In a slow paced thriller...ok, a slow paced book that tries to be a thriller...Dean Koontz explores new and old, good and bad relationships.
What's Shattered?
Besides this whole story...the mind of Courtney Doyle's ex-boyfriend. Courtney ended the relationship, 2 years previously, when George refused to get help for his emerging mental illnesses.
In those 2 years Courtney, who is raising her brother Colin, has met and married Alex Doyle (a self-admitted wimp). Courtney has flown to San Francisco, from Philadelphia, to set up their new home. Meanwhile, Alex and Colin are driving to San Francisco in an effort to give them time to strengthen their relationship.
George in the midst of psychotic hallucinations has convinced himself that Courtney wants him back. He must get Alex and Colin out of the way first and he knows the route they are taking to get to their new home.
ZZZzzzZZZ
B-o-r-i-n-g! In Koontz's book Icebound, set on a small shelf of ice, action abounds. Here in Shattered, where the entire United States is a madman's playground, I was thankful for any small bit of action to be found. It was a rare jewel to be treasured.
The interactions between Alex and Colin are believable, but yawn inducing. The madman, George, is more to be pitied than feared. I was given glimpses into the man he was before the mental illness took over. Courtney was a non-descript character. The only thing I can remember about her after putting the book down is that she was a blond.
Bad bonus #1: After a rather tedious journey across the United States, this book ends with a rather graphic scene...at least by this book's standard. While in some other of Koontz's books the scene may have played out well, for this book I was unprepared for the violence.
Bad bonus #2...I was introduced to bigoted police that in the end had no bearing on the storyline whatsoever! I mean they had zero...zip...zilch to do with the storyline. They weren't trying to help Alex & Colin. In fact they had no clue that Alex & Colin existed on the other pages.
The only thing Shattered and Dean Koontz does is make one worry about that ex-significant other you were already unsure of.
As a die-hard Koontz fan it pains me to say this... 2 stars!
As Alex and Colin speed toward their new home in San Francisco where Courtney awaits them, they are pursued by a madman who is also eager to see Court...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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