Product Description

Eduardo, a retiree whose wife and son have died, lives on his isolated Montana ranch. His life is peaceful – if lonely – until he is awakened one night by a fearful throbbing sound and eerie lights in the lower woods. During the next several months, one mysterious and disturbing event follows another. Increasingly, he fears for his sanity and his life, until the terrible night when someone – or something – knocks on his back door...

Jack McGarvey, a Los Angeles cop, is hammered by submachine-gun fire when a madman goes berserk one lovely spring morning. He barely survives. His partner is not so lucky. Months later, still on disability, with no idea of when he might work again, with Los Angeles growing more violent by the day, he longs to move his family to a more peaceful place. Though he would do anything to protect his wife Heather and son Toby, Jack seems powerless and without prospects.

Then, in their hour of desperation, the McGarveys find salvation when they receive an unexpected inheritance. It includes a sprawling ranch in one of the most beautiful, peaceful places in the country. Montana. Excited by their good fortune, the McGarveys set out from Los Angeles to begin their new life – unaware that the terror-riddled and unstable city will eventually seem like a safe haven compared to what lies ahead.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88102 in Books
• Published on: 1994-12-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 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

Eerie thriller let down by its ending
Dean Koontz has a style of writing that you either like or hate with a passion. He brings a flowery nature to his prose and tackles thriller and horror elements from a more genteel angle than many other authors.

It is with this style that Koontz explores the nature of aliens and how they would react with a peaceful Montana ranch in 'Winter Moon'. The story starts with two separate elements - a cop recovering from a vicious shooting in LA and an aging Montana recluse who believes mysterious things are occurring on his land.

This is not one of Koontz's fastest books - in fact it’s pretty pedestrian for the first 2/3. However, the way in which the tension slowly builds makes it one of the most effecting books I have read for a long time. The very nature of what is alien really inspired me and gave me more chills than the average monster of the week.

However, this is not to say that 'Winter Moon' does not have its faults. The last third is pacey but very poor descending the book into near farce. The characters you cared for are still there but the outcome seems unsatisfactory. It is for this reason that the book is average and I feel that for many it would be even worse as its slow pace could put many people off. One for Koontz completists only.

Cop Story Turns Into Science Fiction!
Jack McGarvey is an LA cop. He has lost one partner already, Tommy, through the crime wave that seems to be sweeping the city. His new partner Luther dies during a shootout. During the shootout Jack is badly injured but saves the life of a woman by killing the gunman. For the remainder of part one of the book we learn about Jack's rehabilitation after his shooting and how he and his family (wife Heather and son Toby) become disillusioned with life in Los Angeles. Their disillusionment is compounded by the fact the gunman was a cult film director and Jack is painted by some as the villain.

Also in the first part of the book is a story about Eduardo who lives on a range in Montana. He has lost his wife and son and is quietly living out his last few years. However, increasingly strange things are happening on his ranch. Strange noises and lights come some nights. Animals are possessed with the purpose of watching him. He eventually comes across some sort entrance to another world/spaceship. What worries him is what has come out of that spaceship.

Part two of the book sees Jack and his family move to Montana full of hope and excitement about their new life. Things start well with Toby getting a dog and the neighbours being very friendly. A big change from Los Angeles. However, they also encounter the aliens and they have to battle for their lives.

Koontz really gives you a feel for a place. Los Angeles is full of 1980's cynicism - crime is rife and the law is not respected. A different picture is painted on Montana - rural and in many ways quite idyllic.

The characters are very strong in this book. With is clocking up almost 500 pages you really get to know Jack and his family along with Eduardo. The scene with the gunman at the beginning of the book is tense and really plunges you head first into the book. The length of the book isn't a problem - you don't feel pages are there unnecessary.

The introduction to the alien through the racoons is very creepy! Later as more about the alien is revealed this creepiness lessens but the fact that dead bodies are used as "puppets" makes you squirm quite a bit!

The ending is satisfactory but fairly predictable.

Overall a very solid Koontz book. The beginning in LA especially grips you along with the initials encounters with the possessed animals Montana. Perhaps part two of the book unfolded a bit too predictably but it is still a most enjoyable read.

Although not up there with his very best it is a very good read and is one of the few in print Koontz books that crosses into the science fiction genre.

8/10

SPOILER ALERT!!! Not one of his better books...
This is my first review so bare with me! I've been reading a lot of Dean Koontz books recently, and this is one of his weaker efforts. Starts off well enough as it alternates between two stories up to a point, and i was wondering how they were going to connect (i should have paid more attention!). But it turned into a typical monster chases heroes story. Very humdrum. Reminded me slightly of 'Phantoms', which is the better book. I also recommend 'Sole Survivor' and 'False Memory'. Now i'm off to read 'House of Thunder'...