It was almost as if I've read this novel before. (Kids are a lesser priority, but let's face it, dogs are cuter.) ) No breakaway gimmick, no over-the-top message beyond treating dogs well. Unfortunately, it just doesn't stand out that much from any of Koontz's other novels. I mean, there were a lot of murderers and anarchists, there was the healing power of a golden retriever, and there was a mentally handicapped kiddo and some genuinely nice people who were our heroes. I wish I could say I liked this novel more. From its breathtaking opening scene to its shocking climax, The Darkest Evening of the Year is Dean Koontz at his finest, a transcendent thriller certain to have readers turning pages until dawn. But now there's no one to save Amy and those she loves. Someone has come back to turn Amy into the desperate, hunted creature she's always been there to save. And the unmistakable sense that someone is watching Amy's every move and that, whoever it is, he's not alone. But the instant joy Nickie brings is shadowed by a series of eerie incidents. Even her two other goldens, Fred and Ethel, recognize Nickie as special, a natural alpha. The bond between Amy and Nickie is immediate and uncanny.

No one is surprised when Amy risks her life to save Nickie, nor when she takes the female golden into her home. To widower Brian McCarthy, whose commitment she can't allow herself to return, Amy's behavior is far more puzzling and hides a shattering secret. Among her friends, Amy's heedless devotion is often cause for concern. Among dog lovers, she's a legend for the risks she'll take to save an animal from abuse. Now he delivers a heart-gripping tour de force he's been waiting years to write, at once a love story, a thrilling adventure, and a masterwork of suspense that redefines the boundaries of primal fear-and of enduring devotion.Īmy Redwing has dedicated her life to the southern California organization she founded to rescue abandoned and endangered golden retrievers. With each of his #1 'New York Times' bestsellers, Dean Koontz has displayed an unparalleled ability to entertain and enlighten readers with novels that capture the essence of our times even as they bring us to the edge of our seats.

Dean koontz einstein