Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Koontz ( Watchers , The Servants of Twilight ) has come up with an intriguing premise: Susan Thornton wakes up in a hospital after a serious car accident with an odd, selective amnesia. She can remember nothing of her job, yet she is stricken with fear when the company she works for is named. And that's not all. Thirteen years earlier, Susan had witnessed the murder of her boyfriend during a brutal fraternity hazing; her testimony sent one of the four men responsible to prison. Now she sees the same men, looking not a day older, walking the corridors of the hospital. Even worse, she has recurrent macabre hallucinations involving them and the decomposing corpse of her boyfriend. Susan doubts her sanity until she stumbles upon a bit of hard evidence right out of one of the ``hallucinations.'' Koontz's resolution, involving a complex Soviet plot, transforms the story from a cozy chiller to political thriller and may not please readers tired of cold war paranoia and propaganda. Others, however, should find this tale satisfying from start to finish. (Nov.)
The House of Thunder
by Dean KoontzView All Available Formats & Editions
Susan Thorton awakens in a hospital, after a near-fatal car crash, to see four men lurking outside her door--men who exactly resemble those who killed her boyfriend years before. Can these be the same men? As she tries to uncover the identities of those stalking her, Susan enters a terrifying nightmare--one from which she may never escape. Previously published by
Overview
Susan Thorton awakens in a hospital, after a near-fatal car crash, to see four men lurking outside her door--men who exactly resemble those who killed her boyfriend years before. Can these be the same men? As she tries to uncover the identities of those stalking her, Susan enters a terrifying nightmare--one from which she may never escape. Previously published by Pocket under the pseudonym Leigh Nichols (1982).
Editorial Reviews
Library Journal
Brilliance Audio has mined Koontz's backlist to present House of Thunder, a book originally published in 1982 under one of Koontz's pseudonyms. In this work, Susan Thornton is in the hospital recovering from a car crash. There, she is terrorized by haunting figures from her remote past. Is she wigging out? Having accident-related delusions? Or are there actually ghosts who intend to kill her? The answer is, of course, none of the above, but along the way we are treated to Koontz's signature ability to confound us with the seeming plausibility of the absolutely implausible. Still, this is clearly a less mature work than his contemporary offerings: the characters are stereotypes, neither believable nor even likable; the conclusion, when it finally arrives, is a bit of a dud. The dual reading by Laural Merlington and Mel Foster is adequate but not inspired. This novel is probably best left on the shelf with our snapshots of the year 1982. Brilliance's practice of dividing a 70-minute compact disc into 99 40-second (or so) tracks is a major inconvenience for quite a few reasons. Not recommended.
—Kristen L. Smith
From the Publisher
“Koontz is brilliant.”—Chicago Sun-Times “A great storyteller.”—New York Daily News
“Koontz is a terrific what-if storyteller.”—People
“His perennial bestsellers are…engrossing entertainments.”—The Washington Post Book World
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780425253045
- Publisher:
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Publication date:
- 09/04/2012
- Pages:
- 352
- Sales rank:
- 1,301,701
- Product dimensions:
- 5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)
- Age Range:
- 18 Years
What People are saying about this
From the Publisher
“Koontz is brilliant.”—Chicago Sun-Times“A great storyteller.”—New York Daily News
“Koontz is a terrific what-if storyteller.”—People
“His perennial bestsellers are…engrossing entertainments.”—The Washington Post Book World
Meet the Author
The books of Dean Koontz are published in 38 languages, and worldwide sales top 400 million copies. Eleven of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list, and several have been adapted into feature films and TV miniseries. Dean and Gerda Koontz live in southern California with their golden retriever, Anna, grand-niece of the famous and beloved Trixie.
Brief Biography
- Hometown:
- Newport Beach, California
- Date of Birth:
- July 9, 1945
- Place of Birth:
- Everett, Pennsylvania
- Education:
- B.S. (major in English), Shippensburg University, 1966
- Website:
- http://www.deankoontz.com
Customer Reviews
Average Review:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
House of Thunder
4.1 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
58 reviews.
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Dean Koontz is the master of the twist, and this story had so many it nearly gave me whiplash. You're never sure what genre he's aiming for - horror, mystery, espionage thriller, love story, sci-fi -, but that's all part of the fun. Sure, there are the usual Koontz missteps: a far-fetched denoument which strains believability to the breaking point and beyond, a corny love story, and a very dated Cold War sensibility. This early effort by Mr. Koontz wouldn't be out of place as the plot of a Twilight Zone episode. Worth reading, especially for Koontz fans.
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This is one of those mysteries where you have absolutely no idea what is going on until the very end. Is she imagining things because of her brain injury? Is she really seeing ghosts come back from the dead to take their revenge? Or is it all just an elaborate plot to send her crazy? I really enjoyed most this book and I would have loved to give it a higher mark. Sadly, though, it was let down by the ending, which seemed to be rushed and didn't really fit the rest of the story. It is as if the author ran out of inspiration at a certain point and just tacked on a stock ending. I was left with a feeling of dissapointment and anti-climax when I finished this novel. Such a shame.
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this is one of my favorites from Dean. It had me from the start to the very last page. If you love koontz, you'll LOVE this book! I don't really ever get "scared" reading a book, but this definitely had me a bit frightened throughout the pages. I recommend you read this with someone else in the house! Overall, a fantastic read. Well done Koontz :)
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This book had me up ALL night! For one, I could not put it down, and for two, I was too scared to go to sleep! This book was absolutely fantastic! I recommend it to anyone who likes scary novels.
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I have read everything from Dean Koontz, almost all of oit I really enjoyed. This one was so unexpected. The story was awesome and it was a real page turner for me. The story kept you thinking and kept you thinking that you knew what was going on...wrong for me.
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I have been a fan of this book for many years, I purchased it for my Nook so I would always have it.
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A must read! Love Koontz!
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