The Door to December

by Dean Koontz, Moniqua Plante (Narrator), Troy Duran (Narrator)

A call in the middle of the night summoned psychiatrist Laura McCaffrey out into the rain-swept streets of Los Angeles. The police had found her husband—beaten to death. But what of her daughter, Melanie, whom he had kidnapped six years earlier? At the brutal murder scene, the police lead Laura into her husband's makeshift lab—and open the door to a rising tide of terror that has trapped Melanie in its midst...

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

Audible Audio

Published November 25, 2025

About the author

Acknowledged 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

Reviews

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like we were reading one book, totally invested and heartbroken for this little girls abduction and lost childhood and then BAM! we're in an episode of the OA somehow.
Laura had her little girl abducted by her ex-husband six years ago and one day, she gets the call she's been waiting for that whole time- something's happened and she needs to come. They've found her husband (massacred with several other people) and while her daughter Melanie isn't there, they'll find her. They do and she looks like she's BEEN THROUGH IT. She's pale, non verbal and they suspect she's been spending whole weeks in a depravation chamber. Everything indicates that her father and these other dudes have been experimenting on her.
Melanie is on a whole other level. She is haunting, and while they keep likening her to autistic, she's not. She's traumatized and somehow her mum, who is an actual psychiatrist, decides on day one that the best thing to do is try to hypnotize her. Maybe don't read her one brief moment of letting down her guard as a true feeling of safety and let her heal for a hot second.
So, I expected this book to be about healing from the trauma and maybe figuring out who caused the massacre of her ex and might be looking for Melanie but nope, that's when it gets weird. It's like if Carrie was six years old and also, the OA came to life.
The pacing was quick and while I managed to stay into it, I did regularly wonder what the hell I was reading and how could this possible end.
The mum and detective falling for each other while trying to figure our who is causing all of these murders and protect her daughter? Not the storyline for me. You each have other things that you need to be focusing on.
The audio was top notch though and the female narrator nailed the unhinged mum and Melanie tones.

The audio version of The Door to December will be published 11/25/2025 and I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

[always reading ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. I'm going to start by saying I thought the audiobook was good. I thought the narrators did a fantastic job. It had excellent narrators, Troy Duran and Moniqua Plante, who did an amazing job at breathing life into this story. I thought the plot was solid. The characters felt a little shallow, and I didn't feel like there was much development in any of the characters. My biggest hang-up was the portrayal of autism. It drove me crazy. You don't develop it, and you definitely don't get rid of it. I understand this is an old book and was probably published when there was little research done, but some editing could have solved that problem.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Koontz really said, “what if trauma, but make it telekinetic,” and honestly? I was almost into it... until the story decided to drive off the realism cliff and straight into psychic nonsense-ville like we hadn’t just spent 400 pages sobbing over this poor girl’s stolen childhood.

We open on rain. So much rain. This book has more precipitation than plot cohesion. Psychiatrist Laura McCaffrey gets yanked out of bed and dragged to the scene of her ex-husband’s extremely dead body. Shout out to whoever turned him into pulp, I hope they’re hydrating. But plot twist... six years ago, said corpse ex-hubby kidnapped their daughter Melanie, who has now reappeared like a feral Victorian ghost child, and she is not okay. Like, sensory deprivation tank plus mind experiments levels of not okay. And that’s not even the creepiest part.

Now enter Lieutenant Dan Haldane, a man who walks into this book with the energy of “I’m just here to solve a murder” and leaves like “what if I also solved your heart?” Sir, this woman just got her science-experiment daughter back and is surrounded by corpses... maybe take a cold shower before flirting.

Let’s talk Melanie, the haunting, catatonic centerpiece of this chaos cake. She’s described as autistic... except not. Except maybe. Except Koontz saw the phrase “refrigerator mother theory” on a mid-’80s napkin and said, “Yeah! Science!” Which is a shame, because the psychological horror should be the most terrifying part of this book. But instead of staying grounded in Melanie’s trauma and Laura’s gut-wrenching struggle to reconnect, the book does a full tonal backflip into “what if Melanie accidentally weaponized her trauma into a psychic murder ghost?” Because obviously, that’s how healing works.

To Koontz’s credit, the pacing doesn’t slack. People are getting obliterated left and right like they looked at Melanie funny in the fourth grade. There’s a murder in a movie theater so over-the-top it feels like Freddy Krueger’s cousin directed it. We get juicy occult shops with powdered bat shit, Tarot cards, and a suspicious number of stuffed owls. Dan delivers some truly deranged monologues about books that feel like a middle school English teacher got possessed by a stand-up comedian. And honestly? I love that for him.

But while the book’s middle builds solid dread, the ending just sort of... hugs it out. Like, literally. “The power of love” is the final boss, which might work in a Disney Channel Original Movie, but here it felt like someone spilled warm milk over a pile of dead bodies and called it catharsis.

Also, and I say this with affection, the romance subplot between Laura and Dan? Is absolutely unhinged. You’re telling me this woman hasn’t seen her daughter in six years, found out her ex was running a Hellraiser lab, and has now watched several people die in increasingly suspicious ways... and she’s making goo-goo eyes at her cop protector? Girl. Grieve first, smooch later.

The narration by Moniqua Plante and Troy Duran, though? Excellent. Moniqua nails that lowkey feral-mom energy while giving Melanie a ghost-child softness that made me cry at a bus stop. Troy sounds like a detective who has seen too much and also maybe moonlights as an audiobook-daddy. Perfect casting. This cast deserves a better script.

Final verdict: a solid 3.5 stars for suspense, vibes, and sheer chaotic energy. But also... what the hell did I just read?

Whodunity Award: For Murder by Psychic Toddler Tantrum

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the early listen to The Door to December, a gloriously rain-soaked fever dream full of psychic chaos, occult nonsense, and a child so traumatized she could probably melt steel with her brain. The audiobook narration by Moniqua Plante and Troy Duran was an absolute treat, turning every creepy whisper and cop banter scene into weird little gifts I didn’t know I needed. I laughed, I cringed, I maybe questioned reality a little. Truly, what more could a girl want?

[Chrystal Mahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Door to December is a strange mix of chilling atmosphere and old-school thriller beats. It begins with a strong hook: a murdered husband, a missing child suddenly found alive, and a lab full of mysterious equipment that hints at something deeply wrong. Koontz excels at creating unsettling environments, and this book has plenty of them.

Laura’s emotional journey kept me invested. Her shock, confusion, and determination to help her daughter felt genuine, and Melanie’s condition adds an unnerving layer to the mystery. The audiobook narration helped elevate the pacing. Moniqua Plante and Troy Duran both deliver performances that keep the tension steady throughout.

Where the book falters is in predictability. Many plot turns feel telegraphed, especially if you have read Koontz before. The science elements feel dated, and the villains rely on tropes that do not translate well to modern readers. The middle section drags more than it should, and I found myself wishing for tighter editing.

Still, this is a decent atmospheric thriller with enough intrigue to carry it. Not my favorite Koontz, but enjoyable enough for fans of vintage supernatural thrillers.

ARC reader review.

[Jules Poet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Door to December
by Dean Koontz
Narrated by Moniqua Plante; Troy Duran

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

Trigger Warnings: Severe child abuse, death, murder, manipulation, brainwashing, sadism, masochism, beatings, abuse

This book was rather amazing and totally sick.

Spoiler: The best part is that the good guys win and the bad guys suffer.

Spoiler: Laura, Melanie, Dan, and Earl all survive.

Spoiler: Every sicko that abused Melanie dies.

A loving mother who married a monster unknowingly lives without her daughter for 6 years. Her husband kidnaps their daughter when she is 3 years old and they disappear.

The book starts with the murders of the girl’s father and 2 of his associates. To say the murders are gruesome is insufficient. They were killed in a manner that defies logic and science.

The father & associates abused the girl severely.

My feelings: I’m mostly just disgusted by the depravity of some people in the name of science.

If the above has you interested- this book is for you.
Am I glad I listened to it? Yes. Do with that what you will.

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor little Melanie was stolen by her father and subjected to cruel and bizarre experimentation. When her father and others are murdered in an unknown manner, Melanie is missing. Laura, her mother is called to the scene to try to figure out what happened in the location. When the child is found in an almost catatonic state, Laura takes it upon herself to try to try to help her and find out what had happened to her and what her father did to her in the name of science.

Lieutenant Dan Haldane is the officer on the scene and he takes a personal interest in this case. Laura’s soon realizes that there are people out to get Melanie, she has to do everything in her power to keep her daughter safe and try to get to the truth trapped in her head and the bodies pile up.

This book was not what I thought it was going to be, but with this author, it never is. It was a very enjoyable audiobook. The narration was well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, the audio house, the narrator and the author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this audiobook in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Koontz fans will love this book! Psychiatrist Laura McCaffrey's toddler daughter, Melanie, was kidnapped by her father years ago. A policeman has come to tell Laura that they may have found some information on the girl. They quickly travel to the locale, but it appears to be a crime scene with injuries or perhaps even a murder.

Melanie is missing from the scene, which is bloody and brutal. Men have been beaten to death. And the scene is a horrible place with possible torture. Melanie is found nearby and is returned to her mother. But she is in a catatonic state. Very slowly, she wakes to her mother's love and gentleness. But she's having nightmares.

As the police and the FBI scramble to find the murderer and to keep Laura and Melanie safe and hidden, more information starts to surface. Mysterious, suspenseful, paranormal - it's a great read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an early copy of the audio book. The narrators are perfect for the roles.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Door to December by Dean Koontz was originally published in 1985 and is being rereleased in 2025. Some elements of the story left me puzzled at first, but everything clicked once I realized it had been written 40 years ago. The book definitely feels dated and would have benefited from a few modern updates to help it resonate more with today’s readers.

Had I read it in the 80s, I’m sure I would have rated it more favorably. Reading it now, it just didn’t hold my attention or keep me fully engaged, and I found myself eager to reach the end.

Moniqua Plante and Troy Duran deliver excellent narration, bringing the story to life with a strong, compelling performance. The production quality is truly outstanding.

Thank you to NetGalley & Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for letting me read this ARC.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently this is a re-release. I never read nor listened to the original so I can't say for certain if there have been any significant changes to the storyline. I do appreciate the dual narration, I think both narrators did well. My issues are with the story itself.

I think the premise is interesting, especially in regards to the experiments on poor Melanie. I just don't really understand the autism references... as a mother with a child on the spectrum... I don't really see any indication of her being autistic other than the fact she is semi-verbal. That aside her catatonia and limited speech felt more like a trauma response to me and not so much her being autistic.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ali O · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Door to December by Dean Koontz
Narrated by Moniqua Plante, Troy Duran
🌟🌟🌟
This is an interesting thriller story. It has an entertaining premise and overall storyline, but I felt like there were 2 different parts to the story and I found 1 part more enjoyable than the other.
A young girl Melanie, was kidnapped by her father and for the past 6 years he ran experiments on her.
The story goes into a lot of detail about these experiments and what these were all about.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audio of this book. The narrator’s did a very good job.
*The audio version comes out November 25th*

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book The Door to December, author Dean Koontz writes about psychiatrist Laura McCaffrey who is called by the police in the middle of the night. The police found her husband who kidnapped and disappeared six years earlier with their daughter Melanie. He had been beaten to death along with other men but Melanie is no where to be found. Now Laura is in a desperate search to find her daughter and find out what happened the past six years. This was a creepy story that was very strange. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Curiouser_reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Door to December by Dean Koontz is a fast, gripping read that pulled me in right away. The story kicks off when a mother’s missing daughter suddenly turns up—traumatized, silent, and with no explanation for where she’s been for six years. A detective jumps in to help untangle the mystery, and the book mixes police procedural vibes with psychological suspense and just a hint of the supernatural.

The ending really worked for me, and the dual narrators were excellent—they kept the tension up the whole way through.

Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC.

[lovelettersandlore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Door to December was SUCH a good read! From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. The suspense is steady, the tension is sharp, and the mystery just keeps unraveling in the best, most chilling way. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, another twist pulled me right back into the story.

It’s atmospheric, fast-paced, and genuinely intriguing. It’s the kind of book that makes you say “one more chapter”… and then suddenly you’re halfway through.

[Eric Cousineau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Koontz foray into the suspenseful and chaotic world of the occult. The Door to December is a dark, twisted, disturbing and riveting psychological thriller told through creative language and descriptive settings. The author does a fantastic job of building suspense and growing an inkling of dread into full blown terror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Christine ODonnell · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was, in a word, "corny". And here's some other words: overly dramatic and unoriginal. You can't make up for lack of content by describing things in excruciating detail including ridiculously gruesome death scenes that go on and on and on. Ugh. So disappointing. I made it through it but I nearly gave up more than once.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I have to say is this... Dean Koontz is a fantastic author and I love all his books. The end.

[Jenny Clifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok read, but maybe not very original. I get that it must be hard to write something new about a telekinetic girl since Carrie came out, and this book is not at all of that caliber. It starts out as a psychological crime thriller, and ends up with paranormal entities and way too much unnecessary romance that mostly feels like a plot filler. It was mediocre at best.