Black River

by Dean Koontz, Scott Brick (Narrator)

Master of suspense Dean Koontz creates an undercurrent of terror in this story set deep in the dark and troubled town of Black River.

Burned-out Hollywood screenwriter Bo Aikens is fed up with life in Los Angeles. He heads out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and arrives in picturesque Black River in Northern California, seeking relaxation and artistic inspiration. In small, idyllic Black River, nearly everyone is happy, contented, and welcoming of strangers. But despite the beautiful setting, Bo begins to feel unsettled after several disturbing incidents. He discovers that all of his money has been transferred to a bank account in Black River, and a house has been purchased for him by someone on "his" instructions.

Troubled by various, peculiar twists of fate, Bo decides to leave Black River. As he becomes entangled in a nightmarish plot, preventing his return home, it suddenly seems clear to Bo that his perfect little hideaway captures more than just the imagination of its visitors.

"Black River" appeared in print in Mystery Scene Magazine #63 in 2000.
©1999 Dean Koontz; (P)2007 Audible Inc.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Mystery Thriller

3 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's just say that I am really glad that I didn't pay for this.

[Karen B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an audible only book which was printed as a short story earlier for a magazine. It is more of a science fiction story thank Koontz' typical fare but has the unmistakable Koontz twist. To even hint at that would be a spoiler. Bo is the main character who has made a career in writing television/movie scripts and is making a move. He decides to try out the community of "Black River" only to find out that he cannot leave Black River. A very different kind of short story.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.
I recently watched the TV Movie based on this story and thought it was...Okay
After finally tracking down a digital copy of the short story I gave it a read and I found it to be a fast-paced, fun, and well-written piece of suspense fluff with loads of humor.

[Dragonlady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen a lot of reviews downplaying this story but I found it wonderful!
I would recommend it to anyone who loves Horror/Sci-fi/Fantasy/Occult Books!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

short and pretty cool...

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was almost like one of those "just-passing-through-this-small-town-only-to-get-trapped-here-by-some-unseen-force" stories. Oh, wait. I was EXACTLY like that! Only this one was written by Dean Koontz. I suppose every writer has to have his or her own. Stephen King had one in Desperation (wish was considerably more gruesome - TAK!). As far as these kinds of stories go, this one was pretty good and really makes one wonder. I won't give anything away, but with certain advances it is quite possible that one day everything we do, everywhere we go, and even the way we think can very well be controlled completely.

[Jeana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free download from Audible. It was interesting at least. Beau has left Los Angeles in search of a simpler life. Free of the pretentiousness and grandeur of Hollywood. He stops for lunch in Black River which appears to be a nice little town to settle down in. He has a bad experience there and decides to go on his way to the next town. Someone else has a different plan for him though. He gets pulled over and arrested, and everything goes to hell after that. It wasn't THAT predictable. Only slightly. It was a good 2 hour listen at least.

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Bo Aikens is looking for a hometown after eight years of a Hollywood career. Black River is one of the small towns that he is interested in. It seems like someone, or something, likes Bo as part of the town as well. What could possibly go wrong? Bo is about to find out.

Dislikes: The way this book is written, poses a good question. How do you get a freedom-loving society to accept a form of slavery? Let's face it, this little town has been enslaved, and they are not completely aware of it.

Likes: Bo was determined to escape the noose that the town snagged him by. It has to be creepy to deal with an arrest just as you are leaving town.

Laura and Mandy were great people. At least the girls found out the truth about their pasts. And then they became a family again.

Conclusion: This was an unsettling and creepy novella. It's sad to see just how fast people will accept their good fortune, and the chains that good fortune placed upon them. Enjoy the read, especially if you like the soft science-fiction tales.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a little freebie audio-book I had picked up at one time. It was very... strange. It almost had a "Twilight Zone" feel to it.

[Dennis Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished quick read. Good story

[Gil · Rating 3 out of 5]

for complete review go to http://gilwilson.wordpress.com

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine I guess for a short story audible book.

[Freyja Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome little peace!! A bit creepy and it sure makes your imagination tingle xD

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad this is a short story!! I want a full book, I think it would be a great novel!! :(

[Susan Degnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story!

[Jeff Valluzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook on the way home from Portland. Overall, it was decent. The writing style of Dean Koontz is very readable and engaging, so it's not like its a struggle to get through the story. The main character, Bo, is pretty likeable, though the rest of the characters are flat.

The plot is formulaic and similar to a segment of the Twilight Zone. No major problems with it, but it doesn't really bring anything to the table that hasn't been said a million times before.

[Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete and utter dreck. The whole plot is ridiculous, the writing childish, and the entire thing is so unbelievable that my wife and I were ready to give up about halfway into the novel. The only reason we finished was that it was a 2 hour audiobook and we had a 2 hour drive that needed accompaniment. We would have been better off listening to NPR.

[A.R. Voss · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I wasn't sure if I liked this story and feared what the ending may be like. But as the story progressed it kept my attention. And I must say I was glad that the ending was not what I feared to be. Not one mr Koontz's best but still entertaining. Great metaphor of what we perceive of a higher being.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short audiobook! I listened to it mostly because it's read by a narrator I have really enjoyed from the Enders Shadow series of books, and he does a great job with this one as well. It explores free will from a unique perspective. It was just creepy enough to be definitely Dean Koontz, but not as gruesome as some of his books. Highly recommend it!

[Paul Kyriazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a good twilight zone type of mystery that really makes sense when you hear the answer. Plus the character is changed by what he experiences. I was impressed. I don't read many fiction because I've been burned by stupid and boring stories, but this one worked and I remembered it.

[Meredith Kaupp · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors, so I downloaded this audio book on iTunes a while ago (I haven't seen an actual printed version anywhere). I'm not a fan of listening to a book, but it was pretty short. Overall, it had a twilight zone kind of feel to the story.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man comes into a town and strange forces keeping him from leaving. I really like the story behind this and the end is well thought-out.
I can recommend this short thrilling story to everyone with mystery affection.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining short story that roughly follows the plot of that movie with Shia Lebouf where the supercomputer controls everything electronic around them. Only, of course, this version involves a writer.

[Deb Bartram · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I would rate this a 2.5 star book. It was a free download on Audible and the narration was fine. The story felt predictable although there were some attempts at new direction. I didn't find it overly engaging though. Better to watch old episodes of The Twilight Zone.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koontz is better at longer forms, but this was a pleasant short story, an eerie town that is reminiscent of his novels Midnight or Night Chills without actually being related to either one. It'd work better as a novel.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short audiobook! Guy goes through a town and can't get out...where's Rod Serling? The main character, Bo, is pretty likeable, though the rest of the characters are flat. The end has a little twist that makes it fun.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I've read any Dean Koontz, so had no expectations. Just wanted something that would hold my attention and this did. I was worried this might be horror, so in case you're wondering, it's not. It's a SF take on the "guy goes to small town and weird things happen" story.

[Kriscrowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little story--a quick mindless read that will test your belief in fate.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

AI gone wild. fun read

[Marcella Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The audio version was only a couple of hours long. I would have liked a longer story. I was growing attached to the characters and would have liked to see how the world changed.