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14th out of 62 books
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The Good Guy
by
Dean Koontz
Timothy Carrier, having a beer after work at his friend’s tavern, enjoys drawing eccentric customers into amusing conversations. But the jittery man who sits next to him tonight has mistaken Tim for someone very different—and passes to him a manila envelope full of cash.
“Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she’s gone.”
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pret...more
“Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she’s gone.”
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pret...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
May 29th 2007
by Bantam
(first published January 1st 2007)
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Keeping with the Koontz theme. I finished The Good Guy over the weekend. The cover (front and back) doesn’t tell you much. I didn’t read the inside part of the dust jacket. I just picked it up. I figured Koontz = Good read. I was right.
At this point in my Koontz reading extravaganza I’ve made a few generalizations about his books. Someone or something will have special powers. Meaning, if the lead character doesn’t have special powers, then that character has a pet (usually a dog) that...more
At this point in my Koontz reading extravaganza I’ve made a few generalizations about his books. Someone or something will have special powers. Meaning, if the lead character doesn’t have special powers, then that character has a pet (usually a dog) that...more
Timothy Carrier, having a beer after work at his friend’s tavern. But the jittery man who sits next to him tonight has mistaken Tim for someone very different—and passes to him a manila envelope full of cash.
“Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she’s gone.”
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pretty woman marked for death, and her address. But things are about to get worse. In minutes another stranger sits next to Tim. This one is a cold-blooded killer who b...more
“Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she’s gone.”
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pretty woman marked for death, and her address. But things are about to get worse. In minutes another stranger sits next to Tim. This one is a cold-blooded killer who b...more
This is your typical Koontz story - extremely bad guy chasing good guy(s)and in this one, the good guys don't know why they're being targeted for murder. The good guy, (hence the title), Tim, is mistaken for a hired killer in a bar and given an envelope with $10,000 and a picture of a woman whom he is supposed to kill. He then tries to save the woman, Linda, and gets caught up in the cat&mouse game. The bad guy is one of Koontz's worst, I think. He is remorseless & capable of unspeakable, ne...more
As a writer, Koontz is improving. I found that this novel had very little rambling about his characters and scenes. His development of characters was amazing. I found that even though I despised the evil character, Krait, I was just as attached to him as I was the main characters, Tim and Linda.
This novel had a very interesting and scary plot. What made this Novel so intensely frightening was that it was a plausible situation. It is a plot that could very well be happening or co...more
This novel had a very interesting and scary plot. What made this Novel so intensely frightening was that it was a plausible situation. It is a plot that could very well be happening or co...more
This is my first Koontz book and I liked it. I was kind of hoping for more suspense and there were times that I did feel anxious but not to the degree I was hoping for.
It was pretty clean for an adult novel. It gives me hope that when I'm an adult I can actually read novels that aren't too provocative. This is compared to some of the other adult books I've read. There are very slight innuendos and the bad guy pees on stuff he doesn't like which I thought was weird.
Maybe ...more
It was pretty clean for an adult novel. It gives me hope that when I'm an adult I can actually read novels that aren't too provocative. This is compared to some of the other adult books I've read. There are very slight innuendos and the bad guy pees on stuff he doesn't like which I thought was weird.
Maybe ...more
The ending is the weakest. Too much tom foolery for such a focused story. But....the journey is what its all about, right? That is a pretty good thing about this book. Its a good ride. Koontz comes up with the creepiest bad guys.
Listened to this on CD. A very gripping story with some unexpected twists. Tim Carrier is an average guy, a mason, who enjoys his quiet life. One day, when enjoying a beer at his favorite bar, he is approached by a nervous guy who hands him an envelope stuffed with cash and the picture of a woman. Tim is told that he will "get the rest when she's gone." This guy leaves, and a short time later, another guy comes in and sits next to Tim. Tim quickly figures out this guy, Krait, is the ac...more
Another great Koontz book!
Publisher's Summary
Timothy Carrier, having a beer after work at his friend's tavern, enjoys drawing eccentric customers into amusing conversations. But the jittery man who sits next to him tonight has mistaken Tim for someone very different and passes to him a manila envelope full of cash. Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she's gone.
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pretty woman marked for death, and her address. But things are about to get worse. In...more
Publisher's Summary
Timothy Carrier, having a beer after work at his friend's tavern, enjoys drawing eccentric customers into amusing conversations. But the jittery man who sits next to him tonight has mistaken Tim for someone very different and passes to him a manila envelope full of cash. Ten thousand now. You get the rest when she's gone.
The stranger walks out, leaving a photo of the pretty woman marked for death, and her address. But things are about to get worse. In...more
Tim Carrier is a stone mason, a man who likes a peaceful life, who likes order, a man who has earned the loyalty and respect of his friends. Being mistaken for an assassin, his courage and desire to protect lead him into adventure, a cat and mouse game and a partnership with a woman who shares his qualities.
There is a message in this novel and its the seed of true horror; could there come a time when society can be controlled by a hidden agency? Is it already possible for "someon...more
There is a message in this novel and its the seed of true horror; could there come a time when society can be controlled by a hidden agency? Is it already possible for "someon...more
Timothy Carrier is minding his own business in a bar, when he is approached by another man and offered a packet containing $10,000 to kill someone. Soon thereafter, another man, the real killer enters and mistakes Tim for the client. Tim tries to buy off the killer with half of the money only to discover the hitman is a cop. He contacts the victim, an unusual lady, and the cat-and-mouse games begin.
Nothing supernatural in this book which is great because when I read anything with ...more
Nothing supernatural in this book which is great because when I read anything with ...more
It has been awhile since I picked up any of Dean Koontz's books. I can't remember which ones I read years ago, but I remember enjoying them. The Good Guy, however dissappointed me. It has a great premise, a man sitting alone in a bar gets mistaken first for a hit man and then for the man contracting the hit man. After that he's stuck in the middle of a planned murder and, of course, is in danger of losing his own life.
The book is filled with unbelievable scenes, even given the na...more
The book is filled with unbelievable scenes, even given the na...more
So let’s say you’re in a bar and a guy shows up, mistakes you for someone he was meeting, and you play along. Just for fun. You’ll let him know his mistake sooner or later. But then he slides a manila envelope to you and says, “Half of it is there. Ten thousand. You’ll get the rest when she’s gone.”
Would you say, “Sorry, dude. I’m not your hit man”? A woman’s life is on the line.
In Dean Koontz’s The Good Guy, Tim Carrier is too astonished to react. The man leaves. Carrier...more
Would you say, “Sorry, dude. I’m not your hit man”? A woman’s life is on the line.
In Dean Koontz’s The Good Guy, Tim Carrier is too astonished to react. The man leaves. Carrier...more
Barky
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Timothy Carrier is at a friend's bar, nursing a drink after work when a stranger sits next to him and strikes up a conversation. The man then slides Tim a manila envelope which proves to contain $10,000 in cash, and a woman's picture and address. "Ten thousand now," the stranger tells Tim. "You get the rest when she's gone."
And with that, this Koontz tale is off to the races. Mistaken for someone else, Tim makes a choice that takes the reader on a thrilling ri...more
And with that, this Koontz tale is off to the races. Mistaken for someone else, Tim makes a choice that takes the reader on a thrilling ri...more
The first three chapters or so held so much promise, with a tighter style than I'm used to seeing from Dean Koontz and some really nifty wordplay. I could almost describe it as Koontz channeling David Mamet or Aaron Sorkin. The remainder of the narrative, however, just didn't deliver. This is your usual Koontz, but too much so. A lot of it just felt old. It might have been more interesting if the hero had been just a regular guy, and if Koontz could have kept his over-romanticizing in check.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Being mistaken for a hit man at a bar and receiving $10,000 in a manila envelope seems good but when the actual killer shows up for the money do u give the money and let what happens happen? Tim Carrier chooses to give the money as a gift for not doing anything but the killer decides to carry on with the assassination anyway. So Tim decides to be the Good Guy and warn the pretty Linda Paquette. He convinces her to leave and they get away together for a while until the actual hit man follow...more
Oddly, this has pretty much the same basic plot as the last Koontz book I read, TICKTOCK. A young man and a young woman meet and get chased around by a viscious assassin who seems to be virtually unstoppable and who is easily able to track them down wherever they go. But, where the villian of TICKTOCK was magical in nature, the killer in THE GOOD GUY relies on technology to stay two steps ahead of his quarry. People die, secrets are revealed, and true love blossoms. Also, where TICKTOCK was ...more
I liked this book much more than I expected to. It was an exciting read, of course, but I particularly enjoyed how the two main characters were able to rely so much on sang froid and courage to survive. Carrier was an extraordinary person, but almost all of his actions were successful not because of unelieveable powers but because of being able to quickly make the right decision. with the emphasis placed on decision making and outsmarting the enemy, I thought the story felt much like a chess ...more
So, you’re just this ordinary working stiff dropping by his favorite watering hole after a hard day laying bricks. All you want is a little down time to chill with a nice cold bottle of your favorite brew and be left alone. Seriously, is that asking too much?
It’s all Tim Carrier, a brick mason, and the son of a brick mason had in mind when he addled up to the bar on what was just another ordinary night in the ordinary life of an ordinary working stiff.
But this wasn’t going to be...more
It’s all Tim Carrier, a brick mason, and the son of a brick mason had in mind when he addled up to the bar on what was just another ordinary night in the ordinary life of an ordinary working stiff.
But this wasn’t going to be...more
Well, Dean Koontz is a name that I’ve heard many times and very long ago but surprisingly, I’ve never read any of his books until now.
This book is about a man, Timothy Carrier, who is mistaken as a hit man and given ten thousand dollars and a woman’s picture to kill her. When the real killer arrives, Tim gives him the ten thousand as a no-kill fee and keeps the woman’s picture, saying that he changed his mind and didn’t want her killed.
Of course, the mistake is eventually, an...more
This book is about a man, Timothy Carrier, who is mistaken as a hit man and given ten thousand dollars and a woman’s picture to kill her. When the real killer arrives, Tim gives him the ten thousand as a no-kill fee and keeps the woman’s picture, saying that he changed his mind and didn’t want her killed.
Of course, the mistake is eventually, an...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The commentaries and reviews touted this as a page-turner. They were right. Once you get on into the book, you aren't going to want to put it down. Koontz unfolds his characters, drawing you in, making you bite your nails, wondering if everyone will make it out alive. I was a little afraid at first regarding the "serial killer" component. Sometimes I don't like to be too gruesomely horrified. There were definitely some serial killer gruesome factors, but not to the degree that you felt...more
, ehhh, I ask myself why do i read dean koontz. Because what I want to read is hardly ever on the library shelf and some how Koontz is.
This wasn't a terrible story, it did keep moving and i liked the characters. But i think i needed a little bit more about either the mysterious very weird killer for hire, or "the gentleman's club" that employs him. I'm a bit dense sometimes and the calling in a favor from a very important man's mama to stop the bad guys club was really lame ...more
This wasn't a terrible story, it did keep moving and i liked the characters. But i think i needed a little bit more about either the mysterious very weird killer for hire, or "the gentleman's club" that employs him. I'm a bit dense sometimes and the calling in a favor from a very important man's mama to stop the bad guys club was really lame ...more
Another good one from Koontz. This is a quick, suspenseful read with good characters. My only issue with this book is that I wanted to know the motivation behind the bad guy, Krait. I know it is obviously supposed to be all about the good guy, but I wanted to understand the bad guy too. Perhaps the message is just that there is unexplained evil in the world.
It's been YEARS since I last picked up a Dean Koontz book and after reading The Good Guy, I'm wondering why. He is a masterful storyteller and his bad guys are the best in the business.
I loved Tim and Linda and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. The dialogue between all the characters was superb. The witty banter had me laughing out loud a couple of times and gave the reader a chance to take a breath and relax a bit between suspenseful scenes.
Krait, the villia...more
I loved Tim and Linda and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. The dialogue between all the characters was superb. The witty banter had me laughing out loud a couple of times and gave the reader a chance to take a breath and relax a bit between suspenseful scenes.
Krait, the villia...more
I loved the beginning of this book! That's unusual for me. I typically like endings much more than beginnings. This one starts out with Tim sitting in the bar. Not only is Tim an intersting character that I couldn't wait to learn more about, but so are the people around him. The people that he calls friends. When the stranger sits next to him, the conversation is a bit odd, yet totally intriguing. Then, the next stranger, and again a conversation to remember. Then the roller-coaster ride hits hi...more
I loved this book... I thought it was going to be a slower one from Dean Koontz but all I had to do was turn the damn page and there was some action. A guy walks into a bar (sounds like a bad joke) but he's here to meet a man to kill a woman for him. He walks over, asks this man if "he's him?" and the man replies with, "Who else would I be?" Money and a photograph is then exchanged. Then that man that walked in walks out. Another man walks in and is there to meet a man who wa...more
One of my favorite novels. Not complex but wonderfully enjoyable. Below is a breakdown of my rating:
Enjoyability: 5
Re-Readability: 5
Character Development: 4.5
Complexity: 2
Writing Style: 4.5
Believability: 3.5
Overall: 4.08
This book is built on a rather simple premise; our hero finds out about a plot to kill a woman and tries to be the good guy and save her. Sounds simple, yes, but the story is so well written and the characters so well...more
Enjoyability: 5
Re-Readability: 5
Character Development: 4.5
Complexity: 2
Writing Style: 4.5
Believability: 3.5
Overall: 4.08
This book is built on a rather simple premise; our hero finds out about a plot to kill a woman and tries to be the good guy and save her. Sounds simple, yes, but the story is so well written and the characters so well...more
Okay, I know that this book has some cliche Koontz elements too it, such as the bad guy who also seems to be crazy. The more I read of Koontz (whom I love, by the way), I start to wonder if he believes is evil is real, or if things only appear evil on the surface and are, in fact, just plain crazy. If I hadn't been on such a Koontzian binge, I might not have drawn the parallels between his bad guys, but they almost always seem to be a few fries short of a Happy Meal and convinced that they are...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What was the picture the killer tore down? | 2 | 16 | Nov 22, 2011 02:35pm | |
| advice | 2 | 27 | Jun 09, 2008 01:59pm | |
| The Good Guy | 0 | 26 | Aug 31, 2007 07:03am |
Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean R. Koontz has also ...more
More about Dean Koontz...
Dean R. Koontz has also ...more
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“Given enough time, you could convince yourself that loneliness was something better, that it was solitude, the ideal condition for reflection, even a kind of freedom.
Once you were thus convinced, you were foolish to open the door and let anyone in, not all the way in. You risked the hard-won equilibrium, that tranquility that you called peace”
—
12 people liked it
Once you were thus convinced, you were foolish to open the door and let anyone in, not all the way in. You risked the hard-won equilibrium, that tranquility that you called peace”
“Appearances are not reality; but they often can be a convincing alternative to it. You can control appearances most of the time, but facts are what they are. When the facts are too sharp, you can craft a cheerful version of the situation and cover the facts the way that you can covered a battered old four-slice toaster with a knitted cozy featuring images of kittens.”
—
8 people liked it
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Jan 27, 2009 01:41pm