Book Review: The Good Guy by Dean Koontz

The hook for this novel is unique, one I've never seen before. It all starts out with a case of mistaken identity. Now normally that wouldn't be such a big deal, but in this case, a killer for hire is involved so the stakes are a bit more extreme.

Tim Carrier is just a normal, everyday guy who loves going to his best friends bar to engage in wonderful conversation. However, his normal after work beer is interrupted by a nervous man who slips Tim an envelope containing cash and a photo of a very pretty woman. The woman has been marked for death and Tim has just been wrongly identified as the killer.

Before Tim can comprehend what's happening, the nervous man exits the bar, leaving him very confused. As he struggles to understand the situation, the real killer enters the bar thinking Tim is the person hiring him for the murder.

Koontz is the master of drawing the reader into the story within the first few pages. His style of writing grips your curiosity and digs in for the duration. He will take the most ordinary of people and place them in the most extraordinary situations. Leaving you wanting more with every turn of the page, Koontz brings his characters to life, delving into their most intimate of thoughts and feelings.

The Good Guy is a well balanced mixture of a suspense thriller, action adventure, and a constant underlying love story. Only Dean Koontz could mix all three elements and create a piece of work that readers of all genres would enjoy. Tim Carrier becomes more than just an ordinary guy as he digs deep within his being, finding inner courage and the fortitude to do the right thing. From page one, this novel takes off and never looks back.

I bought it on a Tuesday and had it completely finished by Thursday. I couldn't put it down. Even after the last page, I was trying to turn for more. I look forward to his next novel, The Darkest Evening of the Year coming out in late November.

The Good Guy
ISBN:978-0-553-80481-2
Bantam Books