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The Darkest Evening of the Year
With each of his #1 New York Times bestsellers, Dean Koontz has displayed an unparalleled ability to entertain and enlighten readers with novels that capture the essence of our times even as they bring us to the edge of our seats. Now he delivers a heart-gripping tour de force he’s been waiting years to write, at once a love story, a thrilling adventure, and a masterwork of suspense that redefines the boundaries of primal fear—and of enduring devotion.
Amy Redwing has dedicated her life to the southern California organization she founded to rescue abandoned and endangered golden retrievers. Among dog lovers, she’s a legend for the risks she’ll take to save an animal from abuse. Among her friends, Amy’s heedless devotion is often cause for concern. To widower Brian McCarthy, whose commitment she can’t allow herself to return, Amy’s behavior is far more puzzling and hides a shattering secret.
No one is surprised when Amy risks her life to save Nickie, nor when she takes the female golden into her home. The bond between Amy and Nickie is immediate and uncanny. Even her two other goldens, Fred and Ethel, recognize Nickie as special, a natural alpha. But the instant joy Nickie brings is shadowed by a series of eerie incidents. An ominous stranger. A mysterious home invasion.
And the unmistakable sense that someone is watching Amy’s every move and that, whoever it is, he’s not alone.
Someone has come back to turn Amy into the desperate, hunted creature she’s always been there to save. But now there’s no one to save Amy and those she loves. From its breathtaking opening scene to its shocking climax, The Darkest Evening of the Year is Dean Koontz at his finest, a transcendent thriller certain to have listeners entertained until dawn.
Amy Redwing has dedicated her life to the southern California organization she founded to rescue abandoned and endangered golden retrievers. Among dog lovers, she’s a legend for the risks she’ll take to save an animal from abuse. Among her friends, Amy’s heedless devotion is often cause for concern. To widower Brian McCarthy, whose commitment she can’t allow herself to return, Amy’s behavior is far more puzzling and hides a shattering secret.
No one is surprised when Amy risks her life to save Nickie, nor when she takes the female golden into her home. The bond between Amy and Nickie is immediate and uncanny. Even her two other goldens, Fred and Ethel, recognize Nickie as special, a natural alpha. But the instant joy Nickie brings is shadowed by a series of eerie incidents. An ominous stranger. A mysterious home invasion.
And the unmistakable sense that someone is watching Amy’s every move and that, whoever it is, he’s not alone.
Someone has come back to turn Amy into the desperate, hunted creature she’s always been there to save. But now there’s no one to save Amy and those she loves. From its breathtaking opening scene to its shocking climax, The Darkest Evening of the Year is Dean Koontz at his finest, a transcendent thriller certain to have listeners entertained until dawn.
9 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2008
1806 people are currently reading
9775 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
906 books39.6k 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 2,079 reviews
March 14, 2010
HORRIBLE.
This is an example of a writer writing simply to meet the deadline. A mish-mash of various things done previously bakes into a cake of laughable, eye rolling nonsense. The characters are paper thin, the story reaches the level of low mediocrity at best, all of this is decorated in pseudo profundity and revealed truths coming both from good and bad characters - dogs are better than people/existence has no meaning etc etc etc.
Dogs in this novel...let's just say that the main character refers to her retriever as "girl" and thinks of her as her daughter, and at one point says that she couldn't love a child more than a dog.
The ending is the worst I ever read in a Koontz book, rivaled only by the one in "The Eyes of Darkness". The level of absurdity piled in this novel finally goes over the top, and the ship sinks to the bottom.
I can't believe this comes from a man who wrote books like "Intensity", "Dragon Tears" or "The Face". "The Darkest Evening of The Year" an uninspired romp, hack, whatever.
If any writer other than DK tried to publish this, he would be turned down. And rightfully so - this is crap. If you want a DK book with a dog, read "Watchers" - compared to this it's a masterpiece.
Avoid at all costs. If you love Golden Retrievers, take one for a walk or donate some dollars to the pound instead of spending your money and time on this.
This is an example of a writer writing simply to meet the deadline. A mish-mash of various things done previously bakes into a cake of laughable, eye rolling nonsense. The characters are paper thin, the story reaches the level of low mediocrity at best, all of this is decorated in pseudo profundity and revealed truths coming both from good and bad characters - dogs are better than people/existence has no meaning etc etc etc.
Dogs in this novel...let's just say that the main character refers to her retriever as "girl" and thinks of her as her daughter, and at one point says that she couldn't love a child more than a dog.
The ending is the worst I ever read in a Koontz book, rivaled only by the one in "The Eyes of Darkness". The level of absurdity piled in this novel finally goes over the top, and the ship sinks to the bottom.
I can't believe this comes from a man who wrote books like "Intensity", "Dragon Tears" or "The Face". "The Darkest Evening of The Year" an uninspired romp, hack, whatever.
If any writer other than DK tried to publish this, he would be turned down. And rightfully so - this is crap. If you want a DK book with a dog, read "Watchers" - compared to this it's a masterpiece.
Avoid at all costs. If you love Golden Retrievers, take one for a walk or donate some dollars to the pound instead of spending your money and time on this.
February 9, 2017
I wish I could say I liked this novel more. I mean, there were a lot of murderers and anarchists, there was the healing power of a golden retriever, and there was a mentally handicapped kiddo and some genuinely nice people who were our heroes.
Unfortunately, it just doesn't stand out that much from any of Koontz's other novels. No breakaway gimmick, no over-the-top message beyond treating dogs well. (Kids are a lesser priority, but let's face it, dogs are cuter.) ;)
It was almost as if I've read this novel before. Several times. By the same author.
I mean, there's absolutely no relationship between this and Watchers, right? There isn't a dog in every single one of his novels, right? There aren't psychos and anarchists and just plain murderers abounding in any of his other novels, right? There aren't slightly flawed heroes and heroines suddenly propelled into situations way out of their league, right?
Sorry. This one was pretty much straight Koontz formula. Good for what it is, decent if you've never read his stuff before, but don't expect to be blown away if you've already been a fan.
Unfortunately, it just doesn't stand out that much from any of Koontz's other novels. No breakaway gimmick, no over-the-top message beyond treating dogs well. (Kids are a lesser priority, but let's face it, dogs are cuter.) ;)
It was almost as if I've read this novel before. Several times. By the same author.
I mean, there's absolutely no relationship between this and Watchers, right? There isn't a dog in every single one of his novels, right? There aren't psychos and anarchists and just plain murderers abounding in any of his other novels, right? There aren't slightly flawed heroes and heroines suddenly propelled into situations way out of their league, right?
Sorry. This one was pretty much straight Koontz formula. Good for what it is, decent if you've never read his stuff before, but don't expect to be blown away if you've already been a fan.
December 11, 2025
A perfect storm of psychopaths
No doubt about it! Coming out of the gate, Dean Koontz’s THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR starts strongly and certainly grabs a reader’s interest from the opening paragraph. It’s a domestic violence psychological thriller, it’s an animal abuse narrative, it’s a convincing romance, it’s a placid but nevertheless paranormal ghost story. But, unfortunately, it simply can’t live up to its own early billing. As the novel proceeds, Koontz corrals a whole ranch full of psychopaths operating with a hot mess of motivations under a bewildering variety of aliases that will leave readers, even those open to having their imagination well stretched, confused and wondering just where the novel is headed. Two psychopaths coming together, by coincidence if you will, is probably one too many for most novels. But three (count ‘em!!) is simply over the top and becomes what many readers will characterize as beyond the pale, at best, or perhaps simply ridiculous, at worst.
Dean Koontz has a towering reputation in the horror genre but this has to count as one of his weaker entries. Not recommended except to those who would read it for completeness.
Paul Weiss
No doubt about it! Coming out of the gate, Dean Koontz’s THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR starts strongly and certainly grabs a reader’s interest from the opening paragraph. It’s a domestic violence psychological thriller, it’s an animal abuse narrative, it’s a convincing romance, it’s a placid but nevertheless paranormal ghost story. But, unfortunately, it simply can’t live up to its own early billing. As the novel proceeds, Koontz corrals a whole ranch full of psychopaths operating with a hot mess of motivations under a bewildering variety of aliases that will leave readers, even those open to having their imagination well stretched, confused and wondering just where the novel is headed. Two psychopaths coming together, by coincidence if you will, is probably one too many for most novels. But three (count ‘em!!) is simply over the top and becomes what many readers will characterize as beyond the pale, at best, or perhaps simply ridiculous, at worst.
Dean Koontz has a towering reputation in the horror genre but this has to count as one of his weaker entries. Not recommended except to those who would read it for completeness.
Paul Weiss
April 2, 2020
Koontz, the pleonastic King.
I told myself I was not going to complain about Koontz writing because I continue to read his books and obviously if I would rather read a soup label then I would. So this book was ok. His archetype for a woman continues to be one who only displays sarcasm, maybe he believes that is an emotion (It does, however, work better for the villain, but whatever). this book has blatant depictions of child abuse in it so you might want to be aware of that. And if you like Golden Retrievers you may appreciate this one (just saying). 3.2 stars.
I told myself I was not going to complain about Koontz writing because I continue to read his books and obviously if I would rather read a soup label then I would. So this book was ok. His archetype for a woman continues to be one who only displays sarcasm, maybe he believes that is an emotion (It does, however, work better for the villain, but whatever). this book has blatant depictions of child abuse in it so you might want to be aware of that. And if you like Golden Retrievers you may appreciate this one (just saying). 3.2 stars.
July 12, 2016
This was possibly not the best Dean Koontz book I have ever read but it was still very good. Although it was not especially horrific I enjoyed the supernatural bits and managed to skim over the parts between Vanessa and her daughter which were just plain disturbing!
The story was excellent and fast paced and I loved all of the dogs. This is an author whose books I always know I am going to enjoy and he has written so many I still have a lot of enjoyment to look forward to:)
The story was excellent and fast paced and I loved all of the dogs. This is an author whose books I always know I am going to enjoy and he has written so many I still have a lot of enjoyment to look forward to:)
January 1, 2008
This book made me wonder why Dean Koontz is a bestselling author. The language is elementary and his overuse of metaphors (I am talking about 1-2 in a paragraph) made me feel insulted that I was reading a book that a 10 year old could understand. It just shows the general intelligence of the American people isn't at an all-time high.
I bought this book because the subject of dogs and animal shelters played a big role in the plot. This subject interests me intensly, but even with that it was difficult for me not to throw the book in the corner and dive into something with more context.
If you like Dean Koontz novels, then you will probably like this one as well. However I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to feel that their reading skills are being insulted and put to shame.
I bought this book because the subject of dogs and animal shelters played a big role in the plot. This subject interests me intensly, but even with that it was difficult for me not to throw the book in the corner and dive into something with more context.
If you like Dean Koontz novels, then you will probably like this one as well. However I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to feel that their reading skills are being insulted and put to shame.
February 8, 2008
So far, I love this book. The writing is so lyrical, so tight. It's exactly how I want my writing to sound.
Well, I finished the book, and I feel cheated by several things.
First, I read sometime ago that Dean Koontz doesn't consider himself to be a horror writer. I've read some of his other stuff, and it's sci-fi creepy, but not horror. This book contains some of the most gruesome things I've ever read. (Okay, I don't read lots of horror, so maybe I don't even know what gruesome is. The description of the crazy woman "hobbling" the writer in Stephen King's "Misery" was pretty gruesome to me.) This book contains a description of a character watching two people trapped in a burning house (which this character set on fire) as they succumb to the smoke and flames. It's horrible. This character also verbally abuses a Down Syndrome child, which I found to be disturbing.
The main character in this book rescues dogs from abusive situations, so I guess readers are supposed to see the connection between her rescuing the dogs and her eventual desire to rescue the child, but I expected this story to be heart-warming, maybe, or at least not horrible. I thought this book would be on my favorites list, but I can't say that now.
Second, the ending seemed like a big cheat. The entire book leads up to the confrontation between the character who rescues dogs and the character who burns people alive. You know something horrible is going to happen, but suddenly there's some kind of angelic transformation on the part of the dog, which I realize now was foreshadowed, but still it caught me off-guard, and I didn't seem like a realistic ending for the events in this novel.
All in all, I was disappointed. I'll read another Koontz book to see if I'm as disappointed with the plot. Still, his writing is very lyrical and enjoyable.
Well, I finished the book, and I feel cheated by several things.
First, I read sometime ago that Dean Koontz doesn't consider himself to be a horror writer. I've read some of his other stuff, and it's sci-fi creepy, but not horror. This book contains some of the most gruesome things I've ever read. (Okay, I don't read lots of horror, so maybe I don't even know what gruesome is. The description of the crazy woman "hobbling" the writer in Stephen King's "Misery" was pretty gruesome to me.) This book contains a description of a character watching two people trapped in a burning house (which this character set on fire) as they succumb to the smoke and flames. It's horrible. This character also verbally abuses a Down Syndrome child, which I found to be disturbing.
The main character in this book rescues dogs from abusive situations, so I guess readers are supposed to see the connection between her rescuing the dogs and her eventual desire to rescue the child, but I expected this story to be heart-warming, maybe, or at least not horrible. I thought this book would be on my favorites list, but I can't say that now.
Second, the ending seemed like a big cheat. The entire book leads up to the confrontation between the character who rescues dogs and the character who burns people alive. You know something horrible is going to happen, but suddenly there's some kind of angelic transformation on the part of the dog, which I realize now was foreshadowed, but still it caught me off-guard, and I didn't seem like a realistic ending for the events in this novel.
All in all, I was disappointed. I'll read another Koontz book to see if I'm as disappointed with the plot. Still, his writing is very lyrical and enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2020
The Darkest Evening of the Year is a stunning tale of darkness and light, good versus evil. No author writes with more passion and creativity about golden retrievers than Dean Koontz. He brings light to the dark side of humanity, but counterbalances it with the kind and generous heart of Amy Redwing. Bryan is her boyfriend. They both have haunted pasts that are revealed along the way. There is also a shadowy, mysterious, downright disturbing couple. Was not sure what their place was in the book until after the midway point. All the components of a Koontz book are here with a touch of magical realism.
Koontz does an excellent job connecting all of the characters in a believable way (for a work of fiction). I know some have complained about the connection and the ending. I do not. I thought it was powerful and speaks to the heart and message of the book. So happy to have rediscovered Koontz. The last two were Audible, and this one I read. So glad that I did.
Koontz does an excellent job connecting all of the characters in a believable way (for a work of fiction). I know some have complained about the connection and the ending. I do not. I thought it was powerful and speaks to the heart and message of the book. So happy to have rediscovered Koontz. The last two were Audible, and this one I read. So glad that I did.
September 8, 2022
Group Read - June 2017 Notes
Simple start for Dean's love of Golden Retrivers. Carl Brockman (crazy) threatens his family (Janet - wife, Jimmy & Theresa) with a tire iron. Amy Redwing & Brian McCarthy enter to save them. Amy is the hero with her love for Golden Retrievers, convinces Carl to sell his Golden Retriever, Nickie for $2,000. Outside, she calls 911, Brian's arrested, she takes Janet & family to her neighbor's house. Amy's Fred & Ethel, become immediate friends with Nickie!! Brian McCarthy, an architect & Amy are happy in love!!
Dean's love for golden retrievers - Trixie Koontz Site
Simple start for Dean's love of Golden Retrivers. Carl Brockman (crazy) threatens his family (Janet - wife, Jimmy & Theresa) with a tire iron. Amy Redwing & Brian McCarthy enter to save them. Amy is the hero with her love for Golden Retrievers, convinces Carl to sell his Golden Retriever, Nickie for $2,000. Outside, she calls 911, Brian's arrested, she takes Janet & family to her neighbor's house. Amy's Fred & Ethel, become immediate friends with Nickie!! Brian McCarthy, an architect & Amy are happy in love!!
Dean's love for golden retrievers - Trixie Koontz Site
My August 2016 Summary When reading it shows Dean's love for his golden retrievers. The plot is easy to follow, keeping it to a few, Amy Redwing, Brian McCarthy and 3 dogs - Nickie, Fred & Ethel.
YouTube audio = https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LHhKd_h...
January 4, 2008
I love all of Dean Koontz's books. But I especially love the ones with dogs in them. "Watchers" remains my favorite of all his books, and Einstein is the reason we got a golden retriever.
"The Darkest Evening of the Year" involves a woman who rescues goldens and rehabilitates them, then finds new homes for them. She has a dark secret in her past that she doesn't want to let into the light of day, not even to her closest friend and lover. He has secrets of his own to protect.
When they discover they're being followed, their apartments searched, the past comes back to bite them. Together with three noble dogs, they must solve the mystery of who's after them, and what it has to do with one dog in particular, Nickie.
Dean Koontz has the ability to hold you riveted to the page, never wanting to put the book down until it's done. He weaves a gossamer spell with his words, so soft and silky you don't know you're trapped until you look at the clock and realize it's three a.m. For anyone who hasn't yet read a Koontz book--shame on you! This is a great one to start with. And after you read this one, go back and read "Watchers." I promise you'll be glad you did!
"The Darkest Evening of the Year" involves a woman who rescues goldens and rehabilitates them, then finds new homes for them. She has a dark secret in her past that she doesn't want to let into the light of day, not even to her closest friend and lover. He has secrets of his own to protect.
When they discover they're being followed, their apartments searched, the past comes back to bite them. Together with three noble dogs, they must solve the mystery of who's after them, and what it has to do with one dog in particular, Nickie.
Dean Koontz has the ability to hold you riveted to the page, never wanting to put the book down until it's done. He weaves a gossamer spell with his words, so soft and silky you don't know you're trapped until you look at the clock and realize it's three a.m. For anyone who hasn't yet read a Koontz book--shame on you! This is a great one to start with. And after you read this one, go back and read "Watchers." I promise you'll be glad you did!
July 25, 2014
Opening Line: " Behind the wheel of the Ford Expedition, Amy Redwing drove as if she were immortal and therefore safe at any speed."
I read THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR for a book club challenge although admittedly it had been sitting on my TBR shelf for a couple of years. I was happy to finally find a reason to stop passing it over (in favour of vampire romance and testosterone filled Navy Seals) and get into a good horror novel. Unfortunately I now wished I’d left it sitting on the shelf because this was not in any way an enjoyable read and ultimately a real struggle to finish.
To start with I didn’t enjoy Koontz’s style of writing, he seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r and a whole lot of adjectives to get across what he was trying to say and I found myself skimming almost immediately just to get on with the story;
"The pleasantly warm morning was freshened by a breeze as light as a caress, and the feathery fronds of queen palms cast shadows that resembled the plumed tails of the Golden’s." Um, yeah.
For something in the horror genre I also found this to be very un-scary, the plot revolving more around reincarnation and weird feelings then anything truly horrifying. Thankfully the chapters were short containing several alternating POV’s, mostly involving hit men who all appeared to all be trying to kill each other. The main antagonist, Moongirl was a nasty piece of work and our hero Amy Redwing had an interesting past that slowly got revealed however I never really got a feel for her either. So I kept plugging along thinking this has to improve, Koontz is hugely popular, what am I missing? Well upon completion I came away rather underwhelmed and realized I wasn’t missing anything.
The only good thing in this story would have to be the Golden Retrievers which Koontz knows well and obviously loves. His dog descriptions and mannerisms of the breed were spot on. However I couldn’t in good conscience even recommend this book to dog lovers, because the story was so convoluted and just plain painful to read. Koontz also tended to get a little preachy when it came to describing abused dogs, euthanasia and puppy mills. I’m a dog owner and lover (That’s originally why I bought the book, for the dog on the cover) And I understood the message he was trying to get across but I didn’t need these facts thrown in my face every couple of chapters. I get it, puppy mills bad, adopt from the pound, move on.
I also didn't appreciate the storyline involving a 10 year old girl with Down syndrome who’s abused, called "Piggy" and threatened with being lit on fire. That was WAY out of my comfort zone. Although maybe meant to be the horror aspect I kept waiting for? In the end I just wanted this to be over.
I read THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR for a book club challenge although admittedly it had been sitting on my TBR shelf for a couple of years. I was happy to finally find a reason to stop passing it over (in favour of vampire romance and testosterone filled Navy Seals) and get into a good horror novel. Unfortunately I now wished I’d left it sitting on the shelf because this was not in any way an enjoyable read and ultimately a real struggle to finish.
To start with I didn’t enjoy Koontz’s style of writing, he seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r and a whole lot of adjectives to get across what he was trying to say and I found myself skimming almost immediately just to get on with the story;
"The pleasantly warm morning was freshened by a breeze as light as a caress, and the feathery fronds of queen palms cast shadows that resembled the plumed tails of the Golden’s." Um, yeah.
For something in the horror genre I also found this to be very un-scary, the plot revolving more around reincarnation and weird feelings then anything truly horrifying. Thankfully the chapters were short containing several alternating POV’s, mostly involving hit men who all appeared to all be trying to kill each other. The main antagonist, Moongirl was a nasty piece of work and our hero Amy Redwing had an interesting past that slowly got revealed however I never really got a feel for her either. So I kept plugging along thinking this has to improve, Koontz is hugely popular, what am I missing? Well upon completion I came away rather underwhelmed and realized I wasn’t missing anything.
The only good thing in this story would have to be the Golden Retrievers which Koontz knows well and obviously loves. His dog descriptions and mannerisms of the breed were spot on. However I couldn’t in good conscience even recommend this book to dog lovers, because the story was so convoluted and just plain painful to read. Koontz also tended to get a little preachy when it came to describing abused dogs, euthanasia and puppy mills. I’m a dog owner and lover (That’s originally why I bought the book, for the dog on the cover) And I understood the message he was trying to get across but I didn’t need these facts thrown in my face every couple of chapters. I get it, puppy mills bad, adopt from the pound, move on.
I also didn't appreciate the storyline involving a 10 year old girl with Down syndrome who’s abused, called "Piggy" and threatened with being lit on fire. That was WAY out of my comfort zone. Although maybe meant to be the horror aspect I kept waiting for? In the end I just wanted this to be over.
June 10, 2015
Dogs, lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you're going to lose a dog, and there's going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can't support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There's such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price. Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and the mistakes we make because of those illusions.” ― Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year
I know I know...this is probably the most quoted portion of this book ever. And I just did it too. Well, there is a reason for that. In those few sentences, Mr. Koontz has summed up our love for dogs and their place in our hearts and homes. I have never had someone speak my heart so well.
Now, the book. A love story is at work here. Amy rescues Golden Retrievers. Brian is more than a little in love with Amy. But closely held secrets in both of their hearts are hindering their relationship from moving forward.
Enter Nickie, the latest of Amy's rescues. Immediately it is clear that she is not just any dog. Woman,man and dog embark on a quest that both cements their relationship and tests it to the limit.
As is typical of Koontz, both heroes and villains are larger than life. Our heroes are ordinary people blessed with extraordinary abilities. And the horrible villains are truly beyond the pale.I was horrified and disgusted by the depravity and touched to the depths of my soul by the innocence and love displayed.
Why then does this terrific work just get 4 stars? Because I was cheated of the showdown between good and evil!There was such build up to the the confrontation and then pff! I went from heart pounding OMG! to deflated huh?
Lastly, I listened to the audio version of this. The narrator did a magnificent job giving voice to the many characters and I will look for her when shopping for my next audio book.
I know I know...this is probably the most quoted portion of this book ever. And I just did it too. Well, there is a reason for that. In those few sentences, Mr. Koontz has summed up our love for dogs and their place in our hearts and homes. I have never had someone speak my heart so well.
Now, the book. A love story is at work here. Amy rescues Golden Retrievers. Brian is more than a little in love with Amy. But closely held secrets in both of their hearts are hindering their relationship from moving forward.
Enter Nickie, the latest of Amy's rescues. Immediately it is clear that she is not just any dog. Woman,man and dog embark on a quest that both cements their relationship and tests it to the limit.
As is typical of Koontz, both heroes and villains are larger than life. Our heroes are ordinary people blessed with extraordinary abilities. And the horrible villains are truly beyond the pale.I was horrified and disgusted by the depravity and touched to the depths of my soul by the innocence and love displayed.
Why then does this terrific work just get 4 stars? Because I was cheated of the showdown between good and evil!There was such build up to the the confrontation and then pff! I went from heart pounding OMG! to deflated huh?
Lastly, I listened to the audio version of this. The narrator did a magnificent job giving voice to the many characters and I will look for her when shopping for my next audio book.
January 1, 2024
I enjoyed this tale of redemption and battle between good and evil. I am a sucker for stories with dogs as well. Nickie the golden retriever was the dream dog. I have two dogs. One an angel and the other nervous but very loving.
This supernatural story centers around Amy a woman who rescues and homes abused or abandoned golden retrievers. She goes out with Brian an architect with all the characteristics of a human golden retriever. Both their ex’s are murderous insane psychopaths who want them dead. They also employ another crazy who is a fan of literature and killing.
The story links Amy’s past where her daughter was murdered by her husband Michael. Brian is also linked with Vanesa his insane ex who has kept their Down’s syndrome child prisoner for 10 years. She is in a relationship with Harrow who is also nuts. It all comes to a head on a foggy night with a lighthouse and an angelic dog.
This supernatural story centers around Amy a woman who rescues and homes abused or abandoned golden retrievers. She goes out with Brian an architect with all the characteristics of a human golden retriever. Both their ex’s are murderous insane psychopaths who want them dead. They also employ another crazy who is a fan of literature and killing.
The story links Amy’s past where her daughter was murdered by her husband Michael. Brian is also linked with Vanesa his insane ex who has kept their Down’s syndrome child prisoner for 10 years. She is in a relationship with Harrow who is also nuts. It all comes to a head on a foggy night with a lighthouse and an angelic dog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2021
Done reading THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR. This is the first hardcover book I've read that is narrated in third-person perspective both in past and present tenses. The experience is awesome! It feels like I'm watching a 3-D movie written and directed by my favorite author. If I remember it right, there are six stand-out characters in the story, hero or villain. One of them is Amy Redwing. Flashbacks make her character unpredictable in such a way the greater good inside her isn't consumed by her darkest mind. The novel opens with her rescuing a smart golden retriever, Nickie, from a violent sadist husband. Without knowing it, Amy needs to confront her evil past upon Nickie's arrival. "In self-defense and in defense of the innocent, cowardice is the only sin, (page 331)."
July 2, 2017
2007 Thoughts:Enjoyed the book very much. This book was very personal for Koontz as his Golden Retriever, Trixie passed away and the novel features a Golden Retriever hero named Nickie. Koontz had his usual disability representative - this time a little girl called Hope who has Downs Syndrome. A great story in Koontz's trademark style of good vs. evil and profound thoughts on life. Better than The Good Guy - great ending, beginning and everything in between. 4 stars.
2012 Thoughts: The Darkest Evening of the Year, in which we worship the Golden Retriever. I was getting really sick of this story but luckily it picked up about mid-way, still TDEOTY does not rank among my favorites. 3 stars.
2017 Thoughts: I think it's good to revisit a book once in a while. It's interesting to see how perspectives change based on different situations that the reader finds their self in. Aside from the obvious focus on Golden Retrievers and child abuse, I noticed the emphasize on pasts, patterns, eyes and lighthouses. Yes, I admit this is among the weakest of Dean's novels and the ending was certainly fast and crazy :-)
My favorite quotes:
For some, the past is a chain, each day a link, raveling backward to one ringbolt or another, in one dark place or another, and tomorrow is a slave to yesterday. - Opening page
----
"Maybe I've got a secret admirer."
"Has someone been sending you candy and flowers anonymously?"
"Secret admirers don't do that anymore, Renata. These days, they kidnap you, rape you, and kill you with power tools." - Ending to Chapter 15
In the clockworks of Amy's heart, the key of terror wound the mainspring past the snapping point, and the scream that came from her was silent, silent, her lungs suddenly as airless as the world around her seemed to be, a vacuum in a vacuum. -
Chapter 57
Bad people succeed and good people fail, but that's not the end of the story. Miracles happen that nobody sees, and among us walk heroes who are never recognized, and people live in loneliness because they cannot believe they are loved.... - Ending lines of the book
Worst passages:
...upon completion of her business, the dog went directly to the back porch, up the steps, and to the door." - Chapter 8
Each time Amy dropped the leashes to blue-bag the poop, Nickie respected a sit-and-stay command as reliably as did Fred and Ethel. - Chapter 15
2012 Thoughts: The Darkest Evening of the Year, in which we worship the Golden Retriever. I was getting really sick of this story but luckily it picked up about mid-way, still TDEOTY does not rank among my favorites. 3 stars.
2017 Thoughts: I think it's good to revisit a book once in a while. It's interesting to see how perspectives change based on different situations that the reader finds their self in. Aside from the obvious focus on Golden Retrievers and child abuse, I noticed the emphasize on pasts, patterns, eyes and lighthouses. Yes, I admit this is among the weakest of Dean's novels and the ending was certainly fast and crazy :-)
My favorite quotes:
For some, the past is a chain, each day a link, raveling backward to one ringbolt or another, in one dark place or another, and tomorrow is a slave to yesterday. - Opening page
----
"Maybe I've got a secret admirer."
"Has someone been sending you candy and flowers anonymously?"
"Secret admirers don't do that anymore, Renata. These days, they kidnap you, rape you, and kill you with power tools." - Ending to Chapter 15
In the clockworks of Amy's heart, the key of terror wound the mainspring past the snapping point, and the scream that came from her was silent, silent, her lungs suddenly as airless as the world around her seemed to be, a vacuum in a vacuum. -
Chapter 57
Bad people succeed and good people fail, but that's not the end of the story. Miracles happen that nobody sees, and among us walk heroes who are never recognized, and people live in loneliness because they cannot believe they are loved.... - Ending lines of the book
Worst passages:
...upon completion of her business, the dog went directly to the back porch, up the steps, and to the door." - Chapter 8
Each time Amy dropped the leashes to blue-bag the poop, Nickie respected a sit-and-stay command as reliably as did Fred and Ethel. - Chapter 15
February 20, 2015
This is only the second Dean Koontz book that I have read, and I gave it three stars only because it was compelling, despite its flaws.
I believe it is often the case that the flaws with a book are as much a result of my own expectations being overinflated as it is flaws with the actual book itself. I think this book is one of those types of books. Based on the reviews, I thought the book had both a compelling title and premise--a brave woman rescues Golden retrievers for her life's work, and one day, she rescues a doggy, Nickie, who's a little odd. There's something supernatural, perceptive, old-soulish about Nickie, and a series of coincidences dredge up a past that Amy has long since buried. And there are sinister forces at work...but what part does Nickie play in all of this?
And that was the premise of the book--creepy, ominous, and altogether interesting-sounding. The reality was disappointingly different...I think I had Stephen King in mind, and the supernatural forces at work in the book were less King-ish and more...I don't know...cheesy. But I still stayed up until two in the morning, trying to finish it.
I believe it is often the case that the flaws with a book are as much a result of my own expectations being overinflated as it is flaws with the actual book itself. I think this book is one of those types of books. Based on the reviews, I thought the book had both a compelling title and premise--a brave woman rescues Golden retrievers for her life's work, and one day, she rescues a doggy, Nickie, who's a little odd. There's something supernatural, perceptive, old-soulish about Nickie, and a series of coincidences dredge up a past that Amy has long since buried. And there are sinister forces at work...but what part does Nickie play in all of this?
And that was the premise of the book--creepy, ominous, and altogether interesting-sounding. The reality was disappointingly different...I think I had Stephen King in mind, and the supernatural forces at work in the book were less King-ish and more...I don't know...cheesy. But I still stayed up until two in the morning, trying to finish it.
January 9, 2016
I believe this is the first Dean Koontz book I've read, recommended to me by Koontz enthusiast extraordinaire Sarah. :)
I enjoyed it overall, appreciated the dog behavior stuff in the beginning, but then really got sucked into the story as the action started happening, people were dropping like flies, and I was trying to figure out how all the characters were all connected. The ending was acceptable, if not a little bit too satisfyingly sweet all around for my taste.
I enjoyed it overall, appreciated the dog behavior stuff in the beginning, but then really got sucked into the story as the action started happening, people were dropping like flies, and I was trying to figure out how all the characters were all connected. The ending was acceptable, if not a little bit too satisfyingly sweet all around for my taste.
December 18, 2010
This was an interesting book to say the least. There were many unexpected twists the story took which I was not anticipating. Koontz is a master with words and this book is only one more example of his literary genius and mastery with the craft if writing. I know that most people don't see this novel as Koontz's best work, but I don't feel the same way. There is a discernible difference with this book which makes it stand apart from a lot of the others which may be the reasons for some people not liking this one as much. I know the reason this has to stand apart is because of the emotional turmoil of the writer during the writing process. While writing this novel Dean lost his beloved dog Trixie, and many of the paragraphs about dogs and their companionship are extremely emotional and at the same time enthralling. This had to be the reason I liked this book so much, because of his spot on accuracy with the behavior of dogs. Other than dogs, there are many other things in this novel which keep the reader interested the entire time while going on this journey called The Darkest Evening of the Year.
November 18, 2011
Blah, blah, blah...blah, blah, blah.
Just another Koontz novel, which is also the last Koontz book I will read. If you've read one of his books, you've read them all.
WASTE OF TIME
Just another Koontz novel, which is also the last Koontz book I will read. If you've read one of his books, you've read them all.
WASTE OF TIME
December 12, 2008
I can't think of any book I've ever been more annoyed and disappointed with. I bought it because I haven't read anything by Mr. Koontz, and since our last names are similar I figured I should get an informed opinion. The only reason I finished the book is because I kept thinking "surely it's going to get better... there must be some reason people buy these books!" But alas, I finished it last night and... it was crappy up to the very last page.
I knew the book would be a struggle for me when on the first page this paragraph was randomly thrown in:
"For some, the past is just a chain, each day a link, raveling backward to one ringbolt or another, in one dark place or another, and tomorrow is a slave to yesterday".
Little "gems" like these are strewn throughout the book like thesaurus vomit, seemingly with no connection, and certainly in a different mood, to the surrounding paragraphs. Talk about trying too hard!
The characters were completely one-dimensional- the "bad guys" were 100% un-understandably bad and the "good guys" were 100% good. No underlying motives, just good and bad.
The book read a bit schizophrenic- one part murder mystery, one part dog adoption pamphlet, and one part really bad junior high school poetry.
I'm afraid I don't have one nice thing to say about this book- I can't say I've ever felt that way about any other book. I want my four dollars back, local drug store!
I knew the book would be a struggle for me when on the first page this paragraph was randomly thrown in:
"For some, the past is just a chain, each day a link, raveling backward to one ringbolt or another, in one dark place or another, and tomorrow is a slave to yesterday".
Little "gems" like these are strewn throughout the book like thesaurus vomit, seemingly with no connection, and certainly in a different mood, to the surrounding paragraphs. Talk about trying too hard!
The characters were completely one-dimensional- the "bad guys" were 100% un-understandably bad and the "good guys" were 100% good. No underlying motives, just good and bad.
The book read a bit schizophrenic- one part murder mystery, one part dog adoption pamphlet, and one part really bad junior high school poetry.
I'm afraid I don't have one nice thing to say about this book- I can't say I've ever felt that way about any other book. I want my four dollars back, local drug store!
February 21, 2008
This is not a good book. It has all of the elements that D. Koontz is famous for: creepy villains, supernatural events, metaphorical sentences, and of course dogs. However, it never really found its groove with me. I think he spends too much time describing the lives surrounding several intertwining hitmen who ultimately bring very little to the story. Not to mention that each of them has several different names and aliases - which adds to the confusion. I think he intended to write a story that weaved several lives touched by tragedy. The result was predictable, anticlimactic, and boring.
After reading the inside of the dust jacket, I thought that this book was about a woman on the run from something with a golden retriever in tow. I was expecting Einstein from Watchers, but did not get him. Upon finishing the book, I am not really sure what the point was. I get the miracles happen vibe, but it took a long, twisted road to get there.
If you are thinking of making this your first Koontz novel, please reconsider and read Watchers, Phantoms, Whispers, Life Expectancy, False Memory, The Husband, or Strangers. If you area seasoned veteran of The Dean, prepare to be disappointed. (For those of you that read the face, it was similar to the plot that something bad was going to happen for what seems like 1,000 pages and never really amounts to much.)
After reading the inside of the dust jacket, I thought that this book was about a woman on the run from something with a golden retriever in tow. I was expecting Einstein from Watchers, but did not get him. Upon finishing the book, I am not really sure what the point was. I get the miracles happen vibe, but it took a long, twisted road to get there.
If you are thinking of making this your first Koontz novel, please reconsider and read Watchers, Phantoms, Whispers, Life Expectancy, False Memory, The Husband, or Strangers. If you area seasoned veteran of The Dean, prepare to be disappointed. (For those of you that read the face, it was similar to the plot that something bad was going to happen for what seems like 1,000 pages and never really amounts to much.)
January 27, 2008
Honestly, I am such a fan of Koontz he almost automatically gets 4 stars. The dog quote alone near the end of the book is worth the reading of the book. It's gotten some mixed reviews and Koontz was grieving the loss of his Golden Trixie as he wrote the book. I still enjoyed it, even though it may not be his best effort. There were some disturbing plot lines that were difficult to read but still, Koontz has such heart that shines through in his writing.
March 22, 2016
This book is a bit lacking in suspense but it's rich with the wonder and hope that make me love Koontz so much. So I guess this novel touched my heart emotionally but didn't exactly make it speed with excitement :)
October 20, 2019
This is another Koontz book that I absolutely hated, and not just because dogs are inferior to cats. So at that particular moment in time, we were 1 (Odd Thomas) out of three (this and Husband)
Characters: Same old same old problems. The good guys are one dimensionally good and think exactly the way Koontz does. Nary a negative thought crosses their head. At some point, just before Amy and Brian (the main protagonists) kiss, they joke about bringing the global warming police down on their heads. I can imagine this has his right-wing fans laughing (though perhaps not even them), but for everyone else we just scratch our heads.
Of course both of them has a tragic past. And of course none of it is reflected in how they act nowadays and they're still basically perfect human beings. Brian had a history of sleeping with a bunch of women. Now, he never has to struggle with (or falter against) temptation. Amy was the sole survivor of a mass murder at her home committed by her now ex-husband. The kind of thing that would fill people with anger and make them mistrust future significant others. None of that here.
The villains are over the top, apparently doing nothing with their time but murder and sexual intercourse. Moongirl doesn't seem to be able to make up her mind between "I want everyone in the world to be dead" and "I want men to provide me wealth and material objects."
What's funny about Harrow is that his motivation for his villainy is probably the difficult sticking point Koontz was talking about in his Amazon blurb "Darkest Ice Cream of the Year." What's even more ironic is Harrow's motivation essentially boils down to someone teaching him to be evil as a kid. A "Freudian excuse" in other words, which certainly explains why it took Mr. Anti-Psychology three days (and an almond crunch bar) to come up with two relatively small paragraphs that would've taken anyone else 10 to 15 minutes.
And frankly, that particular concept (a dark mentor leading an impressionable boy down a path of villainy) sounds more interesting than the book itself. Fortunately, Stephen King already wrote that novella and it was really good.
The main revelation of the book is that "Moongirl" is Brian's ex-girlfriend while "Harrow" is Amy's ex-husband.
Koontz seems to think that making them so ridiculously evil will keep the reader from sympathizing with them, but ultimately the reader will sympathize with whoever is unfortunate enough to waste money on this book.
Plot: Simply not that engaging. It takes a long time for the good guys to actually do anything. That's probably because the entire set up is the villains calling the heroes to lure them into a trap, where they will be tortured and killed. That "lure" happens about halfway through the book. Until then, we get Brian drawing things and Amy buying dogs.
Harrow's motivation is making silencing people that know of his crimes. Moongirl's motivation is killing Brian for impregnating her with a Down-syndrome daughter, because she wanted a healthy one to give to a pedophile for a huge sum of money. Granted, her new boyfriend is stated to have even MORE money and only seems to want her, but, you know, whatever.
The middle chapters puts us into the eyes of a PI, a tail on Amy, and an assassin who names himself after characters Koontz sees as nihilistic.
For much of the book, the assassin's name is "Billy Pilgrim." "Billy" is the most engaging of the characters by a ridiculously wide margin. This is because we see him become disillusioned with his views and behaviors after seeing pictures of Nikki, a trait most Koontz villains don't possess. This is something known as "character development" and it's pretty good. You have beliefs that you think are pretty strong but then something seemingly small happens that makes you question everything.
"Billy" shooting people that know of Harrow's criminal status makes up the majority of the action in the book. These aren't fights, these are assassinations in people's homes. Not shocking attacks out in public, where the villain then has to make a hasty escape and barely avoid the police.
At this point Amy and Brian are merely making a road trip. The heroes literally don't start fighting until the end of the book, which is really not how you want your "suspense/thriller" to go. Because of this, things don't get "interesting" until the last 40 or so pages.
There are also supernatural traits that honestly don't fit well with the overall genre of the book, partly because Amy and Brian, like many Koontz protagonists, don't react realistically enough to the supernatural events for my liking.
Climax: Arguably the worst of any Koontz novel. Certainly the worst and dumbest of any I've read in Koontz's library. Bad guys are built up for most of the book. "They are HARDCORE!" Koontz assures us. "They are so evil they burn down homes with people in them."
And yet, Brian shoots both of them in two pages. Odd Hours had the same problem, with a long amount of time spent under the pier (fifty or sixty pages), and Odd shooting the nuke smugglers in two or three. Two pages, I must remind you, of the double-spaced lines and slightly enlarged font Koontz has been using for years. He didn't need it in the '80s; the fact that he needs it now does not speak well of him.
The Husband had a similar problem. So why is this even worse? Brian and Amy are both critically wounded in the "fight", and just when you think Koontz will go for a bittersweet ending like he did with Odd Thomas, the dog Nickie or Nikkie or whatever revives them because she's really possessed by an angel. She heals them by licking their faces. Yep. And all the blood on the floor "kind of went somewhere some way."
Compare this with the excellent fight scenes in Lightning and the climax of that novel. There's no comparison.
The resurrection described in the concluding chapter, and the chapter itself, suck too. These are main characters. It should be done in painstaking detail. It's glossed over. The dog bends over the heroes, the heroes are healed. Done.
If this man had wrote the Talisman, it would be "Jack put the Talisman on his mom. All the color went out of the Talisman and into his mother. His mother opened her eyes. Done."
Angel Nickie (Amy's daughter, also named Nickie) who was possessing the dog, leaves the dog with a sound of wings. Do Amy and her daughter have a conversation? Nope.
Prose: Same problems as he's been having for years. Short paragraphs, short chapters. Some people like them, I don't. They are tolerable here because Koontz changes viewpoints a lot. I couldn't remember many meandering environmental description, but I'm sure they are there.
Conclusion: It's bad because this book had me THIS close to hating Koontz. To simply writing him off as a hack author who couldn't write his way out of a paper bag, loved by the kind of people who couldn't take Stephen King either because he was actually scary, acknowledged that bad people sometimes had crappy lives, had bittersweet endings, was a Democrat who believed in climate change...or all of the above.
It's bad because the Koontz has plenty of decent-to-good output. Check out the Lightning, Door To December, and the first Frankenstein to get yourself started.
Update:
The finale could have used an extended melee fight, or something to that effect. Or have angels pop out of the heroes and demons pop out of the villains. It's stupid, yeah but stupid and exciting is better than stupid and boring.
I was on the fence about raising the score to perhaps 2 stars, for the interesting character of Billy Pilgrim. It's just funny that this secondary villain character has a stronger and more believable arc of development than any of the main characters. He's the Randal Six of this book, in other words.
Since that's the case, why not make the whole story about him? In the beginning, he's an assassin nutcase. Then he sees the artwork or the dog and has the change of heart. Then he shoots Sparrow and Sunlady and saves Pope. That's more interesting than either the main heroes or the villains.
I sometimes wonder if Brightest Afternoon of the Minute is the beginning of Koontz’s trend of making the bad guys nihilists all the time, kind of like how he’s tried so hard to be funny after Tick Tock.
As an aside, I find it interesting when Koontz bemoans things like postmodernism when he likes to have such quirky and absurd characters with their ridiculous names in the manner of Vonnegut and Pynchon.
Characters: Same old same old problems. The good guys are one dimensionally good and think exactly the way Koontz does. Nary a negative thought crosses their head. At some point, just before Amy and Brian (the main protagonists) kiss, they joke about bringing the global warming police down on their heads. I can imagine this has his right-wing fans laughing (though perhaps not even them), but for everyone else we just scratch our heads.
Of course both of them has a tragic past. And of course none of it is reflected in how they act nowadays and they're still basically perfect human beings. Brian had a history of sleeping with a bunch of women. Now, he never has to struggle with (or falter against) temptation. Amy was the sole survivor of a mass murder at her home committed by her now ex-husband. The kind of thing that would fill people with anger and make them mistrust future significant others. None of that here.
The villains are over the top, apparently doing nothing with their time but murder and sexual intercourse. Moongirl doesn't seem to be able to make up her mind between "I want everyone in the world to be dead" and "I want men to provide me wealth and material objects."
What's funny about Harrow is that his motivation for his villainy is probably the difficult sticking point Koontz was talking about in his Amazon blurb "Darkest Ice Cream of the Year." What's even more ironic is Harrow's motivation essentially boils down to someone teaching him to be evil as a kid. A "Freudian excuse" in other words, which certainly explains why it took Mr. Anti-Psychology three days (and an almond crunch bar) to come up with two relatively small paragraphs that would've taken anyone else 10 to 15 minutes.
And frankly, that particular concept (a dark mentor leading an impressionable boy down a path of villainy) sounds more interesting than the book itself. Fortunately, Stephen King already wrote that novella and it was really good.
The main revelation of the book is that "Moongirl" is Brian's ex-girlfriend while "Harrow" is Amy's ex-husband.
Koontz seems to think that making them so ridiculously evil will keep the reader from sympathizing with them, but ultimately the reader will sympathize with whoever is unfortunate enough to waste money on this book.
Plot: Simply not that engaging. It takes a long time for the good guys to actually do anything. That's probably because the entire set up is the villains calling the heroes to lure them into a trap, where they will be tortured and killed. That "lure" happens about halfway through the book. Until then, we get Brian drawing things and Amy buying dogs.
Harrow's motivation is making silencing people that know of his crimes. Moongirl's motivation is killing Brian for impregnating her with a Down-syndrome daughter, because she wanted a healthy one to give to a pedophile for a huge sum of money. Granted, her new boyfriend is stated to have even MORE money and only seems to want her, but, you know, whatever.
The middle chapters puts us into the eyes of a PI, a tail on Amy, and an assassin who names himself after characters Koontz sees as nihilistic.
For much of the book, the assassin's name is "Billy Pilgrim." "Billy" is the most engaging of the characters by a ridiculously wide margin. This is because we see him become disillusioned with his views and behaviors after seeing pictures of Nikki, a trait most Koontz villains don't possess. This is something known as "character development" and it's pretty good. You have beliefs that you think are pretty strong but then something seemingly small happens that makes you question everything.
"Billy" shooting people that know of Harrow's criminal status makes up the majority of the action in the book. These aren't fights, these are assassinations in people's homes. Not shocking attacks out in public, where the villain then has to make a hasty escape and barely avoid the police.
At this point Amy and Brian are merely making a road trip. The heroes literally don't start fighting until the end of the book, which is really not how you want your "suspense/thriller" to go. Because of this, things don't get "interesting" until the last 40 or so pages.
There are also supernatural traits that honestly don't fit well with the overall genre of the book, partly because Amy and Brian, like many Koontz protagonists, don't react realistically enough to the supernatural events for my liking.
Climax: Arguably the worst of any Koontz novel. Certainly the worst and dumbest of any I've read in Koontz's library. Bad guys are built up for most of the book. "They are HARDCORE!" Koontz assures us. "They are so evil they burn down homes with people in them."
And yet, Brian shoots both of them in two pages. Odd Hours had the same problem, with a long amount of time spent under the pier (fifty or sixty pages), and Odd shooting the nuke smugglers in two or three. Two pages, I must remind you, of the double-spaced lines and slightly enlarged font Koontz has been using for years. He didn't need it in the '80s; the fact that he needs it now does not speak well of him.
The Husband had a similar problem. So why is this even worse? Brian and Amy are both critically wounded in the "fight", and just when you think Koontz will go for a bittersweet ending like he did with Odd Thomas, the dog Nickie or Nikkie or whatever revives them because she's really possessed by an angel. She heals them by licking their faces. Yep. And all the blood on the floor "kind of went somewhere some way."
Compare this with the excellent fight scenes in Lightning and the climax of that novel. There's no comparison.
The resurrection described in the concluding chapter, and the chapter itself, suck too. These are main characters. It should be done in painstaking detail. It's glossed over. The dog bends over the heroes, the heroes are healed. Done.
If this man had wrote the Talisman, it would be "Jack put the Talisman on his mom. All the color went out of the Talisman and into his mother. His mother opened her eyes. Done."
Angel Nickie (Amy's daughter, also named Nickie) who was possessing the dog, leaves the dog with a sound of wings. Do Amy and her daughter have a conversation? Nope.
Prose: Same problems as he's been having for years. Short paragraphs, short chapters. Some people like them, I don't. They are tolerable here because Koontz changes viewpoints a lot. I couldn't remember many meandering environmental description, but I'm sure they are there.
Conclusion: It's bad because this book had me THIS close to hating Koontz. To simply writing him off as a hack author who couldn't write his way out of a paper bag, loved by the kind of people who couldn't take Stephen King either because he was actually scary, acknowledged that bad people sometimes had crappy lives, had bittersweet endings, was a Democrat who believed in climate change...or all of the above.
It's bad because the Koontz has plenty of decent-to-good output. Check out the Lightning, Door To December, and the first Frankenstein to get yourself started.
Update:
The finale could have used an extended melee fight, or something to that effect. Or have angels pop out of the heroes and demons pop out of the villains. It's stupid, yeah but stupid and exciting is better than stupid and boring.
I was on the fence about raising the score to perhaps 2 stars, for the interesting character of Billy Pilgrim. It's just funny that this secondary villain character has a stronger and more believable arc of development than any of the main characters. He's the Randal Six of this book, in other words.
Since that's the case, why not make the whole story about him? In the beginning, he's an assassin nutcase. Then he sees the artwork or the dog and has the change of heart. Then he shoots Sparrow and Sunlady and saves Pope. That's more interesting than either the main heroes or the villains.
I sometimes wonder if Brightest Afternoon of the Minute is the beginning of Koontz’s trend of making the bad guys nihilists all the time, kind of like how he’s tried so hard to be funny after Tick Tock.
As an aside, I find it interesting when Koontz bemoans things like postmodernism when he likes to have such quirky and absurd characters with their ridiculous names in the manner of Vonnegut and Pynchon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
3.5/5
Another well-written novel by Dean Koontz. The story never manages to become a thriller or have any suspenseful moments. This was one of the faith vs chaos/nihilism stories that Koontz was writing in the mid-2000s.
Another well-written novel by Dean Koontz. The story never manages to become a thriller or have any suspenseful moments. This was one of the faith vs chaos/nihilism stories that Koontz was writing in the mid-2000s.
January 9, 2010
People Magazine's Critics Choice desrcibes this book as "Silence of The Lambs meets Marley & Me"
I am never disappointed when I pick up a Koontz book - NEVER. How often can you say this about an author?
*Trivia fact* This book was dedicated to Koontz's own Golden Retriever Trixie. Trixie has "guess blogged" on Koontz's website and there are several books based on Trixie how gives advice - how cute!
This story is light on the horror but no less an enjoyable roller coaster ride. I love how the different characters paths intersect like a sudden drop right at the end. Your heart catches in your throat with the unexpected turn of events, the adrenaline runs rampant, and you just want to turn arond and do it again.
I also like his sense of humor that provides a light relief to the story.
For anyone who hasn't yet read a Koontz book--shame on you!
I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes from this book..
"Too many dogs continue to be abused and abandond - one is too many - and people continue to kill people for money and envy and no reason at all. Bad people succeed and good people fail, but that's not the end of the story. Miracles happen that nobody sees, and among us walk heroes who are never recognised, and people live in loneliness because they cannot believe they are loved"
"We're out of cocktail olives, it's a tragedy of historic proportions, but we're coping because we're Americans."
— Dean Koontz (The Darkest Evening of the Year)
I am never disappointed when I pick up a Koontz book - NEVER. How often can you say this about an author?
*Trivia fact* This book was dedicated to Koontz's own Golden Retriever Trixie. Trixie has "guess blogged" on Koontz's website and there are several books based on Trixie how gives advice - how cute!
This story is light on the horror but no less an enjoyable roller coaster ride. I love how the different characters paths intersect like a sudden drop right at the end. Your heart catches in your throat with the unexpected turn of events, the adrenaline runs rampant, and you just want to turn arond and do it again.
I also like his sense of humor that provides a light relief to the story.
For anyone who hasn't yet read a Koontz book--shame on you!
I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes from this book..
"Too many dogs continue to be abused and abandond - one is too many - and people continue to kill people for money and envy and no reason at all. Bad people succeed and good people fail, but that's not the end of the story. Miracles happen that nobody sees, and among us walk heroes who are never recognised, and people live in loneliness because they cannot believe they are loved"
"We're out of cocktail olives, it's a tragedy of historic proportions, but we're coping because we're Americans."
— Dean Koontz (The Darkest Evening of the Year)
October 3, 2014
The darkest evening is like going into a whole new life and at first you love everything about your new life then all of a sudden it’s not what you expect it to be. At first you are okay with but you start to see things go wrong and all of a sudden it become a fight for survival or life and death situation. It’s a really good book and I like everything about because I love history but for other people they won’t like the extra details the book gives you. I think people who love adventure and history should read this book. Cause over all I think the majority or historians in the world will agree with me.
December 15, 2016
review to come, will edit later
January 15, 2008
This was a quick read. The author extols the virtues of golden retrievers and a dog's ability to help heal broken people. He also tries to raise awareness of the cruelty of puppy mills. Amy, the main character of the story, has a secret past and spends her days rescuing golden retrievers from unfit homes. Add a love interest, some eeriness, and a few really evil people out to get them and that pretty much sums up the story.
August 4, 2021
Mahatma Gandhi--"the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members."
Dean Koontz's The Darkest Evening of the Year underscores Gandhi's particular sentiment in surprising and startling comparisons...comparisons which, in all honestly, may be too difficult for more tender hearted readers to press on through to the end of the book. But I almost wish everyone in America was required to read this book before purchasing a dog and/or having a child, for that matter. Wishful thinking.
Essentially, the primary horror in this book Koontz constructs right out of our everyday society from the dogs America throws away to the children stereotyped and neglected. This is not to say that there isn't also plenty of paranormal phenomena and all of typical psychological fear generating creepiness that this writer constructs so well & is famous for--there's plenty of that too. But at the end of the day, what really haunts readers isn't what is uncanny--it's the everyday reality of what our society has already decided is acceptable and is currently living with.
This book is going to stay with me. I read it with my dog next to me on the bed, and with each passing chapter, I found I needed snuggle her a bit more closely & promise her repeatedly that she was the most perfectly splendid dog in the universe and no one would ever make her feel otherwise.
From a purely critical perspective, it's damn hard to write a book like this--a book about pets at all--but specifically a book that draws awareness to our country's inability to get a handle on how poorly we regulate pet population & how willingly we overlook inhuman practices. Writers risk sounding like activists, sounding saccharine, sounding cheesy...or just turning readers off altogether. This book is and does none of those things. It should be held up in creative writing classes as how to manual, in fact. I've never written a poem about one of my dogs which actually works. They come out too sentimental every damn time. This book is impressive start to finish. If I wasn't already a Koontz fan, this sure would have sealed the deal.
Dean Koontz's The Darkest Evening of the Year underscores Gandhi's particular sentiment in surprising and startling comparisons...comparisons which, in all honestly, may be too difficult for more tender hearted readers to press on through to the end of the book. But I almost wish everyone in America was required to read this book before purchasing a dog and/or having a child, for that matter. Wishful thinking.
Essentially, the primary horror in this book Koontz constructs right out of our everyday society from the dogs America throws away to the children stereotyped and neglected. This is not to say that there isn't also plenty of paranormal phenomena and all of typical psychological fear generating creepiness that this writer constructs so well & is famous for--there's plenty of that too. But at the end of the day, what really haunts readers isn't what is uncanny--it's the everyday reality of what our society has already decided is acceptable and is currently living with.
This book is going to stay with me. I read it with my dog next to me on the bed, and with each passing chapter, I found I needed snuggle her a bit more closely & promise her repeatedly that she was the most perfectly splendid dog in the universe and no one would ever make her feel otherwise.
From a purely critical perspective, it's damn hard to write a book like this--a book about pets at all--but specifically a book that draws awareness to our country's inability to get a handle on how poorly we regulate pet population & how willingly we overlook inhuman practices. Writers risk sounding like activists, sounding saccharine, sounding cheesy...or just turning readers off altogether. This book is and does none of those things. It should be held up in creative writing classes as how to manual, in fact. I've never written a poem about one of my dogs which actually works. They come out too sentimental every damn time. This book is impressive start to finish. If I wasn't already a Koontz fan, this sure would have sealed the deal.
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