Midnight

Scary! A book you can't put down!

The residents of sleepy MoonLight Cove are turning into monsters; reverting to their most primal selves in the grasp of night. A computer company, New Wave, is involved. Can a small handful of survivors stop the coorporation before its awful experiments go beyond this tiny nightmare town? Koontz at his best here. A little bit of "The Island of Dr. Monreau", Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", this is a intelligent, suspenseful tale that blends hard science with visceral scares and numerous twists. Characters, as with most of Koontz's work, are likeable and well-rounded, and UNlike most of Koontz's novels, the happy ending actually feels justified. A fine addition to any horror/sci-fi buff's library.

I received a hard cover copy of this book in 1991 from a batch of novels given to me by my cousin. This was my introduction to Dean Koontz, and it was a winner! The story line was extensive, but that's how you build the scene in your mind that would be chopped up in a script. I liked the detailed plot building to the inevitable conclusion. It reminded me if a later Michael Crichton novel- PREY- which showed again showed how science used to improve the human race can and often does just the opposite. my brother and I still discuss this story years later, and I just bought a paperback copy in January. A great story.

Dean Koontz's "Midnight" takes place in the town of Moonlight Cove, CA. The people of Moonlight Cove, CA are changing. Some are losing their emotions, while others are giving into their wildest fantasies and urges. The few people that have not yet changed are either murdered at night, or forced to join against their wills. Sam Booker is a skeptical FBI agent who has been sent into Moonlight Cove to investigate the amount of unnatural deaths and other strange things that are going on. Now Sam, with the help of three other unlikely survivors confront the darkest realms of human nature. If I had to describe "Midnight" in one sentence, I would say that it is a mix between Koontz's other novel "Fear Nothing" and the film "The Island of Dr Moreau". The story is terrifying, and extremely well written. It involves the entire town against itself, with the heroes of the story caught in the middle. The townspeople in "Midnight" are extremely evil, because they give into their animal instincts. The creatures that some of the townspeople change into, are very violent. "Midnight" also offers a sense of paranoia because the story involves the entire town. Literally anyone could be an enemy. I love books that have conspiracies and make you ask the questions - What are they hiding? and Why are they doing it? Koontz's character development is great in this book. The story's four unlikely heroes are lead by FBI agent Sam Booker. He is originally brought in to investigate all of the strange things going on. Sam figures that there must be a logical explanation for everything. However, as the story unfolds, he is forced to step outside his normal way of thinking in order to survive. The rest of the group includes an independent film maker named Tessa Lockland who is town investigating the strange death of her sister, a 10 year old girl named Chrissie who escaped from her parents that went crazy, and a man in a wheelchair named Harry Talbot who spies on the townspeople from his bedroom window. Thomas Shaddack may be one of Koontz's best villans ever. He is rich, powerful, and completely out of his mind. Koontz does a good job developing him because the reasons behind Tom's actions are hidden until the very end. As the story unfolds, we slowly learn why he is changing the town. It is almost as if he is a puppeteer, and the people of Moonlight Cove are his puppets. Overall, Midnight really impressed me. The creatures are violent, the people in Moonlight Cove are sadistic, the heroes are inspiring, the main villan is one of Koontz's best, and the book creates a giant conspiracy because no one in the town can be trusted. This book's oustanding mix of horror, suspense, and paranoia makes it a treat to read.

Midnight was by far DK's masterpiece. The first chapter left me breathless. It was like a movie in my hands, I actually saw the opening sequence and then the credits pass after it ended. Koontz is a master storyteller, and can scare the hell out of you. Midnight was even better than Phantoms, which I thought was his best. Well worth the read...