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Sole Survivor
  
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Sole Survivor (Hardcover)

by Dean Koontz (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (178 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Joe Carpenter, the hero of Dean Koontz's newest novel, Sole Survivor, is a man nearly paralyzed by grief. One year earlier, his wife and two children had been among the 230 victims of a plane crash that left no survivors. So when Joe encounters a woman who claims to have been aboard that plane and survived the catastrophe, and then she almost immediately disappears, he is understandably riled up. In the course of trying to track this woman down, Joe finds himself entangled in a web of shadowy conspiracy and perilous secrets.

In this latest book, Koontz pumps up the volume and gives his readers what they've come to expect from him: an expert mix of cover ups, cults, bizarre suicides, and a shocking twist at the end that keeps Sole Survivor racing along from one improbable but undeniably thrilling event to the next. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Koontz, who seems to be moving away from supernatural yarns in favor of thrillers grounded in technology and science, here serves up what is probably his best novel to date. Joe Carpenter, a former California crime reporter, loses his wife and daughters in a mysterious plane crash. Soon, a series of strange visits, violent chases, and quasispiritual encounters points to an amazing idea: that a scientist aboard the doomed aircraft had discovered irrevocable proof of life after death and that a secret government organization will stop at nothing to keep this knowledge from the public. Koontz's California is a desperate place "where an unintended slight... might result in a thermonuclear response," and his characters are more jaded than the sappy Pollyannas that populate many of his earlier novels. This is mostly light entertainment, but all popular collections will still want a copy.
-?Mark Annichiarico, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

178 Reviews
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4 star:
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3 star:
 (29)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (178 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars One of Koontz's best, July 11 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Sole Survivor (Mass Market Paperback)
Having read many of Koontz's books, this is one of his best. It is my second favorite after Watchers. It is thoughtful and eye-opening on issues of loss. It may be an especially good read and helpful for those who understand the emotional tension of a main character who has lost close family members. He writes that "peace is to be found in the acceptance of things that we are unable to change. That friends and family are the blood of life, and that the purpose of existence is caring, commitment."
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3.0 out of 5 stars Very much Koontz-ish!, July 9 2004
By Murali Chari - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Sole Survivor (Mass Market Paperback)
An improbable but well-written novel by Dean Koontz borrows heavily from the Hindu philosophy of eternal soul to give a bizarre end to what starts as an investigative mystery. Koontz displays all his good traits as a writer, but this is not one of his better accomplishments. Recommended reading on a flight though.
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5.0 out of 5 stars WOW !! - One of Koontz's best, July 2 2004
By Freddy Jones (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Sole Survivor (Mass Market Paperback)
The story focuses on a man named Joe Carpenter who lost his wife and two daughters in a plane crash. A year after the crash, Joe has quit his job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Post, and done nothing with his life except sit around and mourn the loss of his family. One day Joe pays a visit to the graves of his wife and daughters only to discover a strange women taking pictures of their graves. When Joe apporaches her, the woman claims to be the sole survivor of the crash that killed Joe's family. Before, Joe can find out who she is or what is going on, he is forced to flee the scene when mysterious men begin shooting at the woman, who also manages to get away. Joe becomes convinced that the crash that killed his family was anything but ordinary, and sets out to discover who the woman is, and how she could have survived. Unfortunately, things only get worse for Joe when he begins to realize that he has stumbled into a conspiracy regarding the crash, and that the people involved are willing to kill to keep their secrets safe.

I have been a fan of Dean Koontz's work for many years now. While I usually enjoy most of his books, there are some that are better than others. Sole Survivor was a book that I always put off reading, because it has always received mixed reviews. I finally decided to put my doubts aside and read the book. After I finished with Sole Survivor, I wanted to start over and immediately read the book again, because I did not want it to end. This may be one of the best books Koontz has ever written. Koontz manages to get you hooked into the story right away, because he does a great job at establishing the hero of the story Joe Carpenter and what he is going through. Then when you throw a woman who survived a crash that supposedly left no survivors into the mix, the story only gets better. But what really makes the story exciting and hard to put down, is the fact that Joe soon discovers that the plane crash was no accident, and that there is a conspiracy surrounding it. Joe is forced to fight for his life and put his reporter skills to the test to find out what is going on. The best thing about Sole Survivor is that Koontz manages to combine elements of a conspiracy story to add paranoia, and elements of a chase novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Overall, this has to be one of Koontz's best books. Sole Survivor showcases Koontz's character development at its best and an exciting and suspenseful story that makes the book impossible to put down once you have started. I think that this book would even be enjoyable for those who do not like to read. From beginning to end, it almost feels like you are watching a movie play out. Hopefully a movie of Sole Survivor will be made one day, because this is the perfect type of story to be brought to the big screen.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read but Nothing Deep
SOLE SURVIVOR by Dean Koontz (or Dean R. Koontz if you are a traditionalist) is a book that only those who buy Koontz reflexively or those who have read/heard reviews would buy... Read more
Published on May 28 2004 by Joshua Koppel

5.0 out of 5 stars Dean Koontz--Sole Survivor (1997)
Time and time again, Dean Koontz has the uncanny ability to re-invent himself with courageous, outlandish stories that captivate his readers with every riveting page. Read more
Published on May 27 2004 by The Tweeder

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the most suspenseful of Koontz's
Sole Survivor was one of the most suspenseful Koontz books I've read, and I've read them all.

Joe Carpenter's wife and two daughters were killed 1 year ago in an airplane... Read more

Published on May 14 2004 by Theresa W

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I'm used to from Koontz...
"Sole Survivor" follows the standard Koontz formula throughout the story, but seems to get slightly lost at the end. Read more
Published on April 20 2004 by dr_gero

3.0 out of 5 stars Annoying male lead,
Sole survivor is the story of Joe Carpenter (an 'average joe' as implied by the name), whose life is shattered when his beloved wife and two children are killed in a plane crash... Read more
Published on Feb 20 2004 by SereneNight

3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, Sneakily Creationist Melodrama
Perhaps those familiar with Koontz know his page-turner suspense novels are intended to slowly sneak up on his readers with creationist polemics, miracles, neo-Jesus characters,... Read more
Published on Oct 24 2003 by PR

3.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful and gripping yes, but
This was a suspenseful and gripping book. It keeps you interested and turning the pages right up until the last 100 or so pages but then it turns strange and sort of fizzles out... Read more
Published on Oct 10 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars One Heck of a Masterful Thriller
Ex-reporter Joe Carpenter has lead a dark and gloomy life since his wife and daughters were killed in a plane crash. Read more
Published on Oct 7 2003 by Stephanie Sane

4.0 out of 5 stars First 4/5 of book AWESOME; then.......?
I have to tell you, this book will not allow you to get up from your chair. It is gripping, thrilling, and leaves your mouth watering for the 'secrets' that we are yearning to... Read more
Published on Jun 19 2003 by Elder Lawyer

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping thriller
Joe Carpenter lost his wife and daughter in a horrible plane crash a year ago. No survivors. He was grief stricken to the point of suicide. Read more
Published on May 25 2003 by Katherine H. Youngblood

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