This was one of the earlier Koontz novels that I somehow missed in my youth. It tells the tale of a genetic genius named Eric who after an ugly argument with his soon to be ex-wife Rachel, dies in an accident. But he doesn't stay dead for long. . .

Before long Rachel and her new love interest, Ben, are on the run from a resurrected Eric and men who will do anything to keep Eric's status a secret.

Koontz has always been hit or miss with me and I'm sad to say that book was more of a miss. I'm a big fan of monster books, particularly zombies, but this book focused more on the action (which usually bores me), was filled with mostly unlikable characters and the dialogue was not believable.

Koontz should also stay far away from any attempt at a love scene. When Rachel and Ben finally give in to temptation Koontz describes their happy ending as "Ben emptying copious measures of himself into Rachel". Funny? Yes, but also very creepy when you think about it which I'd rather not!

Anyway, now that I'm completely off track, I'll just end this by saying that I would've enjoyed this more if Koontz had focused more on the changes his "monster" was going through and spent less time on the chase scenes. It would've helped too, if he'd spent less time agonizing about every thought and motivation passing through the dull men's heads (Ben and his nemesis whose name escape me).

I probably would have enjoyed this more when I was a bit younger because now that I'm old and grouchy I don't seem to like much of anything!

This book is another "once-you-start-you-can't-put-it-down" exhilirating reading experience. Dean Koontz has not yet disapointed. His novels are suspense-filled, imaginative, and totally unpredictable. The reader expects ... the unexpected. This novel is exceptionally brilliant, based on plausible genetic engineering principles which are exaggerated to create the impossible yet the reader is riveted and thrilled with the revelation when "the impossible" gradually becomes possible. This book is entertaining, spine-tingling, and utterly terrifying as the possibilities become ever more real ...

The book begins by introducing the reader to Rachael Leben and her husband, Dr. Eric Leben, a former University of California scientist and professor who is a partner in a genetic engineering research firm. This high profile California couple is in the midst of a divorce after seven years of marriage. They
seem like an above average couple whose divorce has all the qualities of turning into a nasty public media type circus event. Right after the meeting at Eric's lawyer's office, he hurls accusations at Rachael in an attempt to gain control over the situation as his masculinity and ego were totally crushed, humiliated when Rachael failed to press for everything she is entitled to under California divorce laws. After this highly charged emotional confrontation, Eric dashed across the street and in a freak accident was hit by a garbage truck. It hurled him in the air like a bomb blast and caused severe head injuries, from all indications killing him instantly. The paramedics could not revive him.

As if witnessing this event was not enough, the following day, Rachael receives a phone call from the Medical Examiner's office where she learns Eric's body had disappeared. After separating from Eric, Rachael had developed a friendship with Benny Lee Shadway, a highly successful real estate developer who was her sole emotional comfort during this horrible ordeal. He noticed she was paranoid and behaving oddly which he initially attributed to witnessing her husband's accident but as time progressed he was to learn her behavior was based on more than his disappearance and death. Rachael starts carrying a gun with her whenever she goes out, she keeps the curtains of her home closed all the time. She is obviously afraid but can not articulate from what ...

Dean Koontz supplies major clues throughout the book to gradually build up the suspense and the plot as the disappearance of Eric becomes connected to factors related to his genetic research. The manner in which Koontz ties together the story, plot and the unusual occurences and events within the book is a mind-boggling but thoroughly satisfying reading experience. As an author Koontz knows just how to reveal more and more personal details about the life and background of each character to create a better understanding of their behavior and viewpoint. Obviously, the reader is free to loath, love, and cheer for specific protaganists as he masterfully and skillfully unravels the murder mystery. Dean Koontz has become my favorite author of this genre. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

I mostly enjoyed reading this book, but there were a few things that irritated me or slowed down the reading. First off, this book is very artful. It has a ton of literary techniques, including irony, imagery and *many* similes. I guess this would be great for one of those high school English essays, where you point out every little literary technique and relate it to the author's life or the history at the time the book was written. However, it can make for tedious reading. Most students never like the required reading, but that could be because they are forced to beat the crap out of every detail. Some of the similes are good, but the sheer number of them made me feel like Koontz was cramming them down my throat, just to show he could. He also tends to describe the background too much. Yes, you should be able to picture the area in your mind's eye, but do we really need ten lines listing all the trash lying around a garage? Do we want to know about the broken chairs, old mops, rusted buckets, etc. stored there? I think not. Lastly, Koontz repeated himself too much. He would write a paragraph or two on something that happened a couple of chapters before, that you can clearly remember. It's a waste of time and quite annoying. Overall, this is a good book. It's just boring or slow at times.