After 450 pages, I had hoped for more resolution at the end of The Silent Corner, the most recent offering from long-time author Dean Koontz. Instead, I was left wondering if the hanging plot lines meant that I had unknowingly dozed during those parts, if there was going to be a sequel, or if they were merely abandoned. This “novel of suspense” introduces Jane, the main character, right in the middle of some ambiguous mission without any provided background or context. Through initial dialog, the reader learns that she is an FBI agent who has taken a leave of absence to investigate the recent loss of her husband and fellow agent. Jane does not believe that her husband could have committed suicide as had been suggested, and she has gone off on her own seeking answers. She is being pursued by an unknown powerful group that has been trying to threaten her away from digging into the truth. She has hidden her young son away with friends and is frequently tormented by guilt at having to be separated from him while she risks everything to uncover a secret nefarious plot. The story is driven by a series of discoveries that Jane makes by combining some surreptitious library research with the torture of various villains. I was reminded several times while reading this book of the Jason Bourne movies and the Stepford Wives. The book is definitely packed with fast-paced action and some scientific detail, but I found it to be too derivative and one-dimensional for my tastes.

It took me a while to get into this, but I persevered and then didn’t want to put it down by about halfway through. I’m looking forward to reading more of the Jane Hawk novels.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. I persevered, thinking and hoping that it would pick up but I struggled. Once I got to the halfway point I figured I might as well see it through to the end; only in the last maybe 1/4 of the book did I find myself reading at my usual pace and so I don't think that I will be reading the rest of the series, we'll see I suppose. I was a Dean Koontz fan. I've read lots of his books in the past and generally enjoyed them and while I haven't written him off as an author (I fully acknowledge that no matter how much you like an author's work, you won't love everything they write), I was honestly very disappointed in this book.

The audiobook quality is so bad. I’m not intrigued enough to continue after one hour.

First half was interesting and then it fell off for me. Not having a satisfying ending didn’t help.

My experience with this author’s previous novels has been mixed - even Devoted his most recent which I enjoyed - seemed to have a insanely action packed final 30 pages to tie off loose ends.

This book though - was brilliant. Gripped me from the opening chapter to the end - and have already ordered the next two books in the series.

Excellent!

dances precariously on what i call the 'harlan coben line,' the line of good-enough entertainment, where your intelligence is respected on one side of it, and insulted on the other