Shattered

I thought this book was interesting. Not the best Koontz book, but worth the read. It took only 2 days to read, even faster if you like reading for extended periods. I would recommend it. I suppose the ending could be better but it wasn't horrible.

I must disagree with those who thought this particular work slight or not up to par with the other ones. It was, in its own way, just as harrowing and frightening as WATCHERS or PHANTOMS. It's another Koontz favorite - the young lad with the older man. In this case its Colin's soon-to-be brother in law who takes him on a cross country relocation ride in the car.Only someone is following them, threatening and closing in. It;s true that this is not as complex as others, or as long, and it does not have a love story (except by proxy) but it makes up for all of that with tense suspense and action. This is a jewel - a miniature to be sure - but a real jewel.

Alex Doyle and his 11-year-old brother-in-law Colin are driving from Philadelphia to San Francisco where Courtney--Alex's wife; Colin's older sister--is preparing their new home for them. The moment they leave Philadelphia, Colin insists they're being followed by a van. At first it's a game for Alex and Colin, a way to pass time and get to know each other. But when the van continues to follow them out of state, they soon realize it's not just a coincidence--the man is chasing them, waiting for his chance to attack.The man is George Leland, a delusional psycho who carries on conversations with his imaginary ex-girlfriend Courtney, who he believes still loves him. George decides he must get rid of the competition before they reach California so he can have Courtney to himself."Shattered" is a great thriller about a crazy, jealous ex-boyfriend who stalks his ex's new husband and baby brother on a cross-country drive. This is one of Dean Koontz's earlier books and wasn't even published under his original name until 1985. The pen name he had used was K. R. Dwyer."Shattered" isn't like his other high-tech / supernatural suspense novels, which was a relief. I'm more of a fan of Dean Koontz's pseudonym books, like "Face of Fear", which are simple--yet exciting--action novels.

This is one of Dean's shorter novels, but more exciting than some of his longer ones. He does not linger on prose and his usual colorful descriptions - which slows the pace down. Instead, this is a novel that is very fast paced, short, and to-the-point. His innovative plot navigates around a rather simple idea: two innocents persued by a psycho across the continent of the US. The heroes are simple and in this simplicity they were interesting. I was also under the impression that Dean wanted us to sympathize with the villain, which I believe was successfully achieved. He is not Dean's usual blood-thirsty maniac, but is, in fact, seriously disturbed both mentally and emotionally. The novel is not very sharp on the suspense but its fast pace and continous flow of action is what makes it compelling. It ends abruptly, though, with some loose ends; unlike Dean's other books which always have a neat ending. Overall, well worth the 5 stars. It's a light read.. something you could take on a weekend. Will get you thinking too...

This is the very first Dean Koontz book I read. I absolutely loved it through and through. It held my attention all the way up to the last word. If you like suspense and a good thriller, read this book, it's excellent!!