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Velocity
Envisioned by the author as a male-lead companion piece to the female-lead Intensity, Velocity marks yet another dazzling milestone in the career of one of the master storytellers of this or any age (The Tampa Tribune). Unabridged. 8 CDs.
10 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2005
1313 people are currently reading
21221 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
879 books39.8k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,451 reviews
September 10, 2016
A very weak novel by Koontz. it's like he was contradicting himself when he gave the book a title of "Velocity" when in reality it was slow as shit.
The main character was really likable at first, but he slowly became boring as the novel went by. I didn't seem to hold my interest because most of the book contained nothing but jibber jabber. A lot of useless stuff written just for the novel to be longer than it should be. The amount of useless things said over powered the little of action that the novel had.
The plot had huge potential, but the jibber jabber really destroyed it. A supposed suspenseful novel turned into a sleep inducing one. It took me forever to finish this (almost a month) and that means that I really wasn't interested. I finished it just for the sake of it, and because I really hate to DNF a book. I haven't really seen the truth in "If you like Stephen King, then try Dean Koontz" just yet, but maybe some of his other better novels would make me realize the implication.
1.5/5 stars. I'm sure that I didn't pick up the wrong Koontz novel based on the synopsis, because that shit was good and exciting. It's also not because I wasn't in the mood for such genre, because I was. The book was just terrible for me, let's leave it at that. Nothing works for everybody anyway. Once again, I'm still not giving up on Koontz, because his Odd Thomas novels were quite entertaining anyway(at least the ones I've currently read). Read at your own risk.
The main character was really likable at first, but he slowly became boring as the novel went by. I didn't seem to hold my interest because most of the book contained nothing but jibber jabber. A lot of useless stuff written just for the novel to be longer than it should be. The amount of useless things said over powered the little of action that the novel had.
The plot had huge potential, but the jibber jabber really destroyed it. A supposed suspenseful novel turned into a sleep inducing one. It took me forever to finish this (almost a month) and that means that I really wasn't interested. I finished it just for the sake of it, and because I really hate to DNF a book. I haven't really seen the truth in "If you like Stephen King, then try Dean Koontz" just yet, but maybe some of his other better novels would make me realize the implication.
1.5/5 stars. I'm sure that I didn't pick up the wrong Koontz novel based on the synopsis, because that shit was good and exciting. It's also not because I wasn't in the mood for such genre, because I was. The book was just terrible for me, let's leave it at that. Nothing works for everybody anyway. Once again, I'm still not giving up on Koontz, because his Odd Thomas novels were quite entertaining anyway(at least the ones I've currently read). Read at your own risk.
June 25, 2023
Uneven pacing sometimes hurts this otherwise strong novel, ironic title notwithstanding.
I really enjoyed Billy’s character development…of course he is an Everyman. Aren’t our Koontz heroes, always?
It's creepy and scary; just what you’d expect from DK. And exciting when it needs to be.
As per usual, things are neatly wrapped up in the end.
I would say that if you like his writing, you will most likely enjoy this one. If you’re not already a fan, it’s highly unlikely that this novel will make you one.
I really enjoyed Billy’s character development…of course he is an Everyman. Aren’t our Koontz heroes, always?
It's creepy and scary; just what you’d expect from DK. And exciting when it needs to be.
As per usual, things are neatly wrapped up in the end.
I would say that if you like his writing, you will most likely enjoy this one. If you’re not already a fan, it’s highly unlikely that this novel will make you one.
September 24, 2014
This is indeed a novel with speed incorporated!
As the title Velocity hints the rhythm of the narrative. A clear fast tempo.
You are barely getting comfy in your seat when you realize that you need to fasten your seatbelt right away!
The premise is simple but performed in a brilliant and very entertaining way.
I liked real quick the protagonist and I fear even quicker from the antagonist.
Nothing is left to the chance. You will witness a carefull crafted masterful plan by the villain.
I enjoyed in the way that story develops since you realize that the protagonist takes sound and reasonable decisions at each moment that he/she needs to take a choice. It's not like "Oh, for Christ's sake! Why in the world he is doing that?! He/she drives me nuts!" Oh, no, no. I think that the protagonist reacts in a very believable way.
Moreover, the story is totally set in a real world ambiance, you won't met any paranormal force.
The evil here is very real and truly scary with a flesh-and-blood psychopathic criminal.
Also, since it's a very entertaining story and real page-turner, you will read it real quick.
Highly recommended.
As the title Velocity hints the rhythm of the narrative. A clear fast tempo.
You are barely getting comfy in your seat when you realize that you need to fasten your seatbelt right away!
The premise is simple but performed in a brilliant and very entertaining way.
I liked real quick the protagonist and I fear even quicker from the antagonist.
Nothing is left to the chance. You will witness a carefull crafted masterful plan by the villain.
I enjoyed in the way that story develops since you realize that the protagonist takes sound and reasonable decisions at each moment that he/she needs to take a choice. It's not like "Oh, for Christ's sake! Why in the world he is doing that?! He/she drives me nuts!" Oh, no, no. I think that the protagonist reacts in a very believable way.
Moreover, the story is totally set in a real world ambiance, you won't met any paranormal force.
The evil here is very real and truly scary with a flesh-and-blood psychopathic criminal.
Also, since it's a very entertaining story and real page-turner, you will read it real quick.
Highly recommended.
August 11, 2025
Not Koontz's best work!
It’s an undeniable fact of literary life that, from time to time, an author’s past 5-star efforts lead to his work being held against the high standard of those successes as opposed to being compared more fairly with other authors who purport to compete in the same genre. VELOCITY is one of those books and it has to be said that it suffers by comparison to Koontz’s past smash hits in the horror genre.
Coming off a typical humdrum late evening shift tending bar at The Tavern, Billy Wiles finds a typewritten note stuck under the wipers on his car:
“If you don’t take this note to the police … I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher … if you do, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.”
And, as Sherlock Holmes would most assuredly have said, “The game is afoot”! No question that VELOCITY is a workmanlike, passable, indeed enjoyable, beat-the-clock suspense thriller and the villain has some interesting features that prompt at least passing comparison with more gruesome nasties in the league of Hannibal Lecter, for example. But the sad truth is that VELOCITY never really makes it to the level that would prompt a frisson of horror in a gob-struck reader. And the ending is a definite flat let-down. It’s as if Koontz ran out of steam, ran out of ideas and ran out of interest in his own story. The story threads are all tied up, to be sure, but … well, just but …
Recommended for Koontz fans who want to read the entire body of work but it’s a poor place to start if you’ve yet to sample your first piece of Koontz’s horror.
Paul Weiss
It’s an undeniable fact of literary life that, from time to time, an author’s past 5-star efforts lead to his work being held against the high standard of those successes as opposed to being compared more fairly with other authors who purport to compete in the same genre. VELOCITY is one of those books and it has to be said that it suffers by comparison to Koontz’s past smash hits in the horror genre.
Coming off a typical humdrum late evening shift tending bar at The Tavern, Billy Wiles finds a typewritten note stuck under the wipers on his car:
“If you don’t take this note to the police … I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher … if you do, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.”
And, as Sherlock Holmes would most assuredly have said, “The game is afoot”! No question that VELOCITY is a workmanlike, passable, indeed enjoyable, beat-the-clock suspense thriller and the villain has some interesting features that prompt at least passing comparison with more gruesome nasties in the league of Hannibal Lecter, for example. But the sad truth is that VELOCITY never really makes it to the level that would prompt a frisson of horror in a gob-struck reader. And the ending is a definite flat let-down. It’s as if Koontz ran out of steam, ran out of ideas and ran out of interest in his own story. The story threads are all tied up, to be sure, but … well, just but …
Recommended for Koontz fans who want to read the entire body of work but it’s a poor place to start if you’ve yet to sample your first piece of Koontz’s horror.
Paul Weiss
July 26, 2016
ابق منخفضاً، ابق هادئاً، دع الأمور بسيطة، لا تتوقع الكثير، استمتع بما لديك، تحرك قدماً..
هل أنت جاهز للسرعة؟
رواية عن غريزة البقاء..عن ذلك السبب المجهول الذي يجعل الفرد منّا متمسكاً بحياته التي طالما تمني الخلاص منها، و الذي يجعل مشرداً كسيراً لن يخسر العالم برحيله شيئاً يصاب بذعر حيواني بمجرد ما يهدد حياتيهما شئ، أي شئ..
بيلي ويلز، نادل بسيط، كاتب قليل الشهرة، عاشق وفي يرعي محبوبته الراقدة في غيبوبة لسنوات متصلة، يُسّجل ما تنطق به خلال نومها و يحاول استنتاج أحلامها..هل هي آمنة سعيدة أم تعاني يا تٌري؟
حياة رتيبة كبحيرة صغيرة راكدة المياة كما تري، و كعادة البشر لا بد أنه تمنّي شيئاً ما يبدد بعضاً من ذلك، و يبدو أن الأخ بيلي كان نقي السريرة ف تحققت أمنيته علي الفور..
علي طريقة "SAW"
المُحببة للنفس المؤمنة بإرادة الإنسان الحرة نصت الرسالة الأولي أن:
((إذا لم تأخذ هذه الورقة إلى الشرطة...سأقتل إمرأة شقراء جميلة ... وإذا سلّمتها للشرطة سأقتل بدل عنها إمرأة عجوز
أمامك ست ساعات لتقرر. الخيار خيارك)).
Be careful what you wish for.. :)
تتابعت الرسائل، تناقص وقت القرارات تدريجياً و لم تزدد القرارات إلا صعوبة و كان عليه بجانب ذلك أن يستعد لجروح أخري من نوع خاص..و أن يواجه صعوبات أخري من نوع مختلف عن هذا و ذاك..
ما نوع الجروح؟ أي قرارات؟
أظن أن عليّ ألا أفسد عليك المتعة..
أحداث سريعة دسمة مليئة بالألغاز مثيرة للاهتمام تظهر تفكيراً عميقاً و فهماً لطبائع البشر، علي مدار 422 صفحة لم أشعر بالملل خلالها علي الإطلاق.
اسم العمل الأصلي Velocity ،أي سرعة..
أو موعد مع الجريمة بالعربية.
تستحق القراءة :)
هل أنت جاهز للسرعة؟
رواية عن غريزة البقاء..عن ذلك السبب المجهول الذي يجعل الفرد منّا متمسكاً بحياته التي طالما تمني الخلاص منها، و الذي يجعل مشرداً كسيراً لن يخسر العالم برحيله شيئاً يصاب بذعر حيواني بمجرد ما يهدد حياتيهما شئ، أي شئ..
بيلي ويلز، نادل بسيط، كاتب قليل الشهرة، عاشق وفي يرعي محبوبته الراقدة في غيبوبة لسنوات متصلة، يُسّجل ما تنطق به خلال نومها و يحاول استنتاج أحلامها..هل هي آمنة سعيدة أم تعاني يا تٌري؟
حياة رتيبة كبحيرة صغيرة راكدة المياة كما تري، و كعادة البشر لا بد أنه تمنّي شيئاً ما يبدد بعضاً من ذلك، و يبدو أن الأخ بيلي كان نقي السريرة ف تحققت أمنيته علي الفور..
علي طريقة "SAW"
المُحببة للنفس المؤمنة بإرادة الإنسان الحرة نصت الرسالة الأولي أن:
((إذا لم تأخذ هذه الورقة إلى الشرطة...سأقتل إمرأة شقراء جميلة ... وإذا سلّمتها للشرطة سأقتل بدل عنها إمرأة عجوز
أمامك ست ساعات لتقرر. الخيار خيارك)).
Be careful what you wish for.. :)
تتابعت الرسائل، تناقص وقت القرارات تدريجياً و لم تزدد القرارات إلا صعوبة و كان عليه بجانب ذلك أن يستعد لجروح أخري من نوع خاص..و أن يواجه صعوبات أخري من نوع مختلف عن هذا و ذاك..
ما نوع الجروح؟ أي قرارات؟
أظن أن عليّ ألا أفسد عليك المتعة..
أحداث سريعة دسمة مليئة بالألغاز مثيرة للاهتمام تظهر تفكيراً عميقاً و فهماً لطبائع البشر، علي مدار 422 صفحة لم أشعر بالملل خلالها علي الإطلاق.
اسم العمل الأصلي Velocity ،أي سرعة..
أو موعد مع الجريمة بالعربية.
تستحق القراءة :)
January 5, 2008
Usually people go on smoke breaks at work to take a break from their routine paper-pushing to talk all raw about chicks and cuss a lot. Thank god where I work I can do these things from the comfort of my desk, so when I go on a smoke break I can talk about things that actually take up to ten minutes to discuss (seeing as I’ve been seeing the same chick for years I don’t have much in the way of interesting conversation anyway). Sometimes I will rap about the futility of Chicago football, usually I’m rapping in a negative manner about the clods I have to deal with in a day’s work, or sometimes movies and music, and once in a great while, I’ll actually discuss a book. Usually it’s just one person talking about the book and how much it ruled or sucked while the other person nods with slight enthusiasm; this is because finding two people who have read the same book and can openly discuss it in this day and age is less common than finding a large chunk of platinum sticking out of the ground. Well, even if you’re not on quite the same page, or in the same book, for that matter, you can get a recommendation of worth.
Or, you can be led into the fallacy that Dean Koontz is worth a shit as an author. Sure, someone might say ‘hey, if you like Stephen King you’ll love this guy’, and in the seldom-used recesses of the mind you think, ‘hmmm, I’ve been seeing Koontz’s name for ages, he’s obviously a NY Times bestseller several times over, maybe it’s time to finally give the guy a chance.
And Velocity is exactly the type of reason that I’m not listening to anyone tell me that a particular author is worth a damn. I’ll go back to either judging books by their cover or getting some recommendations from ‘Brick’, the spirit I channel via my ouija board. About all I can say on a positive note about this book is that I wasn’t exactly offended by it, not as if that is a rave review, but nothing within made me throw it out the window, a fate that’s been suffered by only two books in my time. It just doesn’t do anything for me; no entertainment, no enlightenment, it certainly didn’t make my manhood any bigger.
Good old Billy, the common Everyman, becomes a pawn in a dangerous game being perpetrated by a crafty villain with the singular goal of psychologically harassing him while offing people. The catch; prior to every murder, the killer leaves Billy a note giving him two choices, either take no action and he’ll kill victim A or to run to the cops and he’ll kill victim B. As the game plods along, he starts including people who are close to Billy (or at least could be people close to him, as the descriptions of the victims are always vague enough not to point to anyone in particular) as potential victims, and our intrepid bartender has to use every shred of cunning and resourcefulness he can muster to rise to the challenge; to reveal the identity of this vicious bastard and kick his ass. The killer, of course, isn’t about to let him do that, and begins planting evidence on Billy’s property, pestering him over the phone, dropping misleading clues as to his identity, and generally being a nuisance. After the killer makes a few personal appearances and beats Billy down and becomes and even bigger pain in the ass, the final confrontation is afoot, in what might be the most mundane and completely preposterous finale imaginable.
Or, you can be led into the fallacy that Dean Koontz is worth a shit as an author. Sure, someone might say ‘hey, if you like Stephen King you’ll love this guy’, and in the seldom-used recesses of the mind you think, ‘hmmm, I’ve been seeing Koontz’s name for ages, he’s obviously a NY Times bestseller several times over, maybe it’s time to finally give the guy a chance.
And Velocity is exactly the type of reason that I’m not listening to anyone tell me that a particular author is worth a damn. I’ll go back to either judging books by their cover or getting some recommendations from ‘Brick’, the spirit I channel via my ouija board. About all I can say on a positive note about this book is that I wasn’t exactly offended by it, not as if that is a rave review, but nothing within made me throw it out the window, a fate that’s been suffered by only two books in my time. It just doesn’t do anything for me; no entertainment, no enlightenment, it certainly didn’t make my manhood any bigger.
Good old Billy, the common Everyman, becomes a pawn in a dangerous game being perpetrated by a crafty villain with the singular goal of psychologically harassing him while offing people. The catch; prior to every murder, the killer leaves Billy a note giving him two choices, either take no action and he’ll kill victim A or to run to the cops and he’ll kill victim B. As the game plods along, he starts including people who are close to Billy (or at least could be people close to him, as the descriptions of the victims are always vague enough not to point to anyone in particular) as potential victims, and our intrepid bartender has to use every shred of cunning and resourcefulness he can muster to rise to the challenge; to reveal the identity of this vicious bastard and kick his ass. The killer, of course, isn’t about to let him do that, and begins planting evidence on Billy’s property, pestering him over the phone, dropping misleading clues as to his identity, and generally being a nuisance. After the killer makes a few personal appearances and beats Billy down and becomes and even bigger pain in the ass, the final confrontation is afoot, in what might be the most mundane and completely preposterous finale imaginable.
December 16, 2021
Billy Wiles is a small-town bartender whose life doesn't include much beside the job. Sure, he'd happily nod along to his customers' crazy antics to earn his tip, but anything beyond that gets a polite but firm rejection.
Yet despite his reclusive lifestyle, Billy catches the interest of a serial killer, who asks him to choose their next victim. His attempt to chalk everything up to a prank in bad-taste backfires, and Billy receives additional request. Getting increasingly strapped for time and possibly even accused of murder, or hero is forced out of his lethargic lifestyle, and back into a long burried painful past.
Booooy was this an exciting ride! Although I had some reservations, when the story started out with the account of a neighbourly feud whose highlight involved someone pissing from the rooftop, things got better soon enough. I've always been a fan of thriller and mystery movies, and Velocity manages to deliver that in spades. The suspense of waiting for the killer's reaction, along with Billy's attempt of escape kept me glued to the book almost all the way through. I can't even remember a time when I only needed two days to work my way through a nearly 500-page book.
Sure some details were either
- clichéd (corrupt cops gallore, seemingly average guy with a shady past)
- awfully convenient (bottomless tunnel in a remote backyard)
- or just plain lazy (lack of proper credential check)
I'm the type of reader who finds it fairly easy to suspend disbelief, or even just gloss over some details, if it meant getting on with unraveling the mystery.
Unfortunately things got a bit too... neat by end. Don't get me wrong, I liked the the motivation of the "evil mastermind", along with the much anticipated showdown. But the last curveball somehow missed the surprise effect. I can respect the attempt, but it's such a used-up trope, that I just never doubted its outcome. Plus by then, the mystery aspect had been more or less cleared up.
And the epilogue... just WHAT THE HELL? I can understand the cheesy message of "hope springs eternal" and the final reward. It's incredibly overdone, but I can live with it. But then the whole popularity aspect that somehow followed just didn't make sense. Except maybe to increase all the cheese.
Score: 4/5 stars
The book was truly exciting, too bad it had such a rushed ending and an overly cliched epilogue.
Yet despite his reclusive lifestyle, Billy catches the interest of a serial killer, who asks him to choose their next victim. His attempt to chalk everything up to a prank in bad-taste backfires, and Billy receives additional request. Getting increasingly strapped for time and possibly even accused of murder, or hero is forced out of his lethargic lifestyle, and back into a long burried painful past.
Booooy was this an exciting ride! Although I had some reservations, when the story started out with the account of a neighbourly feud whose highlight involved someone pissing from the rooftop, things got better soon enough. I've always been a fan of thriller and mystery movies, and Velocity manages to deliver that in spades. The suspense of waiting for the killer's reaction, along with Billy's attempt of escape kept me glued to the book almost all the way through. I can't even remember a time when I only needed two days to work my way through a nearly 500-page book.
Sure some details were either
- clichéd (corrupt cops gallore, seemingly average guy with a shady past)
- awfully convenient (bottomless tunnel in a remote backyard)
- or just plain lazy (lack of proper credential check)
I'm the type of reader who finds it fairly easy to suspend disbelief, or even just gloss over some details, if it meant getting on with unraveling the mystery.
Unfortunately things got a bit too... neat by end. Don't get me wrong, I liked the the motivation of the "evil mastermind", along with the much anticipated showdown. But the last curveball somehow missed the surprise effect. I can respect the attempt, but it's such a used-up trope, that I just never doubted its outcome. Plus by then, the mystery aspect had been more or less cleared up.
And the epilogue... just WHAT THE HELL? I can understand the cheesy message of "hope springs eternal" and the final reward. It's incredibly overdone, but I can live with it. But then the whole popularity aspect that somehow followed just didn't make sense. Except maybe to increase all the cheese.
Score: 4/5 stars
The book was truly exciting, too bad it had such a rushed ending and an overly cliched epilogue.
The choice is yours. It always had been. It always would be. To act or not to act. To wait or to go. To close a door or open one. To retreat from life or to enter it.
January 11, 2016
Not the best Dean Koontz I have ever read but I still enjoyed it very much. The best part is the way he develops Billy's character from the start of the book to the end. Who would have thought such an ordinary man could be capable of such extraordinary things. The ending is clever too. Just as the reader thinks it is all over.....it isn't! This is why I enjoy this author so much. He doesn't need me to be analytical or critical; all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the fun.
May 3, 2015
من أروع الروايات البوليسية التي قرأتها وأكثرها رعباً وتشويقاً..
حقاً هذه الرواية مدهشة وخاطفة للأنفاس..
الشكر الجزيل للأستاذ حسام عادل والأخت حماس على ترشيح هذه الرواية لي، ممتن لهما حقاً، وأنصح كل أصدقاء الجودريدز بقراءة الرواية ..
حقاً هذه الرواية مدهشة وخاطفة للأنفاس..
الشكر الجزيل للأستاذ حسام عادل والأخت حماس على ترشيح هذه الرواية لي، ممتن لهما حقاً، وأنصح كل أصدقاء الجودريدز بقراءة الرواية ..
September 27, 2010
Velocity is the essence of mass-market fiction. Billy Wiles, an everyman bartender finds a note under the windshield of his car - If he takes it to the police, a schoolteacher will die. If he doesn't, an old woman will be killed. Billy visits his cop friend and tells him about the note. The cop thinks it's a hoax and tells Billy to dismiss it. It turns out it's not - the schoolteacher dies. Billy starts receiving other notes, forcing our bartender to choose the fate of people that are close to him.
Velocity moves along nicely and is fairly suspenseful until its faults start to kick in. In one scene the cops drive over to Billy because he mistakenly called 911. They grill him and even search his house. In another scene the cops give Billy details of a classified investigation over the phone without bothering to check who's calling (caller ID is enough).
Also another flaw is Koontz's limited knowledge of personal computers. Billy is worried about somebody checking his internet activities at the library computer because it could have a keylogger. Hasn't he heard about browsing history?
The biggest plot hole of all deal with disposing dead bodies. As Billy has to do something with quite a few of them, where does he go? You got it, to the Giant And Deep Hole No One Knows About. Several times. It's a deep lava vent hole that goes hundreds of feet down (it's essentially bottomless) and is conveniently located in his friend's backyard, so Billy doesn't even have to do much driving. Of course everything is nicely solved in an epilogue, because it's a Koontz novel and the good guy doesn't have to face the consequence of his actions.
All the action is interrupted by dialogues, which are thinly veiled Koontz's personal ideas about things like modern art, universities and scientists, and Billy's deep, philosophical thoughts about himself, painkillers, and the world in general - they must sound profound, but not be too complicated for the average bored housewife to understand. It seems to me that Koontz has found his niche - or rather a whole shelf at the nearest Wall-Mart. Because that's what it is, folks - the Wall-Mart of fiction. Quoting T.S. Eliot and Hemingway does not make a book smart. There are shades of a good moments in Velocity, but the whole book will evaporate from your mind quickier than a dead body goes down that damn hole.
Velocity moves along nicely and is fairly suspenseful until its faults start to kick in. In one scene the cops drive over to Billy because he mistakenly called 911. They grill him and even search his house. In another scene the cops give Billy details of a classified investigation over the phone without bothering to check who's calling (caller ID is enough).
Also another flaw is Koontz's limited knowledge of personal computers. Billy is worried about somebody checking his internet activities at the library computer because it could have a keylogger. Hasn't he heard about browsing history?
The biggest plot hole of all deal with disposing dead bodies. As Billy has to do something with quite a few of them, where does he go? You got it, to the Giant And Deep Hole No One Knows About. Several times. It's a deep lava vent hole that goes hundreds of feet down (it's essentially bottomless) and is conveniently located in his friend's backyard, so Billy doesn't even have to do much driving. Of course everything is nicely solved in an epilogue, because it's a Koontz novel and the good guy doesn't have to face the consequence of his actions.
All the action is interrupted by dialogues, which are thinly veiled Koontz's personal ideas about things like modern art, universities and scientists, and Billy's deep, philosophical thoughts about himself, painkillers, and the world in general - they must sound profound, but not be too complicated for the average bored housewife to understand. It seems to me that Koontz has found his niche - or rather a whole shelf at the nearest Wall-Mart. Because that's what it is, folks - the Wall-Mart of fiction. Quoting T.S. Eliot and Hemingway does not make a book smart. There are shades of a good moments in Velocity, but the whole book will evaporate from your mind quickier than a dead body goes down that damn hole.
September 30, 2019
حد في الدنيا يقرأ رواية بوليسية تطلع مملة ينفع!!!
هدف الرواية البوليسية ان الواحد يفصل بيها كدا من الكتب والروايات التقيلة....انا بداءت الرواية ده علي الاساس ده قلت شوية أحداث سريعة وتفكير في القاتل نقضي بيها وقت ظريف
لكن تتطلع رواية بوليسية مملة ده اللي مشوفتوش في حياتي... القصة ده بكتير تخلص في 140 صفحة مش 420 ابدا
تفاصيل تفاصيل تفاصيل ورغي في اي كلام ملوش اي لازمة.. يعني مثلا البطل اتضرب ومتنيل مجروح ليه صفحتين يعد يحكي بياخد انهي نوع مضاد وهل كل 12 ساعة ولا 8 ساعات... طل بيدهن مرهم فيوسودين لا جراميسين احسن
ليييييه كل ده... ليه يقعد يوصف في البيت والكراسي والحيطان والنجف... انت داخل ام البيت يا تموت يا تقتل مش داخل تشتري عفش
حتي النهاية وحشة جدا جدا... مش هحرقها بس مينفعش البطل بسبراي سيلف ديفنس يخلص علي كل القتلة يعني..
انا قلت بتتكلم عن السلبية وهتطلع حاجة بوليسية نفسية بفكر محترم طلعت زفت
هدف الرواية البوليسية ان الواحد يفصل بيها كدا من الكتب والروايات التقيلة....انا بداءت الرواية ده علي الاساس ده قلت شوية أحداث سريعة وتفكير في القاتل نقضي بيها وقت ظريف
لكن تتطلع رواية بوليسية مملة ده اللي مشوفتوش في حياتي... القصة ده بكتير تخلص في 140 صفحة مش 420 ابدا
تفاصيل تفاصيل تفاصيل ورغي في اي كلام ملوش اي لازمة.. يعني مثلا البطل اتضرب ومتنيل مجروح ليه صفحتين يعد يحكي بياخد انهي نوع مضاد وهل كل 12 ساعة ولا 8 ساعات... طل بيدهن مرهم فيوسودين لا جراميسين احسن
ليييييه كل ده... ليه يقعد يوصف في البيت والكراسي والحيطان والنجف... انت داخل ام البيت يا تموت يا تقتل مش داخل تشتري عفش
حتي النهاية وحشة جدا جدا... مش هحرقها بس مينفعش البطل بسبراي سيلف ديفنس يخلص علي كل القتلة يعني..
انا قلت بتتكلم عن السلبية وهتطلع حاجة بوليسية نفسية بفكر محترم طلعت زفت
February 10, 2017
This is the first Dean Koontz novel I have ever read. I had thought of him as a sort of lesser version of Stephen King--pulpy and popular. While there was that in this novel, it was well crafted. The protagonist, Billy Wiles, proved to be a complex character. The identity of the villain was kept secret until close to the end. And there were literary allusions sprinkled throughout the book, which was a refreshing surprise.
The final scene seemed a little facile, and the villain seemed a little too much like a character out of a James Bond film. However, this did not detract too much from my enjoyment. The book was suspenseful and gripping. The title reflected not only important elements of the story, but also the pace at which I read it.
The final scene seemed a little facile, and the villain seemed a little too much like a character out of a James Bond film. However, this did not detract too much from my enjoyment. The book was suspenseful and gripping. The title reflected not only important elements of the story, but also the pace at which I read it.
Read
April 25, 2015ইংলিশে Velocity শব্দটার অর্থ হচ্ছে বেগ । তাহলে একটা থ্রিলার উপন্যাসের নাম ভেলোসিটি হয় কিভাবে যদি না সেটাতে কোন প্রকারের বেগই না থাকে । কেবল মাত্রই শেষ করে উঠলাম ডিন কুন্টজ এর ভেলোসিটি । নির্দ্বিধায় বলতে পারব আমার পড়া সবচেয়ে দ্রুতগতির থ্রিলার গুলোর মধ্যে নিঃসন্দেহে সবচেয়ে উপরের দিকেই থাকবে এই বইটা । আক্ষরিক অর্থেই বইটা পেজ টারনার। একবার গল্পে ঢুকে গেলে শেষ না দেখে বের হতেই ইচ্ছে করবে না ।
বই এর কাহিনী আবর্তিত হয় আমেরিকার এক ছোট শহরের বারটেন্ডার বিল ওয়াইলিস কে ঘিরে । নিরঝঞ্ঝাট মানুষ বিল । খুবই সাধারণ এক জীবন যাপন করে সে । তা একদিন কাজ শেষে বার থেকে বের হয়ে গাড়ির উইন্ডশিল্ডে একটা ইনভিলাপ পায় সে। তার মধ্যে টাইপ করা একটা মেসেজ । কিন্তু সেই ছোট্ট মেসেজটাই রাতারাতি জীবনটা নরক বানায় দেয় বিলের জন্যে। সেখানে লেখা আছে যে দুজন মানুষের মধ্যে একজন মানুষকে বেছে নিতে হবে । যাকে বেছে নেয়া হবে কেবল মাত্র তাকেই বীভৎস ভাবে খুন করা হবে । এখন সিদ্ধান্ত বিলের । এরকম আরো তিনবার ঘটে । কিন্তু যতই গভীরে যেতে থাকে কাহিনী ততই দেখা যায় যে খুনী অনেক পরিকল্পনা করে সম্পন্ন করছে একটা একটা খুন এবং প্রতিবারই কোন না কোন ভাবে দায় চাপিয়ে যাচ্ছে একদম নিখুঁতভাবে বিলের উপর । এই ভয়ঙ্কর খুনীর বিরুদ্ধেই লড়াইয়ে বাধ্য হয়ে নামতে হয় বিলকে । এরপর কাহিনী এগিয়ে গিয়েছে একদম বুলেটের বেগে ।
ডিন কুন্টজ এর বই এর একটা বৈশিষ্ট থাকে যে তিনি সবসময়ই সমাজের অন্ধকার দিকগুলোকে বই এর উপজীব্য বিষয় হিসেবে তুলে ধরেন । এক্ষেত্রেও তিনি এই কাজ করেছেন । গল্পের মূল প্রোটাগোনিস্ট বিল এর ও আছে কিছু অন্ধকারময় অতীত । বইটা শেষ করে তাই বিলকে অনেকটা অ্যান্টিহিরো হিসেবেই মনে হয়েছে আমাকে । গল্পের মূল উপাদান খুবই সিম্পল কিন্তু সেগুলোকে এমনভাবে ডিন উপস্থাপন করেছেন যে কেন তাকে Master of Menace বলা হয় তা পরিষ্কার ভাবে বোঝা যায় । শুরু থেকে একদম শেষ পর্যন্ত কোথাও কাহিনী একটু ও ঝুলে যায় নি । টান টান উত্তেজনা ছিল সব পাতাতেই । সিরিয়াল কিলিং প্রেমীদের জন্যে একদম আদর্শ একটা বই। কেবল শুরু করতে হবে বইটা , তারপর এক লাফেই শেষ হয়ে যাবে ।
একেবারে নিরূপায় না হলে আমি সহজে অনুবাদ পড়ি না, এই বইটা অনুবাদেই পড়েছি । অনুবাদকের নাম কিশোর পাশা ইমন । কিছু যায়গায় অনুবাদ একদম হাস্যকর রকমের বেমানান লাগলেও, পুরো বই টা ভালোই সামলেছেন তিনি । হয়ত সামনের কাজগুলো আরো ভালো হবে তার ।
বই এর কাহিনী আবর্তিত হয় আমেরিকার এক ছোট শহরের বারটেন্ডার বিল ওয়াইলিস কে ঘিরে । নিরঝঞ্ঝাট মানুষ বিল । খুবই সাধারণ এক জীবন যাপন করে সে । তা একদিন কাজ শেষে বার থেকে বের হয়ে গাড়ির উইন্ডশিল্ডে একটা ইনভিলাপ পায় সে। তার মধ্যে টাইপ করা একটা মেসেজ । কিন্তু সেই ছোট্ট মেসেজটাই রাতারাতি জীবনটা নরক বানায় দেয় বিলের জন্যে। সেখানে লেখা আছে যে দুজন মানুষের মধ্যে একজন মানুষকে বেছে নিতে হবে । যাকে বেছে নেয়া হবে কেবল মাত্র তাকেই বীভৎস ভাবে খুন করা হবে । এখন সিদ্ধান্ত বিলের । এরকম আরো তিনবার ঘটে । কিন্তু যতই গভীরে যেতে থাকে কাহিনী ততই দেখা যায় যে খুনী অনেক পরিকল্পনা করে সম্পন্ন করছে একটা একটা খুন এবং প্রতিবারই কোন না কোন ভাবে দায় চাপিয়ে যাচ্ছে একদম নিখুঁতভাবে বিলের উপর । এই ভয়ঙ্কর খুনীর বিরুদ্ধেই লড়াইয়ে বাধ্য হয়ে নামতে হয় বিলকে । এরপর কাহিনী এগিয়ে গিয়েছে একদম বুলেটের বেগে ।
ডিন কুন্টজ এর বই এর একটা বৈশিষ্ট থাকে যে তিনি সবসময়ই সমাজের অন্ধকার দিকগুলোকে বই এর উপজীব্য বিষয় হিসেবে তুলে ধরেন । এক্ষেত্রেও তিনি এই কাজ করেছেন । গল্পের মূল প্রোটাগোনিস্ট বিল এর ও আছে কিছু অন্ধকারময় অতীত । বইটা শেষ করে তাই বিলকে অনেকটা অ্যান্টিহিরো হিসেবেই মনে হয়েছে আমাকে । গল্পের মূল উপাদান খুবই সিম্পল কিন্তু সেগুলোকে এমনভাবে ডিন উপস্থাপন করেছেন যে কেন তাকে Master of Menace বলা হয় তা পরিষ্কার ভাবে বোঝা যায় । শুরু থেকে একদম শেষ পর্যন্ত কোথাও কাহিনী একটু ও ঝুলে যায় নি । টান টান উত্তেজনা ছিল সব পাতাতেই । সিরিয়াল কিলিং প্রেমীদের জন্যে একদম আদর্শ একটা বই। কেবল শুরু করতে হবে বইটা , তারপর এক লাফেই শেষ হয়ে যাবে ।
একেবারে নিরূপায় না হলে আমি সহজে অনুবাদ পড়ি না, এই বইটা অনুবাদেই পড়েছি । অনুবাদকের নাম কিশোর পাশা ইমন । কিছু যায়গায় অনুবাদ একদম হাস্যকর রকমের বেমানান লাগলেও, পুরো বই টা ভালোই সামলেছেন তিনি । হয়ত সামনের কাজগুলো আরো ভালো হবে তার ।
July 15, 2023
Billy Wiles is a bartender in a Napa Valley lounge.
He works the day shift from around 11:00 a.m. until shortly after 6:00 p.m. helping the night shift barkeep during the 4-6 rush hour.
It's a nice, peaceful bar. No troublemakers. No hassles. No drama.
One night Billy goes out to his Explorer and finds what appears to be a handbill underneath his windshield wiper-blade.
He unfolds the neatly folded sheet of paper and finds the following:
His immediate assumption is that the note is some kind of sick joke played upon him by one of his co-workers but the next afternoon he reads in the local newspaper an account of an unsolved murder of a school teacher that occurred overnight.
The next night, he finds another taunting note.
The terror begins.
This is an amazing read.
Riveting.
Terrifying.
As fast-paced as a Bruno Fischer hardboiled-thriller.
I'm in a state of awe.
I held little regard for Dean Koontz prior to reading this thinking he was another prolific hack whose books were churned out novels like chocolate Easter rabbits at the candy factory.
I feel like such a judgemental jackass.
Frequently come across his books in used paperback shops and at library sales.
I'll no longer allow the opportunity to pick up on additional titles by Dean Koontz pass.
He works the day shift from around 11:00 a.m. until shortly after 6:00 p.m. helping the night shift barkeep during the 4-6 rush hour.
It's a nice, peaceful bar. No troublemakers. No hassles. No drama.
One night Billy goes out to his Explorer and finds what appears to be a handbill underneath his windshield wiper-blade.
He unfolds the neatly folded sheet of paper and finds the following:
If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher somewhere in Napa County.
If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work.
You have six hours to decide.
The choice is yours.
His immediate assumption is that the note is some kind of sick joke played upon him by one of his co-workers but the next afternoon he reads in the local newspaper an account of an unsolved murder of a school teacher that occurred overnight.
The next night, he finds another taunting note.
The terror begins.
This is an amazing read.
Riveting.
Terrifying.
As fast-paced as a Bruno Fischer hardboiled-thriller.
I'm in a state of awe.
I held little regard for Dean Koontz prior to reading this thinking he was another prolific hack whose books were churned out novels like chocolate Easter rabbits at the candy factory.
I feel like such a judgemental jackass.
Frequently come across his books in used paperback shops and at library sales.
I'll no longer allow the opportunity to pick up on additional titles by Dean Koontz pass.
January 9, 2025
It’s not a bad book it’s just slow moving. Probably would make a cool movie.
I just have a hard time getting behind storylines like this because my initial reaction is just call the police and let them sort it out. Once you give that power to a psychopath and make them feel like they are in control. You have already lost. Your life will become muddied with ridiculousness. And look what happened… lol.
I just have a hard time getting behind storylines like this because my initial reaction is just call the police and let them sort it out. Once you give that power to a psychopath and make them feel like they are in control. You have already lost. Your life will become muddied with ridiculousness. And look what happened… lol.
September 17, 2017
Koontz's Velocity is an utterly satisfying and exciting thriller. The characters are so intricate and the story detailed. I thought I had it figured out about half way through but instead Koontz through me for a loop, and a good one it was. I highly recommend Velocity.
December 10, 2021
Velocity is a good suspense/thriller with a psychological/pathological bent. It's nicely plotted, but not as fast-paced as one would expect from the title. The protagonist, who is being manipulated by the crazy killer, is guided at times by the wisdom of T.S. Eliot, which I thought an unusual but very nice touch. I thought it was a good read, though not among Koontz's best or most memorable.
December 16, 2019
“A fine line separates the weary recluse from the fearful hermit. Finer still is the line between hermit and bitter misanthrope.”
― Dean Koontz, Velocity
Imagine if you were to go to your car and had a note waiting for you in the way that Billy did. What on earth would you do?
I must say I have not read much of Koontz work. I did enjoy this fast paced little mystery though. The person who gave this novel to me said she had a tough time getting into it but I didn't. The beginning starts powerfully and I was drawn right in.
SPOILERS:
I'd like to say the whole book was as good as the beginning but it wasn't. It was still worth reading, particularly if you like a good mystery.
I enjoyed most of Velocity. The issue for me was the ending.
There are also not alot of suspects in our pool to choose from. It is pretty easy to figure out who did it. The ending seemed overly dramatic when Billy is fighting the villain and I caught myself rolling my eyes a few times.
What I liked best..surprisingly..was the very unusual love story. That is not the main focus of the story but it is in a way(if that makes any sense.). I found Billy's devotion to his girl to be quite touching and the book is worth reading just for that.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed Velocity.
― Dean Koontz, Velocity
Imagine if you were to go to your car and had a note waiting for you in the way that Billy did. What on earth would you do?
I must say I have not read much of Koontz work. I did enjoy this fast paced little mystery though. The person who gave this novel to me said she had a tough time getting into it but I didn't. The beginning starts powerfully and I was drawn right in.
SPOILERS:
I'd like to say the whole book was as good as the beginning but it wasn't. It was still worth reading, particularly if you like a good mystery.
I enjoyed most of Velocity. The issue for me was the ending.
There are also not alot of suspects in our pool to choose from. It is pretty easy to figure out who did it. The ending seemed overly dramatic when Billy is fighting the villain and I caught myself rolling my eyes a few times.
What I liked best..surprisingly..was the very unusual love story. That is not the main focus of the story but it is in a way(if that makes any sense.). I found Billy's devotion to his girl to be quite touching and the book is worth reading just for that.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed Velocity.
July 30, 2022
4.5 Stars for Velocity (audiobook) by Dean Koontz read by Michael Hayden.
This is a crazy journey of murder and mayhem that a psychopath unleashes on a poor unsuspecting bartender.
This is a crazy journey of murder and mayhem that a psychopath unleashes on a poor unsuspecting bartender.
September 25, 2018
Περιπέτεια που κινείται με... ταχύτητα και με ό,τι άλλο μπορεί να συνεπάγεται κάτι τέτοιο!
Σε γενικές γραμμές το βιβλίο ήταν ωραίο, με τον πρωταγωνιστή να μπαίνει συνεχώς σε ζόρικα διλήμματα, από εκείνα που ο αναγνώστης φροντίζει να μην τα θέσει στον εαυτό του, διότι δεν θα έχει ούτε αυτός ξεκάθαρες απαντήσεις για το τι θα έκανε.
Ενίοτε παραγίνεται ''χολυγουντιανό'', και αυτό λίγο του αφαιρεί από τη συνολική του βαθμολογία. Νομίζω όμως ότι κανένας σταθερός αναγνώστης του Κουντζ δεν θα πέσει από τα σύννεφα με αυτά τα ''ατοπήματα'' και θα συνεχίσει να απολαμβάνει το βιβλίο ''ως έχει''.
Στο σύνολό του, μου άρεσε.
Σε γενικές γραμμές το βιβλίο ήταν ωραίο, με τον πρωταγωνιστή να μπαίνει συνεχώς σε ζόρικα διλήμματα, από εκείνα που ο αναγνώστης φροντίζει να μην τα θέσει στον εαυτό του, διότι δεν θα έχει ούτε αυτός ξεκάθαρες απαντήσεις για το τι θα έκανε.
Ενίοτε παραγίνεται ''χολυγουντιανό'', και αυτό λίγο του αφαιρεί από τη συνολική του βαθμολογία. Νομίζω όμως ότι κανένας σταθερός αναγνώστης του Κουντζ δεν θα πέσει από τα σύννεφα με αυτά τα ''ατοπήματα'' και θα συνεχίσει να απολαμβάνει το βιβλίο ''ως έχει''.
Στο σύνολό του, μου άρεσε.
May 28, 2015
Maybe only 3.5 stars
This book was a bit of a misnomer for me. I thought the beginning was unique, intense, dripping with dark humor, and full of cliffhangers. At that point, each chapter added more and more to the speed of the story as the velocity increased and Billy's life quickly careened off course.
Then, about halfway through, the breaks were thrown on. Gone were the cliffhangers. The shorter, more intense chapters became interspersed with longer, more introspective chapters as Billy came closer to determining the identity of the killer. And, while I don't have issue with longer, deeper chapters helping uncover parts of the plot, they just seemed to distract from the idea of "velocity"
Finally, when the book was over, I couldn't really tell it was over. I was just waiting for a little bit more to happen. One more "SURPRISE!"
But, despite my concerns with the book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to other Koontz fans.
This book was a bit of a misnomer for me. I thought the beginning was unique, intense, dripping with dark humor, and full of cliffhangers. At that point, each chapter added more and more to the speed of the story as the velocity increased and Billy's life quickly careened off course.
Then, about halfway through, the breaks were thrown on. Gone were the cliffhangers. The shorter, more intense chapters became interspersed with longer, more introspective chapters as Billy came closer to determining the identity of the killer. And, while I don't have issue with longer, deeper chapters helping uncover parts of the plot, they just seemed to distract from the idea of "velocity"
Finally, when the book was over, I couldn't really tell it was over. I was just waiting for a little bit more to happen. One more "SURPRISE!"
But, despite my concerns with the book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to other Koontz fans.
January 20, 2016
حركة، سرعة، تأثير
هذه قواعد اللعبة
مع إجادة فن الأداء والكثير من الجنون واللامنطق
تخرج لنا هذه الرواية
أقصد هذا السيناريو الحىّ بكل تفاصيله
أؤكد لك أنك ستفاجأ كثيرًا
لن أحرق الرواية بأى سرد لها
أفضّل أن تكتشف المجهول بنفسك
اقرأ الرواية لن تندم
ربما تستفيد شيئًا وربما لا
لكن إن كنت من هواة أفلام الجريمة والحركة
فستعجبك بالتأكيد
August 15, 2022
"Готов ли си за първата си рана?" - след такава бележка към вече затъналия в проблеми главен герой, знаех, че чета това, което трябва. :P :D
Тази книга е нещото писано от Кунц, което се приближава най-много до стила на Леймън. Да, сложих точно тези двама автори в едно изречение, даже ще отида по далеч, смятам, че на Ускорение му липсва една идея бруталия, за да се категоризира за екстремен хорър или една идея социална ангажираност, за да стане сплетерпънк. Но да се слагат жанрови рамки на Кунц гарантира, че няма да изпитате удоволствие от четенето. Иначе подхода с визможно най-лош сценарий, но без екстремни допуски, е послужил доста добре в случая.
Били е барман (само от тук вдигам с една звездичка, щото, хайде де, на колко литературни герои сте попадали, които са от онази - грешната, страна на бара?). Води съвсем нормален, даже леко скучен живот, докато един ден не получава бележка. Вероятно е шега, но с действието или бездействието си Били ще отнеме човешки живот. В последствие бележките се множат и се оказва, че изобщо не са майтап. Били вече не може, а и не иска, да се обърне към полицията. До къде може да стигне, за да се отърве от психопата, който съсипва живота му?
Тази книга е нещото писано от Кунц, което се приближава най-много до стила на Леймън. Да, сложих точно тези двама автори в едно изречение, даже ще отида по далеч, смятам, че на Ускорение му липсва една идея бруталия, за да се категоризира за екстремен хорър или една идея социална ангажираност, за да стане сплетерпънк. Но да се слагат жанрови рамки на Кунц гарантира, че няма да изпитате удоволствие от четенето. Иначе подхода с визможно най-лош сценарий, но без екстремни допуски, е послужил доста добре в случая.
Били е барман (само от тук вдигам с една звездичка, щото, хайде де, на колко литературни герои сте попадали, които са от онази - грешната, страна на бара?). Води съвсем нормален, даже леко скучен живот, докато един ден не получава бележка. Вероятно е шега, но с действието или бездействието си Били ще отнеме човешки живот. В последствие бележките се множат и се оказва, че изобщо не са майтап. Били вече не може, а и не иска, да се обърне към полицията. До къде може да стигне, за да се отърве от психопата, който съсипва живота му?
September 21, 2017
When I was a kid, my sister used to read me those Choose Your Own Adventure books aloud (you remember them, don’t you? If you do go to page 23. If you don’t go to page 42). It was always great fun for me, but sometimes, as all children need to do, I had to share and begrudgingly let someone else make the decisions. While it was still good fun, there would always be that moment where I sat there thinking “Why would you possibly choose that option?” I bring this up, because from the start this book feels like a long Choose Your Own Adventure where someone else is making all the choices.
It has an intriguing start. Billy Wiles, local bartender with an “ignore the world and stay out of trouble” sort of philosophy, goes out to his car one day to find a note on his window. "If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours.” This is a great start and an absolutely intriguing idea. Not only does our hero have to solve the identity of the killer, but he is forced to play in the killer’s sick game of decision making. What choice is there to make when all the options are wrong? It is a fascinating idea, and with Billy’s philosophy towards life, there was potential for an engrossing moral struggle. All these are wonderful aspects, and could have made for a great novel.
Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from there.
Billy starts off an interesting character but as the book continued I grew to not care about him. So much of his of his problem solving is simply based on luck and he becomes increasingly unlikeable. For example: I found myself becoming indifferent to our hero's plight, because I grew to dislike him.
I would have also liked to see more decision-making in the choices, rather than a combination of indifference and split second decisions. More thought process on the difficult choices and how his actions are, by proxy, harming others.
As a final complaint, for a book titled Velocity, this is extremely slow moving. I’m fine with slow moving novels, but for a thriller often about split second decision-making, the book just moves so slowly. Often there will be chapters about searching an area (admittedly short 4 or 5 page chapters) but for the end result to be nothing found. It really would be better if there wasn’t quite as much detailed searches with no results… maybe a bit more editing.
I’ve read four of Koontz’s novels now, and the highest rating I’ve given is a three. This book, like all the others I’ve read, is very readable. Koontz writes in a style that is interesting and makes you want to keep going. I keep feeling like sooner or later, if I keep hunting, I will find a really good book by him… but I am once again, unimpressed. Maybe it's time to just give up.
It has an intriguing start. Billy Wiles, local bartender with an “ignore the world and stay out of trouble” sort of philosophy, goes out to his car one day to find a note on his window. "If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours.” This is a great start and an absolutely intriguing idea. Not only does our hero have to solve the identity of the killer, but he is forced to play in the killer’s sick game of decision making. What choice is there to make when all the options are wrong? It is a fascinating idea, and with Billy’s philosophy towards life, there was potential for an engrossing moral struggle. All these are wonderful aspects, and could have made for a great novel.
Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from there.
Billy starts off an interesting character but as the book continued I grew to not care about him. So much of his of his problem solving is simply based on luck and he becomes increasingly unlikeable. For example: I found myself becoming indifferent to our hero's plight, because I grew to dislike him.
I would have also liked to see more decision-making in the choices, rather than a combination of indifference and split second decisions. More thought process on the difficult choices and how his actions are, by proxy, harming others.
As a final complaint, for a book titled Velocity, this is extremely slow moving. I’m fine with slow moving novels, but for a thriller often about split second decision-making, the book just moves so slowly. Often there will be chapters about searching an area (admittedly short 4 or 5 page chapters) but for the end result to be nothing found. It really would be better if there wasn’t quite as much detailed searches with no results… maybe a bit more editing.
I’ve read four of Koontz’s novels now, and the highest rating I’ve given is a three. This book, like all the others I’ve read, is very readable. Koontz writes in a style that is interesting and makes you want to keep going. I keep feeling like sooner or later, if I keep hunting, I will find a really good book by him… but I am once again, unimpressed. Maybe it's time to just give up.
June 20, 2015
I read a lot of Dean Koontz books in my teenage years. His writing style is very easy to adapt to and the stories are usually fast paced and fun. I have found that his books can be hit or miss...I loved some and couldn't finish others. Velocity ranks as one of my favorites by Koontz.
The Good: The author wastes no time in getting the story started. The reader is emerged in the action and adventure from the first chapter. The game of cat and mouse that is played between Billy and the unknown killer was a lot of fun and caused me to question what I would do in that situation. There were several twists that kept the story surprising and fresh. The book has many short chapters, which I prefer over few long chapters...it was a very quick read.
What I didn't Like: Towards the end of the book, things became a bit monotonous and slightly predictable.
The Good: The author wastes no time in getting the story started. The reader is emerged in the action and adventure from the first chapter. The game of cat and mouse that is played between Billy and the unknown killer was a lot of fun and caused me to question what I would do in that situation. There were several twists that kept the story surprising and fresh. The book has many short chapters, which I prefer over few long chapters...it was a very quick read.
What I didn't Like: Towards the end of the book, things became a bit monotonous and slightly predictable.
March 19, 2017
If you are an avid reader of thrillers, you are instantly hooked when you read the backcover of Dean Koontz's novels written between 1995 - 2010. The bad thing about his novels is that the premises are very good. but the novels lack execution.
This is also the case of this 2005 novel called Velocity (translated into Romanian by Liviu Radu - a good translation) where the premise is very entertaining and it could have made a solid thriller if Koontz wouldn't have mixed genres and if he would have paid more attention to "small and irrevelant" details such as what is the motivation of the antagonist or how are clues being given to the protagonist. The ending felt a bit rushed.
All in all, this a good read, good and entertaining, but I still feel kinda disappointed that Koontz hasn't offered more and that the hasn't played more with the potential of his premise (a premise which shows an author with a solid imagination).
This is also the case of this 2005 novel called Velocity (translated into Romanian by Liviu Radu - a good translation) where the premise is very entertaining and it could have made a solid thriller if Koontz wouldn't have mixed genres and if he would have paid more attention to "small and irrevelant" details such as what is the motivation of the antagonist or how are clues being given to the protagonist. The ending felt a bit rushed.
All in all, this a good read, good and entertaining, but I still feel kinda disappointed that Koontz hasn't offered more and that the hasn't played more with the potential of his premise (a premise which shows an author with a solid imagination).
March 5, 2015
This is only my second Koontz, and it was a big upgrade from my first experience with this author. Velocity is an appropriately named title for this quick read. This is one of those edge of your seat experiences. I'm usually pretty good at guessing who the villain is, but Koontz managed to keep me in suspense till almost the very end. I half guessed correctly, but I didn't see the second punch coming. Way to go Mr. Koontz!
July 28, 2007
This book was an easy read--couldn't put the book down. Very interesting, and really makes you think. What would you do, if you were given a choice like this?
November 6, 2021
How does a meek and quiet man respond when his life is given velocity? How will it change him? What will happen will happen.
April 24, 2008
Dean Koontz’s unique talent for writing terrifying thrillers with a heart and soul is nowhere more evident than in this latest suspense masterpiece that pits one man against the ultimate deadline. If there were speed limits for the sheer pulse-racing excitement allowed in one novel, Velocity would break them all. Get ready for the ride of your life.
Velocity
Bill Wile is an easygoing, hardworking guy who leads a quiet, ordinary life. But that is about to change. One evening, after his usual eight-hour bartending shift, he finds a typewritten note under the windshield wiper of his car. If you don’t take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours.
It seems like a sick joke, and Bill’s friend on the police force, Lanny Olson, thinks so too. His advice to Bill is to go home and forget about it. Besides, what could they do even if they took the note seriously? No crime has actually been committed. But less than twenty-four hours later, a young blond schoolteacher is found murdered, and it’s Bill’s fault: he didn’t convince the police to get involved. Now he’s got another note, another deadline, another ultimatum…and two new lives hanging in the balance.
Suddenly Bill’s average, seemingly innocuous life takes on the dimensions and speed of an accelerating nightmare. Because the notes are coming faster, the deadlines growing tighter, and the killer becoming bolder and crueler with every communication—until Bill is isolated with the terrifying knowledge that he alone has the power of life and death over a psychopath’s innocent victims. Until the struggle between good and evil is intensely personal. Until the most chilling words of all are: The choice is yours.
Velocity
Bill Wile is an easygoing, hardworking guy who leads a quiet, ordinary life. But that is about to change. One evening, after his usual eight-hour bartending shift, he finds a typewritten note under the windshield wiper of his car. If you don’t take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours.
It seems like a sick joke, and Bill’s friend on the police force, Lanny Olson, thinks so too. His advice to Bill is to go home and forget about it. Besides, what could they do even if they took the note seriously? No crime has actually been committed. But less than twenty-four hours later, a young blond schoolteacher is found murdered, and it’s Bill’s fault: he didn’t convince the police to get involved. Now he’s got another note, another deadline, another ultimatum…and two new lives hanging in the balance.
Suddenly Bill’s average, seemingly innocuous life takes on the dimensions and speed of an accelerating nightmare. Because the notes are coming faster, the deadlines growing tighter, and the killer becoming bolder and crueler with every communication—until Bill is isolated with the terrifying knowledge that he alone has the power of life and death over a psychopath’s innocent victims. Until the struggle between good and evil is intensely personal. Until the most chilling words of all are: The choice is yours.
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