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77 Shadow Street [Hardcover]

Dean Koontz
2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (593 customer reviews)


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Book Description

December 27, 2011
I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton's history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .
 
The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of  madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.
 
But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge  into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.
 
Dean Koontz transcends all expectations as he takes readers on a gripping journey to a place where nightmare visions become real—and where a group of singular individuals hold the key to humanity’s destiny. Welcome to 77 Shadow Street.


Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR DEAN KOONTZ

“One of the master storytellers of this or any age.”—The Tampa Tribune
 
“Koontz writes first-rate suspense, scary and stylish.”—Los Angeles Times
 
 “A rarity among bestselling writers, Koontz continues to pursue new ways of telling stories, never content with repeating himself. He writes of hope and love in the midst of evil in profoundly inspiring and moving ways.”—Chicago Sun-Times
 
“A master at spinning dark tales . . . Koontz knows how to dial up the terror.”—Associated Press
 
“Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition [and] demonstrating that the real horror of life is found not in monsters, but within the human psyche.”—USA Today
 
“Koontz . . . is a master storyteller and a daring writer. . . . He gives readers bright hope in a dark world.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Dean Koontz . . . has the power to scare the daylights out of us.”—People
 
“Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler.”—The Times (London)

About the Author

Dean Koontz, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 451 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (December 27, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9780553807714
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553807714
  • ASIN: 0553807714
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.5 x 9.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (593 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania where I graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University). When I was a senior in college, I won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and have been writing ever since. My first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where I was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. During my first day on the job, I discovered that the previous occupier of my 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 I was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. I wrote nights and weekends, which I 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, my wife, Gerda, made me an offer I 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 my writing career. Gerda and I, along with our dog, Trixie, live in southern California.

Customer Reviews

I am an avid fan of Dean Koontz but this book is truly one of the worst novels. Lorraine  |  144 reviewers made a similar statement
Story had too many characters, very confusing plot, and way too long!! sharon thomas  |  196 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
203 of 207 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading -- but not among Koontz's best December 27, 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dean Koontz's 77 SHADOW STREET is not an easy book to describe. On the one hand, it's a fairly familiar haunted house tale in which generations of residents at a posh Victorian mansion are sucked into a terrible nightmare. On the other hand, it's Koontz's little jab at the modern world, which he sees as disintegrating around us, leaving us unprepared to combat the ultimate forces of evil. The house itself, once called Belle Vista and now the Pendleton, happens to have been constructed on something Koontz calls a "space-time trapdoor," which opens every 38 years to suck in the hapless people unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. This can be scary, if a bit derivative (you'll be reminded of THE SHINING, 1408, THE MIST, and even the TV series AMERICAN HORROR STORY). There's an evil presence called "One" (who wants ultimate dominion), and another called "Witness" (who will help him achieve it). There are creepy creatures galore, and a few really grotesque happenings. But somehow the novel didn't work for me.

The biggest problem with 77 SHADOW STREET is the way Koontz tells his story. There is a huge cast of characters, which are introduced slowly over the first half of the book through a series of vignettes told from differing perspectives. At first it's difficult to keep track of all of them; it's also difficult to get very attached to any of them.
... Read more ›
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88 of 92 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Wow...where do I begin? December 30, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I WANT to like books that I buy. I realize that it takes authors a great deal of time and effort to bring a book to fruition, and I feel horrible when I leave a negative review. Unfortunately, I'm about to feel horrible.

I've been a faithful Koontz fan for ages...Odd Thomas is one of my all-time favorite characters. And having read Dean Koontz for so long, I've come to think of his books ("Odd Thomas" and "Frankenstein" aside -- those are special) along the lines of, "If you've read one, you've read them all." He thinks of so many different ways to tell "good versus evil" stories, that even though the premise was the same in most of his books, they were still entertaining. However, not only was this book not, "Odd Thomas" or "Frankenstein," but it was also not like anything else I've ever read by this author. In fact, as I was reading this book, I wondered if Dean Koontz actually wrote it (the plethora of incomplete sentences was a big, unwelcome surprise).

The plot was far more science-fiction than horror or thriller. The storyline was weird. The suspense was lukewarm. Character development was pretty much nil. The ending was anticlimactic. I'm sorry to say that much of this book was REDUNDANT and BORING; I eventually got to the point where I just wanted to get reading it over with. It was during this time that I read only the first sentence of each paragraph for many of the chapters, and guess what? I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.

I guess the only part of this book that I actually did like was the advertisement for the new Odd Thomas book at the end.
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85 of 91 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Infuriatingly descriptive December 30, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Someone used the word "plodding" to describe this novel. That's one way to put it. Koontz has always been given to overuse of description, but this book was a nightmare. If little dialogue and action with lots of description is your thing, this is the book for you. If you hate getting bogged down in details of how something looks or pulsates or sounds, etc., where every paragraph is a challenge to your patience, steer clear and wait for the next Odd Thomas.
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Who wrote this? It surely couldn't be Dean Koontz!! January 12, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a huge fan of Dean Koontz, I could scarcely contain my anticipation while waiting for the release of his latest offering. I was looking forward to a heart-racing romp through the unknown with one of my favorite authors, so I cleared the decks of all book-interfering obligations, poured myself a glass of my favorite beverage, and settled in for a good read. I doggedly kept at it thinking "77" must just be a slow starter or that my mood wasn't right, but after all is said and done, this is one of the worst books I've read in a very long time.

I don't normally write reviews, but I'm an avid reader of them, especially when approaching authors new to me. I've come to rely on my invisible Amazon friends to help identify the stars and the stinkers. When I find someone who likes the same books I do and for the same reasons, I'll go look at their other reviews for hints about what to read next. Folks, my disappointment with this book was so huge, that I found my voice. No, I take that back. I felt compelled to issue a warning to the virtual community of people who enjoy the written word: If you are looking for Dean Koontz, you will not find him here. Instead of being caught up in the suspense, my mind kept puzzling over how this book ever got published and what on earth was the editor doing. Who kidnapped Dean Koontz and when will they release him? His reading public is worried and anxiously awaits his return.

You can read the other reviews for a summary, but my personal experience is that I had a very difficult time reading this to completion. My thoughts would wander, I would need tea, I would need to call for a dental appointment, but mostly I needed many, many little mini-naps.
... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Dean you've losy it
I don't know what he drank or smoked while writing this, but it really destroyed his mind big time. Maybe another day, certainly not today!
Published 1 day ago by Jack59
5.0 out of 5 stars Scary brillant as always.
Dean Koontz is brillant. I love his intensity and crazy stories.
But the scary thing is, most of his novels have an underlying
ability to be a true occurance in this... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Elaine Tuttle
4.0 out of 5 stars 77 shadow street
It was harder to read than most books are for me but it was interesting in a strange sort of way. I liked the way it ended although it was unexpected and abrupt. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Norma farr. norma farr
5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't put t down
I'm currently re-reading my Dean Koontz as I add them to my electronic library and it's still a page turner!
Published 20 days ago by Peggy Jackson
3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok
Not a bad theme but the development was far too slow. Too much repetition with little contribution to the story.
Published 23 days ago by Karen E. Maull
4.0 out of 5 stars Took me awhile
I love Dean Koontz, but this book didn't work well on Kindle for me, so I broke down and bought the book. Read more
Published 25 days ago by GKSTcoach
4.0 out of 5 stars very intense
Love all his books. This one was scarier than usual bur worth it at the end. Made you care about the characters. Very interesting premise.
Published 25 days ago by Shaynabean
3.0 out of 5 stars i liked it a lot
yeah koontz not as good as some but it wa all right. Not a real page turner boring in places
Published 28 days ago by Marie Wesson
2.0 out of 5 stars Rather boring and pointless
This is the first Dean Koontz book that I have read. Actually,I listened to the audio book version while I drive back and forth to work. Read more
Published 29 days ago by meme8787
3.0 out of 5 stars Dean Koontz 77 Shadow Street
Don't know what has happened to Dean Koontz. Maybe someone else is writing his books now and he just publishes them under his name and splits the profits. Idk. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dennis R. Martin
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Well, I liked it, but I think I preferred the novella story (set in the...
I think I liked the shorter story better. I thought there would be a connection between the two; they only shared a street though.

I did like the shorter story's characters better also.
Jan 10, 2012 by Evan Hammerman |  See all 2 posts
Synopsis for "77 Shadow Street"
Hmmm so it seems like Koontz is getting back to his style from his earlier books. Will read if I see good reviews. If it is more dogs go frolicking and save the day nonsense will pass.
Jun 23, 2011 by Obsidian Blue |  See all 19 posts
anyone know what book this is or who wrote it?
This sounds a bit like WATCHERS (by Dean Koontz), but the dog doesn't become a "magic cop." It does have enhanced intelligence, however, and it can communicate with the man who finds it . . . and there is a lot of action as they combat evil forces (and they do save people). It was... Read more
Dec 28, 2011 by kacunnin |  See all 3 posts
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