Jane Hawk was horrified to find her husband dead in the bathroom, by his own K-Bar service knife. He had every reason to live, no history of depression, and it just didn't make sense.  Then she started doing some research. As an  FBI agent, she knew how to search. Things didn't add up for a lot of recent deaths. The suicide rate was going up and going up where it made no sense -- other people with everything to live for.  As she uses her leave from the FBI to g to the darkest corners of this mystery, she finds herself in constant danger.

I have read several books by Dean Kootz and was anxious to read this new one.  I know it's the first book of a series.  I'm always interested in a new series.  I loved the main character, Jane.  Liked how strong she was and her knowledge of different things.  The book was a little long for me but I did enjoy the story and found the whole idea fascinating.  The ending seemed a little abrupt but I think it was because of it starting a series.  Of course, I will be interested in the next book.

The Silent Corner : A Novel of Suspense
by Dean Koontz
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Bantam
June 2017

Good news for Koontz fans: There is a new series coming this summer! The Silent Corner offers a promising start to a story that defines suspense.

What's different about this book 
The "silent corner," that place where truly untrackable individuals nonethless remain able to use the Internet undetected.

Protagonist Jane Hawk survives in that silent corner. I was hooked by the quick-to-start quest of Jane, a recent widow struggling to uncover why her husband, one of a growing pattern of atypical suicides, took his life.  

Jane begins to unravel a plot, the complexity of which reveals the global, ubiquitous nature of an enemy that can and does control individuals by passing their conscious thinking through science and technology.  Yet Jane's story provides engaging ingenuity and resourcefulness, as well as an encouraging cadre of friends who trust her despite her inexplicable actions off the grid. 

This novel displays Koontz' exceptional crafting of a cohesive tale: lots of courage to applaud, lots of twists to uncover, and lots of thrills for the reader. This is so solid a work that it gives the impression of a monolithic, corporate effort that will lead us through a series of equally well-designed sequels.  Well-thought-out and thrilling to read. It's almost too threatening a world to want to live in.

What I'll do now that I've read this 
The double charm of a new Koontz novel, the fast pace, and the promise of a new series heroine with serious bad guys will be an irresistible offering to my patrons, both young adult and adult readers.  There's a large population segment that will be on the waiting list for this book. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dean Koontz at his best! Suspenseful and heart pounding action from page one to the end! Can't wait for the next Jane Hawk book.

I quit! I don't know if this is a typical Kooning book but I kept losing track of what I was reading.....so many descriptive words- 25  to say what an interesting 5 could have said. The premise sounds very interesting but I couldn't stay on track.

The Silent Corner is the first book in a new series that I am already addicted to!  It was exhausting, but in a good way. I kept waiting for some down time so I could relax, but it pretty much had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved the main character, Jane.  She is incredibly resourceful and intelligent.  Her friends and family are fiercely loyal to her, which speaks loudly of what type of person she truly is.  Even strangers, who aren’t quite sure what to make of her, seem to respect her soon after meeting her.  She isn’t perfect, but I’d definitely want her on my side in a fight.  The story is perfectly Dena Koontz evil..  Looking forward to the next book in the series.

5 Stars

This book is a high octane romp across the United States. Jane Hawk is an FBI Agent who is on leave and is investigating the high incidence of suicide. The rate has suddenly spiked over the past years. She is being hunted by nameless individuals from a nameless agency which will go to great lengths to stop her. 

Jane is both creative and audacious in her planning and methods of escape. She meets a myriad of people along the way. They are colorful and interesting. But then, so are the bad guys. She is relentless in seeking the truth of not only her husband’s suicide, but an untold score of others as well. Those chasing her are as ruthless as she is driven – to catch her and kill her – and her son. 

This book is suspenseful and thrilling. Mr. Koontz has a way of turning a phrase that is very effective. This is a brilliantly written and plotted novel. I truly enjoyed reading it. I’ve read Dean Koontz for several years now and some of his books I like and some I do not. However, this is one of the very good ones! 

I noticed at the end of the book there was a blurb about the next Jane Hawk novel. I was thrilled to discover that Mr. Koontz is not finished writing about Jane Hawk yet. 

I want to send a very big thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Bantam
For forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book to read.

This was interesting and suspenseful, with Koontz's trademark descriptive prose, but not my favorite. I would read the sequel to see what happens with the main character though-it looks to be the start of a new series now that Odd Thomas is finished.

This was really good. Looking forward to the sequel. Dean Koontz never disappoints!

Dean Koontz has crafted a formidable heroine in Jane Hawk, an FBI agent on bereavement leave. Not believing her husband committed suicide, she sets out to explore why suicide rates across the country are increasing at a steady rate.  What she discovers is frightening and in this technological age very plausible.  With an unlikely ally she meets along the way, she uncovers a vast conspiracy that has implications for us all.  Jane is a character with great skills and Koontz has crafted the beginning of a series that you will want to keep reading and hoping that she (and we) will survive.

I am a fan of Koontz books, so I am used to the sometimes frantic tempo he can employ in his stories. The Silent Corner was a bit too frantic to keep my interest.  The main character never became sympathetic, I knew too little about her personality, only what was driving her on her quest.  The characters that were introduced to help her along were never fully realized.  They were too fleetingly included, which I realize was done purposely.  The main character, Jane, was supposed to be on her own, on the lam, running from bad guys.  No one was safe, she didn't want to pull anyone into her hunt for "the truth."  The downside to this was never getting attached to any of the characters, I wasn't invested in the plot or in finding out what the "truth" was.  Disappointing, I found myself skimming through chapters to get to the good parts.

Have been reading this author for years and and never ceases to amaze me with his book.  A page turner for sure.  An author that takes the good with the evil and it all comes to an end on the last few pages.

A real page turner couldn't put it down,the characters are well developed and the plot moves along nicely

As always, Dean Koontz has delivered. He just keeps getting better.

This is a total disappointment-Dean Koontz really hasn't had a great book in years, and this latest book is so over-written, cliched and ridiculous, that it's a total mess.  A complete waste of time.

A conspiracy story to top all conspiracy stories

First off, I would have rated this story 4 1/2 stars if I could have. The only reason for that was I got to the very end of this book before finding out it is book#1 in the Jane Hawk series. I was happy thinking this was a standalone book because I tend to get tired of series books. Most don't hold up the forward momentum from the first book. Also, all my questions didn't get answered by the end of the book (crying like the big baby I am).

To the good parts - all the rest of the book. I felt like I was back reading one of Koontz's first books, like WATCHERS, which made me fall in love with this author so many years ago.

Jane Hawk is one bad**s tough female protagonist. She is a Marine widow, her Colonel husband having committed suicide just a few months back. Jane doesn't believe he would killed himself, leaving her and their son behind to pick up the pieces. So she starts investigating and finds that unexplained suicides are on an upswing across the country and, as she delves into the whys, her and her son are threatened. And she, in no way, shape, or form, is going to stand for that.

Loved the character of Jane Hawk. I loved the storyline. I loved the ebb and flow of Koontz's prose. I've been disappointed with quite a few of his newest books but not this one. THE SILENT CORNER gets everything right.

I received this book from Bantam Books through Net Galley and through the Amazon VINE program in exchange for my unbiased review.

Wow did I love this book. Great main character . I just loved everything about her and this story. I can't wait to read more!

The start of an amazing new series with FBI agent Jane Hawkes seeking to find out why her husband committed suicide. She uncovers an inconceivably evil conspiracy to use nanotechnology to control the thoughts and behaviors of others. Incredible writing, believable characters and fast paced action. Highly Recommended

Another dazzling psychological thriller from Dean Koontz. A deeply disturbing vision of the misuse of technology at its worst. When the rate of suicide skyrockets among brilliant ethical scientists and politicians with no history of mental or emotional issues, and one of them is her husband, F.B.I. agent Jane Hawk knows something is terribly wrong, but what? After her son is threatened, she goes rogue to find out what the dark secret really is. And it's worse than she could have imagined. She is soon embroiled in human trafficking, mind control and murder by suicide so deeply that she may not survive it. And will the F.B.I. come out unscathed by those who would rule the world? It's the stuff that nightmares are made of, while the possibilities are all too real. It gets in your head and won't stop nagging you with its creepy questions.

The Silent Corner is a techno thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jane Hawk is a rogue FBI agent and you have a mad scientist. This book is well written and the characters will make you want to be them. I would recommend everyone pick up this book and read it.