CarlAlves

Every time I read a Dean Koontz novel I keep hoping that I am going to read one of his great novels that he is certainly capable of putting together. Invariably, I’m disappointed. There were so many flaws in The Good Guy that I’m not even sure where to start. First off, the premise may be interesting, but it’s not remotely plausible. If two men were making a deal to assassinate some women, they would have to know who each other is before commencing with the deal. The guy paying to assassinate the woman isn’t going to go up to a random guy in a bar and hand him ten thousand dollars without being one hundred percent sure he’s dealing with the hired assassin. Second, assassins are professional. They kill people to earn income. This assassin was solely in it for principal of having another person killed. Koontz is the worst writer I’ve ever read when it comes to antagonists. They have no resemblance to actual human beings, and this antagonist is no exception to that rule.

To make matters worse, Koontz employs the shadowy organization comprised of rich and powerful men who are virtually omnipotent and control things unbeknownst to the rest of society. This is probably the absolute most cliché thing in fictional novels and movies. It’s bad enough that Koontz has this horrible antagonist, but then he has to bring an even worse group of bad guys into the fray. The action is not remotely believable. The characters are thin and cliché. I can’t really say that there is a whole lot redeemable about this novel and I would advise readers to stay away from this one.

Carl Alves - author of Blood Street