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Product Description
Review
“Without a doubt, Koontz is America’s #1 author of thrillers.” —The Denver Post
“One of the most important novelists writing today.”—National Review
“Another gripping novel laced with both high adventure and suspense.”—Tucson Citizen
“An original and enchanting novel.”—Lincoln Journal Star
Product Description
In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound, Merlin, step from shadow into light . . . and into an encounter with mystery. That night, a pair of singular animals will watch Grady’s isolated home, waiting to make their approach.
A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring to her door all the forces of a government in peril.
At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness. . . . In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable. . . . On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder. . . . Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny.
In a novel that is at once wholly of our time and timeless, fearless and funny, Dean Koontz takes readers into the moment between one turn of the world and the next, across the border between knowing and mystery. It is a journey that will leave all who take it Breathless.
A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring to her door all the forces of a government in peril.
At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness. . . . In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable. . . . On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder. . . . Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny.
In a novel that is at once wholly of our time and timeless, fearless and funny, Dean Koontz takes readers into the moment between one turn of the world and the next, across the border between knowing and mystery. It is a journey that will leave all who take it Breathless.
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Another novel cut off in its prime,
By David S (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Breathless: A Novel (Hardcover)
Over the past few years, Koontz has had an increasing tendency to cut short his novels. Breathless is no exception and in fact is probably the most extreme example to date. The story is one that is similar to a previous Koontz novel, "Strangers" with a series of individuals who are seemingly unconnected coming together through unusual circumstances. The relationships are not there, in their place are paranormal events that just happen to people. We get a bit of feel for the character of Cammy and Grady but beyond those two, most of the players are paper thin.Again, it feels like Koontz got to a certain point and had a call from his agent asking him to hurry up and deliver so everything had to be wrapped up in 20 pages. Suddenly, the sub plot at the farm with Jim and Nora and Harry (or is it Jim?) just collapses in on itself with a predictable and trite answer to the mystery. We are left wondering what on earth really happens to the crooked lawyer who makes a brief appearance and the remaining cast members all end up together around the one central theme to the novel (I am trying hard not to spoil the one tiny bit of plot in this novel). A new feature for Koontz in this novel is the short chapter syndrome. There are 72 chapters, each made up of 5 pages or so. Since each chapter starts with only half a page and ends with half a page, you are buying a book with 20% blank pages! I have enjoyed a number of Koontz's novels but this really is one to miss.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
What Happened?,
By
This review is from: Breathless: A Novel of Suspense (Mass Market Paperback)
I've read many a review on this title, and I'm forced to agree with their statements.This is what it promises - a fast-paced, jumpy, suspenseful novel. You get thrown into situation after situation with plotline after unrelated plotline. You turn pages frantically as each narrator switches into the next, desperately wondering what in God's name is going to bring them all together and play this out. Then, something strange happens. You get more intruiged, and more frantically rip through the pages. Maybe he'll give something away in the next chapter. No? Maybe the next. Okay, come on - it's got to be coming soon. The buildup is huge. You get set up for something truly monumental, and nearing the end you practically shake with excitement. He's going to do it! He's going to give away just what the hell this novel's all about! Then... What? Did Koontz just get tired of writing this? Did any agent, editor or proofreader not catch this? Seriously, a five year old would be sitting on their haunches, begging the sky for an answer as to what was going through Dean's head when he came up with that ending. I won't ruin it, as you should probably experience it from beginning to end to get what I mean, but what a disappointment. Aside from all of that, Koontz's opinions - and yes, the scientific material presented as fact are opinions, and easily disproved at that by any evolutionary theorist worth his salt - are horribly skewed. He chooses to preach his new beliefs instead of actually making you think, and it comes off as hokey and undercooked. All in all, stay away from this if you're a serious Koontz reader. I have enjoyed a lot of his other series heartily, and really have a thing for the Odd Thomas series. However, this could have finally turned me off once and for all his writing, which makes me a tad sad. Had this been more well done, I think it could have been great. But at the end, you still shake your head and ask yourself: "Really?"
2.0 out of 5 stars
NOT UP TO SNUFF...,
By
This review is from: Breathless: A Novel of Suspense (Mass Market Paperback)
This book gets off to a good start. There are some interesting, though somewhat formulaic plotlines woven throughout, and some of the characters start off as intriguing. Then the book begins to spiral downward ever so slowly, and the author becomes positively self indulgent.Clearly, the author has some very strong opinions with respect to governmental agencies, defense attorneys, elected officials, and so on. The author makes his rants part of the story but, somehow, it feels like...well...rants by a survivalist or far right wing ideologue of some kind. Still, the story does have some steam. It revolves around two strange, white furred creatures that come to earth and are discovered by a reclusive man who lives with his Irish wolfhound in rural Colorado. So, this does grip the reader's imagination. After all, what are they? What do they want? Why are they here? Unfortunately, the reader will never really know. Add to this the fact that that the characters, while initially intriguing, seem to be one dimensional. They are either god's angels on earth or the devil's spawn. There is no in between. Thematically, the book seems to be about good and evil, but it never really finds its groove. Still, none of these shortcomings are what eventually torpedoes the book. It is the race to the finish line and the unsatisfying end to the story that does it in. A reader may endure some of the shortcomings along the way to the finish line but will feel decidedly cheated by the rushed feel of the ending and the lack of some rhyme or reason as to why some characters were included in the first place. The book has an almost nonsensical ending that is decidedly unsatisfying. I am a fan of the author, so I was quite disappointed and let down by the turn the book took, as I know that the author is capable of delivering more than he did. In the final analysis, I did not like the book.
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