Rent: The Good Guy

One of the reasons I (and probably most of you) purchased a kindle is for the discount prices on books. Koontz THE GOOD GUY is not discounted at all. It sells for the same price as the paperback hard copy sells for in any retail store. If this is what is going to happen in the future I feel cheated.

An excellent novel by a master storyteller. This one kept me up late to finish the book - the sign of some very good writing.

Timothy Carrier just wanted to stop into a friend's bar for a quiet beer or two after a hard day on the job as a mason laying bricks. A case of mistaken identity pulls him into a conflict with a killer for hire. The case becomes a mystery because the intended victim does not have a clue as to why someone would want to kill her.

The case becomes tangled as events from the past are revealed, and an insidious plot involving high placed people comes to light. There is a lot of collateral damage as various innocent people just show up at the wrong time, but that is the nature of the story, i.e., being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I would note that, as s side issue, a psychopath wants to hunt down authors who write things displeasing to him - he will torture and kill them.

Eh, not as great as some of his other stuff but it a catchy way of telling a story. Personally, I like Koontz more when he deals with more fantastic elements then the crime/thriller style of stories. He does them well, I just don't think he does them as well as his fantasy/horror.

Recommended.

First off, you people who rate this book 5 stars, what do you rate books like Odd Thomas or The Face? Or do you seriuosly compare the two as equals?

I am aware that every author has his good and bad days. This is not a good day for Koontz. This is a straight forward, utterly predictable action thriller filled with "seen this before"-moments. That is actually the sensation you have during the entire book. There is nothing innovative about this book and you will forget it 5 minutes after you read it. What baffels me the most though, is that he choose to put the ONLY plot twist (wich really isnt much of a twist) as a "post-it" on the cover - the clever reader (wich I suspect are few judging from the hight ratings) will put too and too together from page, well, 20.

Sometimes i feel its better if great authurs just take a break between inspiration..but i guess their contracts wont allow that.

After having read multiple Koontz novels, I have come to expect a certain subtle wit and internal dialogue that keeps me laughing even through the most suspenseful of scenes. The Good Guy, while delivering on the action and thrill, failed to meet Koontz' usual standard of excellent writing style.
If you have read Koontz before, you will know that his novels are a metaphor for his vision of good and evil in the world. The protagonist is an idealized "good", while the villain is a shattered soul who embodies evil. Spiritual themes and social commentary are subtly interwoven to provide intellectual entertainment on another level, making Koontz more than just a throwaway beach read.
The Good Guy had a very satisfying protagonist, of the sort we have come to expect from Koontz. The villain, however, was a bit less well developed, and didn't really reveal the motivation behind his fallenness. The dialogue was a bit too much like tv series patter--you know, the kind where they all laugh at the end of the show over some inane remark.
All in all, this was a good page turner and served well as an antidote to an otherwise dull evening. Yes, I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I got it in paperback instead of hardcover. "Three stars"--could be better.

I'll not waste your time with another run at the plot. If you usually like Koontz, you will probably have this book already; if you don't care for Koontz, give it a try anyhow. It is not his usual story. It will keep you interested to the end! And, yes, it would make a great movie plot! Hope someday it makes it to the screen!

Dean Koontz can be all over the page .... but I got hooked by him a couple of years ago when someone gave the the audio tapes of his book "THE WATCHERS" ... now one of my very favorite books. "THE GOOD GUY" is a suspenseful & intelligent story about Tim. By the end of the book, you will know why Tim is the "GOOD GUY!" GREAT BOOK!

Koontz's writing/stories only get better with time! After reading nearly every single book he's written, I am waiting for the day that I pick up a book and he's hit that slump that most authors do hit after so many years of writing. But happily this hasn't happened yet. If anything, I feel that his recent books are better than some of the past.

The Good Guy is a very fast paced book. Chalked full of excitement and suspense. And as with the normal Koontz book, a hero and heroine. Until and through the very last page, this book was a fun, entertaining read. Can't think of a thing I didn't like about it.

A++

This is one of the best books I've eveer read. The plot is simple, but genius. A man sitting at a bar gets confused for a hitman. The real hitman shows up and he tries to pay him not to kill this beautiful woman. All seems well until The killer catches on, then the chase ensues. The whole book keeps you pinned to your seat with crazy plot twists and cunning killers and heroes. This is a must read for any thriller reader.

Tim Carrier sits down in his favorite bar to relax and enjoy the familiarity. A stranger sits down beside him, strikes up a weird conversation, and hands him an envelope. As the the stranger is leaving he says, "Half of it's there. Ten thousand. The rest when she's gone." Curiously, Tim opens the envelope and finds a picture of a woman he has never seen before. Suddenly, it dawns on Tim that he has been mistaken for a hit man. Tim is now faced with a difficult choice. He can forget he was ever there and go about his normal routine life. Or he can choose to help this woman he knows nothing about. Tim knows the real killer will show up soon for the scheduled meet and he may be the only one who can stop him.

I didn't expect too much from Koontz this time around. I figured it would be good. I mean come on....this is Dean Koontz we are talking about. But for some reason this story idea didn't demand my attention. In my mind I felt like we were getting just another version of The Husband or Velocity. Good ole' Dean was going to once again prove how he can take a man in normal circumstances and turn his world upside down in the first 4 pages. While I admit that my observations were mostly correct, I must say that this one was a pleasant surprise for me. Indeed, this story is very much like The Husband and Velocity but I actually enjoyed it more.

Koontz consistently hooks his readers with effortless prose, crisp dialogue, and memorable characters. Here the Good Guy himself steals the show with his relentless commitment to doing the right thing no matter what. Tim Carrier is the kind of character we love to root for and even want to be like. Krait, the real hit man, is also a great addition to the story and may just be one of the creepiest Koontz villains yet. Koontz takes us so deeply into his world that we can't wait to get out.

Usually Koontz gives us solid background for each character as the narrative unfolds, but not so here. It's not until the end that we truly begin to see who these characters are and what drives them. This is a clever story device that separates The Good Guy from other Koontz suspense titles and makes this novel that much more interesting and enjoyable. Another great read from the Master.

As always Mr. Koontz grabs, and entertains with compelling characters and a fast moving thriller plot. I read the book over two days and was sorry the story ended.