Dean Koontz is a mystery, suspense, sci-fi, and thriller writer. 'The Big Dark Sky' is no exception. Set in the beautiful big sky of Montana...it is the classic Koontz war of good vs. evil. A young woman is raised for 11 years on a ranch in Montana. Her mother tragically dies and two weeks later her father as well. She is then raised far from the ranch by an aunt. Now she is a hardworking bestselling novelist when strange things begin to happen to her. Her aunt reminds her of a character from her past that her memory struggles to connect with. In a series of events, several characters come together in an epic battle against evil. Koontz has many strengths as a writer but his characterizations are this reader's favorite. In this novel they range from a couple of hackers, a detective, a man with severe birth defects, a young man and his father, an identical twin survivor, and several cult characters as well as an interesting man who works in mysterious investigations and a heroic character that is not human.
I love Koontz's writing and his characters. He brings out the best of mankind and his love of animals, unusual people, those with handicaps, and other unusual characteristics is admirable. This novel talks a lot about synchronization and relates many stories that make it worth exploring. Thanks, Dean Koontz for your writing. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheBigDarkSky for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've read and enjoyed many other books by Koontz, but this one missed the mark for me. It was somewhat of a mess overall. The dialogue was still and the plot convoluted. I'm used to suspending reality while reading, but this was a bit too much. Most characters were one dimensional. Some scenes were okay and did have me curious, but those scenes were too few and far between. I was surprised to find references to the author's own Jane Hawk series.

I mean, its Dean Koontz. I'd rather read his worst book than some other authors best. Good thing this is FAR from his worst, tho it in parts felt like a shorter retelling of his book STRANGERS. Loved it overall however, and it will be just a big a hit with his fans and so many have been before it! THANK you!

Another Suspenseful Dean Koontz novel full of twists and turns, always with an original plot and interesting characters.

Joanna and group get led to this ranch that may be haunted. All are threatened by someone but they do not know by who. The book was bit slow in the beginning. Halfway toward the end was alot better .

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer , netgalley, and the author in exchange for a review

Publishing date: July 19th 2022.

My thanks to Thomas Mercer, Dean Koontz and Netgalley.
This is the most nonsensical book. Nothing really came together. I kept reading and waiting for something.
This may be the most nonsensical, idiotic thing that I've read from Koontz in a decade or two.
Not recommended.

The Big Dark Sky was a big dark book! Part thriller, part sci-fi, part horror/supernatural and probably a bit of other genres, it nevertheless had an underlying sense of optimism.

I hadn’t read any Dean Koontz since his Jane Hawk 5 book series a few years ago (which was outstanding by the way) so when I saw this arc I was quite excited. I cannot do better than the blurb to describe this book so you should read it. But I can tell you what I felt as I was reading it.

I was literally transfixed. Yes, it was confusing for a while as characters were introduced and really weird stuff was happening to them. Let’s talk about the characters - they were all very different and, I thought, fully formed. What an interesting bunch they were. Joanna (Jojo) Chase grew up on the Rustling Willows ranch in Montana. It was an idyllic childhood. Her friend Jimmy Two Eyes, sadly afflicted with many physical deformities was non-verbal - except with Jojo (you learn how that can be later in the book). When she is 9 years old her parents die with 2 weeks of each other and she moves to New Mexico to live with her Aunt Katherine. She eventually becomes an author. Many of her childhood experiences are forgotten until her car and her phones are hijacked and an eerie voice calls for her to come and help. She knows she needs to go back to Montana.

A whole bunch of other people are also heading to the ranch in Montana on a dark and stormy night when the future of humankind will be decided. There’s a PI, a couple of hackers, a brilliant scientist and a couple of crazy brave young people who are even angrier than the angry entity and want nothing more than to obliterate it, whatever it is!

I could go into more detail but why ruin it for prospective readers. There are many quirky characters both good and bad. There is danger lurking in every corner. An evil entity has the ability to read minds and and control animals and it’s been sucked into the nihilistic, extremist thinking of Asher Optime who wants to rid the world of all humanity - except for himself of course.

I don’t think this a book to take too seriously. It is just pure entertainment and it’s different enough from the run of the mill family drama, crime thriller, locked room mystery or what have you to keep your interest throughout. The pace was fast and there were no flat spots. Some parts may have been a little cheesy but in this case it almost added to the charm. I really enjoyed it and may go back for another dose of Koontz soon! Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Classic Dean Koontz - a threat to end the world as we know it and a motley crew of interesting characters. A great intro to the talent of Koontz or just a great blockbustery novel to wow you!

Joanna Chase put her time at Rusty Willows Ranch behind her. Now there is something trying to lure her back. There is not doubt about it, an evil entity of some kind resides there and many of the characters interact with it differently. There are axe murderers, supernatural elements and cults. The novel as a whole seems more Horror than Thriller. But if you love a larger than life story, a novel of cults and axes, or just love the remarkable talent of Dean Koontz, then grab The Big Dark Sky, you won't be disappointed! #Thomas&Mercer ThomasandMercer #NetGalley

Dean Koontz has the ability to write a story that keeps you on your toes and guessing. Obstacles of an insurmountable kind are thrown at author Joanna Chase when she receives a message to return to Rustling Willows, a place she left over twenty years prior. At the same time, some unexplainable events take place at her childhood home where she is headed that PI Wyatt Rudy is hired to investigate. It seems several people are needed back to Rustling Willows where an evil dwells that plans to kill them all. An excellent edgy story that will have you sleeping with the lights on!
Thank you NetGalley, and publishers Thomas & Mercer Seattle for this eARC This is my honest opinion. Dean Koontz delivers again.

Dean back to his best. Great characters and Dean's own humour coming through this book. Highly recommended
I received this book from Thomas Mercer via Netgalley for a review.

In every life, there are strange coincidences, occurrences that we find inexplicable, and even moments that seem supernatural.

This was my first novel from Koontz in more than 20 years and it did not disappoint.

The perfect mix of suspense, drama and science fiction - I was captured until the very end.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Prolific author Dean Koontz is back with an amazing story of people finding their way to the same place — this time their destination is “The Big Dark Sky” in Montana. This group consists of Joanna, a writer from Santa Fe whose parents died suddenly on Rustling Willows Ranch when she was 9; Wyatt Rider, a detective investigating “weird” incidences at Rustling Willows at the behest of the current owner, a billionaire named Liam; and Olivia and Colson, a young woman and young teenager, kidnapped and brought to a ghost town called Zipporah by a madman named Asher Prime, adherent of another cult leader, Xanthus Toller, both who want humanity to lose all hope and voluntarily wipe itself out.

Their seemingly disparate stories converge as a scientist, Ganesh, and his colleague Artimis, are investigating something they have termed The Other — the force that is bringing the characters together. They have teamed up with Deetle and Leigh Ann, escaped victims of the unknown villain. How this all intersects is absolutely fascinating and produces a novel with a unique story. At first it seems that there might be too many characters, but be patient as their stories get interwoven, I loved it and couldn’t wait for the stories to resolve themselves. I designated my good guys and rooted for their survival. Another great book from Dean Koontz. 4 stars!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES In fact, more people with green eyes than other colors in this novel: Ophelia has “malachite” green eyes; Asher has “bottle” green eyes; Colton’s mother had green eyes like Ophelia; Liam O’Hara’s eyes are as green as shamrocks.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The author knows his plants, even pointing out a Kesselringii Tartanian dogwood and knowing what a bosk is.

The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz was an amazing journey through scary circumstances with incredibly brave characters and a few not-so-nice ones.

Koontz is very good at using lots of descriptive imagery to bring every detail to life in an oftentimes shocking fashion. The characterization is some of the best I have ever encountered. In this highly divisive country we live in, it really isn't very difficult to think that it is a possibility for someone to think like Asher Optime and try to set into motion a similar action; although, they would not have the same supernatural abilities.

I appreciated how the group of good characters was drawn together in synchronistic ways: that's a word used throughout the story.

This is definitely a 4 star book.

Joanna started growing up at Russeling Willows. Her mother supposedly died in the lake when her boat flipped on the estates property. Her father was mauled by a bear only two weeks later. This cause JoJo to leave her magical friend Jimmy. He is the son of the stable hand at the willows. Jimmy was deformed at birth and couldn't speak.

There is a psychopath living in a deserted town. He kidnaps people. Once he breaks their spiritt to live he kills them. He has a woman who's spirit can't be broken. When a father and his son are out exploring they come upon the deserted town. The psycho shoots the father and throws him in the basement of one of the building with many others that he's killed. The woman and boy find away to escape.

Now everyone is some how drawn to the willows. Thanks netgalley for letting me read a book from one of my favorite authors.

Dean Koontz' The Big Dark Sky is an exciting techno-thriller, mystery, and horror novel about synchronicity, blind faith, betrayal, survival, and acceptance.

Told in the third-person and multiple perspectives, Koontz hooks readers with heartbreaking stories of family and friendship, horrific and mind-blowing imageries that showcase the capabilities of unknown power, and a cat-and-mouse chase of the threats to the survival of humankind.

The antagonist has unique characteristics and capabilities. It recognizes the imperfection of people and injustice, exhibits affection towards a human being, and possesses an ancient technology that is as advanced as, if not more than, human's modern counterpart.

Koontz is so imaginative in incorporating a techno side to the story. The use of the Internet in manipulating the events adds excitement to the plot. It is thrilling to follow Kenny and his girlfriend escape the deadly game of the enemy.

In the story, Koontz displays the danger of mixing narcissism and madness. Asher Optime's love for Mother Earth is disturbing and his desire to bring humankind to justice is horrifying. These flaws feed a disconcerting relationship between Asher and the unknown being. Both are consumed by their sense of superiority and disillusionment.

The Big Dark Sky is a great read for people who like action-packed suspense, mystery, and horror stories.

Thank you Dean Koontz, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to share my honest review.

The Big Dark Sky.is classic Koontz.

There is no way I can summarise the story but it involves many dead bodies, a mad man, alien species, hackers with extraordinary abilities and an AI with even more extraordinary abilities who identifies as a woman and is secretly in love with Ganesh, our super hero/secret services MC. That probably sounds like more than enough weird characters for one book, but there are more.

The book starts and ends brilliantly but there is an excess of padding in between. There is an evil entity living at the Rusty Willows Ranch and it attracts many of the characters to it in different ways. The book really slows down as the author rotates around each character's specific journey. I was amused when one character observes that the eventual gathering of all the characters at the house was like the end of an Agatha Christie book.

However the dénouement is speedier than a Christie novel and is in fact so quick I needed to read it twice to see what actually happened. And the AI comes back with her own unusual world view which may be Koontz setting the scene for another book, maybe one featuring Ganesh. I would certainly read it!

Four stars for this one because I have to reserve five for the really best books he has written (in my opinion!) such as Lightning, False Memory and Mr. Murder

Joanna Chase is an author who loves a solitary life. When she is reminded of her childhood, she realises that she has unexpected gaps in her memory and a voice calls her home to Montana. Something is happening on the ranch, and a number of interested parties begin to converge to explore the mystery.

This latest entry from Dean Koontz jumps from character to character, slowly building tension and revealing detail piece by piece. I was quickly drawn in by the mystery and raced towards the ending. I personally felt a little disappointed with the final act - perhaps because a whole novel of rising tension was resolved so swiftly.

Overall it was an enjoyable read with stellar prose that is synonymous with Koontz - give it a go.

This made me remember why I gave up reading Dean Koontz 20 years ago. what the heck , so much look here no look there, oh i didn't really pull it together . This was not the book iI was hoping it would be to pull me back into Koontz's world
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and for allowing me to publish my review.

Joanna has not been home in years but starts getting mental images of I need help and I am alone. She goes back to her hometown. She runs into others who have been drawn to the same message. Then things turn dark.

Dean Koontz has been one of my favorite authors but this book did nothing for me. There were too many characters to keep up with and it seemed to drag on.