Search - The Good Guy

This was another book in a string of books by Koontz that tends to follow the same path. Reminiscent of 'The Husband' this book is about a man, who is unknowingly dragged into a circumstance that he would rahter have no part of but handles brilliantly. Tim Carrier is just another guy having a drink in a friend’s bar when he is approached by a man and mistakenly identified as a hit-man. Then a few moments later as he is trying to digest what is has just happened to him, he is mistakenly identified by the real hit-man as the person who has contacted him about a job. This sets Tim on a path of intrigue and danger that a normal mason would be ill equipped to handle. But then Tim is so much more than he appears to be at first glance.

I like how Koontz introduced us to the main characters with very little information about them, and throughout the book adds a few more details at a time, until finally we see who Tim and Linda really are. I enjoyed the book and really liked the way that everything was tied together in the end.

An enjoyable read, by one of my favorite authors, even if he does seem to have mellowed a bit with age. I enjoyed his earlier books that had elements of supernatural, but these books recently, that are basically thrillers, are okay.

Once again I am amazed at this man's ability to write yet another pageturner and still not be listed as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" LOL....I loved this book and unlike a box of chocolate was devoured guilt free.

I'm a Dean Koontz fan, have read most of his books, and believe this is one of his best. The pace is fast, and it's a scary story.

I am a big fan of Dean Koontz. He is a terrific writer, but this is not his best book. The character development and dialogue is very good, the story is fast paced and suspenseful, but the book comes to a rather abrupt end after the denouement. I was left feeling unsatisfied. It would not surprise me to learn that this was a manuscript that Koontz dug out of a closet, updated, and sent to his publisher to meet a publication deadline. I can only give The Good Guy 3 stars.

The plot line is one that Konntz has used successfully many times before. An ordinary guy comes to the aid of an attractive woman whom he must protect from unspeakable evil. The two of them become a good team, overcome their adversary, decide they like each other, etc. etc.

The book is sprinkled with fun Koontz prose: “Under a charcoal sky lay a soot-black sea. Like gray smoke, the froth on the low waves drifted ashore, dissipating on an ashen beach.” Unfortunately, the obligatory 4 legged (dog) character found in all of Koontz’s books only makes a cameo appearance in this one. Additionally, the villain in this piece failed to creep me out. The bad guy was definitely bad. I certainly didn’t like him, but he did not give me the chills that many of Koontz’s other antagonists have.

Buy this one is only if you already like Koontz. Don’t make it the first Koontz book you read... I recommend Watchers for your maiden voyage.

This felt more like a John Sandford book than one by Dean Koontz. A cat-and-mouse thriller where the relentless killer may have met his match in Tim Carrier. While I enjoyed the story, the buildup behind Tim's mysterious past and his mother's admonition to, "Just be you," felt cheesy and anticlimatic when the truth was finally known.

This was definitely a typical Dean Koontz book. Guy helps girl out of a problem she has no idea how she got into. It had some good parts but it was also predictable.