I've been reading Dean Koontz for years. He is a master at supernatural/paranormal horror. I haven't read anything by him in the past ten years.

When I picked up "The Silent Corner" I was shocked to find it a techno-thriller. It's more Michael Crichton or Greg Bear than the normal Koontz offering. It turns out this is a good thing.

A widowed mother has taken time off from the FBI to research a rash of inexplicable suicides, including her husband's. The tension starts slow and ramps up as she discovers each new horror. The pacing keeps you reading. However, passing references to terrorist attacks in Seattle, New Jersey and other places don't fit well and somewhat break the world building. They were never explained or explored. It doesn't ruin the book, but is a niggling detail left hanging.

The ending was too soft and abrupt. Other than that, it is a book worth reading and I can't wait for the sequel. This is the first book in a series.

Jane Hawk is on the run, not just from those who want to harm her but towards the truth, and she will do whatever it takes to find it. Someone wants to stop her from finding out what really happened to her husband. Jane doesn't believe he would have killed himself. She also believes a recent increase in the number of suicides by people who had no reason to kill themselves is somehow connected.

This was a heart pounding suspenseful thriller.

I have read and reviewed "The Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz for ReaderToReaader.com where it will remain on site indefinitely. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Vickie Denney at: Vickie@ReaderToReader.com.
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"The Silent Corner"
By Dean Koontz
Bantam Books

Thriller/Suspense -- Release Date: June 20, 2017

Jane Hawk is an FBI agent on temporary leave. After shocked by her husband Nick taking his life, Jane goes rogue and begins an intense investigating discovering there has been an increase in deaths by well-known, mentally stable folks who had shown no symptoms that would lead them to kill themselves. She fears for her life and that of her son, Travis after she receives threats to stop looking into these casualties. Luckily, Jane entrusts Travis with friends she can depend on knowing he'll be safe as she digs deeper into this development.

Jane becomes brutal in her determination to take down those responsible for somehow controlling minds to dominate the world for their own selfish reasons. This influential cadre of wealthy men will stop at nothing to attain the power and status they desire. The more Jane learns from those left bereft by the loss of their loved ones due to suicide, the more she knows she's on to something big and dangerous, not just for her and Travis, but for t humanity.

Koontz, well versed in government terminology regarding hunting criminals, adds depth and clearer insight into the action in which Jane is involved trying to track down and stop this diabolical plot. It's uncanny how Jane manages to live off the grid and be one step ahead of the "bad guys."

Many of the chapters are short keeping the pace flowing quickly, so the reader feels they are on the frenetic journey with the protagonist. However, the conclusion leaves one somewhat stymied and thinking...what next? "The Silent Corner" is the first novel in Koontz's new series and unlike his previous releases, for basically, it does not stand alone, leaving one waiting anxiously for the second installment. As usual for this author of suspense and horror, this tale is sure to cause chills with feelings of impending doom.

"Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on..."
--David Bowie

When I open a new Dean Koontz book, it's always with great enthusiasm. Whether or not I'll love it isn't an issue - the only question is what he will come up with to keep me engrossed this time. As expected, there's no "oops" here - he's done it again with this, the first of a series featuring FBI agent Jane Hawk. If I had to describe the book in just a few words, it would be Sarah Connor meets Jason Bourne in a fight to protect the future of the world (and yes, it would make a great movie, hint, hint).

A recent and still grieving widow, Jane has taken a leave of absence from the FBI to deal with her husband's suicide - which she doesn't believe for a nanosecond really happened. Setting out to find the truth, she begins with a visit to another recent military widow whose death also was deemed a suicide because she suspects the same person or persons are responsible. Further digging turns up several similar incidents - both of military and non-military people - but no apparent connection.

As she pursues her research, she soon realizes "They" are out to get her (spy drones following her is an almost-dead giveaway). After managing to escape them, she pays a quick visit to her young son, whom she wisely stashed away with friends at the start of her investigation to make sure he's safe. It matters not to the story, but for the record, I was delighted to learn that his new guardians, like me, are George Winston/Windham Hill fans.

As she begins to make some headway, though, Jane realizes there's no one she can trust - not in the government, not among friends and relatives and most certainly not among the ranks of the FBI. Almost from the start, she's forced to go off the grid, using disguises, fake names, burner phones and switched license plates to escape what she's sure will be capture and suspects will be much worse. Because she manages to get online and, in some instances, contact others, she's considered to be in the "silent corner" (aha, such is the stuff from which a title is born).

Needless to say, her online forays mean it's hard to miss day-to-day news - not all of which, shall we say, is positive. From that springs one of my favorite quotes in the book - one with which I wholeheartedly (or more accurately, disheartedly) concur: "If you let the news spoil your appetite, there wouldn't be a day you could eat."

What Jane finds is a frightening conspiracy based on mind control. It's a concept that's a bit far afield, but given the pace of technology development these days, certainly not unthinkable. Jane's race is on, then, determine the why, how and who - and possibly destroy the latter before "They" destroy her.

Pretty scary stuff, actually, with nary a dull moment in the action. The only downside? It's the first in a series, so expect an up-in-the-air ending. That, I assume, will be rectified with the Jan. 9, 2018, publication of the next installment, "The Whispering Room," and of course it's on my calendar. That said, please, Mr. Koontz, could you hurry it up just a little?

And th-th-th-that's all folks, she writes, lest she give away too many secrets Except, that is, to say that as a long-time fan of this author, I was beyond thrilled at the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this terrific book. Many, many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley)!

This is the review I posted on GoodReads.

This is the first entry in a new series featuring Jane Hawk. Jane is a FBI agent on leave after her husband committed suicide. But Jane thinks that this is not a straight forward suicide and starts to investigate this suicide along with others that seem to be aligned her husbands. Soon after starting the investigation into these suicides, Jane finds herself on the run as she now is being perused and pressured to end her investigation. Jane is a very competent woman who plans her moves to insure her safety, the safety of her remaining family and the safety of others that she enlists to help her.

The pages kept turning, almost on their own, as I eagerly kept reading to find out what happened next. If you have read and enjoyed Dean Koontz in the past, you will not go wrong in getting this book. If you have stopped reading Koontz for some reason, then I would suggest that you pick this book up and rejoin his legion of fans. (less)

First, let me say that I have never been a fan of science fiction or any hint of it in my reading. However, after reading Koonz's gripping novel, The Hidden Corner, I can see how ambitious and brilliant scientists, unfettered by morality, can wreak havoc on mankind. Brilliantly done.

Fast-paced and interesting story of an FBI agent out to avenge her husband's...suicide? How can anyone be responsible for a suicide, you ask? Koontz can not only make it possible, he makes it plausible. This has a great lead female character with lots of but and enough flaws to make her interesting.

Brushed off because people think she can't handle the grief of her husband suicide, Jane Hawk happens upon a conspiracy that is deadly to her and those around her. Going off the grid, she finds help along the way to save others the suffering she has endured. But what she finds is nothing that she ever expected.
Coming off the ending of the Odd Thomas series, Koontz introduces us to a new character and a new threat to our livelihood. Jane is the complete opposite of Thomas. Not armed with supernatural powers, she must rely on her wit and luck to help her through her ordeal. Feisty and not afraid of guns, this FBI agent on hiatus is someone to be reckoned with.
Koontz oscillates about stories of the supernatural, religion and sci-fi. The Silent Corner , like it's name, is rooted in technology and the dangers that can come from that advanced technology. Hitting on the same vein as By The Light of the Moon, technology becomes a control of human beings and even beings to decide our fate.
Full of the typical Koontz prose and exciting action sequences, The Silent Corner is a great start to an long reaching saga. As the reader has connected with Jane, we root for her as well as the survival of our own world.

I feverishly flew through the pages of this book. The protagonist, an FBI agent on leave, Jane Hawk is a grieving widow whose world was shattered when her husband suddenly committed suicide. She is bound and determined to figure out why the suicide rate has skyrocketed across the US to seemingly stable, well adjusted people - and the subsequent minimizing of this fact. Meanwhile, someone really doesn't want her digging and is willing to do anything to stop her. What transpires is an edge of your seat rollercoaster ride that keeps you excited and interested throughout. What she uncovers is much bigger than she anticipated (I won't spoil it) and is really something that makes you think. When the wrong type of people have limitless power, how wrong can things go? You find yourself breathlessly rooting for Jane and watching the stunning action unfold to the very end. Amazing read and I hope to see more Jane in the future!

What can I say about this book but that it is written by one of my all-time favorite authors! Mr. Koontz did not disappoint! Around 1996 I read a book that Dean Koontz wrote entitled "Intensity". This new book reminds me of that action-packed book as the pace does not let up from beginning to end. The story is about an injection that allows the predators to take control of ones mind, which allows for a human robot to do the bidding of these pillagers. To rid themselves of humans that are too strong to succumb totally by forcing them to commit suicide, one wife of such a person decides to explore why such a thing has happened. Jane is an FBI agent that knows how to dig into and find the facts and pursue the enemy.

I was provided an advanced reader copy by Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an honest review and thank them immensely for this opportunity! The only drawback to this volume was that it did not end and leaves you needing to read the next book “The Whispering Room”, not coming until January 2018 (which I will definitely do). Would I recommend this book to a friend, family or foe? Absolutely! Enjoy!

One of the FBI's top agents has gone rogue. Or has she? Jane Hawk has been on leave ever since her husband Nathan seemingly committed suicide. Jane insists Nathan's death was not self-inflicted. She's noticed the increasing number of questionable suicides across the country and is on a solo mission to find out why. She must tread carefully since few believe her suspicions, and because the life of her young son has been threatened by some very powerful people.

In "The Silent Corner" Dean Koontz delivers a very believable world where nanotechnology is being used to create a new reality. He takes the reader into the scientific world of mind manipulation and the down and dirty milieu of law enforcement. This ride is full of surprises, action, and twists so hang on.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars...I can't round up to 5 because I did have a few issues...and it has more to do with the style of writing I enjoy. He is wordy, wordy, wordy...because of that, I found myself skimming at times to get to the next plot point. I had to slow myself down and go back, because his writing, though descriptive, is just exquisite.

This is classic Dean Koontz. The man can write one hell of a story, and this is one hell of a story. I worry about a mind that comes up with stuff like this!! This book is the start of a serial, but it wraps up enough that yeah, you want to know what's going on, but it's not a total cliffhanger.

This book does not come out until the end of May or early June, so I will spare a detailed review until it releases. But, for Dean Koontz fans, it's a must!!!

amazing book .. full review left on Goodreads!
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32148091-the-silent-corner" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Silent Corner" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487804391m/32148091.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32148091-the-silent-corner">The Silent Corner</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9355.Dean_Koontz">Dean Koontz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968128660">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I'm so appreciative to Netgalley for receiving the Uncorrected Proof of this novel in exchange for an honest Review.<br /> Amazing ... yet, scary ... advance of technology comes with a steep price in this barn burner of a novel. It becomes a high speed roller coaster ride ... Koontz' plotting and prose sweeps you along at breakneck speed.<br /> The protagonist is a badass FBI agent, Jane Hawk who quickly finds herself "off the grid" while conducting her own investigation .... she has to "go rogue" to find understanding in the suicide of<br />her War Hero husband. Going into The Silent Corner involves not using GPS on a car ... avoiding Smartphones ... even when off , they can be "pinged" to locate the user ... avoid using charges, etc<br /> Jane cannot believe "Nick" would leave her and their your son Travis ... with absolutely no reason. She takes a leave of absence ... and soon finds herself in journey across our nation, uncovering data pointing to a cabal of people with power and science on their side. There just might be a horrific scientific explaination behind the plethora of unexpected suicides. She realizes she must be on the right track ... after multiple attemps are made on her life.<br /> The paranoid theme of this thriller is not paranoid when the results of her investigation unfold.<br />The denouement of the novel plays out like a "Sam Peckinpah Movie" .... alone worth the price of admission. I eagerly await the return of Jane Hawk in Koontz' next novel: The Whispering Room
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/64771688-lou-jacobs">View all my reviews</a>

4.8/5

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Koontz's Odd Thomas series and had yet to read anything else by him yet. I requested a copy to see if I would enjoy anything else by him that wasn't related to that series.

Aware that this is the first entry in a totally different series with a new main character, a woman named Jane Hawk, which is a refreshing change of pace I decided to dive into something that was new.

Kootnz is known for horror, (the technology touches and use that technology presents in the novel create a terrifying atmosphere under which the plot unravels slowly because Koontz is wordy and throughly descriptive), but I found this to be completely different and I was actually into the novel because it read more like a thriller and a guessing game. He's created a strong female character, (which always makes me happy when I read a book), that draws the reader in directly from the first page and works well.

My only real problem is that the novel "wraps up" only to leave the reader with a lot of questions and this might be a problem for anyone that doesn't want to start reading another series. I will be reading the next book to see where this entire series ends up going.

This is a well crafted thriller with a very interesting premise. We should pay attention to statistics, there may be nefarious activity hidden behind rising numbers!

“The Silent Corner” is the latest by Dean Koontz. In it, we meet Jane Hawk, an FBI agent haunted by the suicide of her husband. We accompany Jane on a roller-coaster trip as she seeks to find answers, fleeing the past, and yet hoping to redeem it, all the time falling into a future darker than she can imagine. The action is non-stop as she skirts the law and uncovers the unthinkable.

The strength of this book is Koontz’s incredible use of language. The reader is immersed in every scene, every event, every problem, and every character all along her journey. Example after example leap from every page. (I cannot help but include a few snippets, somewhat abbreviated and out of context, and yet so characteristic of the rich, vivid, text in the book.) The reader walks along the shore with Jane, surveying the lake, placid and disarranged because the rumpled-laundry clouds are reflected in the serene mirrored surface, shivers in the rain as it sheets through the street as if paving the blacktop with ice, or watches the sky over L. A. with its iridescent blues and greens.
Readers follow Jane as she searches for answers. She encounters technology as it collides with the dark web and people with power. She is not afraid for herself but for her son and the future, darker than dark. She does not doubt what she had done or what she must do; she struggles to understand how she has the capability to do it.

I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of this book to review, and I highly, highly recommend it. This is one of Koontz’s best. One caution, however, when you start this book, be sure you set aside time to finish, because you will not be able to put it down. The action, the incredible descriptions, and the complex characters, (the good, the bad, and the incredibly evil) will suck you in right from the start. And, when you are done, you will want to rent the movie “The Manchurian Candidate.”
I cannot wait to follow Jane in the next installment of her journey.

Definitely a Dean Koontz classic. This is a must-have if you love his other novels. I can't really get to much into the plot without giving it away, but it ends on a total cliffhanger.

I very much need to be dead.

The Silent Corner is a new series from Dean Koontz which introduces a strong female lead character, FBI agent, Jane Hawk. Jane goes on leave after her husband's suicide - a suicide that occurred after a string of migraine headaches. While grieving her husband's death, Jane realizes that suicide rates have gone up and that very accomplished seemingly happy people are committing suicide in alarmingly high numbers. As Jane seeks to find answers, she becomes a hunted woman. A woman, who herself is hunting for the truth. She has to do everything in secret in order to stay alive. There are those in power who would do anything to stop her from finding out the truth.

I have not read a Dean Koontz book in quite some time. I am used to his "horror" books and this was definitely not a "horror" book, but more of a suspense non-stop action thriller. I will admit, I kinda missed the "horror". Plus this is the beginning of a new series so there is not true "resolution" in this book which would be fine if I LOVED the book - which I didn't. I liked the book but as far as conspiracy books are concerned, this fell flat for me. There was a lot of action, I will give it that, but even will all of the action, the story did not grab me. Yes, all of the action kept my attention and I did keep reading in order to find out who was behind the wave of suicides. This book did not drag. There was always something going on, Jane was always kicking some bad guy's butt. Koontz did write a strong female character, I will give him that. Often I will read a book which is part of a series, and even if I read a book out of order, the book feels like a stand alone novel for me. This book did not feel like a stand alone novel as there was no resolution. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book more if there was some glimmer of who was the mastermind, who was the man visiting people in their homes, what is the agenda, how are people being infected, etc. For me, there were too many unanswered questions.


Received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bantam in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been a hardcore Dean Koontz fan even though I enjoy reading this genre. There have been some hits and misses with his books. In the beginning I thought this was going to be another miss. I wasn't too fond of his writing style here. There are 6 parts to this book and some of the chapters are really short, like 2 pages long. I guess this makes it easier to read? Koontz can also get excessively descriptive which could make it boring. The second half of the book picked up for me and I couldn't put it down.

Jane Hawk's marine husband had committed suicide. This shocked Jane since he showed no signs of unhappiness or depression. After some research, she found out that the suicide rate for happy and accomplished people have gone up. Now on FBI leave, Jane is on the run because "they" have threatened her and her son. I love the well developed Jane character. She is smart, determined and beautiful.

This book is like a non-stop chase scene. At no point is there slowing down. Even though the ending is not a cliffhanger, Jane's journey has not ended. She has won the fight but not the battle. I look forward to reading more from this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dean Koontz for the opportunity to read and review "The Silent Corner".

Suspense? Check. Action? Check. Compelling protagonist? Check. Believable primary crisis? Check.

A couple months after her husband Nick's suicide, FBI agent Jane Hawk is on leave from the Bureau. Although she is on leave, she isn't on vacation.

Her husband's suicide went against his basic personality--he was not the type to end his own life prematurely. Strangely, other suicides around the nation are similarly committed by those who seem least likely to do such a thing.

Jane is determined to find out why.

She has gone rogue and off the grid, and she knows who the bad guys are. They're the good guys.

One fear most of us can relate to is a loss of control over our own lives. It is upon this fear that The Silent Corner capitalizes. The monsters are real; the evil is human. And it thrives inside powerful people. But modern mind control can't occur without technology. And what if the technology that made mind control possible didn't leave behind evidence?

That's what you're in for with The Silent Corner, the first in a trilogy featuring Jane Hawk.
I enjoyed this one. As far as Koontz's newer titles go, this is one of the better ones, and one worth reading. I found the chapter lengths to be ideal and easy to read in small chunks of time, which helps make the entire novel a fairly quick read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam for giving me the opportunity to preview this title.