A different Koontz, a refreshing change….  ****

Since I am a fan who owns and has read all of Dean Koontz’s novels, I always look forward to his next one. The last few have been disappointing, especially Ashley Bell. The Silent Corner was a surprise on several levels.

Koontz has been known to experiment with different writing styles and genres, and here he steps into the world of Micheal Connelly, Lee Child, and Michael Crichton. The story of an FBI agent who loses someone close and goes on a personal vendetta for justice is a common, if not overdone, storyline.  In the hands of a master wordsmith like Koontz, the familiar becomes a lot more fun to read.

Jane Hawk is the female protagonist who takes a “leave of absence” from the FBI to discover who caused her husband’s suicide. The obstacles she faces, as someone is determined to stop her, become minor inconveniences which she cleverly overcomes.

The story is well written and the technology, while futuristic, is feasible enough to be frightening. The novel does suffer from the same flaws of most hero/heroine stories. There are times when the bad guys hesitate, ensuring the protagonist’s survival, and the ease of getting outside help strains believability.

This is book one of a series. It will be interesting to see if it stops at book two, which should wrap up the storyline or if Koontz will take this character for a longer ride.

This one gets four stars.