Dean Koontz is an amazing stylist when it comes to writing novels. I enjoy the way he puts words together and the energy of his pacing. When it comes to dialogue, he’s got a definite ear for the way people speak. He’s been in the writing business for a long time, and his passion is always clear. Primarily, he’s been lately known for his thrillers, but those readers also embrace his “feel good” novels.
For these kinds of books, Koontz usually plays his characters as innocents caught up in a macabre web involving criminals and heavy-handed bureaucrats with sinister agendas. That’s what Koontz was going for it in his latest book, Breathless, but somewhere along the way he dropped the ball.
Oh, there are innocents aplenty. The book opens with Grady Adams, a small time furniture maker living life at a slow pace with his wonder dog, Merlin. I actually thought the opening was very reminiscent to the opening pages of an earlier Koontz book, Watchers. Even the creepy noises and things that happened out in the forest seemed to echo that book.
Then there is Camille Rivers, the local veterinarian who has basically pledged her life to the protection of animals. Other than her medical practice, Cammie seems to have no life. Sadly, that really comes across in these pages as well.
The two main characters, our heroes, seemed to be shadows of Koontz’s normal characters. They never quite came to life for me in the novel. There were bits and flashes that were really done well, but the book just bounced around too much for them to take hold. I really believed Grady was going to be our go-to guy for this novel, but it was like he got edged out by Cammie, who ultimately didn’t do much at all.
I can’t say that this is a suspense novel in the truest sense. There was no chase, no sense of impending doom, no ticking clock. Curiosity propelled me through the pages more than anything else. I wanted to find out more about Puzzle and Riddle, two amazing animals that showed up in the pages. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out as well as I’d have liked either. Koontz raised a lot of questions with his story, which is what writers are supposed to do, but he never got around to answering them.
Article comments
1 - Chris Bancells
It's always a drag when authors give a great a idea the short end of the stick. Thanks for the review, Mel.
2 - Joyce
Yes, and that's why I'm wondering if there isn't another book coming out about this. I just finished Relentless (great!) & King's "Under the Dome" (great!) and was surprised to see another Koontz book this year. I feel like you do, that some great characters needed more development -- and others were "way out there" not really developed . .. There must be another one about Puzzle & Riddle coming up. I really hope so! Thanks for the review -- thought it was just me!
3 - Kevin H
I agree with your comments. I was actually very disappointed with this book in comparison to his other stories. The new option for origins of species and it's intersect with chaos theory was poorly described. While the humanoid furballs Puzzle and Riddle piqued much interest, the author's promise of them changing the world basically went unexplained to my satisfaction. Also, as you mentioned, the characters did not intersect in a meaningful way as many Koontz ensembles do, and in general the book left you just wanting some of the posed questions answered.
4 - Ron B
I just finished the book, and while I would have liked more character development, I had no trouble -- eventually -- seeing how the main players related to one another. Their seeming separation and random relationships are part of the chaos theory that Lamar was trying to explain. Beneath the layer of order you find chaos, and beneath chaos you find another order. Koontz has "fate" moving characters forward to specific ends. True, it wasn't tied up in a bow at the end. Some threads were left dangling. The murderous attorney and his next client, for example. Tom prevents the rape and murder of the attorney's wife, and he was in position to do that because he was changed by seeing the emergence of a pair like Puzzle and Riddle. Henry, Jim's evil twin, is the aide to the senator whose malfeasance caused the death of Grady's friend and Lamar's step-son. The idea Koontz was working with was that the emergence of these new creatures brought about change in humans. He's a believer in cosmic justice, whether from God or whatever power. I agree not all loose ends were neatly tied up. But I wasn't disappointed, either.
5 - Anna
I just finished reading 'Breathless'. Unlike many of Koontz's other novels, this story felt 'unfinished'. There were too many layers and they were not very well explored. The end arrived too early and I felt that the story was rushed. There was not alot of explanation about the lives of the main characters and what made them tick......a very basic novel in terms of excitement and to be honest it is not one of his best. Having said that, the idea of Puzzle and Riddle was fantastic, but the forces of the cosmos and God could have been better explored.
6 - Beth
After finishing this book, I told my husband it was strange. The Liddon Wallace character seemed unnecessary, as Tom was going to end up at Kirstens house anyway. And his odd experience in the woods was a singular moment no other character experienced. Why was Swithen Marlowe even introduced? Henry's story line was all over the place; he was an evil crazy man, but why did he want to hide away for a year, and what did the government have to do with it? I too liked the Puzzle & Riddle characters, and I agree the end was rushed and not tied up.