I realized at about the halfway point that this would not be wrapping up a trilogy, but would again end on a cliffhanger. I can't stop reading these, even when I find them less and less "plausible" and a bit ridiculous.

I have a great fondness for Jane as she is the kind person I wish everybody was - strong, compassionate, honorable, smart and a badass. At the same time, it feels like we're in rinse and repeat mode. Jane finds another person in the conspiracy who leads her to the next and so on. But it feels like we're hitting the home stretch and I'm eager to see Koontz pulls everything together.

Another hit from Dean Koontz. I could not put this book down, couldn't wait to see what happened next. Really good summer read!

What's not to love about Dean Koontz? Well, possibly the last 1/4 of this latest installment of his Jane Hawk series. The Crooked Staircase follows the continuing saga of Jane and her search for justice over the death/suicide of her husband by a nebulous, constantly moving enemy/corporation/mogul/government. It is Koontz usual competent litany of thrills and chills, twists and turns, but the end came rather quickly and with a jolting "What the...?" ending. As in the previous book, The Whispering Room, where the titular room is touched on but never fleshed out or mentioned again, it is the same with The Crooked Staircase. Said staircase is not mentioned until the final pages of the book, and then you discover it is only that, a crooked staircase, a means to an end, an actual staircase with no hidden meaning or significance. Kind of a let down.

And there are deaths toward the end of this book that almost made me put it down and say 'Nope, if that's how things are going to go, then I'm not reading any more of this." But of course it's Koontz, and I finished the rest of the book without stopping.

I was also surprised that the story continues. I had been under the impression that this was a trilogy and would wrap up in the third book. I must have misunderstood as nothing is wrapped up in this book. Not happy about that either, but it won't stop me from grabbing the net installment as soon as it comes out.

All in all, this series is not Koontz best, but far from his worst. Keep Jane Hawk coming!

This was a long read, but the short broken up chapters did make this seem not as long - not to say this was too long! I was captivated by the start and couldn't stop. This took the series up a notch in my book and I cannot wait for the next up.

I have loved Dean Koontz since I was a teenager and the Jane Hawk series is no exception. She's tough and on a mission to take down the conspiracy that is threatening millions of people. Dean Koontz does not write many books as part of a series, but when he does, they are amazing. I have been--and will continue to--recommend the Jane Hawk series to my customers!

4.5 stars!

Jane Hawk is still on a search to find out the reason why her husband was killed and who did it. His death was set up to believe that he committed suicide, but Jane knows better. She is hiding, for her life depends on it, as she is hunted by some government agents who have a way to find their enemy. Jane used her intelligence to outsmart the enemy. She is a ex F.B.I. Agent and is a wanted fugitive. Jane's enemies are determined to see her dead or make her wish she was.

Her son has been hiding out with friends, so that he will remain safe.

Jane uncovers a conspiracy in the highest echelon of the goverment, a group who call themselves, the Arcadians. The Archadians are pure evil. They use a drug and inflicts it into people and they then have total mind control of them. They do it to those that they feel are a threat to society.

Nothing can prepare Jane for the chilling truth that awaits when she descends the crooked staircase to the dark and dreadful place where her long nightmare was born.

This book was super action packed. It is the third book in the series. I think that you should definitely start with the first book. I loved this one the best. This book is so intense. I literally couldn't put it down. When you read this make sure that you have plenty of time because I feel that you will not want to put it down. This one is my favorite of all of Dean Koontz books. He has finally came back with a winner. This book is very dark and terrifying.

This series is a thriller series. Once I started it, it captivated me till the very end. Lots and lots of riveting suspense. It is a fast paced read, with lots of twists and turns.

The characters were done so well and there were lots of disturbing ones. I love Jane Hawk's character. She is an ass kicking heroine and doesn't seem to be afraid as anything and really trusts her instincts. I was so fearful of her safety. The characters and events are realistic. I loved the dynamics of the characters.

I did not like the ending. I was so excited and my heart was pumping to find out what was going to happen next only to find a cliff hanger ending.

I loved the writing style. This is a dumpster of a book, but the chapters are really short, which makes it a very fast paced read and didn't take long to finish. This book is fantastic!! I highly recommend it for thriller fans.

I want to thank Netgalley, Random House and Dean Koontz for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how Koontz does it, but each book gets more chilling and suspenseful than the last. I think the character of Jane Hawk is his next Odd Thomas!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

A fast-paced read full of high adrenaline thrills! This is the second book I have read in this series and it's another great read! I have not been a fan of Dean Koontz in the past, but this series has really changed things up for me. If you haven't read the first book in the series, you won't be missing too much to jump in at this point. There's enough background information so that you're not lost and the plot line will draw you in very quickly. Overall, a fantastic, thrilling read. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Jane next.

Bantam and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Crooked Staircase. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion was freely given.

Jane Hawk continues to evade capture, despite the growing threat that has started to tighten the noose around her neck. Trying to follow the chain of criminals to the most powerful players, the convoluted web of deceit and lies has Jane scrambling before it is too late. With her child's life hanging in the balance, will Jane be able to stop the pervasive threat before it is too late?

The first book in the series, The Silent Corner, blew me away with its unique ideas and cautionary tale regarding sinister technological advancements. Now on the third novel, author Dean Koontz has not progressed the story along as much as I would have liked. The basic premise to The Crooked Staircase is the same as the other two books, with much less imagination and character development than the previous novels. I am a big fan of Jane Hawk, as her sheer grit and determination, along with massive self defense skills and intuitive responses, make her a character worth getting to know. The problem is that the book, with its five hundred plus pages, becomes stale by the end. As this may be a bridge novel, designed to move the story along but to not add anything of substantive value, I will read any future books to see where the author takes Jane Hawk on her journey. Readers who are new to the series should absolutely start at the beginning, as the many nuances of Jane's character will be lost. I recommend the Crooked Staircase, and the series overall, to readers who like thrillers with a science fiction edge.

Part three of Jane Hawk's story was very fast paced and hard to put down. Jane is continuing on her quest to bring a conspiracy to light, and especially in this book we get some glimpses into some extremely competent people on the other side. Two notes: You definitely should read books 1 and 2 before reading this one. And this one ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.

This is another great book in the series by Dean Koontz. I stayed more connected in this book than I did the previous one. I can't wait for the next book!

This series is getting harder to believe. I thought it was a trilogy and was glad to see the end of it, but no, it keeps going after this.

Intriguing lead character - she is actually the reason I continued this series
A suspenseful and dramatic plotline that pulls the reader in and keeps them entertained - greatly enjoy the conspiracy theory behind this story
My problem - the abrupt and incomplete cliffhanger - I honestly enjoy a good cliffhanger - the ending of The Crooked Stairs, however, actually had me wondering if part of the book failed to download

Intriguing. Suspenseful. A page turner. Edge of your seat. 4 stars. I recommend this book. It's well written and the characters are well developed.

This series has me hooked! Although I find it a little jumpy due to the chapter structure, the story itself is very suspenseful, albeit a little far-fetched. I love the main character of Jane and how bad-ass she is.: a former FBI agent on the run, out-smarting the bad guys at every turn. I keep coming back to these books because I have to know if she wins.

This is the third installment in the exciting Jane Hawk series, and it picks up right where the second book, The Whispering Room, leaves off. Jane is still on the run, wanted for murder and treason. She is on the search for the head of the Arcadians, the elitist group working off the Hamlet List to control people through nanotechnology. Jane is working her way up the ranks and eliminating suspects as she goes. She experiences some close calls, loses good friends, and continues to stack up the dead bodies on her journey.

Although this novel is the third in the series, it does work well as a standalone. Koontz provides ample backstory that fills in the gaps. However, I would urge you to read the series in order to get a true picture of the story. Jane has undertaken this fight for two selfish reasons: to restore her husband’s reputation, because Nick had not committed suicide as the evidence indicated; and to save the life of her only child, five-year-old Travis, who’d been threatened when her investigation of Nick’s death led to the discovery of a conspiracy in some of the highest offices of government and industry. The roots of that cabal spread day by day through a nation of people unaware of their extreme peril.

The end of the book will leave you guessing as to what happens next. I will eagerly anticipate the next installment in this series.

I would recommend this book to fans of suspense and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Crooked Staircase A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz published by Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine this is book three of the Jane Hawk series. After having such a hard time with the last book, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with this series at all because the second book didn’t find it’s stride until the end and this one started off much quicker. I will say that if you are looking to get the full picture of these novels I recommend that you read the series from the beginning.

The story reads like a car chase where Jane Hawk is Americas most wanted and in my eyes she is a hero to break down the people who killed her husband. I loved getting more of an insight on Jane and her son while needing more but I think that Dean Koontz leaves you on the edge of your seat making you want to read the next book. If you are looking for a slow build mystery that keeps you turning pages this is the book for you. Thank you to Netgalley and all parties involved for my arc I am looking forward to book for and seeing how this continues.

great new serie enjoyed very much look forward to the next book in the serie best in the serie also enjoyed this author early books

I've been a huge fan of Dean Koontz since I was eight years old. He's incredibly talented and always manages to get me involved with the characters. My favorites by him are Watchers and Lightning, in that order. This Jane Hawk series I think is my favorite series by him. He really drew me in when introducing me to Jane Hawk and her plight in book one. Book two I thought was good but didn't quite engage me as well as book one. However, it's KOONTZ, and I just knew he was setting the stage for something and I believe he delivered in this book three.

Written in 5 parts from different perspectives, we get to know a little more about who is protecting her son and I absolutely love the dynamic of Travis (Jane's son) and his "aunt and uncle". Kids are just so damn resilient, aren't they?! I knew I was enjoying the read but it wasn't until I got to the end of part four and literally gasped out loud that I realized just how immersed I was in the storyline.

I tell you what - I can't wait for book four - I NEED IT NOW! I feel like Jane is SO CLOSE to her goal... but is she actually?! I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I do know that I love her spunk and a woman scorned, who also happens to have a shit ton of skills in her arsenal, is someone you do NOT want to mess with.

Engaging, calculating and fierce. Get to know Jane Hawk. Tell her I sent you. 😉