I really wanted to like this book. And I think I would have if I had had any idea of what was happening in the story. This book is part of the Jane Hawk series and will be impossible to follow if you haven't read the previous books. I hadn't but I wasn't concerned (prior to beginning this book) because with most books, you can catch up enough to enjoy the story. That is not the case with this book. Do yourself a favor and read this series. It seems like a good one.

A strong female character + Dean Koontz's writing = Jane Hawk.

With a plot that continually forces the reader to turn the next page and characters that make the reader consider each written word to truly savor the nuances, THE FORBIDDEN DOOR by Dean Koontz is a terrifying and captivating book.

But be warned, this book is not for the weary-hearted reader. As a huge Koontz fan, I know he always has good win out over evil in the end, but the path getting there is blocked by plenty of bristles and brutality.

The "Arcadians" are taking over Jane's fictional world, and it seems as though they're taking over the series' narrative as well. I loved reading from Jane's viewpoint. I disliked reading the chapters from the brutal Aracadian loyalists' viewpoints, because that was when the story became a challenge to read with all the foul language and extreme violence (physical, sexual, and mental). As I read those pages (because I didn't want to miss any plot points), I kept begging Koontz to please give me back Jane's perspective. LOVE HER. Hate the bad guys. But I suppose that's the point, eh?

The plot in THE FORBIDDEN DOOR kept me guessing and engaged. However, I kept wishing the next chapter would focus on Jane's direct plot line and less on the numerous villains.

When it came to characters, I was thrilled to see some of my favorites working together to rescue young Travis. Beyond that, the story certainly featured some unusual characters, which were a bit extreme and hard to believe. I'd have to say my least favorite was Egon Gottfrey, who believed nothing in the world actually existed. It was all "established by the Unknown Playwright" but then, as if a subliminal message, Koontz wrote, "There's no point hating the Unknown Playwright." Ha. Additionally, there were so many characters introduced, I struggled to know which ones were relevant to the long term story line and which ones were merely expendable. Many could have been cut without affecting the story's outcome. My favorite character (not counting Jane) would have to be Bernie Riggowitz. LOVE him. Everyone needs a Grandpa Bernie in their lives.

This is the fourth book in this series, and boy, there were plenty of unexpected events happening. While some passages seemed repetitive (like the continual explanation that a "LockAid lock-release gun will automatically pick any deadbolt"), there were new elements that happened in the "revolution" that really mucked things up - both for the Arcadians and for Jane. The Jane Hawk series of books definitely needs to be read in the proper order, from start to finish.

Dean Koontz has certainly mastered the art of writing a suspense novel. Some of my favorite lines from THE FORBIDDEN DOOR included:

"A thread of blood sews its way from the right corner of her mouth, down her chin, along her slender throat."

"With the sneeze quelled, she began to move again, only to press her face through the silken strands of a spiderweb that masked her from brow to chin. Startled, she paused to wipe off those sticky threads, wondering if the eight-legged architect might even now be crawling through her hair."

"...a pain in her chest, as if some demonic angler had cast a line and snared her heart with one of those fishing lures that had multiple wicked hooks."

Regarding the evil Arcadians, trying to take over the world: "They had more passion than those who resisted them. ... A passion to silence all dissent and to make a world in which they wouldn't have to hear an opinion at variance with their own."

"Death plays games with the living, just to impress upon them that no one is immune from the touch of his fleshless fingers, not even freckled little girls."

"Driving cool wheels when you go off a cliff won't buy you a soft landing."

And my ultimate favorite:

"Though evil could win in the short term, it could be defeated in time."

If you're a Dean Koontz fan, I recommend the Jane Hawk series. If you're already reading the series, keep reading, because Koontz offers terrific twists and turns.

This was much better than the book prior in the series. The characters stayed more consistent as did the plot. It was also darker than the rest in the series, also full of fillers (unnecessary long winded descriptions). Nevertheless the story itself is such a page turner, still worth the read!

Dean Koontz novels are among my favorite, and I especially enjoy the Jane Hawk series, but I was a bit disappointed with this book. Koontz gives lots of descriptive details in his books, but this one seems to have too many, often distracting from the story itself. This will probably be my last Jane Hawk book read, and will just look forward to new characters and stories.

This series pulled me in with the very first book, and this latest installment only deepens the load. I've read that the series moving toward its endgame, so things are starting to come to a head for our characters, both the heroes and the villains. Just like the other books, this one immediately jumps into action and rarely slows down.

If you know how the last book ended, you'll know that in this book Jane is racing against time to rescue her son, whose location has been pinned down by the Arcadians. A few characters from the previous books finally return. We also meet some amazing new allies, such as the high-functioning autistic Cornell (who we briefly met in the last book) and a brave 12 year old girl who suddenly finds herself in a position where she must save her whole family. Some familiar villains finally meet their end in a most unexpected way.

The stakes become even higher when the plot takes a chilling, bloody twist that no one was expecting, not even the bad guys. Wherever Koontz is taking the next book in the series, it is sure to be a roller-coaster ride from Hades for everyone, including the readers. I can't wait!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the fourth in the series and I really believe Koontz is back to the way he used to write.

Let me first say that you really need to read these in order. Yeah I guess you could read them out of order but I believe you will lose a bit of who Jane Hawk is.

The story is fast paced and makes you want to read it in one sitting. The suspense is infectious and heart pounding.

Koontz at his best… again.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz is the latest Jane Hawk Novel. Jane Hawk was a top agent for the FBI who has become the nation’s most wanted fugitive. The story is about an organization - Techno-Arcadians who attempt to control people with terrifying mind control technology. After her husband is affected by this terrible organization, Jane is threatened and becomes a target which spurs her to derail them before they get to her first. Jane is out for justice and she is someone who should never be taken lightly. Fast-paced, full of drama, a thriller to the end with some violence, but I couldn’t put the book down. Another great read for all Dean Koontz fans.

Everything you would expect from a Dean Koontz novel. Exciting and action packed with enough mystery to keep you guessing and enough suspense to keep you on edge until the very end.

I am a huge fan of Dean Koontz. This was not my favorite. I had a difficult time following the story. Waiting for his next book.

Predictable, and predictably action-packed and full of adventure. This is the fourth in a series and it is best if you read them in order. There were a few places that got a bit sluggish, and I found myself skimming through to get to the next bit of excitement. This is a solid day read or a few late nights after the kids go to bed. If you've liked Jane Hawk so far, you won't be disappointed.

I can see by the reviews that mine is worse than the others. I really disliked this book. I wanted to like it. I really did. Maybe it’s because I didn’t realize it was a series and I didn’t read the others.

I couldn’t wait to finish this book. I just couldn’t buy into a guy who thought nothing was real and everything was being written by an Unknown Playwright. I couldn’t get into people being injected so that they became adjusted slaves. And it was all over for me when the adjusted people became flesh eating zombies.

This book just wasn’t for me.

First, thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advance Readers Copy of THE FORBIDDEN DOOR. I apologize for the lateness of the review, but I had to catch up on the 2nd and 3rd books of the series before reading this one. Like many of you, I must read the books of a series in order. This fourth book in the Jane Hawk series did not disappoint, bringing back several characters that played featured roles in prior books. The nanobot conspiracy continues to move forward, although significantly weakened by Jane's crusade against them. As always with Dean Koontz, the book was exceptionally well written, and gets ever scarier as the series progresses, despite Jane's gains in combating the conspirators. Very satisfying read, and a protagonist worth rooting for.

This was definitely better than the last one. Lots of action centered around the rescue of Jane Hawk's son. Once I took the time to read it, it went fast, but it was hard to muster the will to read after slogging through The Crooked Staircase. I'm hoping the next one is even better and the actual end of the series.

Despite being a Dean Koontz fan, I find this latest series more difficult to get into than most of his books. It’s seems like more conspiracy than anything with his trademark touch of supernatural that I so enjoy. The characters are well written as always and fast paced, but the personal touch of fantasy just isn’t there to me. I miss the more quirky, delightful, lighthearted characters too.

3.75 Stars - The Forbidden Door is the fourth installment in the Jane Hawk series by Dean Koontz.

Jane Hawk is a strong female protagonist that has gone from highly respected FBI agent to the star of America's Most Wanted. Charged with espionage, murder, and treason Jane is on the run, off the grid, and in way, way over her head.

The Arcadians intend to enslave the population with a mind control substance they call nanoconstructs. This ungodly injection gives a handful of diabolical people God-like power. Able to deem who is worthy of life and who is not. Robotic humans acting on the whims of mad-men, sound crazy? Well, Jane Hawk is the only person that stands in the way of an Arcadian takeover. Total world domination is within their grasp. Heartless and drunk with power they will do whatever it takes to get Jane. The Arcadians have access to literally every conceivable form of weaponry in existence today and a laundry-list of smart stuff that the most discerning of sci-fi lovers would appreciate. This is where readers have to suspend reality and let Koontz make you believe Jane could defeat this powerful entity.

Dean Koontz has a unique voice that sets his stories apart from similar books. All the characters feel genuine. There's depth and fullness within each. Unlike many writers whose secondary characters are nothing more than filler, Koontz's supporting cast are thought-out, feel real, and add something of value to the story. Then there's the believability factor. I can only suspend reality so far, past that and the story begins to border on the ridiculous. To believe that one woman, worried about the safety of her child, mourning the loss of her husband, on the un, and wanted by every law enforcement agency on the planet is actually a threat to The Arcadians requires a lot of suspending.

The Forbidden Door is a good read. The weaponry is impressive, the crimes are horrific, and the ultimate goal of the Arcadians is unthinkable. I definitely recommend reading the previous books
first. While you could enjoy the action and understand the bare basics, the real "meat and potatoes" comes from the continuation of the story. Start with book one, The Silent Corner. You'll be glad you did. This series reads like a 2000 page novel divided into (at present) five chapters. I cannot wait to see where the story goes next. I am anxious to read The Night Window. I love the super-woman protagonist as much as anyone, but I really hope book five takes the story in a new direction.

Happy Reading!

I love a good Dean Koontz book and this was no different! The Jane Hawk series appears to be kicking up a notch and I hope Dean continues. Great read!

This is the worst book I ever read by Dean Koontz. I just have nothing to say but it bored me to death!

I received this book through NetGalley and its publisher, Bantam. This is the fourth novel in the Jane Hawk series.

The book continues with the pursuit of the FBI’s most wanted, Jane Hawks, while Jane attempts to retrieve her son from hiding. I enjoyed the book but it is beginning to feel like more of the same from the previous books in the series. That is why I dropped the rating from four stars to three. Hopefully the next book, The Night Window, has some new twists.

Was really looking forward to reading this, but it was archived before I could get to it. Will look for it in stores.

This can't really compare to other Koontz books and really other installments in this series, but it is remains good. I enjoy the character and the idea of the book. It is of course well written with fantastic visuals. I had read other books in the series, which was helpful, but if you haven't you might feel a little lost. Some of the story did feel labored at times and slow, but it still has interesting action and story.