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Chase
Ben Chase is a war hero with bitter memories. Vietnam left him with a hard drinking habit, a mental breakdown - and massive guilt.
So who will believe him when he swears a psychopath is out to get him? When society is sick, the mad are sane - and persecution is a killer's game...
So who will believe him when he swears a psychopath is out to get him? When society is sick, the mad are sane - and persecution is a killer's game...
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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10081 people want to read
About the author
K.R. Dwyer
6 books26 followersDean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, and Owen West.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
November 27, 2019
Chase, whilst not Koontz' best book is a quick, easy read seeped in traditional pulp stylings with enough suspense to garner it a thriller of sorts. The plot and title character don't lean towards high literature nor the more sophisticated storytelling Koontz later produced but there's enough there to satisfy a quick niche needs for a hero with a heart; the typical all American good guy taking down the big bad and falling for the woman of his dreams while he's at it.
A lot of the themes of this book are outdated (PTSD and same-sex relationship for instance) and the book suffers from some overly simplistic plot elements (Chase, for example, assumes the role of a quasi P.I to track down a killer without who he met by chance mid-kill only to encounter no resistance from near anyone he interrogates throughout the investigation) which ultimately curtailed my experience. That said, as a quick, non-thought provoking read, it ticks the boxes. Almost a poor mans' James Bond or, to a lesser extent Mike Hammer.
A lot of the themes of this book are outdated (PTSD and same-sex relationship for instance) and the book suffers from some overly simplistic plot elements (Chase, for example, assumes the role of a quasi P.I to track down a killer without who he met by chance mid-kill only to encounter no resistance from near anyone he interrogates throughout the investigation) which ultimately curtailed my experience. That said, as a quick, non-thought provoking read, it ticks the boxes. Almost a poor mans' James Bond or, to a lesser extent Mike Hammer.
April 22, 2015
So I really enjoyed this - nice, trim, fast read. Also, I know Koontz has taken flack for writing characters who are "too good" or "too evil" and making things too black and white, and while I do find stories with realistic moral conflicts and characters struggling with their inner darkness engaging, at times it's just refreshing to read a character like Ben Chase, someone who's going to do the right thing, simply because it's right.
December 26, 2018
Decently written but unexceptional thriller. Not particularly thrilling or surprising, it simply moves through its paces until the eventual finale. I kept expecting a twist, but no. It is what it is. Not bad, but not recommended either.
December 31, 2021
Ben is a war hero returned from Vietnam. However, he did awful things which has made him a semi recluse. After receiving a Mustang car for his heroism he goes for a drive and sees a murder and fails in preventing it. The murderer is a psychopath who stalks Ben and gives himself the name Judge.
The story has a lot of weaknesses. Everyone Ben meets in his role of detective seems to help him. Falling in love with Glenda almost instantly. However, the writing is readable and of you ignore the farfetched detective work an enjoyable read.
The social aspect of returning from Vietnam and the patriotism is downplayed. Ben’s also a bit obsessive and perhaps reflects America’s schizophrenia about morality and war.
The story has a lot of weaknesses. Everyone Ben meets in his role of detective seems to help him. Falling in love with Glenda almost instantly. However, the writing is readable and of you ignore the farfetched detective work an enjoyable read.
The social aspect of returning from Vietnam and the patriotism is downplayed. Ben’s also a bit obsessive and perhaps reflects America’s schizophrenia about morality and war.
November 9, 2014
Starts promisingly with a Vietnam war vet suffering from what was soon to be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Koontz gives a convincing portrait of a medal of honor winner loved by the world but disgusted with himself. He saves the life of a young girl threatened by a serial killer, and the book rocks along well for the first half or so. It becomes more formulaic as it goes along, and Koontz seems to lose interest in it by the end, awarding Chase an unconvincing romance that makes him feel life is worth living after all. The ending is unconvincing and fails to reach its potential, almost as though Koontz was on deadline and had to finish any way he could. Still, there are sharply drawn characters, especially a psychiatrist you love to hate as you can only hate psychiatrists. A book whose strengths and weaknesses balance each other out to deliver a quick, enjoyable read, but leaves the reader saying, "Is that all there is?"
June 16, 2015
This is an early book by Dean Koontz written under a pseudonym. It is still recognizable as one of his stories. The story and plot are tight and quick paced. The characters are real and for the most part likeable. The main character is a man named Ben Chase who has returned from Vietnam war disillusioned and plagued by guilt which he tries to fix through therapy and bottles of whiskey. The whiskey seems to be more effective. He lives a lonesome and lonely life. Then he wins a medal for valor in the war and is rewarded with a car as well. Drives around and ends at lover's lane where he gets involved in saving a young lady whose boyfriend has been murdered and injuring the murderer. The police and his shrink do not believe his story even when he begins being stalked by a voice on the phone called (aptly) Judge. Along the way,in trying to find Judge he meets different characters-some sympathetic and others not so much. He makes a good friend and struggles with right and wrong. This is recognizable as a Koontz story but an early one. His style improves in later books. Even saying that, this is a good and fast-paced story that most who like suspense and thrillers will enjoy.
December 1, 2014
Great vintage Koontz, tightly plotted, full of twists and well written. Ben Chase is a Vietnam vet, feted as a war hero but fighting traumatic memories with drink and social withdrawal. When he stops at the local lovers' lane he cannot but intervene when he hears screaming, and disturbs a vicious attack on two teenagers, the boy dead from multiple stab wounds, the girl curled with fear in the other seat. But the killer has carefully selected the couple, does not appreciate Chase's intervention and starts making threatening phone calls naming himself only as 'Judge'. The killer makes it clear that he knows a lots about Chase's past and is prepared to hurt him and those he cares about to punish him. The police don't believe Chase, believing him delusional after consulting with his psychiatrist, and when Chase meets the beautiful Glenda and suddenly has a lot more to lose he turns the tables and the hunted becomes the hunter. Really good, satisfying and makes you think about judgement and the lack of right we have to judge others.
February 23, 2016
If you go back far enough in Dean Koontz's career, you'll find he started out as a science fiction writer. CHASE, which was originally published under the bland pseudonym "K.R. Dwyer" (Koontz's initials backwards), was his very first thriller. And, as with many of Koontz's early books, it was later revised and published under his real name.
As far as thrillers go, CHASE is pretty generic. Thankfully, at only 200 pages, it doesn't stick around long enough to wear out its welcome. Koontz's strategy for revising it was seemingly to strip it to the bone and keep the story moving ahead as swiftly as possible. The book contains few surprises and no big twist at the end, but the main character, a Vietnam veteran haunted by his past, is interesting enough to make up for those moments of lackluster plotting.
As far as thrillers go, CHASE is pretty generic. Thankfully, at only 200 pages, it doesn't stick around long enough to wear out its welcome. Koontz's strategy for revising it was seemingly to strip it to the bone and keep the story moving ahead as swiftly as possible. The book contains few surprises and no big twist at the end, but the main character, a Vietnam veteran haunted by his past, is interesting enough to make up for those moments of lackluster plotting.
April 1, 2014
Koontz's first suspense novel. Pretty good for a first.
November 21, 2023
Note: trigger warnings for child abuse. The trigger warnings are not mentioned in the book.
Chase is an old new Dean Koontz book. Why old? Well, it's the first novella he ever published, but onder a pen name. In the introduction he writes that he rarely revisits hos older publications, but this one apparently needed a rewrite, updating the language and parts of the plot.
I never knew he did this and then published it in 2017, so when I discovered it I ordered this novella and started reading. Right away I recognized the old Koontz in his writing and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I remembered the writing I fell in love with as a teenager and have loved so much over the years, even though he sadly has lost it for most books published after False Memory, including the Odd Thomas books, which for me is where it all went down.
Going back to this older Koontz feeling was a form of nostalgia.
That said, however, the book felt like a 4 star read to me, but the reason for the killer to have done what he did really felt wrong. I hated reading most of the last 10 pages. Yes, the end is satisfying, but only after knowing what has happened and I did not see that one coming.
And to be honest, I don't know why he wrote this. it felt far fetched and wrong, so I'm taking off one star for just that alone.
it's nice to have this Koontz in my collection and I loved reading most of it, but the after taste is bitter and not so sweet.
Chase is an old new Dean Koontz book. Why old? Well, it's the first novella he ever published, but onder a pen name. In the introduction he writes that he rarely revisits hos older publications, but this one apparently needed a rewrite, updating the language and parts of the plot.
I never knew he did this and then published it in 2017, so when I discovered it I ordered this novella and started reading. Right away I recognized the old Koontz in his writing and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I remembered the writing I fell in love with as a teenager and have loved so much over the years, even though he sadly has lost it for most books published after False Memory, including the Odd Thomas books, which for me is where it all went down.
Going back to this older Koontz feeling was a form of nostalgia.
That said, however, the book felt like a 4 star read to me, but the reason for the killer to have done what he did really felt wrong. I hated reading most of the last 10 pages. Yes, the end is satisfying, but only after knowing what has happened and I did not see that one coming.
And to be honest, I don't know why he wrote this. it felt far fetched and wrong, so I'm taking off one star for just that alone.
it's nice to have this Koontz in my collection and I loved reading most of it, but the after taste is bitter and not so sweet.
February 27, 2022
Chase was originally published by Random House under the name K. R. Dwyer, a pseudonym Koontz used for 2 books. It can be found here, online:
https://readfrom.net/dean-koontz/page...
3 stars.
https://readfrom.net/dean-koontz/page...
3 stars.
August 15, 2013
Summary: Benjamin (Ben) Chase, served in the Vietnam War in which he had to kill many people under the rule and command of his superiors. He felt extremely guilty and became severely depressed and was haunted constantly by his terrible deeds even after he was honorably discharged for his condition.
Once he left the service he rented a room and lived off his Military pension and drank constantly. He needed for no woman and didn't care much for the company of others. He just wanted to be left alone to feel sorry for himself and sult in private.
Unfortunately that all changed once he was called upon to receive a medal of bravery for serving his time. He felt that the only reason he as given this award was because he didn't rat out the officers higher in rank and tell anyone about the terrible things they had done and forced him to do to others.
All this medal did was draw attention to him and make him the target of nosy reporters and such for weeks. After the horrible banquet Chase drove the car they had also presented to him, to a place where he felt calmed. Atop Kanackaway, a place where he had created fond memories of simpler days. Days that had nothing to do with the War and all the people that had been killed.
In the middle of remembering he was startled by a sneaky shadow of a man slinking around between the cars that filled dozoens of young teens trying ot score.
Then he heard a scream and jumped out of his own car to help. He realized that his chilvaric ways are what had gotten him in the papers to beign with, but he couldn't just not do anything when someone needed help.
He stopped a man with a knife from killing a young woman. The stranger had already taken the life of the girls' boyfriend. The murder cut Chases thigh during the struggle, but nothing more. The other man knocked Chase down and then he ran away.
Chase reported the event o the Police and then answered thier questions. He asked them not to write about him in the their reports, but they did of course anyway.
The next thing he knows the killer starts calling and harrassing him. He says e will be called the Judge and that he killed the boy because he was a sinner and a phornicator an since Chase stopped him from also killing the girl, Chase will now get Judged as well.
The man says he will review his past behavior and decide whether he must die or not. Chase shrugs it off at first until the man keeps calling him with the information he has found.
Chase informes the Police but his shrink tells them that he has mental problems and they shouldn't take what he says seriously. The stalker calls him one last time to tell hi mthat he's made up his mind.
Since he's killed women and children when he was in the War he says that Chase must die. This freaks Chase out. He had thought that he didn't care whether he lived or died, but now that death is a possiblity he deides he wants to live.
Then he goes to all the places that he vblieves the killer went to to find out about him. He goes to the library where he meets a girl he's interesed in. After he's found out a little bit more he calls the librarian and asks her for a date.
It shocks him that he's found someone he's interested in, but he falls in love with her. Soon the killer makes threats against his woman and he trys to get her to go away and hide. She exclaims that she loves him too and that she's going to help him whether he likes it or not.
They go back to see the girl and they see the murdered boys parents. It seems that this man stalking Chase was someone the boy knew.
The parents tell them that he was a former tutor of their son. Chase and his new girlfriend head to the man's house. Chase goes in and catches the man off guard.
Mr Linski then explains that he was a friend of the boy's parents and when the boy was only four, Linski spaid off the parents so taht he could mess around with the child.
Once they had the money they stopped Linsky from seeing him. Many yers later having forgotten about who Linski was the boy phoned him and asked him to tutor him. Linski tried to rekendle their relationship but the boy refused.
Linski got upset and that why he killed the boy. He felt like if he couldn't have him then no one could. Chase found this news upsetting so he put the sick man out of his misery. He put a gun barrel in his mouth and blew he brains out for him.
Chase left the house, climbed back into his car with his new woman ant ehyd drove away to live their lives together.
Thoughts: Pretty gruesome ending, but I'm glad the killer was stopped by whatever means that were necessary. Personally I don't think those kind of people can be helped through therapy, eye for an eye sometimes.
Once he left the service he rented a room and lived off his Military pension and drank constantly. He needed for no woman and didn't care much for the company of others. He just wanted to be left alone to feel sorry for himself and sult in private.
Unfortunately that all changed once he was called upon to receive a medal of bravery for serving his time. He felt that the only reason he as given this award was because he didn't rat out the officers higher in rank and tell anyone about the terrible things they had done and forced him to do to others.
All this medal did was draw attention to him and make him the target of nosy reporters and such for weeks. After the horrible banquet Chase drove the car they had also presented to him, to a place where he felt calmed. Atop Kanackaway, a place where he had created fond memories of simpler days. Days that had nothing to do with the War and all the people that had been killed.
In the middle of remembering he was startled by a sneaky shadow of a man slinking around between the cars that filled dozoens of young teens trying ot score.
Then he heard a scream and jumped out of his own car to help. He realized that his chilvaric ways are what had gotten him in the papers to beign with, but he couldn't just not do anything when someone needed help.
He stopped a man with a knife from killing a young woman. The stranger had already taken the life of the girls' boyfriend. The murder cut Chases thigh during the struggle, but nothing more. The other man knocked Chase down and then he ran away.
Chase reported the event o the Police and then answered thier questions. He asked them not to write about him in the their reports, but they did of course anyway.
The next thing he knows the killer starts calling and harrassing him. He says e will be called the Judge and that he killed the boy because he was a sinner and a phornicator an since Chase stopped him from also killing the girl, Chase will now get Judged as well.
The man says he will review his past behavior and decide whether he must die or not. Chase shrugs it off at first until the man keeps calling him with the information he has found.
Chase informes the Police but his shrink tells them that he has mental problems and they shouldn't take what he says seriously. The stalker calls him one last time to tell hi mthat he's made up his mind.
Since he's killed women and children when he was in the War he says that Chase must die. This freaks Chase out. He had thought that he didn't care whether he lived or died, but now that death is a possiblity he deides he wants to live.
Then he goes to all the places that he vblieves the killer went to to find out about him. He goes to the library where he meets a girl he's interesed in. After he's found out a little bit more he calls the librarian and asks her for a date.
It shocks him that he's found someone he's interested in, but he falls in love with her. Soon the killer makes threats against his woman and he trys to get her to go away and hide. She exclaims that she loves him too and that she's going to help him whether he likes it or not.
They go back to see the girl and they see the murdered boys parents. It seems that this man stalking Chase was someone the boy knew.
The parents tell them that he was a former tutor of their son. Chase and his new girlfriend head to the man's house. Chase goes in and catches the man off guard.
Mr Linski then explains that he was a friend of the boy's parents and when the boy was only four, Linski spaid off the parents so taht he could mess around with the child.
Once they had the money they stopped Linsky from seeing him. Many yers later having forgotten about who Linski was the boy phoned him and asked him to tutor him. Linski tried to rekendle their relationship but the boy refused.
Linski got upset and that why he killed the boy. He felt like if he couldn't have him then no one could. Chase found this news upsetting so he put the sick man out of his misery. He put a gun barrel in his mouth and blew he brains out for him.
Chase left the house, climbed back into his car with his new woman ant ehyd drove away to live their lives together.
Thoughts: Pretty gruesome ending, but I'm glad the killer was stopped by whatever means that were necessary. Personally I don't think those kind of people can be helped through therapy, eye for an eye sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2016
‘Chase’ has a slight air of misogyny and sexism, popular for its time - written in 1972 - and felt like it was influenced by detective novels and early Stephen King. Many characters felt stereotyped and had a level of stupidity. Nowadays, Koontz’s characters are much more complex, and objectification handled intelligently. But in revisiting Koontz’s early works, it still stood up to giving me the hee-bee-gee-bees.
‘Chase’ was published under another name (K.R. Dwyer) when it was initially released.
Ben Chase is a medically discharged soldier tackling PTSD who happened across, and intervened in a murder at a local make-out/lookout point. Consequently, the killer gets away, and his attentions are turned onto Chase himself. The murderer, calling himself ‘The Judge’ chooses his victims who he deems worthy of being judged and executed… now ‘The Judge’ has found Chase worthy of death from his past discretions.
There is play on whether Chase is imagining much of this predicament due to his mental condition, but I think it wasn’t utilized enough in the story line and could have been executed better.
Introduction of Glenda, a love interest for Chase, humanized our protagonist and made the book immensely more enjoyable. I was beginning to dislike Chase somewhat and found him difficult to relate to (though I am not the demographic for this novel) and wish she’d been introduced earlier to soften the rough edges, bringing some emotion in earlier to the plot line.
Maybe because I’ve read widely in this genre for the past 30 years, and a considerable number of Koontz’s later books, the plot was very predictable. It also failed to give me that shiver that I get from many of his titles. But for its lack in scare tactics, it makes up for in pacing - things amped up after the half way mark and I really started to enjoy ‘Chase.’
I can see precursors of elements that appear in his later novels, many of which are favorites (and have been turned into films) and how much Koontz has grown as a storyteller.
I’d only recommend this for hard core Dean Koontz fans – the story is a little dated and generic. There are far more enjoyable titles in his current catalog. But I have to admit I reveled in the nostalgia, it reminded me of the television and movies of the early 80’s
Spoilers:
‘Chase’ was published under another name (K.R. Dwyer) when it was initially released.
Ben Chase is a medically discharged soldier tackling PTSD who happened across, and intervened in a murder at a local make-out/lookout point. Consequently, the killer gets away, and his attentions are turned onto Chase himself. The murderer, calling himself ‘The Judge’ chooses his victims who he deems worthy of being judged and executed… now ‘The Judge’ has found Chase worthy of death from his past discretions.
There is play on whether Chase is imagining much of this predicament due to his mental condition, but I think it wasn’t utilized enough in the story line and could have been executed better.
Introduction of Glenda, a love interest for Chase, humanized our protagonist and made the book immensely more enjoyable. I was beginning to dislike Chase somewhat and found him difficult to relate to (though I am not the demographic for this novel) and wish she’d been introduced earlier to soften the rough edges, bringing some emotion in earlier to the plot line.
Maybe because I’ve read widely in this genre for the past 30 years, and a considerable number of Koontz’s later books, the plot was very predictable. It also failed to give me that shiver that I get from many of his titles. But for its lack in scare tactics, it makes up for in pacing - things amped up after the half way mark and I really started to enjoy ‘Chase.’
I can see precursors of elements that appear in his later novels, many of which are favorites (and have been turned into films) and how much Koontz has grown as a storyteller.
I’d only recommend this for hard core Dean Koontz fans – the story is a little dated and generic. There are far more enjoyable titles in his current catalog. But I have to admit I reveled in the nostalgia, it reminded me of the television and movies of the early 80’s
Spoilers:
January 30, 2014
It was probably more shocking when it came out due to its subject matter and the few twists. Today after being desensitized by years' work of art, it feels like a small, prim and proper mystery story. Nothing groundbreaking but still well-written.
It's an alright read for the beach or for those travelling hours.
It's an alright read for the beach or for those travelling hours.
January 26, 2021
2.5/5
Spoiler alert*
Chase is a so-callad suspense novel with obvious ending, shallow plot-line and stereotype characters with no imaginative aspects. Even the bad guy is a homosexuel Christian man, a "Sinner" tries to redeem himself by killing other "fornicators". Even for the boring plot and cliche story, Chase could have been a catch. But with that stereotype characters, overwritten story-line and undistinctive villain, it is just another pulp.
Spoiler alert*
Chase is a so-callad suspense novel with obvious ending, shallow plot-line and stereotype characters with no imaginative aspects. Even the bad guy is a homosexuel Christian man, a "Sinner" tries to redeem himself by killing other "fornicators". Even for the boring plot and cliche story, Chase could have been a catch. But with that stereotype characters, overwritten story-line and undistinctive villain, it is just another pulp.
August 28, 2023
This book was originally published in 1974 under Koontz's K.R. Dwyer pseudonym. In 1995, a revised version was released under Koontz's own name. This is a review of the revised version.
Ultimately, the book is a cat and mouse game between a troubled Vietnam veteran and a serial killer. The veteran is a good guy, but deeply damaged by the war. The killer has issues I won't reveal because they are central to the story's conclusion. The story has plot holes that are sizable. But even at a young age, Dean Koontz was a great storyteller. That is the book's strength. The story rips along at a fast pace and conjures up some real suspense. The ending is about as dark as they come, so be prepared.
This is the second book I've read from Koontz's K.R. Dwyer days. I enjoyed them both. Neither of them had any hint of the supernatural, which later became his specialty. I happen to like his non-supernatural stories better, so maybe that's why I enjoy them so much. "Chase" is definitely not perfect, but I found it to be plenty of fun.
Ultimately, the book is a cat and mouse game between a troubled Vietnam veteran and a serial killer. The veteran is a good guy, but deeply damaged by the war. The killer has issues I won't reveal because they are central to the story's conclusion. The story has plot holes that are sizable. But even at a young age, Dean Koontz was a great storyteller. That is the book's strength. The story rips along at a fast pace and conjures up some real suspense. The ending is about as dark as they come, so be prepared.
This is the second book I've read from Koontz's K.R. Dwyer days. I enjoyed them both. Neither of them had any hint of the supernatural, which later became his specialty. I happen to like his non-supernatural stories better, so maybe that's why I enjoy them so much. "Chase" is definitely not perfect, but I found it to be plenty of fun.
January 23, 2024
What a great surprise!
Was expecting something different to the Koontz I had been reading, and what a surprise! Chase did not disappoint! I read it in one sitting.
A straight suspense novel (maybe novella), nothing supernatural or paranormal, and perhaps more of a vigilante story- the action kicks off right at the start and moves at a rapid pace throughout.
Found the character of Chase very likeable. Enjoyed the insights into his psycology and how the character developed as the story progressed.
The story turned darker as more details were revealed, while the character of Chase moved away from his dark place and rediscovered light and life - accelerated by the introduction of Glenda.
Superb story, that moves at a rapid pace into a surprising and dark revelation, and a massive character development for the protagonist.
Was expecting something different to the Koontz I had been reading, and what a surprise! Chase did not disappoint! I read it in one sitting.
A straight suspense novel (maybe novella), nothing supernatural or paranormal, and perhaps more of a vigilante story- the action kicks off right at the start and moves at a rapid pace throughout.
Found the character of Chase very likeable. Enjoyed the insights into his psycology and how the character developed as the story progressed.
The story turned darker as more details were revealed, while the character of Chase moved away from his dark place and rediscovered light and life - accelerated by the introduction of Glenda.
Superb story, that moves at a rapid pace into a surprising and dark revelation, and a massive character development for the protagonist.
September 18, 2017
This may be one of my favorite Koontz books, even as one of his earliest novels. I had a bit of trepidation about reading some of his older works, just wondering if his writing style would be so different that I might not enjoy them as much, but I'm happy to say that was not the case. He can take what turns out to be simplest tales and still somehow make you sit on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens.
August 8, 2009
This is an early Dean Koontz novel. It was originally published in 1971 as by K.R. Dwyer and reworked by Koontz for his 1995 STRANGE HIGHWAYS collection. It is a quick and suspenseful read. It, at least the reworked edition, is a prime example of why Dean Koontz is, simply put, the best modern writer of the suspense story.
March 19, 2012
This was the first ever book by Dean Koontz i had read. I found it to be a great page turner and a super fast read. 3 days and i was done. A great fast short read and i was not disappointed. kept me on the edge of my seat/bed. i will be sinking my teeth into alot more Koontz books for sure.
December 15, 2023
Not a bad book, not a must read. A good early effort overall for Koontz. Quick paperback entertainment.
April 4, 2014
This is an old, short Koontz novel, quite different from his more recent topics. I connected well with his main character and enjoyed the twists and turns of this easy read.
February 4, 2017
Not a bad read. Not a normal Koontz book but interesting all the same. Sometimes it's nice to get away from supernatural things and just have a real human story. The ending wasn't what I expected.
July 21, 2022
I have enjoyed this book, an outstanding story for classic Dean Koontz fans.
October 25, 2024
Short but powerful
August 21, 2013
i'd read most of what koontz has written..or, i thought i did...that is, until i picked up a copy of The Dean Koontz Companion and learned therein that there are around 40-50 titles that koontz published early in his career under a variety of pseudonyms...this story...one of them.
chase...originally published by random house under the name "k.r. dwyer"...1972
includes a preface from koontz, much of that available in the description for this edition...published, t'would appear, in '90-91. how'd i miss it? koontz says in the preface that this story shares some of the same thematic concerns as his Shattered...a story i have read, as i recognize the cover, eyeballs in a rear-view mirror, when i added the link in the previous line.
this story is also included--last story--in the Strange Highways collection...this version that i am reading has english spellings for some words, honour...for honor, & others though i don't recall any at the moment. (later that evening: colour for color...harboured for harbored...2-storey for 2-story...one kerb sighting...) read in the "description" that this was originally called "shattered"...but that is false, Shattered is an entirely separate story, one that koontz writes about in the preface to this edition, albeit a story w/some of the same themes at work & play.
this story begins:
at seven o'clock, seated on the platform as the guest of honour, ben chase was served a bad roast beef dinner while various dignitaries talked at him from both sides, breathing over his salad and his half-eaten fruit cup. at eight o'clock the mayor rose to deliver what proved to be a boring panegyric to the city's most famous vietnam war hero, and half an hour after he had begun, presented chase with a special scroll detailing his supposed accomplishments and restating the city's pride in him. he was also give the keys to a new mustang convertible which he had not been expecting, a gift from the merchant's association.
okee dokee then, as the good doctor said (40 days after the skunk intrusion, 1979)...onward and upward
time place scene setting
*the vietnam era...time...no particular year, as yet...the year is 1971, defined by "judge"...and call it summer, for though louise allenby has graduated high school, she has not yet begun classes at penn state
*iron kettle restaurant, scene of the dinner honoring ben chase
*the parking lot
*ashside suburban development
*3-lane galasio boulevard
*kanackaway ridge road...overlooking the town
*gateway mall shopping centre
*lover's lane atop kanackaway
*a 3-yr-old chevrolet
*ben's new mustang
*police headquarters...an office therein...on kensington avenue
*wallace's squad car
*mrs fiedling's house...where ben chase rents an attic apartment
*woolworth's breakfast...ben
*liquor store
*vietnam...a tunnel (past)
*a room on the 8th floor of the kaine building, his doctor/psychiatrist's office
*a red volkswagen...my p.b. has a red volkswagen, door open, at the overlook
*two dentists, 3 insurance companies, and a tax collection office...in the kaine bldg w/ben's doc
*the allenby residence on pine street, a 2-storey neo-colonial
*metropolitan bureau of vital statistics, in the basement of the courthouse building
*ticket booth...part of the parking lot where ben ransoms his vehicle
*drive-in eateries on galazio blvd
*diamond dell...one of the above...ben stops to fill his tank
*a nearby gas station
*the press-dispatch morgue
*john f. kennedy throughway
*at state university...a sense this penn state...but not labeled definitively as such
*administration bldg of above...student records office
*gateway mall tavern
*the footlight, a legitamate theatre
*a pancake house on galasio blvd
*glenda kleaver's place/apt, st. john's circle, 3rd and highest floor
*a bookstore
*braddock heights home of jerry taylor's family...friend of mike's
*governor's place apartments
*walterson j.h.s.
*anne and harry karnes's house on winkler street
*a townhouse apt. on galasio...of eric blentz's...i think
*a motel
*richard linski's home
characters
*benjamin "ben" chase, medal of honor recipient, vietnam war, single, is now recovering from a breakdown, drinks heavily/5th a day, has a disability pension (75% disability) and he is living on the ample inheritance from his parents...he was born a little over 24 years ago, june 11, 1947, here at mercy hospital. his parents died in a car accident when he was 18. ben lives a solitary existence, watches old movies, read paperbacks, avoids newspapers, and drinks a 5th a day. ben has a degree in business administration. he'd spent nine months, active-duty in the nam, the viet....nam
*various dignitaries
*the mayor of...call it ashside
*a man...who we later learn wants to be known as judge
*a girl...louise allenby, 17...high school graduate, will be going to penn state in the fall
*a young man, victim of "judge"...michael karnes
*detective wallace, a small and grey man
*a desk sergeant
*staff car of the press-dispatch...w/2 photographers & a reporter
*another officer who would take him to town, don jones
*don jones's children, ricky and judy
*mrs. fiedling, ben chase's landlord, in her 50s, is casual about her attire
*perfect strangers...who'd call ben chase
*girls in short skirts...ben would watch them at the local park
*woolworth's businessmen, secretaries, labourers
*pert little blonde waitress
*liquor store clerk
*wallace beery and marie dressler...on an old movie
*miss pringle, dr. cauvel's secretary/admirer
*dr. cauvel, ben's doctor-psychiatrist
*lieutenant zacharia, whom ben hates...sergeant coombs, privates halsey and wade, and a couple of others...vietnam, tunnel
*20 women, some children, tunnel, nam
*18 communist soldiers
*jim tuppinger...cop...taps ben's phone
*18 allenbys in the city.
*cleta allenby on pine, louise allenby's mother...whose father is dead, mother never remarried, the mother, cleta, a cocktail waitress
*2 equally sturdy elderly women...
*mrs onufer...who waits on ben
*mrs klou...who never ceased battling her typewriter
*a cute redhead in tight hot pants...at the diamond dell one of many drive-in eateries
*3 people used/accessed records...two women, the other:
*harold devore, an alias of the "judge"
*several reporters were sitting at the machines
*glenda kleaver, the girl who runs the morgue at the press-dispatch...all leg so on so forth oh la!
*jules verne...name of the tunnel operation in viet nam
*office manager at the student records office at state university...brown...
*brown and his wife run the footlight, a legitimate theatre in town
*eric blentz...who owns/runs the gateway mall tavern...later, 50s, 200 pounds or more, 4-5" shorter than brown's description
*a cheerful, apple-cheeked blonde in a short brown skirt and a lot-cut white peasant blouse
*only seven other patrons shared the place
*three couples and a lone woman
*the bartender was the only other man in the place
*third alias of "the judge" is eric blentz
*glenda kleaver's mother
*names of three of mike's friends
*jerry taylor, parents...braddock heights.
*norman bates...heh!...another friend of mike's norman bates?
*martin cable, third friend, works at governor's place apartments, pool, lifeguard
*two young men at the pool...one is martin
*a tutor in physics...mike's tutor
*red-headed twins that mike knew from state
*superintendent of schools
*charles shienbluth, a junior high school general science teacher at walterson j.h.s.
*anne and harry karnes, mike's parents
*sister of eric blentz
*a school secretary
*who provides names...monroe cullins, one...the other richard linski
a note on the telling
told 3rd-person, ben chase's point-of-view
a blue & yellow sighting
mrs fiedling wears a blue and yellow housedress...plus, her bra has some yellow to it
a turning point
ben realizes after a time, page 91 may it do ya fine, that "he would have to handle the whole business himself." you bet. if it is to be it is up to me. boy howdy. don't count on employees and if you can't do it yourself, best not do it.
some americana, folklore
water, soap, ammoniatic cleanser, & a carton of milk...ben's mother's favorite spot remover
update, finished, 22 aug 13, thursday evening, 8:23 p.m. e.s.t.
having read this before, at least once, possibly twice, reading it again now is enlightening...the manner koontz uses to tell the story...not so much the tools koontz uses--although that is enlightening as well--but how the hero of this story, benjamin chase, completes the events that forced him out of his sheltered existence. i was anticipating a different turn...and by story's end, i wondered if the koontz of 2013 would have written this as the koontz (25-yr-old) of 1972 wrote the story.
can't say much more than that w/o giving away the telling. i anticipated glenda committing to some action on her own, rather than how she responded in the story, a story that is all ben chase. too, since the identification of "the judge" is not learned by ben chase (and glenda) until late in the telling, i was anticipating a difference there, as well...one of those who-dunnits where the bad-guy isn't revealed until the end, and that a surprise.
some other surprises....koontz dropping the f-bomb in here...a single time, but it's like hearing your friend--who never swears--drop the bomb. too, ben chase's attitude toward women is not as...politically correct as many of koontz's later protagonists. yet i enjoyed the description of them, the women...we have a dedicated circuit mayhap, hard-wired that way.
what else? there's a few instances--scenes--a motel...a gas station...where that is all the reader gets, whereas later-koontz is more likely to provide a name for both..."motel" and "gas station" seem rather tame to a named place...though the story dates itself, too, w/the use of payphones and the like. nothing wrong with that. this story is from 1971 and it fits in that time period.
formulating the index above, i also notice that koontz wasn't as definitive as a story-teller could be, should be...as he is in his later-work...the name of the school where mike attended, for instance. i don't think that is clearly defined, although the name of one school is mentioned in connection w/leads that ben chase is tracking down.
character descriptions are spot-on, however...those are all solid...dress is a character trait in this story...short skirts...unbuttoned blouses etc. this that the other.
chase...originally published by random house under the name "k.r. dwyer"...1972
includes a preface from koontz, much of that available in the description for this edition...published, t'would appear, in '90-91. how'd i miss it? koontz says in the preface that this story shares some of the same thematic concerns as his Shattered...a story i have read, as i recognize the cover, eyeballs in a rear-view mirror, when i added the link in the previous line.
this story is also included--last story--in the Strange Highways collection...this version that i am reading has english spellings for some words, honour...for honor, & others though i don't recall any at the moment. (later that evening: colour for color...harboured for harbored...2-storey for 2-story...one kerb sighting...) read in the "description" that this was originally called "shattered"...but that is false, Shattered is an entirely separate story, one that koontz writes about in the preface to this edition, albeit a story w/some of the same themes at work & play.
this story begins:
at seven o'clock, seated on the platform as the guest of honour, ben chase was served a bad roast beef dinner while various dignitaries talked at him from both sides, breathing over his salad and his half-eaten fruit cup. at eight o'clock the mayor rose to deliver what proved to be a boring panegyric to the city's most famous vietnam war hero, and half an hour after he had begun, presented chase with a special scroll detailing his supposed accomplishments and restating the city's pride in him. he was also give the keys to a new mustang convertible which he had not been expecting, a gift from the merchant's association.
okee dokee then, as the good doctor said (40 days after the skunk intrusion, 1979)...onward and upward
time place scene setting
*the vietnam era...time...no particular year, as yet...the year is 1971, defined by "judge"...and call it summer, for though louise allenby has graduated high school, she has not yet begun classes at penn state
*iron kettle restaurant, scene of the dinner honoring ben chase
*the parking lot
*ashside suburban development
*3-lane galasio boulevard
*kanackaway ridge road...overlooking the town
*gateway mall shopping centre
*lover's lane atop kanackaway
*a 3-yr-old chevrolet
*ben's new mustang
*police headquarters...an office therein...on kensington avenue
*wallace's squad car
*mrs fiedling's house...where ben chase rents an attic apartment
*woolworth's breakfast...ben
*liquor store
*vietnam...a tunnel (past)
*a room on the 8th floor of the kaine building, his doctor/psychiatrist's office
*a red volkswagen...my p.b. has a red volkswagen, door open, at the overlook
*two dentists, 3 insurance companies, and a tax collection office...in the kaine bldg w/ben's doc
*the allenby residence on pine street, a 2-storey neo-colonial
*metropolitan bureau of vital statistics, in the basement of the courthouse building
*ticket booth...part of the parking lot where ben ransoms his vehicle
*drive-in eateries on galazio blvd
*diamond dell...one of the above...ben stops to fill his tank
*a nearby gas station
*the press-dispatch morgue
*john f. kennedy throughway
*at state university...a sense this penn state...but not labeled definitively as such
*administration bldg of above...student records office
*gateway mall tavern
*the footlight, a legitamate theatre
*a pancake house on galasio blvd
*glenda kleaver's place/apt, st. john's circle, 3rd and highest floor
*a bookstore
*braddock heights home of jerry taylor's family...friend of mike's
*governor's place apartments
*walterson j.h.s.
*anne and harry karnes's house on winkler street
*a townhouse apt. on galasio...of eric blentz's...i think
*a motel
*richard linski's home
characters
*benjamin "ben" chase, medal of honor recipient, vietnam war, single, is now recovering from a breakdown, drinks heavily/5th a day, has a disability pension (75% disability) and he is living on the ample inheritance from his parents...he was born a little over 24 years ago, june 11, 1947, here at mercy hospital. his parents died in a car accident when he was 18. ben lives a solitary existence, watches old movies, read paperbacks, avoids newspapers, and drinks a 5th a day. ben has a degree in business administration. he'd spent nine months, active-duty in the nam, the viet....nam
*various dignitaries
*the mayor of...call it ashside
*a man...who we later learn wants to be known as judge
*a girl...louise allenby, 17...high school graduate, will be going to penn state in the fall
*a young man, victim of "judge"...michael karnes
*detective wallace, a small and grey man
*a desk sergeant
*staff car of the press-dispatch...w/2 photographers & a reporter
*another officer who would take him to town, don jones
*don jones's children, ricky and judy
*mrs. fiedling, ben chase's landlord, in her 50s, is casual about her attire
*perfect strangers...who'd call ben chase
*girls in short skirts...ben would watch them at the local park
*woolworth's businessmen, secretaries, labourers
*pert little blonde waitress
*liquor store clerk
*wallace beery and marie dressler...on an old movie
*miss pringle, dr. cauvel's secretary/admirer
*dr. cauvel, ben's doctor-psychiatrist
*lieutenant zacharia, whom ben hates...sergeant coombs, privates halsey and wade, and a couple of others...vietnam, tunnel
*20 women, some children, tunnel, nam
*18 communist soldiers
*jim tuppinger...cop...taps ben's phone
*18 allenbys in the city.
*cleta allenby on pine, louise allenby's mother...whose father is dead, mother never remarried, the mother, cleta, a cocktail waitress
*2 equally sturdy elderly women...
*mrs onufer...who waits on ben
*mrs klou...who never ceased battling her typewriter
*a cute redhead in tight hot pants...at the diamond dell one of many drive-in eateries
*3 people used/accessed records...two women, the other:
*harold devore, an alias of the "judge"
*several reporters were sitting at the machines
*glenda kleaver, the girl who runs the morgue at the press-dispatch...all leg so on so forth oh la!
*jules verne...name of the tunnel operation in viet nam
*office manager at the student records office at state university...brown...
*brown and his wife run the footlight, a legitimate theatre in town
*eric blentz...who owns/runs the gateway mall tavern...later, 50s, 200 pounds or more, 4-5" shorter than brown's description
*a cheerful, apple-cheeked blonde in a short brown skirt and a lot-cut white peasant blouse
*only seven other patrons shared the place
*three couples and a lone woman
*the bartender was the only other man in the place
*third alias of "the judge" is eric blentz
*glenda kleaver's mother
*names of three of mike's friends
*jerry taylor, parents...braddock heights.
*norman bates...heh!...another friend of mike's norman bates?
*martin cable, third friend, works at governor's place apartments, pool, lifeguard
*two young men at the pool...one is martin
*a tutor in physics...mike's tutor
*red-headed twins that mike knew from state
*superintendent of schools
*charles shienbluth, a junior high school general science teacher at walterson j.h.s.
*anne and harry karnes, mike's parents
*sister of eric blentz
*a school secretary
*who provides names...monroe cullins, one...the other richard linski
a note on the telling
told 3rd-person, ben chase's point-of-view
a blue & yellow sighting
mrs fiedling wears a blue and yellow housedress...plus, her bra has some yellow to it
a turning point
ben realizes after a time, page 91 may it do ya fine, that "he would have to handle the whole business himself." you bet. if it is to be it is up to me. boy howdy. don't count on employees and if you can't do it yourself, best not do it.
some americana, folklore
water, soap, ammoniatic cleanser, & a carton of milk...ben's mother's favorite spot remover
update, finished, 22 aug 13, thursday evening, 8:23 p.m. e.s.t.
having read this before, at least once, possibly twice, reading it again now is enlightening...the manner koontz uses to tell the story...not so much the tools koontz uses--although that is enlightening as well--but how the hero of this story, benjamin chase, completes the events that forced him out of his sheltered existence. i was anticipating a different turn...and by story's end, i wondered if the koontz of 2013 would have written this as the koontz (25-yr-old) of 1972 wrote the story.
can't say much more than that w/o giving away the telling. i anticipated glenda committing to some action on her own, rather than how she responded in the story, a story that is all ben chase. too, since the identification of "the judge" is not learned by ben chase (and glenda) until late in the telling, i was anticipating a difference there, as well...one of those who-dunnits where the bad-guy isn't revealed until the end, and that a surprise.
some other surprises....koontz dropping the f-bomb in here...a single time, but it's like hearing your friend--who never swears--drop the bomb. too, ben chase's attitude toward women is not as...politically correct as many of koontz's later protagonists. yet i enjoyed the description of them, the women...we have a dedicated circuit mayhap, hard-wired that way.
what else? there's a few instances--scenes--a motel...a gas station...where that is all the reader gets, whereas later-koontz is more likely to provide a name for both..."motel" and "gas station" seem rather tame to a named place...though the story dates itself, too, w/the use of payphones and the like. nothing wrong with that. this story is from 1971 and it fits in that time period.
formulating the index above, i also notice that koontz wasn't as definitive as a story-teller could be, should be...as he is in his later-work...the name of the school where mike attended, for instance. i don't think that is clearly defined, although the name of one school is mentioned in connection w/leads that ben chase is tracking down.
character descriptions are spot-on, however...those are all solid...dress is a character trait in this story...short skirts...unbuttoned blouses etc. this that the other.
July 20, 2016
This is a great read
December 27, 2017
I am a longtime fan of Dean Koontz’s writing. I enjoy all of Mr. Koontz’s work, but I have a particular fondness for the work he produced in the 1970s and 80s. I love his big genre mixing thrillers like Lightning, Cold Fire, and Twilight Eyes and more recently I have gained an appreciation for his earlier straight suspense novels like Shattered, After the Last Race, and Dragonfly.
I recently reread a short suspense novel written as by K. R. Dwyer titled Chase. Benjamin Chase is a used up Vietnam veteran who received the Medal of Honor for an act he wants to forget. He lives alone in an attic apartment. He drinks to drown out the voices of the dead, and he wants to be left alone to grieve and regret. His world tumbles into chaos when he saves a young woman from murder, and the would-be killer—a man who calls himself “Judge”—begins calling Ben on the telephone.
CHASE is a dark and disturbing novel. It was written in the Vietnam-era and is infused with hard cynicism. Chase is simple. He is alone, guilty, and ashamed. His isolation is perpetuated by the near hero worship, and simple minded patriotism, of the townsfolk. He has judged himself as less than, but as Judge pursues his verdict against Chase, he is forced to face both himself and his demons.
CHASE is all story, which is to say plot with a snatch of something close to meaning. It is short and sleek. It takes only a few pages to move from the opening scene banquet to the action. That is not to say it is plotted from action scene to action scene because it isn’t; there is a legitimate mystery, and the psychology of the protagonist is interesting in itself, and the slow escalation of isolation between Chase and the police, and Chase and society creates a tension all its own. The prose is crisp and with a touch of melancholy—
“Maybe it was better to be without a woman than to die and leave behind one who grieved so briefly as this.”
It opens as a straight forward suspense novel—how will Chase save himself from Judge—to something approaching a vigilante novel. The climax is both surprising and horrifying; even disturbing. Its suddenness and violence surprised as much on my second reading as it did the first. Chase isn’t one of Dean Koontz’s big novels, and it may not appeal to most of his current readership, but it a fine example of high velocity classic suspense. But that ending is a killer.
CHASE was originally published by Random House in hardcover in 1972. It was reissued in Mr Koontz’s collection Strange Highways in 1995. The reissued version was touched up before its release, but what was changed, other than the addition of a brief opening chapter setting the time and place of the story, I’m not sure.
I recently reread a short suspense novel written as by K. R. Dwyer titled Chase. Benjamin Chase is a used up Vietnam veteran who received the Medal of Honor for an act he wants to forget. He lives alone in an attic apartment. He drinks to drown out the voices of the dead, and he wants to be left alone to grieve and regret. His world tumbles into chaos when he saves a young woman from murder, and the would-be killer—a man who calls himself “Judge”—begins calling Ben on the telephone.
CHASE is a dark and disturbing novel. It was written in the Vietnam-era and is infused with hard cynicism. Chase is simple. He is alone, guilty, and ashamed. His isolation is perpetuated by the near hero worship, and simple minded patriotism, of the townsfolk. He has judged himself as less than, but as Judge pursues his verdict against Chase, he is forced to face both himself and his demons.
CHASE is all story, which is to say plot with a snatch of something close to meaning. It is short and sleek. It takes only a few pages to move from the opening scene banquet to the action. That is not to say it is plotted from action scene to action scene because it isn’t; there is a legitimate mystery, and the psychology of the protagonist is interesting in itself, and the slow escalation of isolation between Chase and the police, and Chase and society creates a tension all its own. The prose is crisp and with a touch of melancholy—
“Maybe it was better to be without a woman than to die and leave behind one who grieved so briefly as this.”
It opens as a straight forward suspense novel—how will Chase save himself from Judge—to something approaching a vigilante novel. The climax is both surprising and horrifying; even disturbing. Its suddenness and violence surprised as much on my second reading as it did the first. Chase isn’t one of Dean Koontz’s big novels, and it may not appeal to most of his current readership, but it a fine example of high velocity classic suspense. But that ending is a killer.
CHASE was originally published by Random House in hardcover in 1972. It was reissued in Mr Koontz’s collection Strange Highways in 1995. The reissued version was touched up before its release, but what was changed, other than the addition of a brief opening chapter setting the time and place of the story, I’m not sure.
August 6, 2019
This is a very early novel by Dean Koontz published under the pseudonym K.R. Dwyer. I found it to be a very enjoyable psychological thriller -- even though it's a short book at 144 pages. The story takes place in early 1972 -- and you get the feel of that right away.
The title "Chase" refers to Ben Chase -- a recently discharged Vietnam vet who is suffering from PTSD as a result from his experiences. And, because of this -- he has developed a very bad drinking problem. And, chooses to close himself off from society whenever possible. He lives in a third-floor attic apartment he rents from a mid-40's woman named Mrs. Fielding. Ben's two sources of income are his disability pension along with a small inheritance from his parents' estate.
As the book opens -- Ben is being honored by a local group for receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor for his "heroic" acts in Vietnam. However, Ben is troubled by the attention because the people don't know the whole story. And, he has nightmares. The local group also gives Ben a new Mustang.
Ben drives off to collect his thoughts. And, ends up in a "lovers' lane section" frequented by young people. While he's there -- he spies a shadowy figure -- with a knife -- approaching one of the cars. The figure attacks the young man and woman. Ben saves the woman. However, the young man dies. The young woman is a 17-year recent high school graduate named Louise Allenby. The young man is her boyfriend Mike Karnes.
The police led by detective Wallace are of little help -- the one big clue is a brotherhood ring worn by members of the Aryan Alliance. Later on -- the killer -- using the name "Judge" makes a series of threatening calls to Judge. However, detective Wallace and his counselor Dr. Fauvel don't believe him. So, it's up to Ben to find the killer himself. Ben comes across a woman named Glenda -- from the local paper -- he takes a liking to. The both of them take on the task of tracking down "Judge." They first talk to Louise because her mom had been dating a man from the Aryan Alliance. Her immaturity comes through as she says the Alliance are a bunch of tough guys preparing for the coming war against the "coloreds" and the "fags." (Hey it's a 1970s novel). And, the guy that had stalked her and Mike a few months ago had made a pass at Mike.
I enjoyed the story line and the character development. The twists and turns are interesting. Ben catches up with the killer. And, the climax is intriguing.
The title "Chase" refers to Ben Chase -- a recently discharged Vietnam vet who is suffering from PTSD as a result from his experiences. And, because of this -- he has developed a very bad drinking problem. And, chooses to close himself off from society whenever possible. He lives in a third-floor attic apartment he rents from a mid-40's woman named Mrs. Fielding. Ben's two sources of income are his disability pension along with a small inheritance from his parents' estate.
As the book opens -- Ben is being honored by a local group for receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor for his "heroic" acts in Vietnam. However, Ben is troubled by the attention because the people don't know the whole story. And, he has nightmares. The local group also gives Ben a new Mustang.
Ben drives off to collect his thoughts. And, ends up in a "lovers' lane section" frequented by young people. While he's there -- he spies a shadowy figure -- with a knife -- approaching one of the cars. The figure attacks the young man and woman. Ben saves the woman. However, the young man dies. The young woman is a 17-year recent high school graduate named Louise Allenby. The young man is her boyfriend Mike Karnes.
The police led by detective Wallace are of little help -- the one big clue is a brotherhood ring worn by members of the Aryan Alliance. Later on -- the killer -- using the name "Judge" makes a series of threatening calls to Judge. However, detective Wallace and his counselor Dr. Fauvel don't believe him. So, it's up to Ben to find the killer himself. Ben comes across a woman named Glenda -- from the local paper -- he takes a liking to. The both of them take on the task of tracking down "Judge." They first talk to Louise because her mom had been dating a man from the Aryan Alliance. Her immaturity comes through as she says the Alliance are a bunch of tough guys preparing for the coming war against the "coloreds" and the "fags." (Hey it's a 1970s novel). And, the guy that had stalked her and Mike a few months ago had made a pass at Mike.
I enjoyed the story line and the character development. The twists and turns are interesting. Ben catches up with the killer. And, the climax is intriguing.
March 8, 2018
This was a re-read for me. My copy is old and purchased when I first started reading Dean Koontz around the time his book, Strangers, came out. I'm trying to get rid of a few books so revisiting some titles from authors I've collected in the hope I can give a few away. This isn't a bad thriller but it's very much a product of its time. The reason behind the killings, the killer's motivation, the stereotyped persona of both the killer and the women, all well-written in their day but give the book a nostalgic feel when read now. The forensics and phone tracing possible now would probably mean the outcome would have be unlikely without more care taken. It's a decent read of its time and there's nothing wrong with that, but I can understand why many will have problems with this; it's a problem every writer faces when science and technology move on. If you want a bit of classic Koontz there are still many good things here, especially in the first half of the book, but he's written many that are better.
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