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A review by dovesfalling
The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
4.0
My favourite of all Koontz's novels, The Eyes of Darkness is a simple and fantastic mystery novel, with appealing characters, lots of suspense, a touch of romance and a quest that anyone can relate to - a Mother desperately searching for her child. The book has one major flaw that I'll relate in the end.
Tina Evans is a former showgirl, turned producer of Vegas stage shows, whose show "Magyck!" is about to debut - a feat which could end her career or make her a millionaire. Beneath Tina's polished exterior is hidden grief - a year previously, her son Danny was killed in a freak accident during a wilderness expedition, along with all other members of the team, leaving Tina with questions, but no answers.
Strange things are happening. Tina sees her son in a stranger's car, but when she gets closer, the boy isn't Danny. A chalkboard in Danny's room reads, "NOT DEAD", though it was empty days before. And she is having terrible dreams, dreams of Danny beyond the grave, begging for her help, begging for her to rescue him.
Koontz takes the reader on a quest - a quest for Tina to find out the truth - but as she travels from Las Vegas to the wild of the Sierras, it becomes clear - someone is willing to do anything to stop Tina from discovering what really happened to her son. Anything, including murder.
This book is highly entertaining, with a breakneck pace, tight prose and believable romance. My only quibble with it is the odd way Koontz describes Tina's grief over Danny's death - in the beginning, she makes a vow that she is going to move on - although her son "was a sweet boy, and she would always remember him" it was time for her to live. Sorry, but that's just not realistic. It's been one year. ONE.
A mother wouldn't dismiss her child as "sweet" and decide to skip off into the sunset after one freaking year. I get that Koontz couldn't depict Tina has still off the rails with grief as it wouldn't make for a very coherent novel, but come on. Speak to ANY mother who has lost a child or had their child disappear, there is NO WAY that after one year, they'd be singing show-tunes and happily packing up their kid's stuff.
Better yet, Koontz should pick up the heartbreaking, shatteringly sad, Pan Am 103: The Bombing, the Begrayals, and a Bereaved Family's Search for Justice by Susan and Daniel Cohen, about the murder of their daughter, Theodora in the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie. I dare him to read that book and then tell me that parents forget, move on, get "closure". In truth, there is no such thing and it's insulting to the reader to pretend otherwise.
I know *why* Koontz portrayed Tina this way, but it rang false to me, and it did take a star off my rating. Other than this flaw though, The Eyes of Darkness is an old favourite of mine, and I recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and journey novels.
Tina Evans is a former showgirl, turned producer of Vegas stage shows, whose show "Magyck!" is about to debut - a feat which could end her career or make her a millionaire. Beneath Tina's polished exterior is hidden grief - a year previously, her son Danny was killed in a freak accident during a wilderness expedition, along with all other members of the team, leaving Tina with questions, but no answers.
Strange things are happening. Tina sees her son in a stranger's car, but when she gets closer, the boy isn't Danny. A chalkboard in Danny's room reads, "NOT DEAD", though it was empty days before. And she is having terrible dreams, dreams of Danny beyond the grave, begging for her help, begging for her to rescue him.
Koontz takes the reader on a quest - a quest for Tina to find out the truth - but as she travels from Las Vegas to the wild of the Sierras, it becomes clear - someone is willing to do anything to stop Tina from discovering what really happened to her son. Anything, including murder.
This book is highly entertaining, with a breakneck pace, tight prose and believable romance. My only quibble with it is the odd way Koontz describes Tina's grief over Danny's death - in the beginning, she makes a vow that she is going to move on - although her son "was a sweet boy, and she would always remember him" it was time for her to live. Sorry, but that's just not realistic. It's been one year. ONE.
A mother wouldn't dismiss her child as "sweet" and decide to skip off into the sunset after one freaking year. I get that Koontz couldn't depict Tina has still off the rails with grief as it wouldn't make for a very coherent novel, but come on. Speak to ANY mother who has lost a child or had their child disappear, there is NO WAY that after one year, they'd be singing show-tunes and happily packing up their kid's stuff.
Better yet, Koontz should pick up the heartbreaking, shatteringly sad, Pan Am 103: The Bombing, the Begrayals, and a Bereaved Family's Search for Justice by Susan and Daniel Cohen, about the murder of their daughter, Theodora in the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie. I dare him to read that book and then tell me that parents forget, move on, get "closure". In truth, there is no such thing and it's insulting to the reader to pretend otherwise.
I know *why* Koontz portrayed Tina this way, but it rang false to me, and it did take a star off my rating. Other than this flaw though, The Eyes of Darkness is an old favourite of mine, and I recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and journey novels.