Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Dean Koontz book. Way, way back his books were something I would look forward to, but something happened along the way and he seemed to lose his touch. Now that I think of it, the same thing happened to Stephen King’s books when he started writing the Dark Tower series. I just didn’t find them enjoyable anymore.

As for The Silent Corner, I could take it or leave it. The storyline is great, a conspiracy to weed out the population so the wealthy remain wealthy. Jane, an FBI agent, stumbles upon the plot when her husband commits suicide. She is convinced he wouldn’t have committed suicide, and her research leads her to a jump in the suicide rate and anomalies as to who is committing suicide. When she and her young son are threatened, Jane decides to go rogue to find out who is behind the plot. She uncovers a plot to control the brain, making the victims subservient. While this could lead to a spine-tingling techno-thriller, the remainder of the book is mostly Jane, just driving all over the country, off the grid, trying to stay ahead of those who are hunting her. The finale is a bloody shootout, and a disappointing and abrupt ending. So you need to stayed tuned for the next in the series.

The writing style is horrible. There is so much overblown description and so much inane metaphorical description that you stop reading and think “what??” The break in concentration disrupts the flow of the book and is tiring. After 400+ pages, I also expected to learn a little more about Jane, but there was no character development.

I’ll take a pass on the next in the series.

The Silent Corner is an exciting, suspenseful thriller from Dean Koontz. This is the first book in the Jane Hawk series. Jane, an FBI agent, takes a leave of absence following her husbands suicide. Wanting to find the truth behind her husband's suicide, Jane goes on the run and investigates a recent rise in suicides. High profile enemies are after Jane trying to prevent her from finding out the truth. I couldn't get enough of this novel and enjoyed the thrill ride. Filled with smart twists and turn, this is a must read for any Koontz fan. I hope to see this character developed into a TV series. I have been a long time Dean Koontz fan and this novel does not disappoint.

Koontz is a master storyteller, there's no doubt, and fans of his will not be disappointed in this new series. Jane Hawk is a force, as a rogue (ish) FBI agent. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to her future escapades. Science fiction - with just enough truth to make you shudder - is the well-worn path of Dean Koontz. If the remainder of this series stays focused and reliably told, I will look forward to many, many more.

This book would make a fantastic movie! Maybe already in the works? If not, well it should be!

Jane was convinced she had the perfect life. A great job with the FBI, a husband rising fast through the ranks of the Marines, and a beautiful son. Then the bottom falls out. While entertaining the entire family and preparing for dinner together, Jane gets the shock of her life… her husband just killed himself.

She digs to find the unfathomable reason why he would ever take his own life. During her investigation she finds a disturbing pattern of increasing suicide rates across the country. On leave from the FBI, she searches for answers to this bizarre epidemic. One fact she finds most disturbing… many of these suicides were well-adjusted, successful people who showed no previous sign of depression or any hint of their intentions...exactly like her husband.

Jane has changed her looks, gone underground and made herself untraceable. She can’t possibly turn to her colleagues from the FBI for any kind of help. She is alone in this very personal quest for answers. Even though it could easily cost Jane her life.

THEY are after her...whoever THEY are...

Nonstop action. Jane is running for her life as she seeks the dark truth behind these suicides. Leaving bodies, cars and coyotes in her wake. (Yes, even coyotes!)

Very short chapters kept me clipping along. My only negative is that it felt just a little too long
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The book leaves you set for the next round in this new and exciting series!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Dean Koontz for an ARC to review.

To be posted on Goodreads under Kaceey 4/28/17 - 4/29/17

I will be honest here, I have always enjoyed Dean Koontz's books but I am not really a big fan of detective fiction. Usually I avoid books that mention in the blurb an FBI agent (current or former) or a private investigator as the protagonist. That being said, I jumped on an opportunity to read a new book series by Dean Koontz.

Jane Hawk is an FBI agent on personal leave from the FBI after her husband commits suicide. Jane is on a mission to find out why he killed himself. The book is more of a techno-thriller and it reads like detective fiction and centers on a single crime. The book was full of action and fast paced. It didn't read like a typical Dean Koontz book but it had things that a reader typically expects from Koontz (high-end brands of guns, use of interesting adjectives, dogs - German Shepherds and maybe a made-up Golden Retriever). Overall, this was a pretty good crime novel and I am interested in seeing how this story ends.

I'm a big Dean a Koontz fan so was super stoked to get the chance to receive and review an ARC for The Silent Corner. More thriller than horror, this is the first in a new series featuring a terrifying enemy. What if thought control was more than a parlor trick? Not just fun and games, but rather honest to goodness life or death.

When Jane finds her loving husband dead by his own hand it's all she can do to wrap her mind around it. Nothing adds up in regards to his sudden and final choice. Determined that things couldn't be as they appear, she sets her sights on finding the truth. What could have driven her all around happy husband to do what he did? Whatever it was, Jane is going to get to the bottom of it. The big question is, will she be prepared for the answers she's about to find out? Will her FBI training be enough to lead and guide her- better yet, to protect her?

Lots of action and suspense, in a very intriguing storyline. Koontz has once again delivered an excellent tale guaranteed to send chills down your spine. I absolutely loved every minute of The Silent Corner. With it breakneck pace I did find the ending a bit abrupt. However, I suppose that's merely to allow for a good and direct segway into book two. Which, naturally, I can hardly wait for!

As I anxiously await the next installment I would like to take a moment to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this review opportunity. So... Thank you!

I have always been a fan of Dean Koontz although I have faded off over the years as his writing has become more science fiction based and less drama/suspense type. Odd Thomas will forever be my favorite series. This book though, really sucked me in. The fact that you knew pretty much from the start what was going on and it wasn't a mystery that you later found out to be technology was really what kept me reading. While I don't totally relate to the main character, I easily understand her motivations and choices. I'm up for book 2 and continuing to find out how this lone woman continues to avenge her husband and others.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1969404116

Good storyline and of course well written - Koontz is a wonderful writer but this book wasn't as catchy and absorbing to me as some of his others.....but all in all an entertaining and good read.

Dean Koontz never disappoints! This novel is absolutely riveting and right on point in today's ever changing world. I would love to believe there are Jane's still alive and kicking. In medicine I applaud the innovations that can help an injured veteran on his return to civilian life, that has to be tempered with the knowledge that unscrupulous and greedy individuals will seek to profit from that technology. Believable on the edge of my seat until the end. I will eagerly await the next novel in this series.

Dean Koontz has written another story to keep us on the edge of our seats and wonder if the female protagonist, Jane Hawk, will survive the evil surrounding her and get back safely to her son. Why are happy people killing themselves? Why are drones and gun-carrying thugs chasing Jane? You won't be able to put this book down until you finish reading it. Dean Koontz has a perfect new leading character in Jane Hawk. Way to go, Mr. Koontz.

The Silent Corner is Koontz at his best! Scary as all get out and scarier even more so because in this day and age, with the technology we are developing, this could be our future. Was hoping there would be a sequel and was happy to see there will be called The Whispering Room. The Silent Corner has lots of edge of your seat moments and is difficult to put down. I was given an early copy to review.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It has been a while since I read anything by Dean Koontz, and I am glad to have been given a chance to read this one. Jane Hawk has just lost her husband due to suicide and is on leave from her job with the FBI. She is on a quest to solve the question of why in the world he would do this, and leave such a cryptic note for her to find. Someone does not want her to figure things out so she has carefully planned every move she makes. Other people who were living very normal lives, without depression and having everything to live for, are now committing suicide as well. Jane is determined to find out why and her path is an extremely dangerous one. Great book, the only reason I gave it 4 stars is it was not an "easy" read. It is overly descriptive in some parts, and I had to concentrate to keep my mind from wandering away. Other than that you will really enjoy this! It is the first in a new series, so I think I will stay with Jane because she is one tough cookie!

I've been reading Dean Koontz for years. He is a master at supernatural/paranormal horror. I haven't read anything by him in the past ten years.

When I picked up "The Silent Corner" I was shocked to find it a techno-thriller. It's more Michael Crichton or Greg Bear than the normal Koontz offering. It turns out this is a good thing.

A widowed mother has taken time off from the FBI to research a rash of inexplicable suicides, including her husband's. The tension starts slow and ramps up as she discovers each new horror. The pacing keeps you reading. However, passing references to terrorist attacks in Seattle, New Jersey and other places don't fit well and somewhat break the world building. They were never explained or explored. It doesn't ruin the book, but is a niggling detail left hanging.

The ending was too soft and abrupt. Other than that, it is a book worth reading and I can't wait for the sequel. This is the first book in a series.

Jane Hawk is on the run, not just from those who want to harm her but towards the truth, and she will do whatever it takes to find it. Someone wants to stop her from finding out what really happened to her husband. Jane doesn't believe he would have killed himself. She also believes a recent increase in the number of suicides by people who had no reason to kill themselves is somehow connected.

This was a heart pounding suspenseful thriller.

I have read and reviewed "The Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz for ReaderToReaader.com where it will remain on site indefinitely. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Vickie Denney at: Vickie@ReaderToReader.com.
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"The Silent Corner"
By Dean Koontz
Bantam Books

Thriller/Suspense -- Release Date: June 20, 2017

Jane Hawk is an FBI agent on temporary leave. After shocked by her husband Nick taking his life, Jane goes rogue and begins an intense investigating discovering there has been an increase in deaths by well-known, mentally stable folks who had shown no symptoms that would lead them to kill themselves. She fears for her life and that of her son, Travis after she receives threats to stop looking into these casualties. Luckily, Jane entrusts Travis with friends she can depend on knowing he'll be safe as she digs deeper into this development.

Jane becomes brutal in her determination to take down those responsible for somehow controlling minds to dominate the world for their own selfish reasons. This influential cadre of wealthy men will stop at nothing to attain the power and status they desire. The more Jane learns from those left bereft by the loss of their loved ones due to suicide, the more she knows she's on to something big and dangerous, not just for her and Travis, but for t humanity.

Koontz, well versed in government terminology regarding hunting criminals, adds depth and clearer insight into the action in which Jane is involved trying to track down and stop this diabolical plot. It's uncanny how Jane manages to live off the grid and be one step ahead of the "bad guys."

Many of the chapters are short keeping the pace flowing quickly, so the reader feels they are on the frenetic journey with the protagonist. However, the conclusion leaves one somewhat stymied and thinking...what next? "The Silent Corner" is the first novel in Koontz's new series and unlike his previous releases, for basically, it does not stand alone, leaving one waiting anxiously for the second installment. As usual for this author of suspense and horror, this tale is sure to cause chills with feelings of impending doom.

"Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on..."
--David Bowie

When I open a new Dean Koontz book, it's always with great enthusiasm. Whether or not I'll love it isn't an issue - the only question is what he will come up with to keep me engrossed this time. As expected, there's no "oops" here - he's done it again with this, the first of a series featuring FBI agent Jane Hawk. If I had to describe the book in just a few words, it would be Sarah Connor meets Jason Bourne in a fight to protect the future of the world (and yes, it would make a great movie, hint, hint).

A recent and still grieving widow, Jane has taken a leave of absence from the FBI to deal with her husband's suicide - which she doesn't believe for a nanosecond really happened. Setting out to find the truth, she begins with a visit to another recent military widow whose death also was deemed a suicide because she suspects the same person or persons are responsible. Further digging turns up several similar incidents - both of military and non-military people - but no apparent connection.

As she pursues her research, she soon realizes "They" are out to get her (spy drones following her is an almost-dead giveaway). After managing to escape them, she pays a quick visit to her young son, whom she wisely stashed away with friends at the start of her investigation to make sure he's safe. It matters not to the story, but for the record, I was delighted to learn that his new guardians, like me, are George Winston/Windham Hill fans.

As she begins to make some headway, though, Jane realizes there's no one she can trust - not in the government, not among friends and relatives and most certainly not among the ranks of the FBI. Almost from the start, she's forced to go off the grid, using disguises, fake names, burner phones and switched license plates to escape what she's sure will be capture and suspects will be much worse. Because she manages to get online and, in some instances, contact others, she's considered to be in the "silent corner" (aha, such is the stuff from which a title is born).

Needless to say, her online forays mean it's hard to miss day-to-day news - not all of which, shall we say, is positive. From that springs one of my favorite quotes in the book - one with which I wholeheartedly (or more accurately, disheartedly) concur: "If you let the news spoil your appetite, there wouldn't be a day you could eat."

What Jane finds is a frightening conspiracy based on mind control. It's a concept that's a bit far afield, but given the pace of technology development these days, certainly not unthinkable. Jane's race is on, then, determine the why, how and who - and possibly destroy the latter before "They" destroy her.

Pretty scary stuff, actually, with nary a dull moment in the action. The only downside? It's the first in a series, so expect an up-in-the-air ending. That, I assume, will be rectified with the Jan. 9, 2018, publication of the next installment, "The Whispering Room," and of course it's on my calendar. That said, please, Mr. Koontz, could you hurry it up just a little?

And th-th-th-that's all folks, she writes, lest she give away too many secrets Except, that is, to say that as a long-time fan of this author, I was beyond thrilled at the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this terrific book. Many, many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley)!

This is the review I posted on GoodReads.

This is the first entry in a new series featuring Jane Hawk. Jane is a FBI agent on leave after her husband committed suicide. But Jane thinks that this is not a straight forward suicide and starts to investigate this suicide along with others that seem to be aligned her husbands. Soon after starting the investigation into these suicides, Jane finds herself on the run as she now is being perused and pressured to end her investigation. Jane is a very competent woman who plans her moves to insure her safety, the safety of her remaining family and the safety of others that she enlists to help her.

The pages kept turning, almost on their own, as I eagerly kept reading to find out what happened next. If you have read and enjoyed Dean Koontz in the past, you will not go wrong in getting this book. If you have stopped reading Koontz for some reason, then I would suggest that you pick this book up and rejoin his legion of fans. (less)

First, let me say that I have never been a fan of science fiction or any hint of it in my reading. However, after reading Koonz's gripping novel, The Hidden Corner, I can see how ambitious and brilliant scientists, unfettered by morality, can wreak havoc on mankind. Brilliantly done.

Fast-paced and interesting story of an FBI agent out to avenge her husband's...suicide? How can anyone be responsible for a suicide, you ask? Koontz can not only make it possible, he makes it plausible. This has a great lead female character with lots of but and enough flaws to make her interesting.