Product Description

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Bestseller Koontz (The Husband) delivers a thriller so
compelling many readers will race through the book in one sitting. In the
Hitchcockian opening, which resembles that of the cult noir film Red Rock
West (1992), Timothy Carrier, a quiet stone mason having a beer in a
California bar, meets a stranger who mistakes him for a hit man. The
stranger slips Tim a manila envelope containing $10,000 in cash and a photo
of the intended victim, Linda Paquette, a writer in Laguna Beach, then
leaves. A moment later, Krait, the real killer, shows up and assumes Tim is
his client. Tim manages to distract Krait from immediately carrying out the
hit by saying he's had a change of heart and offering Krait the $10,000 he
just received. This ploy gives the stone mason enough time to warn Linda
before they begin a frantic flight for their lives. While it may be a
stretch that the first man wouldn't do a better job of confirming Tim's
identity, the novel's breathless pacing, clever twists and adroit
characterizations all add up to superior entertainment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88079 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-04
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Synopsis
A stunning new thriller in the vein of 'Velocity' and 'The Husband' from one of the world's bestselling authors. After a day's work hefting brick and stone, Tim Carrier slakes his thirst at The Lamplighter Tavern. Nothing heavy happens there. It's a friendly workingman's bar run by his good friend Rooney, who enjoys gathering eccentric customers. Working his deadpan humour on strangers is, for Tim, all part of the entertainment. But how could Tim have imagined that the stranger who sits down next to him one evening is about to unmake his world and enmesh him in a web of murder and deceit? The man has come there to meet someone and he thinks it's Tim. Tim's wayward sense of humour lets the misconception stand for a moment and that's all it takes: the stranger hands Tim a fat manila envelope, saying, 'Half of it's there; the rest when she's gone,' and then he's out the door. In the envelope Tim finds the photograph of a woman, her name and address written on the back; and several thick packets of hundred-dollar bills. When an intense-looking man sits down where the first stranger sat and glances at the manila envelope, Tim knows he's the one who was supposed to get it. Shaken, thinking fast, Tim says he's had a change of heart. He removes the picture of the woman and then hands the envelope to the stranger. 'Half what we agreed,' he says. 'For doing nothing. Call it a no-kill fee.' Tim is left holding a photo of a pretty woman, but his sense of fun has led him into a very dangerous world from which there is no way back. The company of strangers has cost him his peace of mind, and possibly his life.

About the Author
Dean Koontz is the author of many bestsellers. He lives with his
wife, Gerda, and their dog, Trixie, in southern California.

Customer Reviews

A twisted thriller
The Good Guy is short, snappy, easy to read and delivers a thoroughly intriguing tale of one man's fight to uphold justice. When Tim accidentally wise-cracks his way in to the path of a psycho-for-hire, a story unfolds in which we follow the pair as the etch out a brutal cat and mouse tale. Tim is a character full of good intention, with a background, which teases it's way in the to story as the drama unfolds. The killer, however, is the real treat to follow. He is brilliantly crafted as a cold contract killer, yet there are glimpses in to his psyche which flesh out his thought process, ultimately creating a persona which will send a shiver down your spine. It's a little derivative, with an easy option finale, but overall The Good Guy is a great read. There is plenty of what makes Koontz fun to read and is certainly recommended for old Koontz fans and newcomers alike.

Flatulence!
I totally agree with previous reviewers that this is a fairly good thriller (thin but fairly exciting) up until about page 400 and it is as if the author's publisher has called him up and said " I need the book finished by tomorrow" so the last 30 pages are just rushed to a conclusion and you are left with a tremendous feeling of anti-climax. Just like "The husband" really and also like "the husband" there are endless mentions of the wind and variations of it, eg "gentle breeze" and "blowing a gale", indeed there is a section about half way through where there are 18 (I counted) pages where the wind gets at least one mention per page.

And by the way, there is the statutory first chapter of his next book at the end. And you can guess can't you, but YES on the third line there is a mention of the "breeze". Pass me my anemometer - if that's how you spell it.

Almost there
The Good Guy is Dean Koontz almost back to his best. A lot of his books lately have been gibberish especially the 'Brother' books and their ilk. I commented some time ago that Mr Koontz should get back to his roots - scaring people. Well The Good Guy is a step in the right direction - almost but not quite, back to his best.