Mr. Murder: A Thriller

A truly marvelous work by Dean koontz,although i have read only 3 books in the past by this author(intensity,funhouse and i think shadows it was called)This book i liked because of several reason for one it reminds me of a book i read by stephen king called the "The Dark half"in where an authors creation comes to life an stalks the author's family,even though this book had a more dramatic nature to it .I still loved it,i love the children characters so brite and yet so innocent at thier age ,and the killers character was awesome deankoontz goes in to the deep pyshce of the man and explains it in the book realistically.which made me understand the man's hunger and desperate yearning for a meaning in life and purpose.The killer obssesion with marty family and to disipline his children to obey him. truly a splendid novel.The only fault i had with the books was the killer remarkable recovery when being shot with several diffrent guns at diffrent times,also the uni! maginable high metabolism of the killer.The part which i can call the "fakest"is the first encounter with marty stillwater and the killer and the killer takes 2 bullets to the chest and finds the energy to fight with marty stillwater in which resulting him to fall some 20 feet to the ground on his back,( i thought he had broken his back at this time) finds the power to escape the house before authorites arrive to get in the stolen car drive to Mc donalds (according to the author feed his healing procces)and after devouring all foods desperatley,takes his finger and probes in his chest where the bullet wounds where left and take the bullets lodged in, out of his body!.Then totally recover by himself without medical attention in 2 days time.nevertheless this book is ver griping and the hooror factor on it is is very high!!

Didn't King write something along these lines; very similar? The Dark Half?
This novel was decent, but not usual DK standards. It had trademark characters, smooth story, but it bogged down at times. I can't put my finger on it really, the story just didn't interest me too much!!
Still it is better than a lot of stuff out there called "horror fiction." Koontz has more writing talent in his pinkie than a lot of other horror scribe's whole bodies. Maybe it's because Koontz has paid his dues and learned his trade.
Not a must read at all, but worth a look if found in an independent bookstore, garage sale, etc!!

Mr. Murder was a well-written piece of literature. Dean Koontz has written many impressive novels. This is what I have come to expect from him.
All the characters in the novel have great depth. Each person has a different personality. Koontz joins these in with the plot to make the book hard to put down. When Marty Stillwater and his family are running away from his super -human clone, you really get to know the characters well. You feel as if you are part of the story line.
The plot starts very simply and then thickens throughout the book. Marty Stillwater and his family are living a peaceful life until a super-human clone of Marty chases tham and acuses them of stealing his life. It builds and builds until the last confrontation between the good and the evil. Then at the very end, the detailed and intricate plot takes one last twist and leaves the reader stunned. As always Koontz somehow finds a way to pull the characters into the plot leaving the reader in amazement.
Koontz also does a good job of switching from one character's point of view to another in each chapter. I like to see what the protagonist is thinking while at the same time knowing what the antagonist has in store for the rest of the characters.
Sole Survivor, which is another book written by Dean Koontz, has the same great qualities as Mr. Murder. He takes people from totally different backgrounds and ties them in with each other in the slightest way to make a big difference in the outcome of the book. He has a quality of writing that makes the reader always want to read more but keeps them guessing as to what will happen next.
The extraordinary plots in these books made them hard to put down. I couldn't go a day without reading a chapter or two from each of these books.
Koontz always writes perfectly and is knowledgeable about all the different things he writes about. Whether the book is about the medical field or weaponry, Koontz describes the area without a mistake. He has no faults when he writes a book.
Mr. Murder could be considered a science fiction novel or a horror. Most of his books include both of these types of literature. They are all very exciting and could be considered edge of your seat thrillers.
I think that Dean Koontz has written many books that could be labeled as classics. Mr. Murder is one of them. He will be remembered as one of the greatest writers of all time.

"Mr. Murder" was without doubt a twist of the imagination on Dean Koontz's part. Throughout the entire book, up until the end, I was lost in a midst of confusion. However, the pieces of the puzzle gradually came together and everything began to finally make sense. If it hadn't been for the chilling suspense that hooked me from the start I wouldn't have kept on reading. The author's vivid imagination, shown through his gruesome detail, tantalized my thirst for suspense. I loved the moments where it felt as if I was the main character, Martin Stillwater, being chased down like a hunted animal, fearing not only for my life, but my wife and daughter's as well. This book got my heart pounding so hard it felt as if it was about to come up my throat. It's like a rush you get when you ride a roller coaster, without the long lines. However, the only downfall to the book was how it felt as if it was going in circles and the events seemed to be repeating themselves. Similar to Dean Koontz's other novels, this one can get a little confusing at times, but when you finally get what's going on, it makes the reading worth your while. I'd definitely recommend this book to any Dean Koontz fans, and if you're not already one, this is a great book to have your first taste of excitement and suspense.

Dean Koontz is the master of suspense and the King of creating Alter-ego type characters. Koontz doesn't sugarcoat his plots with amazing escapes and death-defying stunts by your average citizen......some people live and...some people die; just like real life. The story is told in two point of views and I think that lends a greater insight into what the counterparts are scheming and plotting throughout the book. A great read, easy to comprehend, and overall satisfying and novel's end. I highly recommend this book along with every other title by Koontz.

Mr. Koontz seemingly casts himself in the leading role for this thrilling novel. Martin Stillwater, a thrill/mystery writer, must have a lot in common with his Creator and part of the fun of this story is to get a glimpse at how Mr. Koontz might actually be in real life.

The rest of the fun comes from a fast-moving plot and enjoyable characters that once again capture the reader's imagination and hold it hostage for 400 pages.

I certainly could see a review going either way for this book. As I read the beginning chapters, the development of the characters was very slow, and I was drawn in to keep reading, only because I kept feeling like something was missing. I was waiting for some huge revelation... but it never came.
I loved the characters. They felt like real people, and Koontz allows us to follow each and every one of them. Their POVs, their thoughts, their reactions all feel very real.
The plot, while a bit eccentric, is somewhat believable... up until the end. It all wraps up a tad too neatly for my tastes.
However, the writing style and language certain make this book an easy and entertaining read.

I really don't know what book the other reviewers were reading! Nail biting? Page turning? No way. This book was 482 pages of dragged out, over-descriptive prose. It seems that Koontz came up with a great idea for a 1500 word short story, but decided to stretch it out into a novel by padding the story with useless filler and describing EVERY useless event in minute detail.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no philistine. I love the works of Doyle and Poe - their descriptive prose and talent for detailing the environment in which their characters find themselves can be like 'literary chocolate'. It's wonderful to read and visualize.

Koontz, on the other hand, doesn't have this flair. So instead, we endure page after page of irrelevance. I don't care how many laces are in the guy's boots. I don't care about the formation of the clouds (which happens frequently) and I certainly don't care about the intricate driving directions that he provides whenever a character is on a car journey. These sections often read like a Yahoo Map: "He took a left turn at Water Street and continued for ten kilometers to a junction, where he proceeded to take a right and drive five kilomters down Jones Road. Then he followed the signs till....")

Perhaps I've been spoiled by the fast pace of James Patterson, Thomas Harris and Jack Higgins. But when I pick up a crime thriller, I expect some fast pace, steady plotting, and perhaps a few twists and turns. Koontz didn't provide any. This is the first book in a long time that didn't leave me saying "Just one more chapter..." before turning out the ligth.

As well as the story being a predictable plodder, the characters are extremely dull. The Stillwaters are a little too "perfect", and I am curious to know if Koontz has any experience with children. His little girls in "Mr Murder" are ludicrous...using words that most adults would need to seek in a thesaurus, voluntarily washing the dishes and contemplating philosophy with each other. Not bad going for a ten year old.

It may sound like I'm nitpicking, but you'll see what I mean. They soon begin to irritate you. When you want start hoping thatthe ending of the book will be "the building exploded and they all died painfully...good guys, bad guys, everyone", you know you havn't made a successful connection to the book.

I won't be reading Dean again.

I love Dean Koontz and his creative imagination can sometimes border on "What if?" Even though this book is a few years old, I'm re-discovering some of his older novels. Mr. Koontz, keep up the good work and the ultimate goal of good winning over evil.

Koontz has written a good thriller with science fiction and fantasy aspects in it. My son gave it to me along with a number of other Koontz titles, but this is the first one I have read that was good front to back.

This book, ghost written for Nathan Fillian by Dean Koonz, is a great how-to manual about writing the perfect murder mystery. Look for cameos from Angela Lansbury, Wil Wheaton, Scooby and Shaggy, and the offensive line of the 1976 Raiders. I found this book to be insanely readable and loved the free bookmark (it told the name of the store I purchased this and the cost). This book is as entertaining as "Mad Libs" yet philosophically deep as the Koran.
Highly recommended.

Once again, Koontz comes up with narrow goodies and one of the more boring baddies. I did NOT like the bit where Alfie kills the girls pets (O hate cruelty to animals), but the end put a smile on my face, proving that some people aren't all bad.

Mr Murder is one of Koontz best. Imagine a peacefully family being hunted of a murderer who looks exactly like the husband in the family. The Stillwaters must flee from an enemy who's very dangerous while two criminals hunts them all... read it!

Upfront, I'm not a murder-mystery novel maven. But, this book I really enjoyed. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when my paperback edition got soaked by rain because I accidently left it outside overnight, I dried Mr. Murder out in the oven in order to finish it.

DEAN KOONTZ'S BOOKS START OUT SLOW AND CONFUSING, BUT BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE MIDDLE, IT GETS YOUR HEART POUNDING. DEAN KOONTZ BACKFLASHES THROUGH THE WHOLE BOOK AND SOMETIMES I HAD TO READ EACH CHAPTER 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY REALIZED WHAT WAS GOING ON.

I got this book from my husband for Christmas. I have read most of all Dean Koontz's books, and I have to say that after Intensity, it's prob my second Favorite. I would give this book 5 stars!

Great work Mr. Koontz!

Carrie-NH

This has to be my favorite Koontz creation. With true-to-life characters aligned with the realization that in this day and age, anything's possible... this masterpiece is sure to have it's readers spell-bound, unnerved, and on the edge of their seats.

Koontz always gets things going, and never lets go. This is the case here. The descriptions and not "too" far fictional characters often keep my pondering if this type of sick character could be real some day or present day.

Mr. Murder is yet another masterpiece by Dean Koontz, presenting a dark, mysterious, emotional, frightening and thought provoking story that will chill readers to the core.

The book focuses on a mystery writer named Marty Stillwater who has a wife and two young daughters, and he begins to act strangely and suffer from blackouts without any apparent cause and begins to come under fire from a magazine that paints him in a negative spotlight. We also follow another man who looks exactly like Marty and claims to actually be him and begins to track Marty down and tries to inflict harm on him.

I won't give the rest away but I will say this is Dean Koontz at his best, keeping the reader guessing and written so good that you can't put the book aside until you finish it, very highly recommendable to all readers.