέ. Είχα ακούσει πολύ καλά λόγια για τα αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα του. Ωστόσο, επειδή εγώ αγαπώ τη μεταφυσική πλοκή προτίμησα ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο του για πρώτη επαφή μαζί του και δεν το μετάνιωσα. Θυμίζει Stephen King - όλα σε θυμίζουν, τι να λέμε- χωρίς τις κοινωνικές προεκτάσεις και την κριτική του Βασιλιά, όμως.
Έχει κλισέ; Έχει. Έχει μονοδιάστατους ήρωες; Εν μέρει. Η πλοκή ξεφεύγει ώρες ώρες; Είπαμε, μεταφυσική.
Κι όμως, παιδιά πέρασα πολύ ωραία διαβάζοντας το. Δε με χάλασε καθόλου.
(Έχει και σκηνές splatter, ενημερωτικά.)
Dean Koontz δεν είχα διαβάσει ποτέ. Είχα ακούσει πολύ καλά λόγια για τα αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα του. Ωστόσο, επειδή εγώ αγαπώ τη μεταφυσική πλοκή προτίμησα ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο του για πρώτη επαφή μαζί του και δεν το μετάνιωσα. Θυμίζει Stephen King - όλα σε θυμίζουν, τι να λέμε- χωρίς τις κοινωνικές προεκτάσεις και την κριτική του Βασιλιά, όμως.
Έχει κλισέ; Έχει. Έχει μονοδιάστατους ήρωες; Εν μέρει. Η πλοκή ξεφεύγει ώρες ώρες; Είπαμε, μεταφυσική.
Κι όμως, παιδιά πέρασα πολύ ωραία διαβάζοντας το. Δε με χάλασε καθόλου.
(Έχει και σκηνές splatter, ενημερωτικά.)
July 9, 2010
This book is the best novel I have read that has been written by Dean Koontz to date.
The unusual family (the "how-did-it-happen' origins of which form an intriguing and compelling part of the book), the Private Investigators that decide to pledge themselves to the case, and saddest of all, one of the PI partnership's brothers who was born with Down's Syndrome - they all add an extra ingredient which leads to the conclusion of a truly exciting, in the end unpredictable (though hints are laid throughout) story - not to be missed!
The unusual family (the "how-did-it-happen' origins of which form an intriguing and compelling part of the book), the Private Investigators that decide to pledge themselves to the case, and saddest of all, one of the PI partnership's brothers who was born with Down's Syndrome - they all add an extra ingredient which leads to the conclusion of a truly exciting, in the end unpredictable (though hints are laid throughout) story - not to be missed!
September 13, 2016
I read this book when I was a preteen and loved it. I probably shouldn't have reread it.
Parts of it are still interesting and creepy, like when you get the backstory about the family of mutants (for lack of better term). , which leads to four kids with special powers. Makes no sense, but who cares? The backstory and the powers were all creepy, but frankly, King would have done it better.
That is the pretty much the only good thing I can say. There is a character with Down Syndrome who has magical powers, because Koontz gets a hard-on for magical disabled characters. It's a tired trope.
He always has one of his main protagonists go off on this completely insane rant about how much he loves Asian people because they're all so hardworking, much more so than white people (the two protagonists are hardworking white people, but okay). It's pretty messed up. A positive stereotype is still a stereotype and I don't think anyone wants to be placed into a box. Asian people, like pretty much EVERY ETHNICITY EVER, have some hardworking folks and some lazy twats. C'est la vie.
The two protagonists are boring. They are carbon copies of every protagonist that Dean Koontz has ever penned.
I went through a serious Dean Koontz phase in high school but eventually I realized that every book of his is basically the same. The protagonists are Very, Very Good and the bad guys are Irredeemably Bad. Oftentimes he will throw in a reference to "syphilitic monkeys" or have the antagonist eat a spider (seriously). He did not fall back on either of these bizarre details in this book, but it's still packed with tired repetitions. It's like he's plagiarizing himself. Bizarre.
Parts of it are still interesting and creepy, like when you get the backstory about the family of mutants (for lack of better term). , which leads to four kids with special powers. Makes no sense, but who cares? The backstory and the powers were all creepy, but frankly, King would have done it better.
That is the pretty much the only good thing I can say. There is a character with Down Syndrome who has magical powers, because Koontz gets a hard-on for magical disabled characters. It's a tired trope.
He always has one of his main protagonists go off on this completely insane rant about how much he loves Asian people because they're all so hardworking, much more so than white people (the two protagonists are hardworking white people, but okay). It's pretty messed up. A positive stereotype is still a stereotype and I don't think anyone wants to be placed into a box. Asian people, like pretty much EVERY ETHNICITY EVER, have some hardworking folks and some lazy twats. C'est la vie.
The two protagonists are boring. They are carbon copies of every protagonist that Dean Koontz has ever penned.
I went through a serious Dean Koontz phase in high school but eventually I realized that every book of his is basically the same. The protagonists are Very, Very Good and the bad guys are Irredeemably Bad. Oftentimes he will throw in a reference to "syphilitic monkeys" or have the antagonist eat a spider (seriously). He did not fall back on either of these bizarre details in this book, but it's still packed with tired repetitions. It's like he's plagiarizing himself. Bizarre.
October 6, 2015
I haven't read a lot of Dean Koontz, but I called this one from the beginning: the good disabled versus the bad disabled! The good disabled are the ones who accept their places in society! And their limitations! If they have powers, they don't use them for their own benefits! And the bad disabled ask for too much! They use their disabilities like superpowers! They are monstrous! In case you don't get how monstrous disabled people can get, let's throw in some incest! cannibalism! and hermaphrodism!!!!11!!!
Ah, Thomas. Thy name is Dobby Dobbs.
Then there was the whole weird "I like Asian people" plotline.
Just...WHUT.
The writing was good but not engrossing, the way some other Koontz stuff has been for me. The plot was okay. I ended up skimming. I liked the opening and the main characters--but felt that things slid into a predictable routine after the first third of the book.
Ah, Thomas. Thy name is Dobby Dobbs.
Then there was the whole weird "I like Asian people" plotline.
Just...WHUT.
The writing was good but not engrossing, the way some other Koontz stuff has been for me. The plot was okay. I ended up skimming. I liked the opening and the main characters--but felt that things slid into a predictable routine after the first third of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2023
Εξαιρετική ιστορία, δεν με άφησε να το αφήσω από τα χέρια μου. Από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος υπάρχει αγωνία και η περιέργεια ποιά θα είναι η εξέλιξη των γεγονότων.
October 22, 2024
Una buena opción para quien gusta de las historias paranormales, con toques detectivescos y un poco de romance.
April 4, 2021
Ο Koontz είναι ο συγγραφέας που με έκανε να αγαπήσω το διάβασμα και πιο συγκεκριμένα την κατηγορία των ψυχολογικών θρίλερ με υπερφυσικές προεκτάσεις, που όμως ποτέ δεν αφήνει ανεξήγητες.
Έχει τη μοναδική ικανότητα να προσεγγίζει με περισσή ευαισθησία ακόμα και τις πιο ανατριχιαστικές αφηγήσεις.
Από τα καλύτερα του βιβλία. Must read.
Έχει τη μοναδική ικανότητα να προσεγγίζει με περισσή ευαισθησία ακόμα και τις πιο ανατριχιαστικές αφηγήσεις.
Από τα καλύτερα του βιβλία. Must read.
July 16, 2012
Entertaining escape. A monstrous human wants to kill Frank and frequently kills others.
This wasn’t my favorite Koontz book, but it was good. Koontz is excellent at creating and describing characters, dialogue, and events. My favorite Koontz stories consist of one or two characters who face obstacles, struggle, become stronger, and survive or succeed. This story is more about uncovering the mystery, getting closer, then luckily managing to survive, with scars. Some of the battle scars are the loss of loved ones and good people. I require happy endings, and this met my requirement. Spoiler has a vague comment about the ending.
I was intrigued with the unusual characters and some every day characters. For example, one guy was asked for a picture. He said nothing and slammed the door. She knocks again. He opens the door. She asks for the picture again. He says I was on my way to get it and slams the door again. An example of unusual characters, the twins were weird and mesmerizing. They liked being naked, living among cats on the floor, kissing each other, and inhabiting animal minds.
NARRATORS:
There were two narrators. Michael Hanson was excellent. Sadly I don’t want to listen to Carol Cowan narrate anything. I cannot adequately describe her, but it’s similar to self satisfied and arrogant, maybe like someone saying “I know, I know” to shut me up.
DATA:
Narrative mode: third person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 15 hrs and 14 mins. Swearing language: mild but rarely used. Sexual content: three scenes vaguely referred to no details. Setting: 1992 mostly California. Book copyright: 1990. Genre: paranormal suspense thriller.
OTHER BOOKS:
I noticed that in four Koontz books, a main character has amnesia issues and/or erased memories. Some of the books have bad guys hypnotizing to erase someone’s memory. In other books a violent situation or accident causes amnesia. I don’t want to give away plots, so in the following list I’m using the word “memory” to indicate which books had a main character with one of these memory problems.
The author loves dogs. He finds them noble, loyal, and heroic. In several of his books a dog has a major role. I’ve indicated below which of his books have dogs in the story (that I know about).
I’ve reviewed the following Dean Koontz books, unless indicated. Dates are copyright dates.
3 stars. The Key to Midnight 1979 (memory)
3 stars. The Eyes of Darkness 1981
2 stars. The House of Thunder 1982 (memory)
4 stars. Phantoms 1983
3 ½ stars. Darkfall 1984 (aka Darkness Comes & aka The Pitt by Owen West)
3 stars. Strangers 1986 (memory)
5 stars. Watchers 1987 (dog)
5 stars. Lightning 1988
(not read) Midnight 1989 (dog in supporting role)
4 stars. The Bad Place 1990 (memory in beginning of the book)
(not read) Dragon Tears 1992 (dog)
(not read) Winter Moon 1993 (dog in supporting role)
3 ½ stars. Dark Rivers of the Heart 1994 (memory) (dog)
5 stars. Intensity 1995
2 stars. Fear Nothing 1998 (dog)
3 stars. Odd Thomas 2003
3 ½ stars. Life Expectancy 2004
2 stars. Velocity 2005
This wasn’t my favorite Koontz book, but it was good. Koontz is excellent at creating and describing characters, dialogue, and events. My favorite Koontz stories consist of one or two characters who face obstacles, struggle, become stronger, and survive or succeed. This story is more about uncovering the mystery, getting closer, then luckily managing to survive, with scars. Some of the battle scars are the loss of loved ones and good people. I require happy endings, and this met my requirement. Spoiler has a vague comment about the ending.
I was intrigued with the unusual characters and some every day characters. For example, one guy was asked for a picture. He said nothing and slammed the door. She knocks again. He opens the door. She asks for the picture again. He says I was on my way to get it and slams the door again. An example of unusual characters, the twins were weird and mesmerizing. They liked being naked, living among cats on the floor, kissing each other, and inhabiting animal minds.
NARRATORS:
There were two narrators. Michael Hanson was excellent. Sadly I don’t want to listen to Carol Cowan narrate anything. I cannot adequately describe her, but it’s similar to self satisfied and arrogant, maybe like someone saying “I know, I know” to shut me up.
DATA:
Narrative mode: third person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 15 hrs and 14 mins. Swearing language: mild but rarely used. Sexual content: three scenes vaguely referred to no details. Setting: 1992 mostly California. Book copyright: 1990. Genre: paranormal suspense thriller.
OTHER BOOKS:
I noticed that in four Koontz books, a main character has amnesia issues and/or erased memories. Some of the books have bad guys hypnotizing to erase someone’s memory. In other books a violent situation or accident causes amnesia. I don’t want to give away plots, so in the following list I’m using the word “memory” to indicate which books had a main character with one of these memory problems.
The author loves dogs. He finds them noble, loyal, and heroic. In several of his books a dog has a major role. I’ve indicated below which of his books have dogs in the story (that I know about).
I’ve reviewed the following Dean Koontz books, unless indicated. Dates are copyright dates.
3 stars. The Key to Midnight 1979 (memory)
3 stars. The Eyes of Darkness 1981
2 stars. The House of Thunder 1982 (memory)
4 stars. Phantoms 1983
3 ½ stars. Darkfall 1984 (aka Darkness Comes & aka The Pitt by Owen West)
3 stars. Strangers 1986 (memory)
5 stars. Watchers 1987 (dog)
5 stars. Lightning 1988
(not read) Midnight 1989 (dog in supporting role)
4 stars. The Bad Place 1990 (memory in beginning of the book)
(not read) Dragon Tears 1992 (dog)
(not read) Winter Moon 1993 (dog in supporting role)
3 ½ stars. Dark Rivers of the Heart 1994 (memory) (dog)
5 stars. Intensity 1995
2 stars. Fear Nothing 1998 (dog)
3 stars. Odd Thomas 2003
3 ½ stars. Life Expectancy 2004
2 stars. Velocity 2005
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