Rating: 
Summary: Koontz is back (?)
Review: I have read quite a number of books now by Dean Koontz and enjoyed most of them. Besides some of his earlier work, the only major disappointment to me was Fear Nothing (so much so, that I haven't dared read the sequel yet; I mean, as a person who hates dogs I can only stand so many books about clever canines...; besides, the book read as a major rush job). So it was a pleasant surprise that False Memory was so gratifying. The book is full of warm characters in the typical Koontz-style and the familiar wonderful humor (where else can you find a sadistic killer complain about self-mutilation (i.e. piercings etc.) being the rage today?).The story is wonderful and well written. OK, it is a tad long and there are the usual metaphors that sometimes work and sometimes just distract or annoy. The idea behind the story works very well, and I just can't understand the reader complaining about reading 'who did it' after just 200 out of 600 pages. I mean: in case you didn't notice, it is not a whodunit!!! Actually, the book wouldn't have worked nearly as well and turned out a major disappointment if the question who did it all was kept hidden till the last couple of pages. For me, the book was a very enjoyable read and kept me really looking forward to his new book. Hopefully, it won't feature another smart dog...
Rating: 
Summary: I Didn't Expect This Plot!
Review: I picked up "False Memory" because it was a Koontz novel, and I have never NOT given this author my full attention since I read "Watchers" many years back. In spite of "Fear Nothing" and "A Bad Place," which were well written but a bit too raw for my senses, Mr. Koontz has not disappointed me. I feel that "False Memory" was just as engaging and intriguing a novel as "Watchers," though very different. The unwitting heroes of the story, Dusty and Martine Rhodes, are extremely likable characters and the reader becomes caught up in their lives because of their goodness, steadiness and faithfulness towards each other and those they love. The antagonist of this book is a surprise I will not give away, although Koontz doesn't make you wait the entire book to find out just what's going on. The dialogue is well done and moves the story beautifully, the characters "stay" in character, and the author shows once again that he is a master story teller. A wonderful read that will definitely keep you coming back for more until that last page is turned!
Rating: 
Summary: Whoa, this thriller sucked.
Review: I read this book on the recommendation from a friend of mine, she gave it a good review, so I was excited to read it. It started of well enough with a few mysteries that were definatly page turners. Parts of the book are very exciting as well (so that's one star). Furthermore, the criminal mastermind in this book is thoroughly disturbing and well thought out (that's another star). Now, why it sucked:
1) This book has about 100 pages of unnecessary that can make any reader impatient. The story could have been told just as well minus 100 pages. 2) The main characters (Martie and Dusty Rhodes) start to get REALLY annoying and REALLY corny. Their personalities are to meticulously cliche. And the situations they get through seem almost impossible and so unrealistic, you'll find yourself yelling "Oh, come on!". They were getting on my nerves so much I was hoping the killer would just kill them off already. At first I was sympathetic to the main characters, but as I read on I became unsympathetic to them for the reasons I listed above and that is the fatal flaw in the book. I could not enjoy the story if I hated the main characters. 3) The ending is SOOOOOOO Hollywood and cherrful and nice and happy and sweet, I started to get angry. I could not believe I read a book of that length to reach an ending that was too cliche and to easy. I never read a Dean Koontz book until now and I don't think I will ever again. He chose an ending that was all too perfect and everything was wrapped up in a neat little package. It was clear Koontz was gettin lazy and rushing to finish the book, perhaps to reach a publication deadline. Bottom line... this book was a waste of my time, and don't waste your time reading this book. If your interested in a very good thriller, move on because this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Characters and Plot
Review: This is the second Koontz novel I've read, and although I enjoyed Cold Fire more, I do reccomend this book. I'm sure you know the plot by now, since it's mentioned here over and over again, so I'll just say that it's worth your time. The story itself, concerning mind control, is handled very well, building on the characters as it goes along. Even the villian is built upon as much as the protagonists. I also liked the constant name-dropping throughout. Koontz mentions everything from Lord of the Rings, to the customer reviews section of Amazon.com! It's not a real page-turning thriller, and it caught me off guard when a chase scene was brought into the third act. The ending works well, in the way it brings a seemingly minor character into it, but it's not incredibly satisfying. I would have preffered something much darker, with a book like this. Despite that, Koontz is a great writer, and False Memory is worth your time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent novel w/ a terrifying start...but I miss the Snowman
Review: Hello folks. I know that anyone who's actually read this novel won't believe any customer reviews on this site anyway, so I'll try to be brief:) Anyway, the first 200-250 pages are the most gripping Koontz has ever penned. BUT (and this is a big qualifier)the middle section is the SLOWEST writing he's ever done. After the first 250 pages, the pace doesn't really pick up again until page 500 or so. Sorry, dean man, but u spent way to much time in the damn desert. Anyway, the villain of this piece is just damn creepy. He's suave. He's smart. He likes to play games . . . but doesn't always follow his own rules. so be afraid. Alas, the villain is by far the most interesting character...except for maybe Skeet. As for the novel's ending...it is definitely exciting. I only wished the book had been paced better throughout...if it had been, i would have been more energized at the climax. So this is a good Koontz book, featuring his best start and (maybe) his best ending... but don't buy the hard cover. wait for the paper back.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe
Review: that I have led myself to believe in a fancy thought that Koontz might have improved himself over the years since his sophomoric works like Whispers or Voice of the Night. Alas, there is no change in this guy's pallette and I don't think will ever: His characters are worse than cartoon ones; they remind me puppets: no real human reaction, no real human act, no real human conversation; they are pathetic almost to the point of still-borns. The plotline is derivative of several former works (both by him and other guys in the arena) but you cannot feel or see any original blending or one or two mind-bending revealation injected here or there as you meet in Steven King's books. No, Dean Koontz is a stubborn writer trying to churn out non-sense making and unentertaining drivels to a drugged mass audience of his own. And I cannot even understand how once upon a time he was compared to King. I read Koontz from time to time only to relive the enjoyment of real horror masters, particularly, the old Steve, Peter Straub and Clive Barker. The tension in this book is not much more than the tension you can get when you are watching a piece of white cheese getting mouldy. And the ending is usual Koontz trade-mark ending with all terrible features: Happy-sappy, pro-Christian, pro-American delusions worse than a Pollyanna book. Avoid it. But you can read to see how much you can suffer (this is really a test of patience) and to appreciate real horror masters (God bless them).
Rating:
Summary: my intro to terror
Review: This was my first reading of Dean Koontz, and it prompted me to read some of his other works. I was very impressed with the writing, the characterisation, and the suspense in the novel. As in some of his other works, there is a sinister quasi-government organisation, but this time it's personal. I really loved the main characters Dusty and Martie, and koontz's description of all the characters really brought them to life. The book deals with very disturbing and frightening themes like rape, child abuse, murder, and mind control, and some people could be disgusted, but the basic goodness of human beings shines through all the horror. There are other memorable characters in the book, like Dusty's half brother Skeet, the lovable self destructive addict, Fig, the monosyllabic alien hunter, Dr. Mark Ahriman, one of the most complex characters i've ever come accross in fiction, and Valet the dog, Dusty and Martie's touchstone, a fully fledged character in his own right. The action in the book mirrors that in The Lord of the Rings, the video game Martie is working on, as she and Dusty journey to a meeting with evil in their own personal Mordor. After reading the book a second time I understood the motivations a lot better and i'd reccomend this book to anyone who loves a good story and excellent writing.
Rating:
Summary: Overrated
Review: I was disappointed in this book. It's over-written and unrewarding, not suspenseful in the least. I also tried another of his books, Odd Thomas, and while it was better than False Memory, I won't be reading any more of Koontz' books. Stick with Stephen King -- at least he's not pretentious.
Rating:
Summary: False Memory
Review: Martie and her husband, Dusty, a housepainter, are the usual Koontz protagonistsÄhonorable, resourceful, and persevering. Martie's friend, Susan, suffers from agoraphobia. Martie visits her regularly and takes her to her appointments with noted therapist, Dr. Mark Ahriman. Dusty's younger brother, Skeet, has been in and out of therapy with the same doctor. When Skeet jumps off a roof while painting a house with Dusty, he claims that the angel instructed him to do so. Level-headed video game designer Martie develops autophobia, a terrifying condition in which the victim fantasizes about using sharp objects to create murder and mayhemÄon those she loves as well as on herself. Only when Dusty takes her to see Dr. Ahriman and looks at the book she has been reading, The Manchurian Candidate, does he begin to suspect that brainwashing might be involved. He questions the blanks in his recent life and takes a closer look at Skeet's and Martie's unusual behavior. Soon they are on the run from a monster of manipulation, who has government connections to protect him and a psycho's disregard for human life. The master of psychological horror strikes again, this time with a powerful look at inner tormentsÄthe horrors that come from our own minds. Koontz uses nonstop action, likeable characters who confront and overcome horror in their everyday lives, and lots of nail-biting suspense to create another winner. This latest spin-tingling mystery belongs in any public or high school library
Rating:
Summary: A Sensation
Review: "You may break, you may shatter the vase, if you will,
But the scent of the roses will hang round it still."
~Thomas Moore Like memory, the sensation this book evokes lingers long after the final page is read. Unlike roses, however, what hangs round is not quite so pleasant. This book plainly stinks.
Dean Koontz is a hack and incapable of an original thought. If indeed he was inspired to write this drivel, the book is evidence that one's muse is not always kind.
If you're considering reading "False Memory", my recommendation is, "Forget about it."
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