Ben Chase is a war hero with bitter memories. Vietnam left him with a hard drinking habit, a mental breakdown -- and massive guilt. So who will believe him when he swears a psychopath is out to get him? When society is sick, the mad are sane -- and persecution is a killer's game!
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About the Author
Dean Koontz was born into a very poor family and learned early on to escape into fiction. His novels have sold over 200 million copies worldwide and more than thirty have appeared on national and international bestseller lists. He lives in southern California with his wife, Gerda and a vivid imagination.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Efficient, suspenseful page turner. If a little strange at times.,
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This review is from: Chase (Paperback)
Dean Koontz is a prolific writer of thriller novels having written over 50 novels in the past 35 years under various names. Up until "Chase", I had never read any of his work, so I thought I'd start with his earliest stuff with the intention of reading all of his Headline published releases. "Chase" was originally released under the K W Dwyer name, written in the early 70s, but not released until the mid 80s.
Ben Chase is a war hero that is haunted by his horrifying experience in Vietnam. The guilt that he feels affects his everyday life and he has become reliant upon alcohol to simply get by. His existence is a cheerless routine that will lead to an inevitably sad and lonely end. Yet after witnessing a murder and saving the life of a would-be victim, Ben becomes the serial killers next intended kill. Or is he just imagining this plot due to his unstable condition? What follows is a thriller in the most literal sense and one which involves action, clues, sex and suspense. I ripped through this book in 2 days, mainly due to its relatively short length (240 pages), but also due to the fact I couldn't put it down. It gets straight into the action from the first paragraph and really doesn't muck around with heavy descriptions or background information. Koontz tells this story very efficiently and the reader can't help but be pulled in, never hesitating to turn the page to find out what happens next. But this is by no means a perfect novel. Koontz was only 25 when he wrote it and although the book is thoroughly gripping, the characters and the action seem somewhat amateurish at times. It's hard to be concerned for Ben when the serial killer that's after him is seemingly hopeless at what he does. Instead of the usual chilling, professional hitman from other stories, we have a bumbling, inaccurate, motiveless character that is much less a killer than our hero. Also, gorgeous sexpot Glenda's understanding reaction to Ben's completely insane (not to mention impotent) first date antics is a little far-fetched. I can't help but get the feeling that Koontz was going through a bit of a hormonal period himself when he wrote this as there are some rather off-putting and seemingly unnecessary sexually charged thought processes throughout. But there is simply not enough time to ponder these anomalies in what is a very enjoyable, based on infinite cliches, yet somehow original and enjoyable story. I'm looking forward to reading his next books.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
creepy and poetic,
This review is from: Chase. (Paperback)
Not quite the contemporary Koontz, but close; well written, attractive verse, plenty of suspense and strong endings, especially the first tale.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unrealistic and disappointing,
By
This review is from: Chase. (Paperback)
The first pages of this book had me anticipating a really good story. I assumed that Chase's encounter with a serial killer would ultimately change him, a vietnam veteran, wanting little to do with life, especially his own, content to drink and do little else.
What is a great premise for a book, faultered quickly. Every book, in order to sustain the reader must employ the suspension of disbelief. This book failed, unless I was willing to accept that the homicide detectives were complete and total morons, that they couldn't record a phone call with the latest tapping devices (in this book the cop had to be present to overhear the phone call apparently recording the line without a cop there is impossible), as well as Chase being able to track down the killer just by interviewing a few people, apparently the cops couldn't do that either and then there was the killer himself. He stabs a boy in the beginning and then all we see of him after ....phone calls with silly empty threats, he tries to kill chase a few times and can't do it! What an intimidating serial killer this is, a bad shot, can't run down someone with a car effectively. Ugh..it just got worse. The ending is absolutely horrible! I couldn't believe it. And now for the writing stinkers (and there were plenty): "He didn't hear her coming as much as he felt the serenity she brought with her." ACK!!! "The silence was homemade." HUh??? "The house was drab, as drab as the woman." Is that a description or was he just tired?? "His heart beat rabbit fast" cliche you learn not to do that in creative writing 101 "the night was humid, the sky was bottomless." Bottomless? Are you serious? I could overlook the writing if the story was compelling, the characters exciting, and ATLEAST just a tiny bit plausible. But, unfortunately it fell quite short on all accounts. I would skip this, if you want a better suspense novel try these: Peter Blauner's "Slipping Into Darkness Jeffrey Deavers's "Bone Collector" Jeffrey Archer's "False Impression"
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