The Face of Fear: A Novel of Suspense

Koontz's masterful spinning of two main characters leads to a rich and rewarding ending. This is definitely an action/mystery novel and it is a fairly short book by the Koontz standards. Graham's palpable fear is key to the novel's rewarding ending. In accurately describing not only Graham's fear but the madness of the killer's deep desire, we are forced to arrive at a variety of feelings which will strike readers with differing opinions. The relationship between Graham and his girlfriend was also superb. Despite not being a well known novel, this is one worth picking up and reading a few times.

I read this book when I was 10, and so far it was great, non stop action. I didnt even know that Koontz wrote it as I have begun to know all of his books when I was already 16. They also made a little tv movie out of this story, you should watch it, but better yet read it first!

Mountain climber Graham Harris left Everest with a crippled leg, a head injury and became clairvoyant. He's finished with climbing, is in love and he helps the police on occasion with his power to feel the traces after a murder. Graham is on a live TV show when he senses, than predicts that a serial killer, dubbed the Butcher, is going to kill again. The Butcher, not to pleased with Graham, puts him next on his list. This is a roller coaster ride of a book that I wasn't able to put down when I first read it, and I wasn't able to put it done when I read it again just last month. What a thriller? Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

One of Dean's cleverest - and most suspenseful - straight thrillers. And one it's hard to say too much about, without giving away the game.A psychic helping the police out on a difficult serial-rapist case finds himself, and his girlfriend, the target of attempted murder by the culprit. The rapist/murderer manages to isolate the pair in an empty skyscraper over the holidays, and plays an elusive cat-and-mouse game with them - to the death.This one shoots out of a gun, like most of Koontz's early works, and doesn't let up for a second. It's a fast, easy, involving read. Koontz's style is minimalistic, telling virtually the entire story through dialogue and simply drawn action, shifting character perspective inventively to keep the reader guessing who the guilty party is. And even once that's known, he manages to slip in an extra surprise or two.This was made into a very good T.V. movie with Lee Horsley and Pam Dawber, which suffers in comparison to the novel due to the fact that it has to prematurely show what the book doesn't.

Respectfully disagreeing with some of the reviews of this book in this web page, I think it is the best thriller I have ever read. A true thriller is supposed to pull all stops. It's supposed to keep you hooked on to page one and if the author is supremely successful in his goal, you will pick up the book, read the first page, and as you keep going, you will find that you have not moved a single muscle, except for the thumbs turning the pages and the eyes following the words, until you finally put the book down at the last page. This is what happened to me, a person who's never read a whole book in one sitting, let alone a nearly 300 page book! Dean Koontz has succeeded with this story. To anyone who hasn't read it, I will not give you a detailed account of what the story is about because then I will be giving away the good parts, depriving you of a suspenseful read. Just picture this - a man with a limp and a woman are alone in an office building, trapped with a serial killer in the middle of a snowstorm. The only thing these weaponless, vulnerable victims can do to defend themselves from this gun - totting serial killer is to run and not look back. It is a long, suspenseful, and enjoyable chase scene. And I mean it when I say enjoyable. You will love it. For Dean Koontz, only the highest praises. Mr. Koontz, between you and me, I honestly think you outdid Stephen King on this one. As for writers out there who want to write suspense fiction - Dean Koontz is the master to learn from. Face of Fear is truly the most thrilling novel ever.