Dean Koontz' False Memory tells a not-so-simple story of fear. Martie Rhodes takes care of her best friend, Susan, by taking her to a psychiatrist once a week. Susan has developed a strong case of agoraphobia, deathly afraid of leaving her home. One day, though, Martie develops her own fear, autophobia. She becomes intensely afraid of herself, of what she might be capable of committing. Together with her husband, Dusty, the two struggle frantically to discover the source of the fear. What ensues is a carefully constructed thriller as the two uncover deadly plots and games.

Fans of Dean Koontz will enjoy this typical thriller with a deep meaning. Those who enjoy thrillers or horror will probably also enjoy this one.

What I liked most about this novel is what I tend to enjoy about Koontz and his novels. He presents a variety of characters whose live end up having deep, meaningful connections. Again and again he explores the adage, "All things happen for a reason."

Though I like what Koontz does with each of his novels, they're starting to feel routine to me. Although this one had me guessing up until the end, its ending wasn't all that much of a surprise at the same time. It still felt typical of Koontz' work. Perhaps I'm just reading too much of his work all at once.

I've read some criticism that the first few hundred pages seemed boring to some readers. As a person who has felt anxiety and fear, I found the first section of the novel very intense and "real." It explores the horror of uncontrollable anxiety in a very real way, and if you've felt those feelings at all, you'll identify with Martie's plight. The scenes do get a little repetitive as she deals with her anxiety, but I think those scenes were necessary at the same time.

Dean Koontz is a very prolific writer whose work has evolved from simple horror to intense, meaningful thrillers. He tends to infuse a sense of philosophy and life's deeper purpose into his plots. That feeling is prevalent in this work, too. False Memory presents a host of characters whose lives are intricately connected and it is these connections which push the plot of the novel.

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Created Apr 24, 2009 at 7:38pm • Submit your own review...