Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

*thank you to Netgalley, Dean Koontz and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2.5 stars.

This was just ok. It wasn't poorly written or anything like that. I actually felt that the writing was very good. But the story just didn't interest me as much as I had hoped. I think because at the beginning I wasn't a huge fan and I did hope it would get better so I was glad that it did but it still didn't get to a point that I really enjoyed it. I liked FBI agent Jane Hawk and I would be willing to give book 2 a go.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

"I very much need to be dead." These are the chilling last words left by a man who had everything to live for but took his own life. In the void that remains stands his widow, FBI agent Jane Hawk, surrounded by questions destined to go unanswered unless she does what all the grief and fury inside her demand: Find the truth, no matter what.
People of talent and accomplishment, people seemingly happy and sound of mind, have recently been committing suicide in surprising numbers. A disturbing pattern is beginning to emerge. Jane is determined to give up everything to find out why. And if that means going rogue and becoming America's Most Wanted, then so be it.
Those arrayed against her are legion, and devoted to protecting something profoundly important-or terrifying-enough to exterminate any and all in their way. But Jane is as clever as these enemies are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless. And she is driven by a righteous rage they can never comprehend. Because it is born of love.

One must start by saying "About bloody time!" It has been a long time since I have been genuinely excited about a Dean Koontz novel. His writing of late had been stale and unimaginative. But this book, however...

I think what really sets this apart from his usual fare is Jane herself. Koontz usually writes strong male characters and the females seem to always be supporting characters (yes, I am aware of a few exceptions...) but, in Jane, he has created (for lack of a better word) a kick-ass hero who demands the readers attention all the way through the book. From her husband's suicide, all the way through to the vert clever ending, she exhibits traits that I really enjoy in female characters: strength, vulnerability, desperation, intelligence, fearlessness (while being scared out of her mind!) I can't wait to read more about her...

The other standout about this book was the use of technology and how it invades every aspect of our lives...and despite Jane having gone "off the grid", the surveillance technology that is described in this story is equally fascinating and scary. I think I read the last 1/4 of the book with a bundle of nerves happily creating havoc in my stomach...and since reading it, I have a new respect for everything that could witness every bump in the night...

If you haven't read Koontz before because he is a "horror" writer, do yourself a favour and give this one a go. If you haven't read Koontz for a while because his novels had gotten boring, maybe consider this one as I think it is the best book he has done in probably 20 years!


Paul
ARH

I have long been a fan of Dean Koontz and he is probably the author with the most shelf space in my collection so it is also with great anticipation I approach a new one of his books. The problem with this is that the bar is generally set pretty high for him and a couple of times I’ve come out a little underwhelmed.

The Silent Corner is the first in a new series, which is always exciting because you know that you will have time to get to know these characters and follow them through a range of situations. The best bit for me in this situation is that I came to The Silent Corner late, it was first published last June, which means that I only have a couple of months before the next book is released.
Admittedly, it took me a while to warm to this story. The first few chapters left me with a feeling that this would be all fate and higher powers but, lucky for me, I persevered and fell in love with a story that is deeply disturbing and maybe a little too believable to be dystopian.
Jane Hawk loses the love of her life to suicide; a man who had it all and loved his life. Jane is determined to discover the truth, because she knows there is more to his suicide than there seems. Her research leads to disturbing statistics about the rising suicide rate and she is determined to learn what it means.
Koontz has woven a disturbing tale; complex and psychologically terrifying. The best thing about Koontz thrillers is that the scare factor doesn’t come from the gore and the depravity; it comes from the shadowy organisations that are out to change the world to their own ends, and not always (or ever) in the best interests of humanity.
Often the heroes in a Koontz novel are the little guy (or gal in this case) with passion and dedication to their cause that are determined to get to the truth at any cost, usually a very high personal price. They are heroes that find unlikely allies along the way and find it necessary to make massive sacrifices. They are heroes with strong character who often find themselves making decisions that go against their personal beliefs because they are the right decision for the greater good.

Jane Hawk is a widow who has lost a lot, but she has a lot more left to lose. She knows what’s at stake but walking away won’t make her any safer in the long run, not when anyone can see the direction the world is going. The tragic trend she has uncovered does not bode well but it isn’t enough to track the trend; now she needs to discover the how and the why with the bad guys close on her tail.
Who can you trust when the cover-ups seem to start at the top? Are any of the government agencies safe? These are the issues Jane faces as she travels across the country in her quest for answers.
An FBI background, and an ID that she didn’t hand in when she went on leave, offers greater access but it comes with great risk because that’s a lot of manpower to possibly add to your tail when you’re trying to stay ahead of the bad guys.
The Silent Corner stands alone well, I think you could be quite satisfied with this as a complete story but it certainly left me thrilled to know that there is another book coming that will see Jane further work towards a life that is safer for all our citizens.
In a world that is increasingly driven by technology, with every move seen, recorded and tracked, it is much harder to live off the grid than it used to be. Hawk works hard to stay out of sight and off the radar, always fearing that They will work out where she is, and where she’s heading.
Koontz has done it again with a spine chilling tale of the darkness in the minds of men. It is scary in that the madness of the bad guys is such that they have the arrogance and the power to think that they’re untouchable.
Fans of Koontz won’t be disappointed and I would definitely recommend, now to hope that he keeps up the momentum and brings us many more Jane Hawk stories.

I really enjoyed everything about this novel. Great characters and plot, I enjoyed it as much as any other novel by Koontz. I look forward to more in the series.

I’ve been a long-time fan of horror/thriller writer Dean Koontz but parted ways with his writing around six years ago after his 2011 novel Frankenstein: The Dead Town. With few exceptions, the thrill of his ideas had finally been overpowered by the predictability of some heavily formulaic writing. If one more dog travelled with one more endlessly witty couple on the run, there would be road rage.

It was with some trepidation that I therefore put aside my recent prejudice to revisit the author for the first book of his new Jane Hawk series, The Silent Corner. Released earlier this year, with its sequel The Whispering Room out this month, the opening story of this ongoing thriller returned the excitement of my first Koontz discovery.

Koontz explains in his book that ‘the silent corner’ is the term used for “those who are truly off the grid and cannot be tracked by any technology, yet are able to move about freely and use the Internet.” This is the case for his novel’s hero, rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk.

Refreshing, original and far from formulaic, there’s not a clever dog in sight as Hawk goes dark to investigate an inexplicable spate of suicides that began, for her, with the death of her husband, and has struck numerous, seemingly well-balanced, high profile people around the nation. What begins as a means of coming to terms with her grief soon unveils a potentially global plot for domination.

Koontz’ writing is tight and the plot unfolds in terrifying layers as Hawk’s investigation delves deeper and deeper into the conspiracy. Blending science and mystery with action and family drama, it’s hard to predict where the story will go, delivering a thrilling opening to what promises to be a breath-taking new series. His characters are flawed individuals that run the gamut of emotions, and it’s their flaws that help keep the action tense.

The Whispering Room is the second volume of the story begun in The Silent Corner, as opposed to a separate story altogether. While new adventures await, Hawk’s ongoing drive to stop the unfolding human catastrophe remains at the heart of this series.

Having relegated Koontz’ novels to my own silent corner, he’s a welcome return to my bookshelves with this suspenseful thriller.

Wow this book was amazing I absolutely loved it. I have been a Dean Koontz fan for many years so was excited to read this, I wasn't disappointed it was fantastic. So well written it was scary and dark and I couldn't put it down. This is the sort of book that you pick up and read in one sitting because it sucks you in and spits you out when it's done. Really well written enjoyable story line that really deserves a big 5 stars.

I’m a huge fan of Dean Koontz, but just couldn’t get into this one, no matter how much I wanted to. Unfortunately I stopped reading at 44% and will be classifying this one as a DNF.

From the start of the story Dean Koontz turns a simple but sad suicide into a whole other world and we follow Jane as she tracks down her husbands suicide and all of the others acrossthe country. Amazing writing and perfect timing, just enough to keep me glued to the page.

Another book from Dean Koontz that I couldn’t and didn’t put down.

What’s next? Can it get any better? The characters would have to leap of the page and start acting in front of me, which is not a bad idea for this book, a movie that is.

Many thanks to the author / Publisher and Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.