Product Description

Frank Pollard awakens in an alley, knowing nothing but his name and that he is in danger. Over the next few days he develops a fear of sleep because when he wakes he finds blood on his hands and bizarre and terrifying objects in his pockets. Distraught and desperate, Frank begs husband-and wife detective team Bobby and Julie Dakota to get to the bottom of his mysterious, amnesiac fugues. It seems a simple job, but they are drawn into ever-darkening realms where they encounter the nightmare, hate-filled figure stalking Frank. And their lives are threatened, as is that of Julie’s gentle, Down’s-syndrome brother, Thomas.

To Thomas, death is the ‘bad place’ from which there is no return. But as each of them ultimately learns, there are equally bad places in the world of the living, places so steeped in evil that, in contrast, death seems almost to be a relief...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117103 in Books
• Published on: 1991-01-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

About the Author
Dean Koontz was born into a very poor family and learned early on to escape into fiction. His novels have sold over 200 million copies worldwide and more than thirty have appeared on national and international bestseller lists. He lives in southern California with his wife, Gerda and a vivid imagination.

Customer Reviews

One of the best books I have ever read!
This was the first Dean Koontz book that I had ever read, and perhaps may be why I still think of it so fondly as one of my favourites.

Very 'off the wall' and different from anything I had read before. The characters were strong, the story unusual which leaves you gasping for more. Perhaps what impressed me most was Thomas, the boy with Downs Syndrome - DK somehow made me think about how frustrating it must be for someone with a condition like this when they struggle to communicate their feelings. It really got you inside his head and touched me in a way that no other author has.

I just couldn't put it down, desperate to know what happened next and yet sad when I finished it. Hence the reason why I have recently re-read it and still enjoyed it as much as the first time.

I would recommend it to anyone.

Review of The Bad Place
As an avid reader of Dean Koontz, I found this book very enjoyable. The story starts with Frank Pollard awaking in a dark and damp alley, unsure of where or who he is, the only thing that he can remember is that he is in extreme danger from an unknown being. This is where the fun really starts, with this mysterious being chasing him through the streets, showing off its awsome powers, but we still are not not told any background details of who, or what this being is, which is something that Dean Koontz really specialises in, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. Later on, the Dakota and Dakota detective agency are drawn in to the hunt for the background and demise of the mysterious being. From now on, the book is un-put-down-able, keeping you, the reader, involved all of the way. Due to fears of spoiling the book, I won't go into any more detail other than the fact that there is an interesting twist right at the end, with many unexpected twists and turns as you go. As with all Dean Koontz books, I can assure you that there will be many points in the book where you will find that it is 3am, and yet you will still carry on reading. The only main downpoint, which made me rate this book at only 4 stars is the fact that at some points, the storyline can be a bit predictable, but those points are few and far between, and I feel that to really get a feel for Dean Koontz's style of writing, this is a very good book to start on, but also, for regular reader of DK's writing, this is also a very good book.

The Bad Place
Dean Koontz is my favourite author and I have a collection of over 40 of his novels so far. The Bad Place is one of my favourites and is well worth reading. Deans style of writing always has you hooked from page one and with The Bad Place, as with many other novels of his that I have read, you are unable to put it down until the last page and even then the storyline grips you well into the night as you lay in the dark pondering over his many plots and characters. Dean's writing is incredible and his imagination is out of this world!