Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45389 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-02
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

The Times
`Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler'

Synopsis
A fast-paced and emotionally devastating suspense novel from the bestselling author of Velocity and The Husband. Amy Redwing risks everything in her chosen field of dog rescue. She's as reckless as if she plans on living the life-span of a dog herself. When she confronts a violent drunk in order to rescue Nickie, a beautiful golden retriever, Amy has no misgivings. Dogs always do their best, and so will she. Whatever it takes. Riding shotgun nervously is her friend and lover, Brian, an architect who would marry her if only she were not so committed to these crazy ! heroics! He blames her work for her refusal to marry him. But everything is due to change in the Redwing household. Someone is trying to destroy Amy. Subtle intrusions escalate into terrifying assaults on everything she holds dear. Amy believes her attacker is Wes Greeley, just released after an eighteen-month stretch, thanks to Amy's testimony, for egregious animal cruelty. But if Greeley is the culprit, it's clear he's not working alone. At last Amy understands her need of Brian, and a lot more from her troubled past that has been hidden by her passion.Unable to turn to any authority, Amy and Brian are pressed to the edge of a precipice as Koontz's most emotionally devastating thriller races with inexorable speed to a wrenching climax.

About the Author
Dean Koontz is an international household name whose hugely entertaining parables for our times have been bestsellers in many countries, selling seventeen million copies each year. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he lives with his wife Gerda in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Below-Par Koontz
I am huge Koontz fan and normally adore every new novel that he publishes. However, "The Darkest Evening Of The Year" didn't quite hit the mark for me and is my least favourite in recent years. It has many trademark Koontz characters - messed up male and female "goodies", a dog, interesting psychopathic "baddies" etc. The story is fast paced with a few unexpected twists. All sounds good but it didn't quite grab me. There's a child character in the book that is abused by her mother and I found that a little bit had going. I think this abuse aspect put me off the book a bit.

Overall definitely worth tracking down for Koontz fans but not a recommended starting point for those new to his work. Check out something like "Odd Thomas" instead.

6/10.

brilliance
another superb story from Dean Koontz. It is clear that Koontz has a particular respect for women and dogs. He makes his reader care what happens to the characters; everyday people are heroes when put in extraordinary circumstances. The most enjoyable book I have read for quite a while. I can recommend it most heartily

Puppy love
Deak Koontz is an underrated writer and nothing like the schlock horror scribe the un-initiated might expect; his work can be humorous, sweet, sad and pulsatingly exciting all at the same time. He's also a genius at describing his passions and creating real empathy in the reader (his recent books have had a strong culinary sub-text) and in "The Darkest Evening" he uses the dog, or more exactly the Labrador, as his chosen plot device. His obvious love of dogs is so absorbing that you hardly notice that not much happens during its first half, and by the time you do, Koontz has shifted up a gear toward an action packed finale. Unfortunately - and I'm sorry to ruin things for you - the final third is a little too easy to see and the conclusion incredibly unsatisfying. In fact I'll go further; it's more sickly and trite than a Disney cartoon.
Still made me want a doggy though.