ATTENTION! All Koontz fans of old, (70's and 80's) you know those of us who read S.K. when he wrote great stuff; Koontz may be returning to the strange paranoia of old with Silent Corner. I had gotten so tired of his last few outings and the latest almost done trilogy but this is a perk up of the FIRST ORDER! Conspiracy-cons, meet in the SILENT CORNER for a joyous read!

“Something is wrong with me. I need. I very much need. I very much need to be dead.”
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“There is a spider in my brain. It talks to me.”
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Merciful heavens, but this was one hell of a ride… I love Dean Koontz – have for years. I recently rediscovered him after a somewhat lengthy (for me) break with Ashley Bell, and was reminded why he has long been one of my favorite escape authors. When I saw his latest was available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it ahead of its release date. I have really never been disappointed by him. I know a lot of people have complained that a number of his books feel too similar, that there are tropes (like the oddly-smart and self-aware dogs that recur regularly) that he over-relies on, that he’s Stephen King Light. To all those people I simply say: Hush. There are similarities between some of his books, but I never found them derivative; ditto on the Stephen King comment. And I like the dogs. So leave Mr. Koontz alone and enjoy his books for what they are – deliciously dark, suspenseful, easy to read stories about things that go bump in the night, both human and not-quite-so-human.

On to the new book.

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“Why do some people – so many – need to control others, tell them what to do, use them if they can, destroy those who won’t be used?”

…

“Why Hitler, why Stalin, why Emory Wayne Udell? I don’t know. Demonic influence or just miswired brains? In the end, does it matter which? Maybe what matters is that some of us aren’t broken by it all, that we can take it to the Emory Udells and the William Overtons and the Bertold Shennecks, take it to them and stop them before they can do everything they dream about.”
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First let me say that Jane Hawk is a FABULOUS character. She’s dark and complicated and brilliant and a perfect protagonist for a series about the incredibly (yet unfortunately all too believable) scary potential consequences of technology… The book pummels you with whip-crack twists and turns from the beginning. Jane is on the run – but from who? and why? and what on Earth is going on with the trend in utterly inexplicable suicides with bizarre notes, like those in the opening block quote? As Jane runs – isolated but not entirely alone, paranoid but not paralyzed, in the dark but not blind – the suspense thickens like winter honey, and it is every bit as sweet.

The basic premise is straightforward – an FBI agent (Jane) is completely thrown by the suicide of her husband, a Marine with everything to live for who takes his own life utterly out of the blue, leaving behind nothing but questions and an exceptionally unusual suicide note. He’s not the first, he won’t be the last. And Jane wants to know why. Her quest to figure out what happened to Nick – and why her
investigation almost immediately resulted in threats of the worst possible kind to her small son – is a quest that will take her off the grid and into dark holes of humanity (and inhumanity). Who – and what – can be trusted when everyone is hiding something?

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“Nothing I can do for you.”
“There is if you want to do it.”
“My wars were a long time ago.”
“All wars are one war. And it never ends.”
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There are so many things going on here – cutting-edge science, power-hunger, fear-mongering, threat assessment and neutralization, family loyalty (both the kind you are born to and the kind you make for yourself)… Every single one of them is handled deftly and with a cutting edge that keeps you on tenterhooks throughout the entire novel. This is what it means to be a master of suspense: the ability to deliver, page after page, a story that will NOT let you go, no matter how much you may want to run. Critics take note – Koontz is in as fine a form here as he’s ever been, and that is mighty fine indeed.

I cannot WAIT for the next Jane Hawk book. I’m hoping I’ll get lucky on NetGalley again, because the thought of waiting a year for the next installment is depressing in the extreme.

I always enjoy a Dean Koontz book & that hasn't changed with The Silent Corner. I loved the character of Jane & the story was exciting & well- paced.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

My first encounter with the work of Dean Koontz was a paperback copy of “Twilight Eyes” bought from a used bookstore. This was when “Midnight” had just appeared in hardcover (which I couldn’t afford at the time), so after finishing reading Slim’s battle with the goblins, I hunted down the other, older stuff, devouring each as fast as I could. I have to admit that I didn’t like all of them. In fact, some I didn’t even finish reading. And soon I stopped reading Koontz altogether. Every so often, I revisit some of my favorites to remind myself how amazing he can be. So when I recently wondered what he’d been up to and discovered the enthusiastic responses other readers were having for “The Silent Corner,” I got excited. Rightfully so. “The Silent Corner” is the best Dean Koontz book in years and surely ranks with his absolute best. He’s gotten leaner and meaner, but that particular style of his is as bright as an oil lamp with a freshly-cleaned chimney. The raw material of the narrative is familiar to any long-time Koontz fans. Echoes of “Midnight” and “Dragon Tears” and “Odd Thomas” ring across the pages. But trust me when I say this is good news. I can understand why Koontz is so excited about Jane Hawk and her quest to save the rest of us. I am, too. The sequel to this book is currently scheduled for 2018. And this is the first time in a long, long time that I’ve looked forward this anxiously to a new Dean Koontz book.

I rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to the author (Dean Koontz), publisher, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of The Silent Corner.

Let me first start by saying I have never read a Dean Koontz book before. I am not sure how I managed to do this after years of reading mysteries, working in a bookstore, and working as an intern for a literary agent, but somehow I never touched one of his books. This genre is one of my favorites, so when the opportunity to read a free ARC of Koontz's arose, I jumped at it.

The premise of The Silent Corner intrigued me; a woman (Jane Hawk), who works for the CIA, discovers her husband committed suicide, and she is left to pick up the pieces. Her husband gave no indication that he was depressed or suicidal. His suicide note is also very odd, so, in what initially appears to be anger and denial over the death (a normal reaction for a grieving spouse), Jane begins to investigate suicide rates in the U.S.

Her research leads her to some shocking findings, ones that she cannot ignore as a CIA agent. In order to understand why suicide rates among seemingly normal, well-adjusted people are increasing, Jane goes on a journey to uncover a vast conspiracy involving biotech corporations and CEOs. She leaves her 7 year old son in the hands of U.S. military vets who she trusts, and takes off on a daring adventure with a bizarre, colorful cast of characters.

I loved the plot and the inventiveness of it, which deserves all of the 3.5 stars I gave this book. However, the characters really disappointed me. Speaking as a highly educated woman, I found Jane annoying and one-dimensional. There wasn't any nuance to her, nor any second thoughts on her part about leaving her only child (and remaining family member) to pursue some conspiracy theory. I was also irritated by the author's (and Jane's) jabs at liberals, not just because I am a liberal, but because it seems untrue to her character. If she's smart enough to work her way up the chain of command at the CIA, then I would expect her world to be less black and white. I truly felt like the author struggled to free himself from the constraints of his worldwide, and that unfortunately limited his ability to dive into the world of a deeply wounded and highly educated woman. I felt like his voice overpowered Jane's, which was disappointing because the plot was so promising.

The world of this book is one where there is clearly good and evil, of right and wrong, and perhaps that's what made me trudge through most of it. If anyone works as a political strategist or analyst for a year or so, they'll quickly realize that this is not the world we inhabit; it is a world of many, many decades ago.

Wow! Dean Koontz has done it again. The Silent Corner has nothing supernatural and it is all the more scary because of that fact. With his colorful language and mastery of the English language Dean describes a “brave new world “that could be just around the corner. Jane Hawk is a FBI agent on leave and widow, having just lost her husband to an apparent suicide, but Jane refuses to believe it was a suicide. In searching for an answer, she discovers a disturbing rise in suicides in talented and accomplished people who show no signs of depression or suicidal tendencies. When her young son is threatened she realizes she is onto something. She hides him away with friends, sells her house and belongings and goes on the run to search for the truth. What she discovers is terrifying. It involves cybercriminals, an evil scientist, a billionaire, programmed women (like depraved Stepford Wives), and bad guys in high places who have underestimated a woman driven by a rage born of love. Dean Koontz says he fell in love with his new heroine and plans several more books featuring her. He will have finished the third one before this one is published and the TV rights have already been acquired by Paramount TV.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Dean Koontz book. Way, way back his books were something I would look forward to, but something happened along the way and he seemed to lose his touch. Now that I think of it, the same thing happened to Stephen King’s books when he started writing the Dark Tower series. I just didn’t find them enjoyable anymore.

As for The Silent Corner, I could take it or leave it. The storyline is great, a conspiracy to weed out the population so the wealthy remain wealthy. Jane, an FBI agent, stumbles upon the plot when her husband commits suicide. She is convinced he wouldn’t have committed suicide, and her research leads her to a jump in the suicide rate and anomalies as to who is committing suicide. When she and her young son are threatened, Jane decides to go rogue to find out who is behind the plot. She uncovers a plot to control the brain, making the victims subservient. While this could lead to a spine-tingling techno-thriller, the remainder of the book is mostly Jane, just driving all over the country, off the grid, trying to stay ahead of those who are hunting her. The finale is a bloody shootout, and a disappointing and abrupt ending. So you need to stayed tuned for the next in the series.

The writing style is horrible. There is so much overblown description and so much inane metaphorical description that you stop reading and think “what??” The break in concentration disrupts the flow of the book and is tiring. After 400+ pages, I also expected to learn a little more about Jane, but there was no character development.

I’ll take a pass on the next in the series.

The Silent Corner is an exciting, suspenseful thriller from Dean Koontz. This is the first book in the Jane Hawk series. Jane, an FBI agent, takes a leave of absence following her husbands suicide. Wanting to find the truth behind her husband's suicide, Jane goes on the run and investigates a recent rise in suicides. High profile enemies are after Jane trying to prevent her from finding out the truth. I couldn't get enough of this novel and enjoyed the thrill ride. Filled with smart twists and turn, this is a must read for any Koontz fan. I hope to see this character developed into a TV series. I have been a long time Dean Koontz fan and this novel does not disappoint.

Koontz is a master storyteller, there's no doubt, and fans of his will not be disappointed in this new series. Jane Hawk is a force, as a rogue (ish) FBI agent. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to her future escapades. Science fiction - with just enough truth to make you shudder - is the well-worn path of Dean Koontz. If the remainder of this series stays focused and reliably told, I will look forward to many, many more.

Having read almost everything Dean Koontz has written I was eager to read The Silent Corner.
As always, Koontz uses deep and dark atmospheric descriptions, but I had trouble connecting to the heroine.
Things came to her way to easily and the bad guy gave in too easily.
I do not want to read the rest of the series.

This book would make a fantastic movie! Maybe already in the works? If not, well it should be!

Jane was convinced she had the perfect life. A great job with the FBI, a husband rising fast through the ranks of the Marines, and a beautiful son. Then the bottom falls out. While entertaining the entire family and preparing for dinner together, Jane gets the shock of her life… her husband just killed himself.

She digs to find the unfathomable reason why he would ever take his own life. During her investigation she finds a disturbing pattern of increasing suicide rates across the country. On leave from the FBI, she searches for answers to this bizarre epidemic. One fact she finds most disturbing… many of these suicides were well-adjusted, successful people who showed no previous sign of depression or any hint of their intentions...exactly like her husband.

Jane has changed her looks, gone underground and made herself untraceable. She can’t possibly turn to her colleagues from the FBI for any kind of help. She is alone in this very personal quest for answers. Even though it could easily cost Jane her life.

THEY are after her...whoever THEY are...

Nonstop action. Jane is running for her life as she seeks the dark truth behind these suicides. Leaving bodies, cars and coyotes in her wake. (Yes, even coyotes!)

Very short chapters kept me clipping along. My only negative is that it felt just a little too long
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The book leaves you set for the next round in this new and exciting series!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Dean Koontz for an ARC to review.

To be posted on Goodreads under Kaceey 4/28/17 - 4/29/17

I will be honest here, I have always enjoyed Dean Koontz's books but I am not really a big fan of detective fiction. Usually I avoid books that mention in the blurb an FBI agent (current or former) or a private investigator as the protagonist. That being said, I jumped on an opportunity to read a new book series by Dean Koontz.

Jane Hawk is an FBI agent on personal leave from the FBI after her husband commits suicide. Jane is on a mission to find out why he killed himself. The book is more of a techno-thriller and it reads like detective fiction and centers on a single crime. The book was full of action and fast paced. It didn't read like a typical Dean Koontz book but it had things that a reader typically expects from Koontz (high-end brands of guns, use of interesting adjectives, dogs - German Shepherds and maybe a made-up Golden Retriever). Overall, this was a pretty good crime novel and I am interested in seeing how this story ends.

I'm a big Dean a Koontz fan so was super stoked to get the chance to receive and review an ARC for The Silent Corner. More thriller than horror, this is the first in a new series featuring a terrifying enemy. What if thought control was more than a parlor trick? Not just fun and games, but rather honest to goodness life or death.

When Jane finds her loving husband dead by his own hand it's all she can do to wrap her mind around it. Nothing adds up in regards to his sudden and final choice. Determined that things couldn't be as they appear, she sets her sights on finding the truth. What could have driven her all around happy husband to do what he did? Whatever it was, Jane is going to get to the bottom of it. The big question is, will she be prepared for the answers she's about to find out? Will her FBI training be enough to lead and guide her- better yet, to protect her?

Lots of action and suspense, in a very intriguing storyline. Koontz has once again delivered an excellent tale guaranteed to send chills down your spine. I absolutely loved every minute of The Silent Corner. With it breakneck pace I did find the ending a bit abrupt. However, I suppose that's merely to allow for a good and direct segway into book two. Which, naturally, I can hardly wait for!

As I anxiously await the next installment I would like to take a moment to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this review opportunity. So... Thank you!

I have always been a fan of Dean Koontz although I have faded off over the years as his writing has become more science fiction based and less drama/suspense type. Odd Thomas will forever be my favorite series. This book though, really sucked me in. The fact that you knew pretty much from the start what was going on and it wasn't a mystery that you later found out to be technology was really what kept me reading. While I don't totally relate to the main character, I easily understand her motivations and choices. I'm up for book 2 and continuing to find out how this lone woman continues to avenge her husband and others.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1969404116

Good storyline and of course well written - Koontz is a wonderful writer but this book wasn't as catchy and absorbing to me as some of his others.....but all in all an entertaining and good read.

Dean Koontz never disappoints! This novel is absolutely riveting and right on point in today's ever changing world. I would love to believe there are Jane's still alive and kicking. In medicine I applaud the innovations that can help an injured veteran on his return to civilian life, that has to be tempered with the knowledge that unscrupulous and greedy individuals will seek to profit from that technology. Believable on the edge of my seat until the end. I will eagerly await the next novel in this series.

Dean Koontz has written another story to keep us on the edge of our seats and wonder if the female protagonist, Jane Hawk, will survive the evil surrounding her and get back safely to her son. Why are happy people killing themselves? Why are drones and gun-carrying thugs chasing Jane? You won't be able to put this book down until you finish reading it. Dean Koontz has a perfect new leading character in Jane Hawk. Way to go, Mr. Koontz.

The Silent Corner is Koontz at his best! Scary as all get out and scarier even more so because in this day and age, with the technology we are developing, this could be our future. Was hoping there would be a sequel and was happy to see there will be called The Whispering Room. The Silent Corner has lots of edge of your seat moments and is difficult to put down. I was given an early copy to review.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It has been a while since I read anything by Dean Koontz, and I am glad to have been given a chance to read this one. Jane Hawk has just lost her husband due to suicide and is on leave from her job with the FBI. She is on a quest to solve the question of why in the world he would do this, and leave such a cryptic note for her to find. Someone does not want her to figure things out so she has carefully planned every move she makes. Other people who were living very normal lives, without depression and having everything to live for, are now committing suicide as well. Jane is determined to find out why and her path is an extremely dangerous one. Great book, the only reason I gave it 4 stars is it was not an "easy" read. It is overly descriptive in some parts, and I had to concentrate to keep my mind from wandering away. Other than that you will really enjoy this! It is the first in a new series, so I think I will stay with Jane because she is one tough cookie!