Good but not great

The Good Guy is yet another notch on Koontz’s suspense-thriller belt, but that's about all.

Average and easy going, Tim Carrier is a bachelor and a stone mason by trade…what most people would call “a man’s man”…he keeps to himself and prefers others do the same. Having a beer at his friend’s bar, Tim becomes intrigued with a fellow patron’s story. After a few minutes of conversation, the man slides a manila envelope across the bar saying “half of it’s there…the rest when she’s gone.” By the time the significance of the stranger’s words sunk in, it was too late, the strange man had disappeared. A few minutes pass and Krait, the real assassin shows up and assumes Tim is the client! Realizing the magnitude of what he has unwittingly become a part of, Tim removes the information about the mark from the envelope, gives the cash to the hired gun and tells him he’s had a change of heart. If only it could have been that simple.

Linda Paquette a stunningly beautiful writer couldn't’t imagine who would want to kill her or why. But for now, the reasons were irrelevant because Krait was hot on their trail and he was determined to complete his assignment. Relying on all their wits to stay a step ahead of Krait gets harder and harder, as he seems to anticipate their every move. It soon becomes clear this killer has much more than good instincts and good luck on his side.

Koontz fans will spot glimpses of his earlier writings throughout the story, although a full fledged return never materializes. Chock-full-of twists and turns, readers will be cheering for the good guy, while trying to figure out the who, what and why. While not the most original plot - average guy minding his own business is thrown into a life or death situation trying to protect a beautiful stranger… Koontz has always taken the usual, spiced it up as only he can and delivered an action packed, suspense filled ride that keeps his legions of fans lining up and clamouring for more.

While The Good Guy will undoubtedly be a best seller, I am left to wonder if and when a quality novel will be released. In recent years I have been more than a little let down by the “put it out there the fans will buy it” writing that has become all too common. Although The Good Guy is a good read, I expect a bit more from an author of this caliber. I look forward to the next novel, with fingers tightly crossed that the author will get back to the basics, a strong, passionate novel that showcases his love of writing so much that we can’t help but love it too –