Fourteen of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list (One Door Away From Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor,The Husband, Odd Hours, Relentless, What the Night Knows, and 77 Shadow Street), making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback. His books have also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden.
The New York Times has called his writing “psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune said Koontz is, “at times lyrical without ever being naive or romantic. [He creates] a grotesque world, much like that of Flannery O’Conner or Walker Percy … scary, worthwhile reading.” Rolling Stone has hailed him as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.”
Dean Koontz was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University), and his first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where he was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. His first day on the job, he discovered that the previous occupier of his position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and Koontz was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. He wrote nights and weekends, which he continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: “I’ll support you for five years,” she said, “and if you can’t make it as a writer in that time, you’ll never make it.” By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband’s writing career.
Dean Koontz lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.
Keep up with Dean online at his Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
The Neighbor
The year is 1967. Malcolm Pomerantz is twelve, geeky and socially awkward, while his seriously bright sister, Amalia, is spirited and beautiful. Each is the other’s best friend, united by a boundless interest in the world beyond their dysfunctional parents’ unhappy home. But even the troubled Pomerantz household will seem to be a haven compared to the house next door, after an enigmatic and very secretive new neighbor takes up residence in the darkest hours of the night.
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls
What a great little teaser into the world of The City (coming 7/1).
In true Dean Koontz fashion, The Neighbor is a beautifully written glimpse into some of the characters and the world that will make up The City and will make the reader want the full length book immediately.
Written in first person from Malcolm's point of view, it outlines a preternaturally charged event between him and his sister, and the neighborhood ghost. It was chilling, gripping, and emotionally charged. And honestly, it was chilling more for the fact of the evil that exists within human nature that was explored, than for the supernatural elements that were introduced.
This was a quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what Dean has in store for us fans in The City. It seems like it'll be different than anything he's written, and I, as a diehard fan, look forward to that with each new Dean Koontz book I pick up and am amazed every single time that he can continue to do it. I always know it's going to be a unique and precious gift from the mind of a true master. :)
The Neighbor
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