Book Review: Intensity by Dean Koontz

Intensity by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dean Koontz is one of my recent favorite writers. He is the only writer that I love and admire in the psychological/horror thrillers.

He himself has mentioned that intensity was one of his best works, so I had to read it.

He was not wrong, the book is a benchmark for suspense thrillers. Absolute rendition of psycho-thriller with just two main characters and a usual plot, but considerable dedication into the character developments.

Chyna Shepherd, the protagonist was one of the best creations I have read and also a wonderfully convincing portrayal.

Edgler Foreman Vess, the antagonist, was unlike all the other psychopaths who used to have some form of a flashback in their past where they would have started to derail into this killing machinery. But, Vess was a different being. He’s a pure psycho who loves to kill just because he can and he wants to. No past trauma, no trigger points. Immaculately well-written character.

Now, the plot, a vulnerable and aversive protagonist vs a formidable and psychopathic antagonist.

From the very first page, the plot started burning through my fingers. It was all too good and ultimately suspenseful. Templeton’s house sequences could easily be the best suspenseful read where the readers are left hanging at every page.

When the flow of the plot turned the other way – when Vess knows about Chyna and she doesn’t know that he knows. Then the lion’s territory – My God! I could swear I was sweating during their face-off. The story moved at a definite pace of suspense.

Chyna’s escape plan and severely challenging maneuvers was mind-numbing. Ariel’s lost character was justifiable and the end of “holding on to hope” drove home the intended point.



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Book Review: The cabinet of curiosities by Preston & Child

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ever since I read Relic, the duo writers of pendergast series excited me. After reasearch for this year’s new reading collections, I found this one. The gist was pretty unique and catchy.

The cabinet of curiosities is a wonderful and riveting read!

The first half of the book was filled with so much suspense and dreadful thrill that it gave me chills down the spines whenever the unknown assailant comes into picture.

Other than the actual plot and the flow, rest all were pretty ok to decent form of work. The character portrayal of Pendergast was unimpressive – his ubiquitous presence and omniscience vanish after first half. Why the Sherlock vibes?

Nora and Bill were ok too. I loved the sergeant Patrick.

The second half was like a rambling medical drama interspersed with a psychopathic killer element.

The revelation of the killer and a slight twist were pretty unconvincing compared to weight of the theme in which the plot traversed.

Having written an apocalyptic thriller novella myself, I can say the motive behind such drastic themes are often not that interesting or justifiable. So, here also it was the same.

A good read overall. Kind of a page turner.



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Book Review: Camino Winds by John Grisham

Camino Winds by John Grisham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The sequel to Camino Island with a murder mystery plot, one would think of it as an interesting and intriguing ride. I thought so too, based on the plot gist on the back of the cover. But, boy, was I wrong!

Similar to the first book, the character development in this book is so poor that you tend to not like even the main characters after traveling so far with them. The hurricane Leo hitting the island and the murder of Nelson was already known to us. So, the next steps that ensued following the murder aftermath – the investigation, suspense, the scares, etc. But, no taste of suspense or thrill from this book in its entirety.

The entire first half turned out to be a lazy stretch of plot setting, with the characters not at all bothered with the murder, as if it held no significance to the story. Maybe the author wanted to give a sense of reality to the story where nobody actually cares much about another’s life – but it didn’t pan out well.

Bruce Cable then starts off his own investigation style after reading the novel of Nelson, and the story jumps off to a whole new genre of Medical scam, maybe to enhance the element of suspense, but it was not that interesting as well – the fictional drug and its use in advanced dementia patients and the huge lumps of money involved.

As the book is drawing near its end, all pieces of the so-called puzzle seem to assemble on its own, involving contract killers, FBIs – with none of the main characters playing a serious role. The revelations were all well predictable and all too easy for a novel, you can’t actually categorize this one to be a thriller.

I would not touch another Grisham for a long long time – is what I feel from the Camino Winds.



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Book Review: City of Endless Night by Preston and Child

City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Preston and Child are brilliant authors whose theme setting for a novel deeply inspires me and instills thrill inside me. City of Endless Night was an amazing crime investigation thriller with proper case of murders being chased down by Agent Pendergast.

The initial part involving the secret murders were very neatly done, highly sophisticated and suspenseful. The literary piece was also good.

However, the characters were not inspiring or engaging enough. And, after the revelation of the killer and the final confrontation, it all seemed very farfetched and unrealistic. It didn’t hold well with me. Several other characters were basically useless in the storyline.

The intricate details of the case investigation and press reporting were captivating and that’s all there is to this book.



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Book Review: Misery by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my second book of Stephen King. The gist on the back cover of the book made go and buy this book – a psychopathic fan and an accident victim writer. Whoa! That’s some heavily suspense building theme setup.

The excruciating details of the characters traveling alongside each other made this book an interesting suspense read. Paul Sheldon, the author, now with both the legs useless and trapped with a psychotic fan of his, Annie Wilkes who seem to not take well the fact that he had just killed off the main protagonist of his bestselling novels – Misery Chastain.

Now, Paul has to resurrect her in order to stay alive. Annie who used to be a nurse has a stash of drugs and things with which she tries to force Paul’s body to heal at the same time, his mind to write a new Misery novel, solely for herself.

Paul’s attempt at writing the story, coping with pain, becoming unstable while the Goddess Annie seem to be in control throughout the book. How she treats him and how he reacts pretty much sums up the novel.

The story of Misery’s resurrection seemed fascinating, other than that, it seemed be lost on the minds of the reader.

I would say that I loved this theme and overall gruesome details. I would rate this above ‘The Shining’ which most people tend to think as a King’s masterpiece.



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