Martin Stillwater has a vivid imagination. It charms his loving wife, delights his two little daughters, and gives him all the inspiration he needs...
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Oct 07, 2011
There was a secret government agency, and they made clones. They made a clone of an author named Marin Stillwater. The clones were supposed to be trained to do exactly as they were told(and they were told to kill people; they were assassins). But Alfie(Martin's clone) somehow got it into his head that Martin stole his life and his family, and he tried to kill Martin and kidnap his wife and kids so he could get his life back. One of the guys from the secret government agency killed his partner an
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Jul 24, 2011
Ellen
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I’m going to call this a mini review because it’ll be shorter and less formal than my usual reviews. It will also only be based on a portion of the book because I was unable to finish it. I don’t usually review books that I don’t finish, but I had to make an exception for this.
This book is sick. Not sick in an entertaining way, but really sick. It’s been haunting me for days, making me feel physically ill. The way animals are treated in this book is beyond disgusting. Breaking into s More...
This book is sick. Not sick in an entertaining way, but really sick. It’s been haunting me for days, making me feel physically ill. The way animals are treated in this book is beyond disgusting. Breaking into s More...
Nov 19, 2010
Johnny
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Jul 29, 2010
Tosha
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Apr 13, 2009
Gerry
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Mr. Murder, by Dean Koontz ISBN 0-339-13874-9 G. P. Putnam’s Sons 200 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016 Copyright 1993 Nkui, Inc. 415 pages.
I enjoy reading Dean Koontz books but in most cases hate the endings. I often wonder how a Si-Fi story can so often have such a poor and quick ending. In this novel (which I read in the middle of writing science and social studies lesson plans,) the story grabbed me instantly and held me right through to the end. One thing you have to admit More...
I enjoy reading Dean Koontz books but in most cases hate the endings. I often wonder how a Si-Fi story can so often have such a poor and quick ending. In this novel (which I read in the middle of writing science and social studies lesson plans,) the story grabbed me instantly and held me right through to the end. One thing you have to admit More...
May 08, 2008
Beth
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I had been getting bored with Dean Koontz in recent years (except for the Frankenstein books,) but picking this one up at a book fair has restored my faith. I haven't been this scared - the kind of scared where you're skimming pages in an effort to find relief and know you shouldn't be reading the book after dark - in years. And it's always refreshing when you can't figure out the ending until the end. Good stuff.
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Mar 03, 2011
Tim
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Jul 29, 2008
Beth
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My very first Dean Koontz book, Mr. Murder is an intersting suspense-thriller about a successful novelist who has his life turned upside down when a man (who looks exactly like him) shows up to steal his life (the double thinks the novelist stole his life to begin with). It's quite intriguing and full of major twists that have you wondering where Koontz got his imagination.
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Aug 08, 2010
Suzana
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Mr Murder is an amazing story - starting from a personality who has no past and no identity, that is driven by forces he cannot identify and who he cannot appeal to for help, driven from assignment to killing assignment with no idea why he is what he is and is doing what he is doing - leading the most tortured and meaningless existence - he decides he wants A LIFE, he wants a FAMILY, he wants A HOME. And he is going to take it.
From the imposter that looks exactly like him. Take his famil More...
From the imposter that looks exactly like him. Take his famil More...
Nov 04, 2011
Del
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This is the first book by Dean Koontz that I recall reading, my wife has raved about his books for quite some time but for some reason I just never seem to have got around to starting one. Maybe it is that in a way he is 'her' author not mine.
Anyway, on to the book.
Wow this book has it all, an evil clone, a malignant alliance called 'The Network', gunfights, car chases, murders.
Its a good, easy read. Well paced with good descriptions of all the incidents and charact More...
Anyway, on to the book.
Wow this book has it all, an evil clone, a malignant alliance called 'The Network', gunfights, car chases, murders.
Its a good, easy read. Well paced with good descriptions of all the incidents and charact More...
Jun 15, 2010
Maciek
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Reading this book made me remember just how much Koontz rehashes. There is nothing original in this book - black and white characters, government conspiracy, etc. If there were no secret organizations DK would be out of job. And how many times did a Koontz novel feature a heroic couple running away from an evil adversary?
All of this is embroidered by his "subtle" ideology (the god guy is a writer, the bad guy despises the written word). Apparently in Koontz's school of phi More...
All of this is embroidered by his "subtle" ideology (the god guy is a writer, the bad guy despises the written word). Apparently in Koontz's school of phi More...
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Nov 12, 2009
Katrina
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Aug 12, 2010
Carlotta
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This book was given to me as a gift for my birthday by my boyfriend so I love that he gave it to me. However, Mr. Koontz could have written this story in half the pages. He spent more time beating the same jokes to death, describing nothing of interest, and repeating characteristics of his characters. The story could have been more interesting, regardless of how much it reminded me of some of his other works, if he had cut out about half of the pages. The book felt to me like he had a page q
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Jul 18, 2009
Jenn
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This is one of the better Koontz books I've read. It was very suspenseful and more than a bit spooky at times. I don't read Koontz searching for quotes that I can apply to my life, but there is a good one in this book. I wouldn't call it profound, but it puts into words something I believe: "at its best, fiction is medicine." The main character even expounds on this, perhaps unnecessarily, but I think he is right:
"Life is so damned disorderly, things just happen, More...
"Life is so damned disorderly, things just happen, More...
Oct 24, 2009
Maicie
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Nov 01, 2011
David
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I read this book for the first time in ten years. I literally read it in two days straight. Talk about a page turner!
Marty Stillwater is a writer of mystery novels. He has a lovely wife called Paige, two adorable little girls, Charlotte, who's nine and Emily who is seven. Everything is good in his life.
Until one day he walks in to find an intruder in his house. An intruder who claims Marty has stolen his life. And the intruder wants it back. Everything. includ More...
Marty Stillwater is a writer of mystery novels. He has a lovely wife called Paige, two adorable little girls, Charlotte, who's nine and Emily who is seven. Everything is good in his life.
Until one day he walks in to find an intruder in his house. An intruder who claims Marty has stolen his life. And the intruder wants it back. Everything. includ More...
Mar 15, 2011
Mimi
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This book was a little strange to me as the subjects in the story are not ones I usually read about. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was creepy and realistic. I could not read it alone in the dark at some parts, it really got to me. Definitely a good piece of work by Mr. Koontz.
I was also really happy by the ending. It left me with a satisfied feeling and really tied things up. Would most likely read again when my queue runs out or I just feel up to it.
The onl More...
I was also really happy by the ending. It left me with a satisfied feeling and really tied things up. Would most likely read again when my queue runs out or I just feel up to it.
The onl More...
Mar 09, 2011
Tara
rated it:
I just started this one because I think someone left it at my house and I ran out of train reading. While I am intrigued by where the author is taking the plot so far, I feel like style-wise he sometimes tries too hard. But I'm only 30 pages in so I'm giving it a chance...
The good news is, the book is over and I figured out whom to rush it back to. The bad news is, there's a week of my life I am never getting back. While the book wasn't terrible, it's not my cup o' tea. However, if you More...
The good news is, the book is over and I figured out whom to rush it back to. The bad news is, there's a week of my life I am never getting back. While the book wasn't terrible, it's not my cup o' tea. However, if you More...
Feb 16, 2009
Pat
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Koontz is one of my top 5 favorite authors so of course I loved this one. The main character is an author of mysteries. He has a wife and 2 small daughters. He starts having these strange unexplainable lapses, he calls them fugues. He sees his Dr and a series of tests are ordered even though the Dr assures him he believes he is fine. There is murder, a murderer run amok, and police who dislike the author because of a recently published magazine article. Is the author filing a false police
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Feb 04, 2009
Erin
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I am upset I wasted my time with this book. I think he tricked me with this one...it started out ok, but then got so sappy and corny right away. Yet I kept reading to find out what the twist was, so I was 3/4 of the way through before I found out what was actually happening.
I don't think I've ever read a book before where I roll my eyes on every page! I don't like his preachiness or his overload of sentimentality, and this book was just bursting with it.
I might have to More...
I don't think I've ever read a book before where I roll my eyes on every page! I don't like his preachiness or his overload of sentimentality, and this book was just bursting with it.
I might have to More...
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Jun 26, 2009
Tanner
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Wonderful book! Well written and kept me turning the pages. I have found very few books that actually have the feeling of a thriller, this one captures "edge of your seat" feeling that I enjoy.
It had a splendid ending that was quite the twist. Throughout the book I felt that perhaps Marty was really the imposter. What a wierd twist that would have been, but I liked his ending better.
I was glad that an in depth explnation was given and that no opening was left f More...
It had a splendid ending that was quite the twist. Throughout the book I felt that perhaps Marty was really the imposter. What a wierd twist that would have been, but I liked his ending better.
I was glad that an in depth explnation was given and that no opening was left f More...
Mar 13, 2011
Patricia J.
rated it:
Wow. I had to make myself read this after a friend suggested I might find it interesting to study the way Dean Koontz alternated POVs, including the antagonist's viewpoint. Usually, I don't read psychological thrillers, because I'm a wimp and get too scared. This book captivated me with riveting story, clean prose and wonderful characterizations. It also suprised me a number of times. Excellent storytelling, and I'm so glad I got over my scaredy-catness and read it. And I have to agree that he h
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Jan 03, 2011
Dustin Crazy little brown owl
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I read Mr. Murder as a mini-group read in the Koontzland - Dean Koontz group. While the ending could have been better, the story and mystery was plenty intriguing for me - intriguing enough that I'm ranking this at #6 in my list of Dean Koontz favorites. Mr. Murder wasn't quite good enough to make it into my top 5, but he's in my top 10 for sure :-) The book reminded me a lot of Relentless by Dean Koontz, a story I'm absolutely in love with. Mr. Murder was published in 1993 and Relentless in 200
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Apr 26, 2009
Jessica
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Marty is somehow linked to a murdering look-alike. The look-alike manages to track Marty down through a People magazine article on Marty, who they deem "Mr. Murder" because of his novels.
There are a few things in this book that mirror some of Koontz's other novels, which made it a little difficult for me to read. I only marginally cared for Marty and Paige, even though I loved their two daughters. I was annoyed by the look-alike, who seemed to be more of a pest than anythin More...
There are a few things in this book that mirror some of Koontz's other novels, which made it a little difficult for me to read. I only marginally cared for Marty and Paige, even though I loved their two daughters. I was annoyed by the look-alike, who seemed to be more of a pest than anythin More...
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Jun 08, 2010
Lorna
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Horrible. This book is too similar to other books Koontz wrote. He just traded names of characters and settings.
The main character is a slightly inept writer with a saintly wife and too-smart-for-their-age daughters who are there for the cute factor. Of course they are all pursued by a psycho.
If you want to relive the memories of other Koontz novels, then you may like Mr. Murder. If you want something new and refreshing, then stay away. Far away.
The main character is a slightly inept writer with a saintly wife and too-smart-for-their-age daughters who are there for the cute factor. Of course they are all pursued by a psycho.
If you want to relive the memories of other Koontz novels, then you may like Mr. Murder. If you want something new and refreshing, then stay away. Far away.
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Sep 19, 2010
Ashley
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This is one of my favorite books by Dean Koontz. I loved the book. This book is about Martin Stillwater and how he came across to facing his own "clone" for lack of the better term. However, the clone wanted his life. That is where the book becomes intense and exciting. I felt that Dean Koontz created Martin STillwater after himself so I was able to see some characteristics that Dean Koontz had in this character. So that was pretty cool.
Aug 31, 2010
Don
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I have been reading DK for about 10 years now...His latest novels have left me feeling that he has just mailed them in.I decided to read one of older books to see if I could recapture what it was that I originally found appealing about his writing. Boy, I'm sure glad I did. "Mr.Murder" originally written in 1993 is a fast paced suspense thriller that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat.At times he is a little heavy on the descriptive prose (someone once said they thought "h
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Aug 10, 2011
Jerry
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quick paced thriller reminds me of a later book "The Good Guy", though I preferred the latter. My main issue with the book is that I think it would have been better if the story revolved around the writer and family vs. this evil twin, without the involvement of the evil twins creator/handlers. It is what it is though, and worthwhile reading for fans of the genre, but not as an introduction to Koontz.
May 17, 2009
G.L.
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All horror writers are obsessed (or charmed) with the idea that the scary in their heads will doppleganger out and chase their families around the kitchen with a butcher knife.
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I wrote the above before I had gotten very far into the book. Leave it to Koontz to come up with a quirky sci-fi-esque twist on the famous horror writer "evil twin" genre. (Yes, there are enough famous horror novelists --and they've all written one or SEVERAL evil twin novels-- enough t More...
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I wrote the above before I had gotten very far into the book. Leave it to Koontz to come up with a quirky sci-fi-esque twist on the famous horror writer "evil twin" genre. (Yes, there are enough famous horror novelists --and they've all written one or SEVERAL evil twin novels-- enough t More...
Jul 04, 2011
Walter
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Mr. Murder is a good story packed with action and mystery. It is a story of dedication to family. The Stillwater family becomes a team of sorts as they flee and battle their adversary. Even the children Charlotte and Emily play a role as their parents, Martin and Paige, demonstrate the strong bond of true love.
The book is a little involved with detail in places but that’s just Koontz. If I ever entered a room in one of his books and failed to know every aspect of it I’d worry that De More...
The book is a little involved with detail in places but that’s just Koontz. If I ever entered a room in one of his books and failed to know every aspect of it I’d worry that De More...
