Dean Koontz has always been an author who brings something different. The Forbidden Door continues the Jane Hawk story. She is still on the run from the Techno Arcadians who engineered the suicide of her husband. Jane knows about their plan to inject people with nano bots that settle in the brain and makes the recipient obedient to the Arcadian's will.

The basic premise is still good. I found the prose in this book overshadowed the action. There were too many descriptions that felt overblown. The preoccupation about the vehicles used by the Arcadian teams that were searching for Jane and her son Travis was annoying. How many times does a car need describing? I hope the final edit will cut out some of the overdone wording and bring this book to the tight thriller it could be.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for supplying an Advanced Reader's Copy. My review is voluntarily given. #TheForbiddenDoor #NetGalley

Sometime very soon I plan to go back over the previous three novels in this series, mainly to find out how much fictional time has elapsed with Jane Hawk on the run from the powerful conspirators who are infecting humans with nano-technology that uses artificial intelligence to control their victims. If you're not a sci-fi buff, don't worry -- neither am I. But I really appreciate stories in all genres where a lone, clear-headed individual susses out what's going on behind the drone of social media and the 24-hour news cycle.

Jane Hawk is such a character, and so are her in-laws, and the members of a scattered community of independent thinkers and self-reliant souls who come to her aid. Other reviewers say they appreciate the "kick-ass" action of these stories, but I am struck by the thoughtfulness, which was more evident in this book than the earlier installments. Jane and her posse are people who think things through, who act with precision when confronted with the evil that is spreading through society.

About that timeline: These four books will have been published over a 10-month period, but they cover only a 4-month narrative line. So much has happened to Jane Hawk in such a short interval! (Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance reader's copy).

I always love reading Dean Koontz and this story did not disappoint. This was the first in the series for me as I did not know this was a part of a series but I thought I got the main parts of the story and it was an easy read. Great book and I would recommend to a friend.

I loved the Dean Koontz books featuring Jane Hawk when they first came out. Jane is a strong female protagonist who wants to do what is right for the world, even if it means battling high placed government officials to bring justice to the world. As in the previous novels, Jane is up against the TechnoArcadians who have harnessed nano-technology for nefarious purposes of power and control over the masses. This books demonstrates, as only Dean Koontz can, how nano-technology inappropriately used can run amok. I really like the way Koontz can describe a scene and make you see and feel it with all five senses. The Forbidden Door finds Jane desperately trying to track down and keep her son, Travis, safe, while she is the most-wanted criminal in the country. Jane has a cadre of very good friends who don't believe the propaganda spread about her and come to her aid in trying to keep her and her son safe. I loved the detailed secondary characters that come to Jane's aid. Unfortunately, the book is mostly one giant chase scene as the Arcadians are on the hunt for Jane and for anyone who might know her whereabouts. At first it was exciting to read about the prey and the hunters, but as the story wound on, with the nano-technology going haywire, the chase became somewhat tedious and I wanted something else to happen beyond traveling from town to town, implanting nano-devices and trying to handle the fallout from them going awry. The end of the book was exciting and enjoyable, but the middle was too long. I do like Koontz' writing and look forward to how he brings this series to a close.

To date, I have read all the books in the series and been extremely disappointed. I think the premise is never-ending and frustrating. I keep hoping the Koontz of The Watchers will reappear.

The Forbidden Door is the 4th book in the Jane Hawk series.

"She could be only who she was, could only do what she had always done, and one thing she had never done was surrender."

In a genre filled with alpha male protagonists, Dean Koontz has created a welcomed female lead who is both strong and fierce, but also human and believable. Jane Hawk is a widower, a mother, a daughter, a pianist, the top of America's Most Wanted list, and fiercely determined to expose the Arcadians and their devious, totalitarian plans of controlling society and creating their version of utopia. Against many odds, Jane has endured ongoing attacks as she tries to unravel the truths of the Arcadians and secret away enough evidence to bring them to their knees. At the same time, she is deeply worried for the safety of her remaining family, her son and in-laws, as well as her closest and trusted friends.

The Forbidden Door is my least favorite of the books thus far in the series. A large portion of the book deals with the various Arcadian teams that are chasing Jane and her family members. I am a huge fan of Dean Koontz and his command of the English language, and for the first time I felt like the book could have been a bit shorter and not as visually detailed. Having said that, it is still a wonderful book and does an excellent job bridging gaps and setting the stage for the fifth and final book.

I have been a fan of Dean Koontz for probably thirty years. However, beginning with Intensity I felt something was going wrong with his books - for my reading. I think these Jane Hawk novels - and this one in particular - has come a step up. It goes back toward some of his other tales, such as Dark Rivers of the Heart and some other earlier books. As usual, his writing is flowery and he paints some really beautiful scenes. However, I feel his prose sometimes gets in the way of telling a more succinct and exciting story. At one point when he goes on and on about a character's past life and thoughts, it just made me want to get through it. It may have been done to increase the suspense, but it became annoying. However, I will continue reading Jane Hawk and will still recommend this new series. I wonder what more Mr. Koontz has in store for poor Jane Hawk.

Fourth book in this series and my first read. The start was slow and a little tedious. Started picking up about a third into the book and WOW, the interest caught fire. The story is almost a “big brother” scenario , with the revolutionary truly bad guys seeming to always get the upper hand. By the end of this book, all is not well with the revolution and the main character, Jane Hawk is on the move, trying to stay alive, at a high price. A good read.

I was given an advance copy of this book and this is my honest opinion. The story is the 4th book involving the Jane Hawk saga and doesn’t disappoint. The book will catch your attention from the start to the last pages. The enemy will use all means necessary to bring Jane’s crusade to destroy them to an end. Regardless if they have to use her son, or her in-laws to do so. To accomplish this, they have reprogrammed the mind control virus to work quicker, plus added a ‘whispering room’ for those infected to commicate with each other. Unfortunately thus has caused mass mayhem and murderous intentions!!

I really like this series. This was my least favorite book in the series. It took place over a very short period of time and it seemed to me it was mostly filler.

Mr. Koontz tends to use flowery descriptive language and in this book, it was too much. If you took out all of that prose, the book would be 2/3 shorter and would have easily fit into the last book or the next one.

One must read the other books in the series before reading this one. Therefore, the synopsis is short.

The series focuses on an FBI agent who discovers an increase in the suicide rate involving people that on first glance would not commit suicide. In her quest to find the reason behind this increase, she becomes a rogue agent on the FBI most wanted list. She is taking on a vast conspiracy while trying to keep her son and those she loves safe.

Very good series, just this book, not so much.

The Forbidden Door is a heartwrenching suspenseful read that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. A story that is sure to have you second guessing until the very end.

Another great thriller from Dean Koontz! I love the Jane Hawk series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

When I pick up a Dean Koontz book there are certain things I expect. I expect non-stop action, edge of the seat what happens next, and the fear terror that makes his books so wonderful. And he did not disappoint! I am a diabetic that is insulin dependent and was hesitant to use my nano needle after reading this book. And I wanted to scream "Run, Jane, Run"! Yes, Dean Koontz had me all pulled into the story and taking sides. Yay! Another winner for this author.

Another superb Jane Hawk thriller! Dean Koontz is at the top of his game with the continued adventures of Hawk.

Firstly, my immense thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to review this book. I am a huge fan of the Jane Hawk series, and I was not disappointed with this one. This is not a standalone novel, and I highly suggest reading the other books first so you are not completely lost. I love Koontz's writing style, as his descriptions of places and feelings are almost as if you are there in the novel. Jane is continuing her hunt for her little boy, Travis, and taking down the Techno Arcadians. If this novel were a movie, it would be an edge of your seat thriller. These are some very bad people Jane has become entangled with, and you find yourself rooting for her every step of the way. The only bad thing I can say about this novel is that it ended, and now I have to wait for the next chapter!

A gripping thriller with a touch of horror.
The story line is focused on the capture of jane Hawk's son, Travis, by the techno-Arcadian's movement. For them, enslavement by nanotechnology is the perfect way to achieve Utopia.

This secret society have a Hamlet's list of people who will influence the world in some way that diverges from their master plan, so what better way to make them commit suicide by being adjusted with a control mechanism.

Jane Hawk has eluded all attempts to be capture and has the skill set to find and kill her opponents, and expose this Orwellian nightmare.

I love Dean Koontz, but disagree that this book in a series can be read alone. I have not read the other books but feel the backstory is too critical to make sense of the characters' motivations. That said, it is an action-packed thriller that those who have read the prior releases, will, no doubt, want to read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is the third in the Jane Hawk series. Jane is on a one woman crusade to save America from an evil rebellion whose intent is to turn citizens into slaves with their nanotechnology. Jane’s inlaws have found themselves in danger because of what they know. They are now running for their lives.
Meanwhile, Jane is on the hunt for her son,Travis. He is currently in hiding at a safe house after his caretakers Gavin and Jessica have been murdered. Jane’s ragtag ‘team’ consists of 80-something,
Bernie Riggowitz, former wig salesman, and Luther Tillman, law officer, from Minnesota. Driving an RV
as a getaway vehicle, will they be able to rescue Travis and get away to safety? Something has gone haywire with the nanotechnology injections. Instead of becoming slaves, the injected are becoming uncontrollably violent.

After really enjoying and becoming engaged by the first two books, I was then a bit disappointed by The Crooked Staircase (Book 3 - see earlier review). and am now even more disappointed by The Forbidden Door. All the opposition, each and every one, spread across multiple government agencies, many well educated, many rich, many at very high levels, are ALL, without exception, crazed socio/psychopaths with not so much as a single sane one in the bunch. Key bad guys are blown away by some crazy Texan they dissed when they blew by her on the road (one way to get rid of an inconvenient character I suppose). Jane's character shows zero development. The increasingly prevalent and gratuitous, immoral and depraved sexual content is off-putting if not repulsive. Although I am hanging on since I really enjoyed the start of this series, I am calling strike 2. One more as bad or worse the The Forbidden door, and the series will be out for me. Surely Koontz has someone ghost writing this because he cannot have slipped this far.

An outstanding thriller from a wonderful author! I was also thrilled with his almost poetic descriptions! Jane is being hunted, along with her son, by the Techno Arcadians who are wanting to take over the government through implanting micro organisms in the blood. Thankfully Jane discovers the plan and is fighting against the group. There are several new characters who really helpful to Jane and her son. I really enjoyed the book!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2482339869