Member Reviews

I am a big Dean Koontz fan. I've always found his psychological novels thrilling and disturbing. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about this book. I felt like the author gave it all away in the beginning. Too much explanation on why they were eliminating citizens, none of the suspense build up Koontz is famous for. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters and although the plot would have been a great Sci fi story the execution was lacking.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Although I had not read the other books in this series (I didn’t know it even was a series until I finished), I enjoyed this book. The main character, Jane Hawk, is on the run for her life. Koontz makes you want her to succeed and reunite with her son. I like books that jump around from different characters perspectives, and this one does a lot. It is a little wordy at times, but an enjoyable story.

Was this review helpful?

Finally Jane Hawk is not alone. Her incredible fight with the Arcadians is in full throttle but she has someone fighting beside her. For far too long, Jane has been on the run. For her it started when her husband, the love of her life, died. Jane knew that his death was the result of something terrible. She just had to prove it. During the process she became a fugitive, a disgraced ex-FBI agent, and a mother who had to hide her young child in order to protect his life.

Who are the Arcadians? They are a horrid, nefarious group of people who developed a despicable form of mind control, affecting hundreds, if not thousands. These conspirators have reached the deepest levels of society, leaving Jane with no one she can trust. This makes her run faster. Run harder. But she needs to stop them. How will she be able to?

Enter Vikram Rangnekar, someone Jane used to work with. I questioned myself more than once whether or not stating his name in this review is a spoiler. The fact is that the story wouldn't exist without this pivotal character. Enough said.

The Arcadians have developed a method to control minds, turning ordinary or even very successful individuals into robots. Complete mind control. What some of the victims do in this state has a very direct impact as to why Jane is so determined to expose them once and for all. She will not have a future if she doesn't succeed. The country, the world will not have a future.

What a riveting story! The action picks up from the very beginning and never lets up for one second. I rooted for Jane the entire time, not just in this book, but during the entire series. I wanted so much for her to meet her objective, which was clearing her husband's name. But it was her ultimate goal, that of caring for the rest of the world that made her such a remarkable heroine.

I don't know if Dean Koontz will write another book or series like this one, but, if he does, I will be first in line. In the meantime, this series needs to be put in some type of video format. I just know it would work.

The Night Window is the finale of the Jane Hawk series. There is enough of a back story contained if one should choose to read this as a standalone or any of the series out of order. However, it is a long, involved story and might be better enjoyed as a whole.

Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

So, a book or two ago, I was mightily upset with our author. While I still loved Jane and was still very much into the series, I was…not pleased…with some decisions the author made. And I wasn’t the only one.

Well, in a case of what surely must be an author listening to his loyal readers, Mr. Koontz pulled it all together!

Now, based on this book I’m assuming we’re at the end of Jane’s Saga – and Mr. Koontz pulls this ending off in fine (and seriously exciting) style!

He pulls out all the stops and gives readers a slam bang ending that just feels right!

Should I be wrong, and there’s more Jane in our future, I’ll be happy. But if this is the end, I think that this book ends just the way it should.

Very, very happy with this read!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Was this review helpful?

Wow... I'm not even sure where to start. I binge read this entire series in the last month. A little out of my comfort zone, though I love most of the Koontz novels I've already read. I was not disappointed to say the least.

Some background on the entire series.....

If you love characters like Beatrix Kiddo or Laura Croft, you will love Jane.

Jane is a rouge FBI agent, on the run and hellbent on proving that her beloved husband didn't commit suicide in their bathroom leaving her and their 4 year old boy behind. Along the way she uncovers horrible truths. A large group of people that deem themselves revolutionists, have orchestrated a way to basically purge society of people who are righteous and good. People who will have a large impact on their communities and all and all do good in the world. They do this by using nanotech brain implants which give them mind control over anyone that's been injected. These 'adjusted' people are either enslaved or instructed to commit suicide. This paves the way for their so called utopia filled with wealthy & pretentious people who feel they are above the masses.

My favorite thing about Mr. Koontz is how he creates characters that you want to know IRL. Like Odd Thomas, this series is also filled with characters that I wish I could call friends. I adored Grandpa Bernie and Cordell and their side stories. There were so many side stories in these novels, but they were all important to the story. I liked that we weren't only following Jane, but other characters as well, both good and bad guys. It kept the story fresh and fast paced.

This final installment was just as wonderful as the previous 4. I had no idea how Jane was going to blow the Arcadian's cover and expose them to the world and I was not disappointed.

A huge thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Eh. Not bad, but it basically served to reinforce what I've already concluded about Mr. Koontz's latest books: He appears to enjoy the "sound" of his own words more than he's interested in crafting a solid story. I enjoy the female protagonist in this particular series, which is why I chose the book, and wish the author would capitalize more on her personality and doggedness than waxing poetic. Still, I can't say I don't recommend the book, and I did, ultimately, enjoy it. Half-heartedly recommended.

** I thank the publisher and/or author for allowing me to read this novel as an ARC, without recompense, in exchange for my honest review. **

Was this review helpful?

This was a really nail chewing tale that picked up right after the close of the last book. That being said, had I come across the series here, I could have figured out the story line. There was great subtle revisits to events to refresh the readers memories.

One thing Koontz has that in most authors can't capture for me is the ability to create separate areas of storyline and keep me engaged. There is obviously more than one story line in here as well, and they cross in their own ways brilliantly.
I'm glad some of the characters from the last novel were present here. On a lesser scale as they are not the main focus, more secondary to who is at that point driving the plot.
I have truly felt throughout this series that the main baddie had an aura of another famous literary character. Voldemort. And in the end, he was just an ordinary man no matter how much power he garnered in his vile life. It's hard to say if he was being haunted, or maybe, just maybe conscience was beginning to poke through his evil?
The maternal instinct is strong in Jane. The bond between her and her separated son is beautiful. The allies she picks up along the way, dampened the pain of trail of blood left by the Arcadians.
This was a book I could have devoured easily in an entire day on, but I tried to pace myself. Reading only nightly, and a section at a time.
What a great storyline and arc for those we get to know throughout the book. I do hope we see more of them in the future.

Was this review helpful?

My thanks to Random House Publishing, Ballantine, Bantam and Netgalley.
I finished this book a few days ago, but had to wait to leave a review until I had de-stressed a bit! 😬 These 5 books have been up and down for me. I loved book one, hated book two, and was pretty happy with the rest. There has been so much death of side characters that I worried my behind off about this one. Don't get me wrong, because I like authors who kill characters willy nilly, but dang it, it does ratchet up the tension. Jane and all the good people she met along the way are wonderful characters. Luckily, there were quite a few laughs along the way. The bad guys were mostly all nutjobs. Scary, sometimes funny and I did enjoy seeing them bite the dust! The thing with these books were how the brain nano-webs work, and who and why some insanomaniacs would think it's a great idea. This is something that could happen. The thought is terrifying. What kept this from being a 5 star series though is something as simple as the characters being so over the top exaggerated. Almost like a comic book. Still, I loved the series, and the ending. I'm often amazed a what writers come up with! Also, and I never say this, but I think this would make a great T.V. show.
This is a book "series of books" that I'd recommend. Just start at the beginning or you'll miss all the good stuff that leads to the end.
"You've been Vikramized."

Was this review helpful?

I have never read a Dean Koontz book before but I heard really great things about him. However, this book is not for me. I love thriller type books, which this is, and the storyline is very captivating. My personal issue with the book was all of the character jumping, it’s not my taste. I can handle 2 characters perspectives but more than that gets lost on me. When I requested it, I also didn’t realize it was part of a series: I think this also hindered my being able to get into this book. So I did not finish it because I personally could not get into it. BUT, the premise is seriously awesome and would make a fantastic movie!

Was this review helpful?

The last in a series of 5 books was worth the read. Jane Hawk is the toughest female lead character I’ve read in a long time. It’s great to find books with such a strong female lead, I don’t see that very often, even in our present day. I would enjoy watching a movie based on this series, I think it would appeal to many movie goers. Reading this last book helped make sense of some of the parts in the fourth book as well. My review of the last book wasn’t as good as this book because some of the characters didn’t seem to fit in with past scenes, but this installment of the series makes that connection for me now. I recommend the entire series, especially if you’re new to this author like I was. I’m really forward to discovering this author’s past works now.

Was this review helpful?

In Dean Koontz’s Jane Hawk finale, we follow the heroine to either the end of the Earth as we know it or the saving of our way of life. Koontz incorporates several memorable characters into the story. There is the young filmmaker hunted for sport across a huge Colorado ranch by one of the many Arcadian billionaires. There are the normal everyday people who help Jane as she tries to defeat the Arcadians and be able to live peacefully with her son. There is a Vegas mobster and his homicidal sociopath chasing Jane’s son and his protectors. Finally there is the former FBI hacker, who devises a way to for once and all, end the rule and dominance of the Arcadians. I am a fan of Jane Hawk and love the books about her story. The only criticism I have is that there are times in the book where the verbiage is too much and takes away from the story.

Was this review helpful?

The Night Window is the fifth book in Dean Koontz Jane Hawk series. I've heard rumors that there will be a sixth or seventh book, but, I haven't heard anything from the author, so this appears to be the end of our association with Jane Hawk. If we have to say goodbye to a great character, everything comes together in a way that will not have you regret the time you have spent with Jane.
At this point in the story, I would not suggest that you start with The Night Window. While there is backstory, I don't think you would 'feel' for the character of Jane(or her son Travis, or any of the good people they have met along the way) if you haven't been along since the beginning with The Silent Corner. Jane has been searching for who or what made her husband commit suicide, and has uncovered a far-reaching conspiracy and some really bad people as the story progressed. The major question that remains is can Jane get the proof to someone who will believe her and can she escape with her life. Well, no spoilers here, but I will say there is a satisfying conclusion and there is plenty left to the imagination as to what will happen in the future.
I hated saying goodbye to Odd Thomas and I feel the same about Jane Hawk. I guess the only thing is that if Mr. Koontz was still writing Odd books, well, we might not have Jane and whatever comes next. Out of all the books, The Silent Corner and The Forbidden Door were my favorites. The Night Window doesn't publish until May, so you have plenty of time to discover Jane Hawk.4.5 stars. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

I just literally read the last page of this book and wanted to sit down to write a review. This is the final book in the Jane Hawk Series and I was very pleased with the closure Dean Koontz gave to the storyline and characters in this final installment. The book brings together some characters from the past and is as fully engaging and suspenseful as all of the other books in this series. I kept wondering how on earth could this story end in any way, except with bittersweet triumph of good over evil. Dean Koontz gave us the perfect ending to this story. There are some books (series) that are written that somehow just stay with you and this series is definitely one of them for me. Thank you, Dean Koontz, for another great book/series!

Was this review helpful?

What a kick ass strong character so sorry to see the end. Even if you haven't read the whole series this books gives you enough background to know what has been happening.

Was this review helpful?

It makes sense to add new characters to keep the story of Jane Hawk and her fight against the Techno Arcadians who have developed a nano technology that can control the minds of individuals and make them subservient. Jane’s husband was killed in the first novel of this series and in this final one, it all comes to a head. I have enjoyed the previous four and this one also. There are some subplots going on which made me not want to put the book down to see how it all plays out. Enjoyable and intense, and hate to see this series end. But all good things must come to an end.

Was this review helpful?

This is the fifth book in the Jane Hawk series. Jane, an FBI agent will take you on a wild ride in this contemporary thriller. Fast-paced, it's full of action, danger, and suspense. Warning, once you begin this book you'll find it hard to put down. This book is the climax to the series. I read a copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to review.

Was this review helpful?

A great ending to this fantastic series. I recommend this series to my customers who love Lee Child and most have come back to read the series, it's that good! Jane Hawk is just as good as Jack Reacher!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to review this book free for my honest opinion.
I was immediately swept into the story of Jane Hawk FBI agent on the run and trying to save her career,her life and the world from evil villains virtually in the highest of offices in government and law enforcement who have taken over the minds of innocent people by injecting them with nanoweapons, with help from a sweet admirer who is also one heck of a computer genius and his very loving family they must stay alive long enough to figure out how to stop the evil from encompassing the world making humans mindless tools of death. This book doesn't disappoint it will keep you interested to the end.

Was this review helpful?

Dean Koontz has an imagination that is deep and full, much as a city’s drinking water reservoir. An endless supply of story lines, characters, anecdotes, situations, and descriptive phrases are there for the dipping, and he goes to the well repeatedly, as evidenced by the immense number of novels he has penned. “The Night Window,” his latest, has just been released, and I found the waters a little muddled, not as fresh and sparkling as I would like.

As usual, Koontz has an immense cast of characters. Their roles are widely strewn and evasive. Heroine Jane Hawk seems a little out of sort and not as shrewd as she has been in prior situations. This particular disturbance, a continuation of an earlier theme, involves thousands of humans from all over the world who have been injected with a neural virus that puts them under the control of evildoers. The affected include movers and shakers from government and law enforcement making any legal control of the dastardly plot impossible, unless the mindbenders command it. It’s all very confusing and even more implausible.

I can live with implausibility in my reading. In fact, I applaud it as long as I’m not being made the fool. I actually felt fatuous at some points in Koontz’s story, pleading for more plausible dialogue and events. If it weren’t for Koontz’s talent and history, I would have never completed the book. Koontz fans, as obviously I’m not, will, probably, receive this book with great fervor, and good on ‘em.

Was this review helpful?

Oh, I was sorry to see this one end! Jane and her unconventional band of protectors will touch your heart and make you slightly less cynical about human nature, Of course delving too deeply into the nefarious Arcadian group will give new meaning to "adjusted". Great introduction of new intergral characters. Found myself rooting for Tom Buckle and loved Vikram. Beautifully written and all to believable.

Was this review helpful?