Rating: 
Summary: Good... not his best, but good
Review: Well, this is a very original idea which grabs you from the beginning. Like always, Koontz gives us very likeable characters... and of course, a labrador. I really liked it, I just found 2 problems: one, that he made such a good plot, that I think he had trouble finding a good climax for it. Two, that thing Koontz has for happily-ever-after endings... There's always that last chapter where everyone is so happy and dandy, rich and beautiful. I find that a bit unrealistic... kind of reminds you it's just a story.
Rating:
Summary: Koontz is back on track - sort of.
Review: "A protagonist who is a neurotic mess (..) is not going to engage the reader's empathy swiftly." This is the problem of the first 200 pages of this book. We get to know some characters who have huge mental problems, the story is told from their point of view and it is pretty hard to identify with them. The result is boredom and the painful question: Where is a good editor when you need one? My initial delight in the fact that this books is twice as thick as Koontz's recent works faded away quickly. So, why four stars? Because once you overcome the first third of the book, it really gets gripping. Yes, I admit, all the proceedings are formulatic, you get your usual Koontz-Villain, the usual Koontz-Plot-Twists, the usual Koontz-Main-Protagonists, etc. but all of these elements fall far better in place than they usually do. After approx. page 200, the book races on like a steam-engine, never stops and is really, really hard to put down. And so, although I have many reasons to dislike this book (see above), I do have to recommend it. People who are looking for suspense, and a lot of that, this is a book for you. In closing, one advice for people who read this review and have not yet read the book: You CAN fast-forward the first 200 pages, you're not missing much, trust me on that. Before I finish, three more things: Yes, this is a rip-off of Koontz's own "Night Chills". Yes, off course, there is a dog in this book. And yes, this is one of the first novels where Amazon.com-reviews are mentioned! If you're still wondering where the quote at the beginning is coming from, this is from an essay called "Why novels of fear must do more than frighten" which tells young, aspiring suspense writers some basic rules about the craft of suspense-writing. The essay was written by a guy called Dean R. Koontz.
Rating: 
Summary: Koontz in need of an Editor
Review: Koontz' talent as a creator of suspense lies in drawing sympathetic - if somewhat formulaic - characters. When the danger comes, we care what happens to them. In "False Memory" we meet a number of such vulnerable, likeable folk, and the requisite anthropomorphic pet, too.Unfortunately we must also suffer from Koontz' defects as a writer. This book is far too long to support its plot. Well written sections, such as one involving a car crash and shoot-out, are outnumbered by too many chapters full of repetition and tedious detail. An early scene on a rooftop is a good example of bad Koontz, full of uninteresting description (the hero makes his way onto the "east-west" section of the roof, etc., as if we can follow the picture in his mind's eye). Worst of all is Koontz' frequent habit of going overboard. The mystery and evil in this tale are undermined by ludicrous exageration. I laughed out loud when the bad guy recalls feeding some former victims to a bunch of hungry crocodiles. Credibility is not only strained in this book, it is shattered. A strong editor could have much improved "False Memory" by toning down the "madman" angle, deleting many pages of repetitive description (e.g., the panic attacks) or useless accounts (e.g., the miniature battle games), and otherwise pruning its excesses.
Rating:
Summary: Not one of his best but worth the hard back price
Review: Although, in my opinion, "False Memory" started off very slow, it soon picked up the pace about 100 pages into the book. The villian of this novel is the most intersting character in the whole book and you begin to wonder how our heros, Martie and Dusty Rhodes, will defeat their adversary and survive. This is a book worthy of not only die hard Koontz fans but will entertain new readers who have never read any of his works. (If there is such a thing)
Rating: 
Summary: Dean's Hyperbole
Review: "Along the whetstone of clear eastern sky, the sun sharpened scalpels of light." Not only hyperbolic, but a mixed metaphor as well. (Would you want your surgeon to sharpen a scalpel on a whetstone?) Dean has gone all-out in this one with a 2000-word description of a dog poo, ending with a warm plastic bag in the dog owner's hand. (This I read while eating breakfast).
Rating: 
Summary: False Memory--Dean Koontz
Review: I just finished the audio version of this book. At first I was disappointed it wasn't another Chris Snow book, but as I got into the book I was hooked. This book is horrifying. It really makes you think about what one human being is capable of doing to another. I love the good vs. evil aspect of Koontz's books, with the good prevailing in the end. I especially loved the ending with Marti becoming a vet & opening a combination animal hospital/rescue shelter. This has long been a dream of mine. Good going Dean!
Rating:
Summary: What a yawner.
Review: Rare that I don't finish a novel. Even more so, a novel by Koontz since I am a big fan of his earlier books. But this one literally put me to sleep. I actually forced myself to make it to page 300 but could not imagine myself trudging through another 327 pages of this story. Sometimes, it's just best to cut your losses...
Rating:
Summary: "False Memory" Not Memorable
Review: To be honest, I have been a huge fan of Dean Koontz since reading his elegant and terrifying novel "Whispers" in the early 80's. Unfortunately, Mr. Koontz appears to be completing his downward spiral started with the dreadful Chris Snow novels... Although this novel starts off with a promising first half, the plot becomes laborous and strained when the true villain and his implausible plan are revealed. True to form, Mr. Koontz's characters are well developed and thoroughly detailed, and the reader does come to care about Marty, Dusty, Susan, and Skeet... it's a shame that the characters are trapped in a flimsy spider-web of cliched, B-movie, plot cast-offs... This is one Koontz fan that hopes that "False Memory" was a result of writer's block... "False Memory" is "Truly Forgetable".
Rating:
Summary: POOR REVIEW TURNS AUTHOR INTO PSYCHO KILLER
Review: A HUGE fan of Dean Koontz (think I've read them all), this book was a HUGE disappointment. Still reeling from Chris Snow and his adventures which left me panting for more, reading this book was an out and out chore. Seemingly written in a weekend with weak characters and an even weaker plot, the only thing I found gratifying was the motive for the psycho killer to target Marty in the first place . . . a poor review written about the killer's book on (get this) Amazon.com. C'mon Dean . . . were you just wiped out?
Rating:
Summary: It has an elaborate plot, colorful characters and I enjoy it
Review: Dean Koontz's newest creation has hit the nail on the head for the long forgotten Hypnotic Thriller Genre. Stemming from thoughts beginning with the autophobia, fear of oneself, and the book Manchurian Candidate, Koontz creates an elaborate, colorful and sadistic thriller and I enjoy it. Ooops, ahem, sorry, fell into the mind chapel there! Oh well, Koontz starts off with a small little family in Orange County, California suddenly noticing losses of time in their life, the sudden death of a friend, and new fears never before realized. The beginning of the book is truly scary. Koontz describes pure fear and blows your mind with diction and creative fiction. It starts off slow, but becomes a great story where two regular people become their own Private Eyes and hunt the man who is tearing their lives apart.. The man who has hypnotized them, for power, lust and murderous intention. Get lost in this book! Koontz drags you kicking and screaming through a story of lies, deceit and terror when he follows the story of the family and the man they are trying to discover. Into the mind of a gruesom man, that you may hate or love, but will understand. READ THIS! THEN READ MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE! I recommend this to Koontz buffs and anyone ready for a treat.
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