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Critic's Corner
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"Step into my parlor," said the spider to the fly. You can almost hear Koontz saying these words as you enter into his world of marvelous invention, enchantment, and implacable intent, populated by murderous actors and the walking dead, hit men and heroes, long-buried dreams and never-dying hope. "THE FACE," — Channing Manheim, Hollywood's most dazzling star lives in a legendary estate with a meticulously calibrated security apparatus. Even so, he and his 10-year-old son Alfric, "Fric," are not safe. Mysterious packages are arriving one by one at the gates of the estate. They convey a series of terrifying, enigmatic messages, each more ominous than the last. Not even Ethan Truman, head of Manheim's security force can decipher the threats contained in the black boxes. Ethan, a widower of some five years, and an ex-cop with the Los Angeles Robbery/Homicide squad finds himself in a race against time to solve the macabre riddles of a modern-day beast. The question is—who is this beast? Is it Rolf Reynerd a bit player in movies with a sordid past and questionable future? Or could the beast be Vladimir "Corky" Laputa, a professor at the local college whose favorite thing to do is spread chaos. Corky's mission on Earth is not merely to cause destruction. He means to bring about dissension, distrust, discord, and despair. This is a man of many talents and weapons. Then again, it might be Ming du Lac, Fric's father's full-time spiritual advisor. Ming is nearly as scary to Fric as the household chef, Mr. Hachette. In the beast category we must not forget Typhon, a strange ethereal sort who comes into the story late, but wields an eerie power over Duncan Whistler. Duncan, or Dunny as he prefers to be called, is a character to watch closely. Dunny took the low road in life while his lifelong friend Ethan took the high road. Two dear friends on opposite sides of the law. Two friends who loved the same woman, Hannah. But Ethan married Hannah and Dunny never forgave him. Then, Hannah died. With so many bad guys on the scene we have to mention Hazard Yancy, Ethan's one-time partner on the LAPD. Without Yancy, we might have an entirely different story. When Typhon tells Dunny that Ethan and members of Manheim's household at Palazzo Rospo might well be dead before Christmas, even Fric, especially Fric, Dunny finds himself in a most unusual circumstance. Life for Ethan and Fric and all the other characters take on a slippery reality the likes of which few, if any, mortals have ever experienced. Forces that eclipse the most fevered fantasies of a city where dreams and nightmares are the stuff of daily life come against the two protagonists of this uncanny tale. But readers need not fear, Koontz is in complete control. He folds time, causes spirit telephones to bring messages from the nether world, premonitions of death and resurrections abound. If you, the reader, aren't huddled in a corner with the brightest lamp you own, it won't be Koontz's fault. All the while he's scaring you to pieces, Koontz manages to give you a bit of relief with energizing humor, dialogue that astounds, then takes it all back with events that curl your toes. You will also find some of the finest, most original metaphors and similes ever written by a modern day author. Examples: "Rain as clear as a baby's conscience." "Tongues of rain licked the window." And my favorite, "In a growl of wind and a jingle of overhead bells he stepped out of the shop into the cold teeth of the December night, and drew the door shut behind him." Some days I think I've read everything. This is not one of them. As I read the final page of this novel, I glanced at my grandfather clock—midnight, but was it, or had time folded back on itself and the day just past is yet to be lived? Ethan Truman would know the answer to this question, or I could ask Dunny Whistler. THE FACE is Dean Koontz at his very best. It's a tour de force of suspense, mystery, and miraculous revelation. From page one to the end, Koontz takes readers on an unforgettable journey to the heart of darkness and to the pinnacle of grace. (Jones is a published writer and literary critic) Copyright Patricia Ann Jones, July 26, 2003, all rights reserved To comment on this review you may email pattij777@aol.com |
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The
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