Author: Dean Koontz
Publisher: Bantam
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: June 2009
Dean Koontz, unquestionably one of the most prolific writers of today, continues his mastery of edge-of-your-seat thrillers, with that extra spicy quirkiness, in his newest novel, Relentless. Koontz seems to have a singular ability to channel the “God of Creepiness “and is able to translate that feeling onto the pages of his novels. Koontz, a master “ wordsmith” has that unique ability to pepper his novels with iconic figures both past &; present, and infuse his pages with common folk lore that enables the reader to feel at home in world that is just slightly to the left of reality. Relentless does not let us down on this score! In Koontz’s novel, Relentless we once again run into his typical characters, who are contemporary, reachable and compelling. There is nothing pretentious or egocentric about a Dean Koontz novel, and you never get the feeling that he is anything but sincerely interested in taking the reader on a truly scary roller coaster ride to a place that one would not go on his own. In that respect, Koontz again delivers the goods, which is noteworthy for an author of more than 50 novels that have sold nearly 400 million copies. It’s truly remarkable that after all those novels, the reader can still be treated to a consistent product.
Cullen Greenwich, nicknamed Cubby, his wife Penny, their son Milo, nicknamed Spooky and Milo’s dog, an Australian Sheppard named Lassie are the protagonists of this novel. The story opens with Cullen receiving word that he has received a scathing review for his recently published novel, “One O’clock Jump” from Sherman Waxx, a highly influential critic. Waxx, the story’s esoteric villain, is a nationally known critic who has gained equal parts of respect and fear amongst the literary elite. Cullen, who is used to nothing but rave reviews, is mystified at this sudden turn of events and foolishly ignores his wife’s advice to “Let it go.” Cullen “Cubby” plans a clandestine outing to one of his favorite restaurants, having previously learned that Waxx would be eating lunch there. He does not tell Penny, and commits a “lie by omission” which at the time seems harmless but in truth turns out to be a monumental mistake. Cubby takes his precocious son, Milo, on this seemingly innocent mission to observe Waxx, just to get an idea what he is like. Milo is only six years old, home schooled, already has a high school GED, and an extraordinary predilection for inventing gadgets that are so advanced that he is unable or unwilling to explain them to his parents. Milo easily recognizes his Father’s true goal for their afternoon rendezvous and they both agree that even at a distance, Waxx is a very strange character. They decide that perhaps their adventure was a bad idea and try to slip away unobserved, and without Milo’s need for a trip to the Men’ s Room, all might have been different. Unfortunately, one of those oh so convenient chance meetings happens with Waxx in the Men’s Room and leads to Waxx uttering one prophetic word to Cubby – “Doom”. Thus begins the ever increasing reign of terror that pours down on Cubby, his family and almost everyone they meet along the path as they run for their lives.
Dean Koontz never seems to waste any time getting right in to it, and “Relentless”, is no exception. Twenty pages into the novel and the procession of escalating terror begins and does not let up until the novel is over. Cubby, who has never openly lied to Penny, does however have a secret he has kept from her since day one. Another “lie by omission”, a lie so repulsive that it is the dogma around which he lives and is why he has such a strong revulsion to any kind of violence. Considering the current situation, Waxx the critic that believes he should direct literary culture, even if that means murdering authors he disagrees with, leaves Cubby with a moral dilemma. Koontz through Cubby’s internal dilemma puts forth the book’s manifest supposition, “Anger is the father of violence, as well I knew but I had not allowed myself to consider that wrath when it is the product of pure indignation and untainted by ideology, is the father of justice and a necessary answer to evil”. The book at its core tries to present that ultimate moral question, when is violence and retribution acceptable, how much evil has to exist before it is ok to retaliate? Cubby has to finally decide when he comes face-to-face with the agents of evil. Whether or not to acknowledge that his reasoned disbelief in their existence was wrong and no longer accepts being a victim of his past.
For the dedicated Koontz reader, those who see him as a cultural icon, Relentless will be hailed as another masterwork that will leave them thirsting for more. I, however, have my usual problems with this novel, the same problems I have with other Koontz novels I have previously read. Basically there just isn’t enough meat on the bone, and when I finish reading, I am left a little cold. There is no doubt that he can really tell a tale, a tale that is hard to put down, and you can’t help but want to see how the story will turn out, but is that enough? I do not believe so, especially when there are so many loose ends. I said earlier that he gets right into it, but that seems to leave out the necessary plot development and character study that in the end makes his characters rather unsympathetic. I just did not get enough depth to really care if they lived or died, except for maybe the dog, Lassie. So for the serious reader who realizes in his life there are a finite number of books he can read, I would recommend taking a pass on this one. I personally would like to see Dean Koontz take a break from writing this kind of novel, and work on a career defining epic which based on his vast talent would surely be great.
