Cold Fire

This book was fantastic. I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did, but I was still very pleased. Dean is one of my favorite authors and he has a big imagination. I couldn't put the book down. The main characters were life like to me, I shared both Jim and Holly's pain. I love reading a book that makes me feel like I am part of the characters.

Teacher Jim Ironheart has a shadowy past, a troubled present and every now and then forces beyond his control show him someone who is about to die violently and he seems compelled to save them. Journalist Holly Thorn is on the spot when Jim saves a child and she attaches herself to him like a leech, wanting to know how and why and that's the beginning of a troubled relationship that will keep you burning through the pages. A word of caution. Don't read this book on an airplane. My dad told me the DC 10 scene was drawn from real life. It's pretty scary in the book, I can only imagine what it must have been like for real. Anyway, I have a hard time deciding if this or "Watchers" is my favorite Dean Koontz novel. "Cold Fire" is a five star fun read, one that I have read again and again and thrill at each and every time. Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Wow - I have been blown away by this fast paced novel. Until now, Watchers and From the Corner of His Eye have been my very favorite Koontz works, but I actually think Cold Fire is better - certainly as good as - both. Cold Fire begins when Jim Ironheart is sent by an unknown force on a mission to save the life of a chosen child. On this journey, he bumps into uninspired reporter, Holly Thorne. Holly develops a deep interest in Jim's activities as her reporting skills discover this is not the first life he has saved. Holly is drawn into Jim's tangled life, where Jim is forced to confront demons from his past which threaten to destroy both he and Holly's future. An amazing story, which for some reason is utterly believable. This is the greatest skill an author can hope to achieve and one with which Koontz is renowned for - the ability to turn fiction into believable science fiction, despite how far fetched the idea. Koontz has created a novel which you won't be able to put down. The plane scene section of Cold Fire is totally gripping, fast paced and so real you most certainly won't want to read this part while airborne. I was in fact reading this section while traveling in a plane across turbulent Alaska, and happened to convince myself that the small carrier was going to crash and I was going to die. Fortunately it did not so I am able to write this review and hopefully convince you to pick up a copy of Cold Fire for an incredible read. If you love Koontz, you will love Cold Fire. It's definitely one of his best ever -In summary, the novel is fast paced, extremely difficult to put down, the characters are very well developed and extremely lovable - flaws and all, for the romantics it contains a love story, its blended with the perfect balance of humor and in its entirity Cold Fire is totally gripping all the way. Recommended!

This book has it all. If it keeps you up at night reading, you know it's good. I am a huge fan of Koontz and this is a classic of his. If you're looking for something that will pull you in & won't let go- Cold Fire is it!!

Dean Koontz's hard work has definitely paid off with his gripping novel Cold Fire. As is common with many of Koontz's novels, the setting is constantly moving. Jim Ironheart is a masterful character whose realism brings him to life! Ironheart, driven by God, has special abilities that enable him to arrive at the scene of an accident before it occurs, therefore miraculously saving the lives of the "would be" victims. Holly Thorne, a free-lance reporter who is looking for a purpose in her life, witnesses one of Ironheart's heroic rescue and her heart and attention are immediately captivated by his selflessness. She encounters him for a brief moment and then they both go their separate ways. Within the lapse of 24 hours, Holly realizes how intrigued she is by Jim's intellect and heroism. She decides to pursue him while he goes on his adventures. As Thorne progresses through the novel, she becomes infatuated with Ironheart and his extraordinary powers, while he is undergoing the most important fight of his life, a psychological battle with his past. It is not until the ending that you figure out what is happening with Jim Ironheart. The only part of the entire novel that I found disappointing and shocking was the finale. It was not what I had expected or hoped for, but overall this book was exceptionally well written. I highly recommend it to any of you adventurers or amateur psychologists out there.