Relentless: A Novel

The novel is painfully labored. Could have been titled "Tortures 101"
Absurdly gratuitous torture scenes repeated ad nauseum just about every time you're about to fall asleep plodding through the redundant chapters.
Many other reviews refer to the annoying little child/genius son, Milo.A ridiculous and cloying addition to the cast of characters. One dimensional characters at that . As if Milo weren't grating enough, the dog, mundanely named "Lassie" (is that actually the most novel name Koontz
could think up ? Yikes !), elevates the novel to new levels of absurdity.
(We'll be kind enough not to use the word stupidity).
A preposterous ending etched in shades of a bad "Twilight Zone" script.
While Koontz relentlessly strives to elevate this novel into something etherial,unfortunately the novel is simply ephemeral. The only thing memorable about this novel is just how bad it was.
A waste of time and money.

Of course I love Dean Koontz books. But what happened to his in-depth, longer books? Most paragraphs here were two or three sentences long. I like in-depth and description. Also Mr. Koontz's books are getting too flowery! Too abstract.

Yeah, and I know this is a dumb thing to mention, but too many commas per sentence! Please! 4 or 5 or more commas in each sentence?
Valerie: The Valerie Nightengale Legacy of Sin and Betrayal
Valerie's Secrets: The Valerie Nightengale Legacy of Sin and Betrayal

I am a fan of Dean Koontz and purchased, "Relentless" as soon as available for my Kindle2. I read 8 chapters on DK style and hope to get pulled into the plot. Well, I had to quit after chapter 8 as I just could not accept the required degree of suspenson of reality. I should say that I have a very high degree of suspenson regarding reality in fiction and all types of movies. Perhaps I will someday be able to re-read, "Relentless". And, I will continue to read DK but only after reading many Reviews.

I really liked the book until the ending, where we find out a black helicopter government agency is going after Cubby and his family for the themes he writes about in his books. The old rouge government agency bit is overused in so many movies and books I don't know why he ended it like that... I feel there was other ways to explore the themes he wanted without going to that tired storyline. Seems like Mr. Koontz watched the x-files one too many times.

Short review: The usual Koontz cardboard-cutout characters, a story that could have been good but dissolves into whimsy, absurdity, and outright assault upon the reader's willingness to suspend disbelief.

The longer review:

I've read a number of Koontz's novels. His early ones were entertaining, and one of them was seriously creepy. However, I've never thought Koontz was all that good. His "good" characters are often so cloyingly "lovable" that you want to choke them, and his "evil" characters are one-dimensional, unbelievable, and often more absurd than scary. He also has the annoying tendency to throw in pages and pages of banter that isn't a fraction as clever or funny as he apparently thinks it is.

Well, take all that and multiply it, and throw in a dose of "deus ex machina" and you've got this piece of drivel.

The story has great potential. A novelist named Cullen Greenwich manages to offend a vicious critic named Sherman Waxx, and Waxx is now out to destroy him-- literally. Greenwich ignores warnings that Waxx is dangerous, but quickly find that the warnings are true: Waxx is a murderous psychopath who doesn't just want to destroy Greenwich's writing career, but to murder him and his whole family.

Now, that could have been developed into something on a par with John Katzenbach's "The Analyst"-- but Koontz isn't Katzenbach, and the story quickly devolves into a mind-numbing mess of improbability, absurdity, and impossibility. A teleporting dog. A genius kid who fashions teleportation devices out of salt-shakers. No, I'm not making that up.

Just when all is apparently lost, and Greenwich has been shot by Waxx's mother and is lying on the floor, feeling his life drain away, here comes that deus ex machina: suddenly time reverses itself. Greenwich gets off the floor, sees the bullet emerge from his chest and go flying back into the mother's pistol, and then he's back at that crucial moment when he could have shot Waxx's mother instead of being killed by her. And how does that happen? Oh, the genius kid has quickly modified his magic salt-shaker and turned it into a device that can reverse time!

I can and do "suspend disbelief" for the sake of a good story. I can believe in vampires long enough to get through "Salem's Lot" and I can believe in evil monsters from outer space long enough to get through "It" and I can believe in amazingly resourceful heroes long enough to get through one of Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" novels-- but teleporting dogs and genius kids who whip up time-reversal devices out of salt-shakers? That's just way too much even for a good story, and this one isn't.

Dean Koontz has always been one of my favorites. I never thought I'd be leaving him a 1 star. But, this novel reads like a comic book and is incredibly bad. Halfway through, I couldn't take any more drivel and tossed it aside unfinished. I could care less about the outcome of this thing.

We have here a supposed thriller. One problem, there is no suspense; only silly dialogue which drones on.
The characters are ridiculous. They have incessantly boring dialogue. Even the names given them are silly.
The story just grinds on. How can Koontz hope to hold a reader's attention when he uses up numerous pages describing a private bomb shelter? That's when I tossed the book aside. Enough was enough.
The protagonist, Cubby is inept and boring.
The plot just does not come together. Cubby, a writer, gets a bad review from Shearman Waxx, a literary critic. Waxx, out of the clear blue, turns from critic to psychopath. Halfway through the book and there still wasn't a connection between the review and the psychotic Waxx.

The book cover actually has "New York Times Bestseller" emblazoned across the top. Really? You could have fooled me. As a matter of fact, Mr. Koontz, you did fool me.

Relentless is about an insane book critic, it caught my interest right away.

34 year old writer Cullen Greenwich is married to Penny Bloom, has a 6 year old six-year-old prodigy son named Milo and a dog named Lassie. Literary critic Shearman Waxx gives Cullen's latest book a bad review. Cullen is really upset by this, even though his wife keeps telling him to just let it go. When Cullen finds out what restaurant the book critic frequents, he goes there for lunch with his son, and runs into Waxx. After an odd run-in in the men's room, Waxx takes notice of Cullen and says one word to him on his way out...'Doom'.

Soon after Cullen spots an intruder in his home, and identifies him as being the book critic. What ensues afterward is an all out terrorizing of Cullen and his family by this book reviewer. The family ends up on the run, not wanting to inform the police because of the media circus that would develop. With the help of friends and various connections, they are able to stay at different homes, but somehow Waxx keeps finding them.

You do need to be willing to suspend disbelief for this read. I just didn't feel like this book critic had enough motive to become hell bent on killing Cullen and his family.
Before you know it, Waxx is after the family, there's explosions and shootings and it's all kind of 'over the top'. Authorities don't notice all this mayhem?
I felt like the methods Waxx was using were just plain absurd. He was almost like a larger than life villain finding Cullen and his family no matter where they went.

It's been a while since I last read a Koontz book. Years actually. And I've been meaning to pick him up again. Koontz is a favorite of mine, I tend to feel like he won't disappoint.
I'm really, really sorry to say I didn't really enjoy this one more. I was curious as to what would happen next, and at 428 pages, I'm surprised I finished reading it. I kept putting it away and considered making it a DNF. I was set on finishing it though, because I hoped it would get better. He did make me laugh a few times while reading.

I still love Koontz anyway and will continue to read his work. This is my first time reading this author where I've been disappointed.

I think Koontz puts his heart and soul into his writing and I did find a few passages I enjoyed. As I read, I would find him throwing glimmers of hope into the storyline.

Though there is some familiar Koontz territory here, Relentless is a far cry from his earlier work. You'll find my review of "Intensity" pretty favorable, and in the past I've read novels such as "Lightning," "Whispers," "Strangers," "Watchers," "Tick Tock," "The Servants of Twilight" and many others, all engaging and entertaining in their own right, given the usual suspension of disbelief where required.

Trite little lessons, like using cold water when running a garbage disposal, and godly sentiments aside (the latter has become more frequent in Koontz's writing, and in this book almost in every chapter), Relentless started off well enough, but once it got going I began to feel a little alienated, intellectually, and at times the story requires a huge suspension of disbelief.

The story is constructed very simply. Character development is limited and we don't really come to care too much about them. In fact, at some points during this read I actually found myself harboring a certain dislike for the characters. They treat each other like idiots, especially the genius son, Milo, some computer and electronics prodigy who is very dismissive of his parents, his father Cullen (called "Cubby" by his wife) in particular, who is rather lame at fathering, though a critically acclaimed author.

The mom seems to keep everything in control, but otherwise she's not that interesting.

There are some comical moments, and the characters aren't a total bust, but overall they don't make me care enough about what happens. What kept me reading was the unsettling audacity and sinister intent of the antagonist, one Shearman Waxx, a literary critic who gave a scathing review of Cullen's latest novel.

After a chance encounter, which is not entirely by chance and actually pretty funny, Waxx utters one word to Cullen, "Doom." A little lame, but it kept me reading just to find out what this Waxx character had in mind.

Since I was not drawn to care about the characters too much I read through most of Relentless with little emotional investment. When their house blew up it didn't seem to matter to me, and it didn't seem to matter to the characters much either. There was very little reaction from them, that is, reaction that you might expect under such circumstances. it was just a part of the story that had to happen.

So I read on. In my opinion there is very little redeeming value here. It ran forward like clockwork, and I plugged along hoping there was some great finale, or a twist at the end that would tie it all up nicely, make me feel something.

There was a twist. And this is where I again felt intellectually alienated. Suspending our disbelief allows us to be entertained, within certain limits. We can allow ourselves to forgive or accept many things, with some imagination. Monsters, time travel, teleportation, cars that eat people. But if I don't care, it's not going to work.

A teleporting dog. Okay, I'll let that one slide, it's kinda cool. Pick another name for the dog though.

A super-genius kid that can reverse time in a split second using a salt and pepper shaker? I'm not gonna bite. Even if I decided to let Stephen King tell me a story about a car that absorbed people, I just can't make the stretch for this one.

The book wraps up quick with an easy out. Not the best Koontz in my opinion. But hey, what do I know? Every single one of his books ranks as a "New York Times Best Sellers." But then, come to think of it, so do a lot of others...

Best-selling author, Cullen Cubby Greenwich, just finished a new book and he is horrified to find out that a leading critic has written a review that ripped his new book apart. Wondering who the critic really is, he arranges to see him at a bistro just to understand the man, after all his review has eleven mistakes in it about the book. Sherman Waxx is the senior critic at the nation's premier newspaper and feared; Cullen just wants to see how this man can give his work such a bad review in contra to all the praise from other literary sources.

Cullen finds out that Waxx is having lunch at the same bistro that he and his wife eat at frequently. Cullen and his young son go to the restaurant and accidently meet Waxx in the restroom. After an embarrassing moment Waxx leaves but says the word, "Doom," to Cullen.

This meeting sets into motion a storyline where Cullen's family is threatened and barely escapes death at the hands of Mr. Waxx...

This book is not written in the same quality of storyline as most of Dean Koontz's books are. Unfortunately I found the ending unusual to say the least and it could have been much better. The idea of a book critic determined on murdering people in cold blood was just over the top. I found the character of Cullen's son Milo just too much to handle, a wunderkind child who got on my nerves.

Finally I am a little tired of the dog act in all of the latest Dean Koontz's books. I like animals but super intelligent, supernatural teleporting dogs are just too much. We all know that Dean loves dogs, especially golden retrievers, but please write one book where a major part of the storyline does not involve a dog. Everyone I know who reads Dean Koontz is asking what's going on with the dogs?

I listened to this book on audio CD. I have to say that of all the narrators of the books I listen to, this one was not good. His voice was so deep and low that it was almost impossible to hear him clearly, especially while in a car.

As you can probably tell this was not my favorite Dean Koontz book. I'll still keep reading Dean's work but hopefully it is better than this one.

Having just gotten into reading Koontz earlier this year, this is about my tenth book of his and I consider it one of the better. I listened to this one on audio during a holiday road trip. It's read by Dan John Miller and he does a decent job; he even does different voices for the characters which made it lively! I can honestly say I'd probably been more disappointed had I not listened to the audio version and had actually read the book. I'll explain why in the rest of my review.

Ever heard the old writer's expression, "Be careful or I'll put you in my next book!"? Relentless is Koontz's homage to authors receiving bad reviews, but in this case he sides with the reviewer taking out revenge when the author speaks up.

Relentless is the story of author Cullen (Cubby) Greenwich enjoying some success from his new book. He's married to a lovely wife named Penny. They have a child prodigy son named Milo, and a peculiar dog named Lassie. When Greenwich lands his first bad review from literary writer Shearman Waxx, his curiosity gets the best of him despite Penny's warnings to "let it go." When Cubby encounters Waxx in a public restroom during lunch and their odd meeting actually turns humorous, Waxx warns Greenwich of impending doom.

At first, it seems Waxx is a serial killer with intentions of killing off bad authors. He shows up at Greenwich's house and strange things start to happen. Just as things turn more serious, it seems Waxx almost has supernatural powers. A chase ensues as the family set out to escape Waxx and also uncover just what he's up to.

By the end, I was a bit let down. I actually wish Waxx's behavior would have had some supernatural elements to it, but Koontz let's him off the hook. The book does still have its peculiar happenings, but those are linked more to Milo and Lassie - which ended up being a pleasant surprise in the end. Koontz offers bits of humor in minor characters like Cubby's agent, Milo's babsitter, and Penny's parents - all which are presented cleverly in the audio when the dialogue is read by Miller.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read...I mean "listen." Definitely one of the more enjoyable and original reads from Koontz this year for me with good suspense and a dash of humor, despite the downfall of the ending.

This novel is strange, different, not at all what you are expecting but it's wonderful in ways that even I dont understand yet. I think so very often in this digital age we get overly saturated with every person's oppinion before experiencing the item in question, I try not to let them sway me and still have my own saying, wether it's good or bad, I want to have my own feeling on the item, especially when it's a book. After reading "Relentless" new impressions and conclusions are still popping into my head, like a good meal it's enjoyed even after the last crumb has been consumed. It's a furiously fast read in the beginning and it gets gooey and the eccentric ias it probes deeper, and the enigmatic character of Shearman Waxx adds a lot of excitiement to the whole ordeal. He's like a beast in horror movies, glimpess of terror here and there, the less is known and shown then scarier he is, in the end the truth comes out but even more quetions open up. I enjoyed this novel, it was a fun read, that's what books are about, the journey itself, we get to read the complex thoughts and scenratios that someone else's whole body created, their mind, soul and outlook on life are the pages itself with a plot which carries thier word out into the open world.

I dore books and reading, so this was a special treat, a book all about a writer and his aggrevating nemesis, the mean old reviewer who spews out and effluvia of insults and stabs, black words about his latest creation. I'm sure an angry reviewer can be any author's nightmare, the boogey man that shouldn't really matter but who stil manages to haunt and occpy some of their mind's time. This novel isnt' about constuctive criticism but about something deepr, a hungry need to eradicate something that Waxx doesnt like, and that something is the main protagonist, Cullen 'Cubby' Greenwich. His latest work gets a review so bad that the author of it not only rattles Cubby but turns his wholesome life upside down. An attack in the dark, in the middle of the night shakes the whole family and changes thier lives forever. They realise that Waxx is not as harmless as he seems, his words arent his only weapons, there are authors out there who lost their loved ones and the gossip says that Waxx was the one who did it...the man is unstoppable, mean, evil, and worst of all relentless..the battle begins, as insane as it seem it's as real as their wish to keep on living. Cubby, his wife Penny and son Milo are on a journey that will literally flip their world upside down. Elements of sci-fi, creepy horror and grotesque mutilations peak in and out, making this a rivteing read.

Koontz has beeen a staple on my bookshelves ever since I was twelve, and every time he churnes out a new book I get excited, one more to add, one more for my collection of delectable reads that keep me up at night and chase my thoughts during the day, reading is fantastic and he certainly adds to it. Some will love his new stuff and some won't, regarless his books are fun and exciting, with cool themes, and I especially love the supernatural element he often weaves through, you never know if the book has it or not, but it adds a bit of spice that I enjoy.

This review is dedicated to my friend Mark, a fellow wood pulp, ink and word lover, happy birthday buddy, keep on reading.

- Kasia S.

Being a big Koontz fan, i was pretty surprised to find that i almost hated his book. The dialogue, especially the son's, was pretty awful. The reason i give this book two stars instead of one was because the first 50 some pages were good and drew me into the story. That being said, the rest of the book just seemed like Koontz gave up, wrote it quickly, and put it out. I bought this book (hardcover) on clearance for 7 bucks at B$N, thank god. It isn't worth anything over that. I still love Koontz books, but this one was pretty bad.
I realized from the point of the "break in" incident (which is only about 15% into the book) that this book was bad, when the husband and wife are joking and the husband say's "that doesn't sound like the writer of purple bunny books" after someone BREAKS IN AND TASER'S THEM!
And please, don't even get me started on the ending. What i think happened was Koontz wrote himself into a corner, and instead of changing it, he just made some crappy ending instead. Might be the worst ending i've ever read.
I have read many books since then, and am still a huge huge koontz fan, but this book was caused me major frustration. Read "The Bad Place", "Life Expectancy", "Strange Highways", or "Lightning".....or anyting really besides this one.

A writer named Cullen Greenwich is happily married to another writer Penny. Both make a great living through their novels. And they have a son Milo, who is a computer nerd. And not to forget their dog Lassie.
But Cullen has an encounter with a critique, Shearman Waxx, who has written a bad review of his recent novel(the only bad review of the book in the media).
Soon enough a series of deadly incidences take place and Cullen's family is on the run from Shearman Waxx. I liked depiction of security measures taken by Penny's parents. Gore violence continues till the end. I'll not go into the details of the story further.
I loved this book and Koontz's writing style. He sticks to the good rules of craft. It was hard to find passive sentences. Active verbs fit in well. There is humor interspersed here and there, especially between the husband and wife dialogues which is hard to do in a suspense novel. Language flows smoothly. There are no long and boring paragraphs. Each chapter begins where it should begin and ends in a cliffhanger. But most readers will want a breathing space from continuing suspense and I would have better appreciated if the family had a few chapters during which thinking and interaction between characters goes on rather than just physical action.
For too long in the book we don't know what Milo was doing with his computer equipment and neither does Milo know. But when the science fiction stuff kicked in I lost interest.
While most of the book is an interesting read I was intrigued by the ending.

As a veteran Koontz follower, I feel qualified to state that I must disagree with many of the reviewers that preceded mine who claim that "Relentless" missed the mark. I think I was a little skeptical myself when I was about 40-50 pages into the book, but then realized that Koontz was writing this novel with tongue planted-firmly-in-cheek. The book is intended to be as much "farce" as "thriller" and succeeds for the most part. Koontz tells the tale of a semi-successful "mainstream" author who has gotten mostly good reviews of his books, but takes offense to a scathing panning of his most recent book by critic, Shearman Waxx. When our author/hero, Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, decides that he wants to address the review with the critic, he finds out that it's definitely the wrong move. Waxx, you see, is borderline psychotic and proceeds to make the lives of the Greenwich family a living hell. What follows is a whirlwind chase that will make the pages fly by.

From the critical side of the review, I must admit that the humor is a little over the top, the Greenwich's 6-year old son, Milo, a bit too brilliant to be believable, and the "bad guys" to preternatural for my liking. The pacing of the plot and characterization of the players in the book are just as solid as many of Koontz's better novels.

If you are new to Koontz, I would suggest starting with any of his early works, such as "Watchers", "Strangers", or "The Servants of Twilight", just to name a few, to really get an appreciation of his talent.

I absolutely adore Dean Koontz's books. Like many other reviewers, I have read much of what he has published.

Breathless, while being a decent read, falls short of what we know, love, and expect from Koontz. There were no twists, oddities, suspense, or intriguing moments and the book was thoroughly happy without bringing the reader any since of fear for the characters or the situations. Dean Koontz tends to bring the reader through spirals of anticipation and captivation, but there was none of that in this book. I love how Koontz typically hooks his readers into obsession with his writings, but Breathless did not follow this trend. This book feels rushed and is unsatisfying. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to believe that if I want any satisfaction, I'm going to have to start rereading his older books.

On a side note, I realize that Koontz writes canines into his books, typically giving them unnatural abilities, but in this book the dog was unnecessary. Having the dog in this book with the selected abilities makes me wonder if Koontz wrote this book at all. The dog seemed to be stuck in simply because there usually is a dog in Koontz's books, not so much because the dog added to the story. Idk, that along with the shabby ending and weak introduction of characters makes this book feel as if the writer rushed through it simply to meet a deadline. Sorry Koontz.

The only thing missing is God, but he did remember a couple of references before the end of the book.

What more is there to say. Koontz has a definite theme going in a number of his books. I've not been reading him in order, so I would love to go back and see how these themes have evolved.

I guess it is supposed to be science fiction or comedy? If so, he did a much better job of combining the two in Tick Tock. There was too much blood, murder and mayhem in this one to be very funny. I just don't find corpses laugh out loud funny.

One more point would someone please take the man's thesarus away?

BTW - Raise your hand if you thought about our favorite reviewer when Cubby pointed out Shearman Waxx used an incorrect character name from an early press release in his review.

I am a thoroughly disappointed Koontz fan. His early stuff was some of my favorite stuff to read. When I first started Relentless, I thought I was in for some classic Koontz. I am sad to say that was wishful thinking. I hate to do it, but I will quote Mr. Koontz's own character, "Hack". The story had too many holes. Too many unexplained occurrences, and too many "too little, too late" explanations that did not make sense. Koontz dabbled in too many plot ideas...secret societies, extreme survivalists, mysteriously gifted people...without ever expanding any of them. Koontz will always be one of my favorite authors, and I hope someday he returns to his roots and writes another thriller. I did not enjoy Relentless at all, and would not recommend it to anyone. If you want to read a Koontz book, check out Watchers, or Twilight Eyes.

Cullen aka Cubby and Penny Greenwich are a happily married couple who both just happen to be successful writers. The have a six year old son named Milo. He's not just a cute and funny little boy, he's also a genius. They're a contented young family with a pleasant lifestyle.

Shearman Waxx is a book reviewer who writes for an influential newspaper. Waxx is kind of a mystery man. No pictures are ever shown of him with his column, and he's rarely even seen in person. He's known for writing malicious reviews. He's ignored Cubby's books in the past, but this time he uses his poison pen to make some nasty comments about Cubby's newest book.

Cubby, with Milo in tow, visit a restaurant where they hear that Waxx may be dining. They have no intention of speaking to the man, just having a look at him since there are no photographs available. An unfortunate encounter takes place between the three people and Waxx reacts in a strange and vicious way. He then decides to take some awful vengeance on the Greenwich family.

I'm a big fan of Dean Koontz and his many books. He always supplies us with a great family dog and together with little Milo, they add some humor. However, I think this particular book hit a raw nerve with a lot of people because of the violence mentioned.

I am a thoroughly disappointed Koontz fan. His early stuff was some of my favorite stuff to read. When I first started Relentless, I thought I was in for some classic Koontz. I am sad to say that was wishful thinking. I hate to do it, but I will quote Mr. Koontz's own character, "Hack". The story had too many holes. Too many unexplained occurrences, and too many "too little, too late" explanations that did not make sense. Koontz dabbled in too many plot ideas...secret societies, extreme survivalists, mysteriously gifted people...without ever expanding any of them. Koontz will always be one of my favorite authors, and I hope someday he returns to his roots and writes another thriller. I did not enjoy Relentless at all, and would not recommend it to anyone. If you want to read a Koontz book, check out Watchers, or Twilight Eyes.

Cullen aka Cubby and Penny Greenwich are a happily married couple who both just happen to be successful writers. The have a six year old son named Milo. He's not just a cute and funny little boy, he's also a genius. They're a contented young family with a pleasant lifestyle.

Shearman Waxx is a book reviewer who writes for an influential newspaper. Waxx is kind of a mystery man. No pictures are ever shown of him with his column, and he's rarely even seen in person. He's known for writing malicious reviews. He's ignored Cubby's books in the past, but this time he uses his poison pen to make some nasty comments about Cubby's newest book.

Cubby, with Milo in tow, visit a restaurant where they hear that Waxx may be dining. They have no intention of speaking to the man, just having a look at him since there are no photographs available. An unfortunate encounter takes place between the three people and Waxx reacts in a strange and vicious way. He then decides to take some awful vengeance on the Greenwich family.

I'm a big fan of Dean Koontz and his many books. He always supplies us with a great family dog and together with little Milo, they add some humor. However, I think this particular book hit a raw nerve with a lot of people because of the violence mentioned.

Cubby Greenwich has had a charmed life so far. He married the most wonderful girl, and they have a loving 6-year-old child prodigy for a son. His books are bestsellers, and everything is great. Things changed the day Shearman Wax reviewed his book. Not only was it a poor review, but it was obvious that Mr. Wax hadn’t even read the book! Wax is a secretive man, and Cubby had to go online just to see what he looked like. When he was dining in his favorite restaurant, the restaurant’s owner told Cubby that Wax would be dining there for lunch the following day. It could not hurt just to inconspicuously take a peek at him, could it? Yes, it could. That’s when Cubby’s charmed life starts falling down around him!

This book has the perfect title. RELENTLESS. The tension just wouldn’t stop. It was almost hard to take. Koontz’s characters are always so real, so endearing, making the tension even more acute. So don’t pick up this book until you are ready for relentless danger.

Don't start reading this book unless you have time to finish it as it is hard to put down. From the second or third page I really got into it and sped through the story at a very fast pace because like I said it was full of suspense, but also because I liked the characters. They were much like Koontz's other characters, good people who get into a situation where they have to flee the bad guy, but they keep their optimistic and charming view of the world as well as their sense of humour. Of course there is a dog in the story, that is a trademark of a Koontz novel, and the main characters are kind and generous in spirit. Has he written this novel before? Yes, in fact he has, but I still liked it. If I were to read a bunch of his books back to back, I may feel differently, but I don't. I like Koontz's novels that have real life villians over science fiction induced villians, so that was a good point. There is a bit of science fiction thrown in as the dog, Lassie, teleports. That could have been left out in my opinion. Also the agency could have been explained and explored a bit more. The ending was a let down because of the boy, Milo's gifted invention that saved the day. I had hoped for more so I give it a 4 star review. Still a quick and enjoyable read.

On some levels this novel is phenomenal. As always, Dean Koontz is a gifted writer. His characters are quirky and interesting, yet believable. The son, Milo, is especially entertaining.

On other levels, though, Relentless, is rather disappointing. Without giving away too much of the story, there is a whole conspiracy element is that is barely addressed, almost like an afterthought or footnote. Up until the last few pages, I thought there was going to be a sequel, but it wrapped up like a lot of Stephen King novels. They just end. There is no fulfilling denouement, just a "we never really figured out" explanation.

This could have made a incredible trilogy with many "pulling away the layers of the onion" moments. Instead, it was a good novel with great characters but a rushed, haphazard ending. That being said, I did really enjoy Relentless and am glad I read it.

~Ken Baumbach, author of Mayageddon 2012 and The Heretics' Power

I really enjoyed this. I thought it was an original idea. What do you do when you find yourself and your family pursued by somebody, for no good reason and they are relentless in their pursuit, determined to destroy everything you love. They have done it to others, now you find yourself on the run, frantic and ill-equipped to survive something that has no logical basis for happening.

I had trouble putting this down, the action flows swiftly and the writing was good. The only part that I feel fell short was the end, it felt rushed, and perhaps a bit cobbled together by an idea that was only partially realized. It felt like there was something missing but up until that point, it was a great read.

Terrible. Terrible. I listened to this on a road trip. There's a lot of unnecessary babble and nonsense that I would have flipped through the pages if I had been reading the physical book. Through out the story there is this suspense that is built...and by the end...let's just say this was a dud and I was sad I wasted ten hours of my life listening to this. Sadly this is my introduction to Dean Koontz, and I now have little desire to read another one of his books.

Few Fiction Writers, as well as Movie Directors, master the Art of Storytelling; creating characters you feel as though you know, along with weaving the arc of intricacies with delicacies, all-the-while keeping your interest, page after page, scene after scene. Dean R. Koontz does this well, hardly wasting words and bridging the gap between reality, and make-believe.

In this thriller, he explores the life of an Author, and his wife (also an Author), and their extremely and weirdly gifted young child, creating a world outside of their peaceful humble existence that is wraught with sinister malevolence, and a danger that defies their imagination, and threatens their lives on a scale that is too complex to believe. This tale is an entertainingly quick read, allowing the Reader to get lost in the sudden happenstances that keep threatening with the turn of each page. What's really happening, and why? Will this family survive, or be lost in the throes of death by someone, or perhaps some-thing? Five Stars for an ending that is as enjoyable as the story itself... GBJ

When Cubby Greenwich receives a less than stellar review on his latest best-seller, he's curious to find out just a little bit about this reclusive critic and vows to just see how he looks and let it go. This triggers the horrors to which he must now try to escape with his wife Penny, his son Milo, and Milo's dog Lassie. A trigger that seems to have put this critic on a murderous rampage.
Cubby and his family are all likeable characters. Milo, a six year old genius, was a big mystery throughout the novel as was his barkless dog.
Though I've been a little diappointed in the last couple of Koontz novels, this one came in and re-established my zeal for his writing. I loved the suspense. I loved the witty dialogue from beginning to end. And I loved how it all came together.
There are still a couple unresolved issues which I hope to see in a follow-up.

From inside: "The innocent die, the wicked prosper. With a cunning ability to invert the truth, evil men claim to be noble, and people abandon reason, bow down to them, and accept all kinds of slavery."

I have just finished reading "Relentless", a book given to me as a gift. I have never read Dean Koontz before and am not familiar with him at all, so had no pre-conceived notions about him. I am very confused by what genre this novel was meant to be. Thriller? Satire? Drama? Really, I just don't know. For what it's worth, here are a few thoughts about the novel.

1. Absolutely no doubt about it, it's a page-turner. I read it in two nights, so it is very engaging. That doesn't mean it is good.

2. The names of the characters - Cubby Greenwich and Penny Boom? Shearman Waxx? Grimbald and Clotilda Boom? Terrible names, just awful. Character names are one of the main ways readers engage with characters. Giving the characters such stupid names interferes with that process.

3. Unbelievable characters - the main character, Cubby Greenwich, is a hugely successful author with numerous best-sellers under his belt by the tender age of 34. Likewise, his 33-year-old, totally hot, wildly capable, far too beautiful for this world wife is also a best-selling author/illustrator of children's books. The odds of two authors being married to each other and having so many best-sellers under their belts by such a young age would be astronomical, way off the scale. He should definitely have made these two characters older, that would have been more believable. As it is, they are too unbelievable to be true.

Now, to my main bugbear, Cubby's six-year-old son, Milo. Apparently, by the tender age of six, Milo has a better understanding of space and magnetic fields than Einstein and Isaac Newton combined ever did. So humungously intelligent is this child that he has invented a teleporting garment for the family dog and can turn ordinary glass salt-and-pepper shakers into devices that can alter the space-time continuum. Worst deus ex machina ever. Milo also has the vocabulary and wit of a person eight times his age. In short, this character is preposterous and hugely annoying. I would have preferred that he didn't exist at all.

4. Poor plot resolution - the initial plotline is fantastic; psychotic book reviewer decides to do away with offending author and his family. Loved the irony of it! However, the plot fell to pieces once the shadowy-government-operatives conspiracy theory was introduced into it. One of the most disappointing things for me was what Cubby and Penny did with Waxx after they captured him - nothing. They did not try and interrogate him or make him shed any light on his vendetta against them. They simply took him hostage and sedated him. After all the build-up about him, I was bitterly disappointed. The Zazu conspiracy to control culture over a number of decades is so ludicrous and out there that I am not even going to dignify such garbage plot devices with a comment. Suffice to say, I was left aghast and shocked by the books horrible, unsatisfying ending.

In Koontz's favour, I can tell he is a good, descriptive writer with an eye for banter, and quite a good sense of humour. I will now try and read some of his earlier work, but I must say that I am surprised this novel went to print with such terrible final chapters and resolution. Surely his editor and publisher were indulging him with this one. Two stars only from me.

I started out enjoying this book, though it appeared to be fluff. By the middle I was ready to hurl. The protagonist is such a syrupy sweet husband/father, his wife syrupy as well, his child so over-the-top precocious it brought to mind many couples I've dropped from my address book because I couldn't stand one more minute of them applauding their kid. By the end, I even wanted to send their dog for the "long ride" to the local pound.

But amazingly, by the end, I was in stitches. It occurred to me that the main character might just well be Dean Koontz himself. Sick and tired of his agent and/or publisher -- constantly demanding deadlines and publicity tours of its "cash cow". Maybe Koontz is under contract to produce, produce, produce? And feels like he is prostituting himself? So he phones this one in as a big "screw you" to the man?! There are just so many references to his agent/publisher, Hud, where Hud appears to be totally out-of-touch with his own business and/or with humanity altogether.

If this book was written as satire, it is brilliant. He pokes fun at agents, publishers, critics, and America's dumbed-down society in general. If that was his point in writing this book, it is brilliant.

And if not... well... Koontz needs find a new line of work, as well as a good therapist! I half expected this to be his very last book, as two of his characters -- one an artist, and one his main character, the writer, state that they should simply hold onto their art/writings -- to be shared with the world after they are pushing up daisies -- to thus avoid the critics. And it seems that all the world is a critic!

Another purely genius story from Koontz. I was barely able to pause long enough for a little sleep before having to pick it up again and finish. DK has been - and remains - the absolute best storyteller, period. {IMO}

Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich is a happy man. His sixth novel (One O'Clock Jump) has just been released and is bound to be another bestseller. He has a beautiful, intelligent wife named Penny, who loves him; a gifted six-year-old son, Milo; and a dog, Lassie. They live in a nice house, and their neighborhood is wonderful. What could possibly be wrong with that?

Nothing, until Cubby gets a bad review from one of the nation's leading book critics, Shearman Waxx. It's not just a bad review, it's a scathing one. Everyone tells him to ignore it, to "just let it go." Cubby intends to do that, but when he inadvertently finds out that Waxx will be having lunch the next day at a nearby restaurant, he can't resist the urge to be there just to get a glimpse of the man. Although he doesn't intend to make personal contact with the reviewer, an unexpected encounter brings the writer and the critic face-to-face in the men's room. Cubby's life is never the same after that.

First, Waxx breaks into Cubby's house. He doesn't steal anything, but leaves a photo of the happy family in the oven, which of course destroys the picture and sends an ominous message to Cubby and his loved ones. Believing their lives may be in danger, Cubby and his family make plans to leave the house temporarily. They pack suitcases with clothes and necessities with the idea they will depart the next morning. But when Cubby discovers what he believes is a bomb attached to the furnace, he urges his wife and son to flee immediately. They get out moments before their house explodes into a million pieces. The next few weeks are spent playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where the Greenwich family is pursued by Waxx and his group of lunatics bent on destroying him and other writers like him.

RELENTLESS features a number of eccentric characters. Goofy and lovable Cubby has a dark secret from his past. Penny is the creator of children's books and the daughter of survivalist parents who have built their own underground safe house just in case the world is taken over by terrorists. Milo is only six years old, but he is a mathematical and mechanical genius who is constantly tinkering with electronic gadgets and gizmos, one of which comes in very handy in the storyline. Lassie isn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill pooch, as you will discover. Waxx is not only a book critic, he is also a lunatic; so is his mother. Milo's babysitter is the widow of a former Marine and police officer, but according to the text, her husband "never won an arm-wrestling contest with her." And the list goes on.

Prolific novelist Dean Koontz brings this zany cast of characters together in this suspense thriller with a touch of science fiction and humor. Whether you're a longtime reader of Koontz or not, if you're looking for a sci-fi novel with a good storyline, this would be it. If you're looking for a book with humor and angst, this would be it. If you're looking for the perfectly crafted novel, with a totally believable plot, this might not be it, as some parts of the tale are a bit far-fetched and the ending is a tad weak. But, overall, this is a good story and worth the time it takes to read it.

--- Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin

The latest book by bestselling author Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich receives rave reviews from fans and critics except reviewer Shearman Waxx. Cubby is outraged by the so called "nation's premier literary critic" ripping his work because he doubts the man even read it as the review is loaded with factual errors about the story line. On a whim, he goes with his six year old son Milla to confront Waxx at a restaurant in Newport Beach, California. In the bathroom Cubby's son almost urinates on Waxx so the critic has one word to say to the writer: "Doom

Cubby soon sees Waxx has been in his house, disabling security system and cutting off electricity and the phone lines. Soon afterward the house explodes though the family gets out in time. Cubby receives a warning from another author whom claims Waxx killed his parents, wife and children over an unfair disputed review. In order to keep his family safe, Cubby must kill Waxx and those conspirators abetting the man's terrorist campaign especially the leader of this silent group of deadly operatives; however he only knows of Waxx.

Conspiracy buffs will enjoy Dean Koontz's exciting thriller even if the secret society does not ring true and Waxx's motives never fully surface. Milo in some ways steals the show with his "Inspector Gadget" gizmos that even his parents are awed by him and unsure what he will do next. He may be a prodigy, but he has vulnerabilities and fears. Fans of Mr. Koontz and those willing to accept an over the Sierra Mountains plot with an even higher over the stratosphere villain will enjoy RELENTLESS as Waxx and company leave a violent calling card.

Harriet Klausner

This book starts off interesting enough. I was really enjoying it when things started getting scary. But then, the story book began to unravel. Reality gets stretched beyond it's limits to the point that it is ridiculous. The pieces of the puzzle start coming together in the end but the pieces really don't fit. I was so disappointed 3/4 of the way through this book as I saw how little respect Dean Koontz has for his reader. It was as if this book was written without any concerns for the holes that were all over the plot. I would get into greater detail but I don't want to be a spoiler for anyone who might enjoy this rubbish.

I found "Relentless" completely engrossing. I picked it up in the morning and did not set it down until complete that evening. While I agree with other reviewers that the ending was somewhat unsatisfying from a closure perspective, I hope that it is with the intent for a sequel at some time in the future that provides answers to questions left hanging.

Unlike some other reviewers, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the dialog between the husband, wife, and child as well as the in-laws. I found it entertaining, perhaps a little bemusing, but lots of fun and a bit ironic - particularly during some of the nail-biting moments. I found Waxx a completely "hate-able" character - he made a good villain, reminiscent of a temperamental 5 year old. Miles was clearly more mature! The environments were well fleshed-out, and the pace was good.

Ironically I started reading this in an effort to cull some titles from my extremely overstuffed bookshelves. The ironic part is that I will be keeping this title to read again at some future point.

Dean Koontz is one of my favorite writers, but it's hard to deny that his more recent novels have lost a lot of their storytelling force.

RELENTLESS is essentially a tale that Koontz has told many times before. It involves a young family being chased by a psychopathic killer. Koontz reaches into his usual bag of tricks here: you have a cute dog, a precocious child, a sensitive husband with a tragic past, a tough-as-nails wife, eccentric but kind relatives, a government conspiracy, and a lot of witty dialogue that contains Koontz's not-so-subtle commentary on modern society.

All of this is entertaining enough, because Koontz is a solid writer and RELENTLESS is well paced. But other than some sharp satire about the book industry, there's nothing about this particular effort that stands out. Koontz is pretty much recycling themes and characters from earlier books here, and I felt like I was reading leftovers. This novel is also quite short and has an underdeveloped quality that has plagued much of Koontz's more recent work.

RELENTLESS is an okay read, but is not Koontz at his best or most original. If you're new to Koontz, my advice is to instead read WATCHERS or ODD THOMAS, which are far superior.

"Relentless" is another solid thriller from Dean Koontz. And WOW is it dark in comparison to some of his recently published novels. You would have to reach back to Koontz's earlier novels like "Whispers" or "Darkfall" to find a novel this dark in tone. Koontz gives us his usual protagonist, a successful author, Cubby Greenwich, living with a family in Southern California. This time the hero is one the run with his wife (another successful author), as well as thier genius 6-year old son. When a high profile book critic slams Cubby's latest novel, Cubby decides to find out more about the critic himself. Unfortunately, Shearman Waxx, the critic, may be more than just a mean spirited critic.
On the surface this sounds like another great Koontz thriller, and it is, but what sets "Relentless" apart from say "From the Corner of His Eye", "The Taking" or "Fear Nothing", is the cruelty of Koontz's antogonist this time around. There are some genuine dark passages found here. When Cubby begins investigating other author's who have also run afoul of Shearman Waxx, Koontz notches up the chills.
What is great about Koontz is that he does balance out the chills and thrills with some quirky dialog between characters, introduces us to the "Boom" family who are a lot of fun, and as usual "Relentless" features a canine hero as well.
"Relentless" is a solid summer novel, and will go great with some sunblock, a pool, and a mojito close at hand.

Bestselling author Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, having survived a traumatic experience as a child, considers himself a lucky man. He's married to the love of his life, has a six-year-old son who's a genius, and a dog named Lassie Cubby suspects may have supernatural abilities. When Cubby's latest novel is given a scorching review by acclaimed reviewer Shearman Waxx, everyone advises Cubby to let it go. But Cubby's curious about the man whose review is filled with misstated facts about his book. Cubby manages to lunch where the reviewer has a reservation, and from that point on, finds himself and his family targeted by Waxx, inexplicably intent on ending their lives. After researching Waxx and learning other authors and their families have met torturous demise at the hands of Waxx and his minions, Cubby and his family flee from a demented sociopath who is relentless in his efforts to find them.

Koontz excels at providing exciting thrillers involving wholesome, very likeable characters pursued by evil. This book is reminiscent of Koontz's earlier works, filled with breath-taking suspense and gripping scenes. Characterization is in-depth and revealing, and the plot fast-paced and intriguing.

The plot itself was so typically Koontz - suspenseful, exciting, and full of excellent details. One of my most favorite aspect of Koontz's writing is his character development. He really gets inside the heads of psychotic and damaged people. He even finds time to introduce us to the "good guys" in the stories. He makes the rounds. I like this.

However, this book started off with a fabulous idea. I felt like I was going to come to a great climax, to a stunning conclusion. That did not happen. The ending itself was tied up too fast, too quick. I felt like this story could have gone out with a boom, with a wonderful conclusion that would have left me speechless. No go. Did not happen.

All in all, I would say this is a read that is fun. This is a read that will entertain you. However, I would not expect much from the ending. It truly needs work.

*** Spoiler Warning ***

I've only read one other Koontz novel, "Odd Thomas," so I didn't get that sense of deja-vu some of the other reviewers mentioned. This one had me biting my nails all the way through, and I was aching to finish it just to end the suspense. It's as three-dimensional and as beautifully written as it is thrilling and, inevitably, grisly and flat-out shocking in some parts.

As the story progressed, it expanded from its basic premise of "psychotic book critic on a personal vendetta triggered by a chance encounter." I guessed early on that there must have been additional people involved, since Waxx kept finding Cubby & co. so fast and had such surprising resources as a taser and night-vision equipment, and apparently was an expert sniper to boot. Besides the fact that he never seemed too concerned about getting arrested.

The premise at the end stretches credibility too far. I mean, a mob of sadists torturing and murdering people with the full approval & funding of the U.S. government, just for writing politically incorrect novels? It made me wonder who was in office.

No matter. This is the rare novel that held my attention in an iron grip and blew me away. When I grow up, I want to be as masterful a storyteller as Dean Koontz!

At first this book seems really promising with an author falling afoul of a pretentious critic and then discovering the man is a deranged serial killer who kills authors he doesn't approve of. OK so Koontz is obviously getting imaginary revenge on critics who panned him but that could still have been a good premise. Do not be deceived for this book will go seriously off the rails halfway through as Koontz throws any kind of plausibility to the breeze in the service of a Popperian ideological message about how intellectuals are destroying civilization with their admiration of Rousseau and other "romantic" authors and thinkers and finishes it off with a rather arbitrary deus ex machina.

Relentless, Dean Koontz latest thriller is sure to please both old and new readers. Full of drama, suspense, great characterization, with an intelligent plot; Relentless will spring the reader into a world they'll be glad is only a make believe one.

A successful author, Cullen (Cubby) Greenwich has all the ingredients of an idyllic life: great wife, Penny, also an author and illustrator of children's literature; a precocious son, Mila (aka Spooky) and a family dog, named Lassie. Idyllic at least for now!

When Cubby's latest novel is slammed ("He gutted me.") by Shearman Waxx, a powerful book critic, he just can't let it go, despite the advice of those around him. Learning where Waxx eats lunch, Cubby convinces himself that he'll just sneak in for a private peak at the man who has bruised his ego and perhaps might have flattened his wallet a little. Just a peak...no harm, no foul. Well, the best laid plans........ Taking his son with him, Cubby eventually has an unplanned encounter with Shearman in the men's room and his life of quiet ease is gone and terror takes over. Shearman isn't satisfied with leaving things as they are and eventually makes his way to Cubby's home. He brings a taser, and explosives and manages to send the happy family scrambling. What follows is a story filled with suspense, drama, a little science fiction, and....... Read the book.

Relentless is the latest in a long line of suspense filled novels. I agree with those that feel Relentless is reminiscent of Koontz's earlier works, especially The Watchers. Whether you're an old fan or new to Koontz's work, Relentless will be a worthwhile read.

Is there another Odd story out there?

I highly recommend.