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What the Night Knows

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 8,418 ratings · 1,145 reviews

In the late summer of a long ago year, a killer arrived in a small city. His name was Alton Turner Blackwood, and in the space of a few months he brutally murdered four families. His savage spree ended only when he himself was killed by the last survivor of the last family, a fourteen-year-old boy.

Half a continent away and two decades later, someone is murdering families...more

Hardcover, 442 pages

Published December 28th 2010 by Bantam (first published September 1st 2009)

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Jan 08, 2011 Dustin Crazy little brown owl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-reads, read-in-2011

A Horrible Disappointment :-( Maybe you'll like it, but I didn't. Koontz has told similar tales in different books, but I don't think he's ever told the same story over and over in the same book - in this case in the form of a serial killer who just won't die. Bantam marketing team promotes What The Night Knows as: "...a ghost story like no other you have read" and claims "Of all his acclaimed novels, none exceeds What the Night Knows in power, in chilling suspense, and in sheer mesmerizing stor...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Well, I say here as I have about a couple of other Koontz books of late, I don't know if it's the book or me. Maybe I've just read too many books or too many Koontz books... Whatever the reason, the last several books by Mr. Koontz have left me cold.

I list several of Mr. Koontz' books among my favorites, One Door Away from Heaven,By the Light of the Moon, The Taking, these and many others I like greatly. But the last several, not at all.

Here we went again. I was interested. the book opened with...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Maciek rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, disappointments, read-in-2011, reviewed

While not as horrible as some of Koontz's latest offerings, What The Night Knows is still pretty bad when compared to his other output, and rather terrible when compared to the output of others.

It actually starts really promising, with an interesting premise and a good opening chapters. I've read them earlier, when they were availible to preview before publication. It turns out after these first four chapters the novel goes downhill and crashes at the end.

There is nothing here that wasn't done b...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Deb Mjaatvedt rated it 2 of 5 stars

I used to love Dean Koontz. Watchers still ranks as my all-time favorite book, and I thought Strangers, along with some of his other earlier works, was fantastic. However, it's been years since I could summon any enthusiasm for his writing. I'm not willing to totally write him off, so I keep reading the new books in the hope that one of them will rekindle the flame. Unfortunately, this offering wasn't able to do that.

There are some good parts to this. About midway through, I became quite enthus...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Mel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I suppose, if I hadn't read so many of Koontz's other books, I might not have had this reaction. But, having read his books for at least 20 years, I'm very disappointed in this one. I want to be clear - I'm a fan. Have been for years. Dean Koontz has his own shelf in my personal library, full top-to-bottom and double-stacked. Author-wise, I think I own more of his books than any other author. But a pattern is starting to develop, and this book left me cold.

Some random observations:

• The kids we...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Sean Quirk rated it 3 of 5 stars

This one was so so for me. Didn't quite care enough for the characters and the book became the equivalent of a movie I'll leave on the T.V as filler while I'm doing something else.
Started out reasonably well. Ending was weak.
Really hoping and praying for the days of Watchers, Lightning, Strangers ... to come back!

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May 15, 2013 Anton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read a few Koontz books in the past (I loved “Twilight Eyes” back in high school, and I really enjoyed “Odd Thomas” last summer) and based on the book’s description and generally favourable reviews on Amazon I expected to enjoy this one. What I didn’t expect was to like it so much I’d burn through it so quickly. "What The Night Knows” combines Dean Koontz’s supernatural suspense stories with his serial killer thrillers. While the premise isn’t anything groundbreaking, the characters are lik...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kyle Maas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Exactly what you’d expect from a Koontz novel- good vs. evil, super-natural elements mixed in here and there, and a dog that shows up to help save the day. Not exactly a bad thing, but nothing spectacular either.

I finished this book more out of curiosity than anything else. Having read many of his books before, I’m familiar with the Koontz formula of good guy vs. pure evil with a supernatural twist. This time it was John Calvino fighting the serial killer that killed his family when he was a boy...more Exactly what you’d expect from a Koontz novel- good vs. evil, super-natural elements mixed in here and there, and a dog that shows up to help save the day. Not exactly a bad thing, but nothing spectacular either.

I finished this book more out of curiosity than anything else. Having read many of his books before, I’m familiar with the Koontz formula of good guy vs. pure evil with a supernatural twist. This time it was John Calvino fighting the serial killer that killed his family when he was a boy. Or rather, fighting the leftover vengeful spirit of the serial killer that killed his family. This was supposed to be a classic ghost story, haunted house, tormented family and all that one should expect from a good haunting. And the tropes of the ghost story were all there: figures in mirrors, furniture moving by itself, and creepy voices from the dark. It should have been scary. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

In my opinion, in order for a ghost story to be effective, there has to be discernable change that occurs in the characters. It’s not enough that the supernatural events happen, the characters have to be disturbed by them, changed by them. The descent into madness is often what’s really scary, not just having some furniture more unexpectedly. With What the Night Knows, Koontz’s characters remain unfortunately unchanged. In some ways, Koontz made things too black and white. The evil was too evil, the good too pure. They had to fight against each other, but there was little chance of them really effecting the other because they were too set in there ways. It became a story of inevitability, with no question of what was going to happen, just when and how. The climax was entertaining enough, and admittedly came along unexpectedly, but the pacing so dramatically shifted from the rest of the book that it ended up feeling rushed. I can’t say this was a bad book, but it is definitely not one of his best. If you haven’t read Koontz at all before, check out The Taking, By the Light of the Moon, or his Moonlight Bay series, starting with Fear Nothing. His formula is still present in all of these, but the characters are far more interesting and engaging.
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Apr 17, 2013 Gregory Diller rated it 5 of 5 stars

What the Night Knows was my ever first read from Koontz. I really liked it. Granted, there are some flaws (like some cardboard characters and children speaking more adult like than actual children) but every book isn't hundred percent perfect. I can tell you things I dislike from Stephen King's The Shining, but that's a whole different book and author.

I was hooked into WTNK from the very first chapter, and I couldn't put the book down. I later than read Koontz's others works, mostly them are his...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Tasos Anastasopoulos rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s been quite a long time since I last read a book and moreover one that is dealing with horror stories and written by one of the specialists of the kind like Dean Koontz or Stephen King (the dynamic duo when it comes to novels like this particular one). Fortunately it proved to be a good one so I will carry on hopefully reading more of this kind that I kind of have missed in the past.
The story was quite interesting despite the fact that it looked like a typical scenario of a b-movie that woul...more It’s been quite a long time since I last read a book and moreover one that is dealing with horror stories and written by one of the specialists of the kind like Dean Koontz or Stephen King (the dynamic duo when it comes to novels like this particular one). Fortunately it proved to be a good one so I will carry on hopefully reading more of this kind that I kind of have missed in the past.
The story was quite interesting despite the fact that it looked like a typical scenario of a b-movie that would barely made it to the cinema and would go straight to be rented as a DVD. A boy that was the only survivor of his family massacre turned out to become a cop, waiting for the time that the curse of the murderer of his parents and sisters will come back to him one day and kill his own family. It does seem familiar right? Also the way the “evil spirit” rides the souls of his carriers and turns them into monsters is something that it reminded me of a film (that did make it to the cinema actually) with Denzel Washington that I don’t recall the title exactly (only its Greek version that is for sure different title from the original one) but I do remember the ending and that I enjoyed watching it! Hm, ok back to the book now… what mostly intrigued me is that there were many characters involved and we get to know the background of each one of them. That made it quite easier to understand their role in the story, their behavior and also to have a full portrait of each person involved even the ones that didn’t have such an active part in the whole story. For instance the exorcist priest that has a sinful background (it’s ok, though it appears late in the book it’s not considered a spoiler at all), or several “carriers” of the rider or the nurse at the hospital and in general there is a small story for almost every person that is mentioned inside the book.
Now let’s move on to what I didn’t like about the book, fortunately there weren’t many things that I recall but somehow it seemed that the author prepares you that something big will take place but not so soon. So I found myself having read the first 3 quarters and there was still much time left for this big thing that was supposed to happen so I was like how can this be, will it be a sequel perhaps? Well it was supposed to be a surprise and things changed (plus i shouldn’t say anything else cause it will be considered a spoiler) but still it kind of left me a bad impression this feeling like “what’s going on, when will it happen” thought that was bothering me.
For those that are into mystery novels, with a bit of horror, hideous crimes being committed, it is a must read. It doesn’t have so much raw violence inside for a let’s say “sensitive” reader to feel disgusted but ok it’s not recommended that much for those that are not used to reading those kind of novels. Still don’t expect a masterpiece, there were many similar stories like this one in other books, in many films (even b-movies), so it won’t surprise me if this will be transferred to the “big screen” as well. In fact I will be willing to watch it but I highly doubt that it’s gonna be a big production with known cast of actors. I should take a look in general if any of Koontz’s books became film in the past and their ratings as well.
So on to the next one now, a totally different kind of this time (let’s see how this moving from one gender to the other will be like).
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Oct 17, 2012 Irene rated it 2 of 5 stars

When Officer John Calvino was 14, a deranged serial killer murdered and tortured every member of his family, he being the only one to survive. His was the fourth and final family brutalized by this maniac, young John shooting the murderer. Now, 20 years later, families are again being savagely killed in a pattern eerily similar to those long ago crimes and John knows that his wife and children are the ultimate target. John also knows what no one else can acknowledge; these are not the acts of a...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Justin Offermann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, horror, thriller

I have to admit that my main idea of Dean Koontz prior to reading this novel was largely informed by a scene from a Family Guy episode. In other words, that he's a less talented Stephen King wannabe.

Although I have to agree that he doesn't reach King's level with this novel, this was significantly better than I expected. Alton Turner Blackwood is a superb villain, and here at least I don't think Koontz loses much on King in terms of his descriptive prowess at portraying pure, unrepentant and...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Teresa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, 2012

Ok. I know that if I pick up a Dean Koontz book to read I'm going to be reading to a formula. I guess when you write as many books as he does it's almost impossible not to do so. In this story we have the beautiful and talented wife who has rescued her husband from his traumatic past and taught him to love and trust again. The handsome husband who experienced terrible events in his childhood but has come through it and is now the knight in shining armour for those whose lives are touched by dark...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Angie Crew rated it 1 of 5 stars

What in HADES has happened to my favorite author?????? I just can't keep track of all the disappointments I have had from Koontz in the last few years. I am a die hard fan and have been reading and collecting Dean for almost 30 years!!! Where did the master go??? Everytime I see a new title come out with his name, I gasp. I can't wait to get my hands on it and I pray each time that I will be sucked into a great story like Lightening, The Husband, Dark Rivers of the Heart, Servents of Twilght, St...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-thriller

It is an unfortunate fact that Dean Koontz's novels eventually morph in my memory into all the SAME book. They tend to follow a very standard idea: the hero is protecting his family from a villian/criminal/monster/person with supernatural powers. At some point, the Family is threatened, the evil entity infiltrates their safe zone, chaos ensues, and ultimately.. hero wins, and family is fine. A few stand out- Watchers, Lightning, Phantoms, Intensity- but compared to how many I've read, that's a p...more

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May 12, 2012 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first Koontz novel that I’ve picked up and read. In this novel it’s basically about a grown up policeman, who as a child kills the killer of his family, a sociopath and becomes haunted by the killer’s curse that he will come back and destroy John. The killer does come back to inhabit and control several bodies, to create a web around John Calvino and John’s family. Overall it’s a good story but overly long, with some contrived moments. I found I had to skim through portions of the bo...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Martip rated it 5 of 5 stars

John Calvino--homicide detective sneaking around on a fresh case that isn't his. Entering a full security prison to talk to Billy, a 14-15 year old kid who just murdered his family and called the cops-meeting them naked on his front porch. Using phrases exactly like the long dead deformed spoon fingered freak Alton Turner Blackwood used years ago--when HE savagely and brutally killed every single one of John's family members, including his two young, beautiful preteen/teen sisters. Personal note...more John Calvino--homicide detective sneaking around on a fresh case that isn't his. Entering a full security prison to talk to Billy, a 14-15 year old kid who just murdered his family and called the cops-meeting them naked on his front porch. Using phrases exactly like the long dead deformed spoon fingered freak Alton Turner Blackwood used years ago--when HE savagely and brutally killed every single one of John's family members, including his two young, beautiful preteen/teen sisters. Personal note-while reading about the freaky from the land of the dead type phone call John C got from Billy, who had no phone in the jail, the phone at my side rang at 10:35 PM. Scared my heart silent for a second! True story.

At fifteen years old, John shot Alton stone cold dead. But somehow, someone or someTHING has initiated the killing pattern again, and John's got a premonition that he, his lovely artist wife, Nicolette and their three beautiful children are targets for slaughter. The book promos call this a page turner that will have you looking over your shoulder. INDEED!

Favorite line related to the title: What the heart knows trumps what the night knows. While ruin of innocents, and horrific murders are one of the main meats in this book's platter, Koontz keeps a delicate enough balance so you don't feel damaged by the knowing. This is a rich tapestry of evil versus good, with a satisfying kaleidoscope of players, living, dead, and possessed. Let's not forget about the helpful dog entity Willard.

I would definitely read this again to savor and enjoy the characters more fully. Each of the three children are fully formed and delightful characters, protector Zach, make a wish princess Naomi, and otherwordly-wise Minnete (Minnie). Equally delightful are the ordinary people whose evil tendencies open the door to total possession by total evil, including The Nurse who kills, the mother who reduces her carbon footprint by killing her children and others, the mobster who ruined his sister-who killed herself, the adult dope fiend living with his upstanding parents, the Russian Math tutor who sold friends out as communists, the woman hating journalist, and at least three priests. (less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Jordan Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve given a lot of flack to Dean Koontz over the years (and I’m not the only one). Unfortunately, Koontz has gone the way of Patterson, Cussler, and Cornwell, churning out lackluster and sub-par books, yet knowing they will become bestsellers on name alone. Gone are the dark, depressing plots, the violent and disturbed characters, the engaging, 500 page thrillers. Instead the plots become cheesy and almost laughable, the characters are no longer believable, the villains flat, the dialogue so co...more I’ve given a lot of flack to Dean Koontz over the years (and I’m not the only one). Unfortunately, Koontz has gone the way of Patterson, Cussler, and Cornwell, churning out lackluster and sub-par books, yet knowing they will become bestsellers on name alone. Gone are the dark, depressing plots, the violent and disturbed characters, the engaging, 500 page thrillers. Instead the plots become cheesy and almost laughable, the characters are no longer believable, the villains flat, the dialogue so contrived its ridiculous. Even the books have become shorter in length, most topping out at a mere 340 pages.

You can understand my reluctance to try yet another Koontz novel. I mean, it’s been a good 5 years since he has published anything even remotely resembling the masterpieces of “Shadowfires” and “Shattered” and “Intensity”. Heck, I was honestly about to write dear old Koontz off after the tremendously bad “Breathless”. And yet, like a child you cannot refuse to love, despite his/her continuously stupid choices and awful mistakes, I found myself embarking on yet another story by Koontz.

Now, I’ve heard it said that “What The Night Knows” is a return of Dean Koontz to his roots. Obviously, after the moribund trail he had been taking as of late, this seemed like an overblown, highly paid reviewer just writing a nice little praise to make a few extra bucks. Surprisingly, I have to side with the overall favorable reviews here.

While “What the Night Knows” still lacks the creative horror we once loved Koontz for, there are easily seen signs of the greatness and potential still hiding in his mind. Perhaps what I liked best about this newest work was that unlike so many of the newer novels, this one was actually quite dark and rather bleak and there’s a creepy feeling throughout the entire story. Like a true horror novel should be, this one dealt with ghosts and murder and possession, along with a truly evil villain and a main character that, while he has his problems, actually seems like an honest, believable man. I even liked the length of the story as well. Add in the bonus novella (which wasn’t too bad itself) and you have a book that hit 584 pages, which is quite a feat for Koontz as of late.

The sad thing here though is that “What the Night Knows” had so much potential and promise to become a truly horrific read, and yet, true to his new, and disappointing form, Koontz manages to squander this one. There are just one too many loopholes and cheesy instances for this one to be an honest 5 star story. I can’t get too into the details without giving away much of the plot, but somethings within these pages just don’t make sense: How Calvino knows he’s being haunted, how those under possession manage to enter his fully secured and alarmed house without giving away their positions, how a random structure of legos becomes a gateway to solve everything...Even worse is the return of Koontz’s contrived and silly dialogue. In no way are the conversations as bad as what we saw in the “Frankenstein” series, but think about it: Koontz would have us believe that 13,11, and 8 year olds can converse with the intellect and vocabulary rivaling those of fully educated adults. I know you don’t have kids Mr. Koontz, but neither do I, and I know that children don’t even have the brain capacity to know many of the things you would have us believe they do.

Koontz is probably the biggest tease in the literary world. Everyone knows he is capable of writing some really great suspense and thrillers and yet, as we’ve seen, he is also capable of being a bore and a disappointment. I guess “What the Night Knows” is a sign of greatness and is, in general, a pretty good book, however, I wouldn’t get my hopes up that he will continue on this path. Take my advice: read his earlier stuff, end at “The Taking” and then pick this one up. You won’t miss much in-between. (less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Laura Jennings rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I outright DIDN'T hate a Koontz novel; the guy used to be one of my favorite authors and fell from my good graces a while ago. After the reprehensibly bad Breathless and Darkest Evening of the Year, and not-quite-as-terrible-but-still-bad Your Heart Belongs To Me and Relentless, What The Night Knows is not god-awful, but still a pretty weak novel. SPOILERS HEREIN.
I can air my minor grievances first. It's obvious that Mr. Koontz does not have kids, or understand how ki...more It's been a long time since I outright DIDN'T hate a Koontz novel; the guy used to be one of my favorite authors and fell from my good graces a while ago. After the reprehensibly bad Breathless and Darkest Evening of the Year, and not-quite-as-terrible-but-still-bad Your Heart Belongs To Me and Relentless, What The Night Knows is not god-awful, but still a pretty weak novel. SPOILERS HEREIN.
I can air my minor grievances first. It's obvious that Mr. Koontz does not have kids, or understand how kids speak or even think. I don't have kids either and I know better than him. When I was 8 and 11, Little Women was an insurmountable literary wall, and I read at a highly advanced reading level for my age. I also found myself annoyed that the kids were all home-schooled; that held shades of "the real world corrupts the innocent". Which leads me to my next point, that the characters appear to be both punished and saved by a particular brand of monotheism. It's not the Christianity I object to, just the overt heavy-handedness with which is was treated. It never seems to occur to any of the characters that any God that would allow a serial-killer and his demon to return to earth to wreak havoc on the undeserving innocent might be missing a few ethical marbles. It's implied that the main character's fretting over his daughter's sickness provides a demonic invitation; does that strike anyone else as a bit of disproportionate retribution? Or some pretty thin justification on God's part, allowing it and all? Especially when the prevailing lesson learned from the slaughter of innocents is "It's all about love. I get you, God, it's all about love." We all know that Koontz's protagonists are always a million times more squeaky-clean than we could ever be; if they still get reprimanded Old-Testament style, we're all doomed.
But, all that could just be elements grating against my personal philosophies. The biggest bone of contention I had with the book is rather standard horror failure: why the hell didn't anyone in the house talk to each other about what the was going on? First of all, kids can't keep their mouths shut to save their lives, unless it's in the face of direct punishment from a parent that has established themselves to not listen in the first place. Second, the house was supposedly a happy, open, honest home, full of happy marriage, and apparently a wife exceedingly willing to accept supernatural phenomenon. All this supernatural crap is practically oozing out of the house, and no one ever says, "Hey, um, I think I heard a voice the other day." I can maybe buy the middle child being bamboozled by fantasy into keeping quiet, but the 13 year old boy and youngest girl got nothin'. NOTHIN'.
Koontz isn't writing anything he hasn't written before. Compared to his older work, this is a pale representation of suspense and horror, still pretty rich in the dues ex machina, annoying in it's level of schlock, and sadly, pretty predictable. You'll keep 'em comin', Mr. Koontz, I know you will, but all I can manage at this point is a sigh.
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Aug 28, 2011 Hev rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ugh, what shall I say? I don't necessarily think this is a BAD book, it's just often quite irritating.

While I was still reading it (I think I was about half way through)I browsed a few reviews and was quite surprised by the number of one- or two-star ratings it had received. It started well - a good premise, some atmospheric writing and a lot of potential seemed to reside within.

Sure there were some parts which were not very believable or did not sit quite right - a policeman with a perfect hous...more Ugh, what shall I say? I don't necessarily think this is a BAD book, it's just often quite irritating.

While I was still reading it (I think I was about half way through)I browsed a few reviews and was quite surprised by the number of one- or two-star ratings it had received. It started well - a good premise, some atmospheric writing and a lot of potential seemed to reside within.

Sure there were some parts which were not very believable or did not sit quite right - a policeman with a perfect house with servants, the perfect, totally un-childlike children and a wife who's so perfect she could have been fashioned at a subatomic level from a blueprint farted out by angels. Oh and the theme seemed kind of familiar. But it was going OK.

However as it progressed, the irritating parts became more and more irritating and less easy to ignore. The children are no longer just a bit unrealistic, they are in fact massive dweebs. Children don't talk or act like that. No one is as perfect as his wife is. OK so there are plenty of understanding women out there, but even they have a limit on what they will accept from a bloke, and I'm guessing that 'I've been on unpaid leave and pretending to go to work for weeks on end so I can prance around the countryside after a disembodied bad spirit' would probably be over it. It got to a point later on in the book where I almost had to suppress a gag reflex while reading Nicky's sappish nonsense:

'She realised why he had hoped to spare her the worry of all this until he understood the situation as fully as possible, and his secrecy neither offended nor disappointed her. Like all good artists, Nicky could empathize with the fear and anguish of others. Like every GREAT artist who had been able to maintain a human perspective, she didn't believe that she was the center of the world, to be included in everything first above all others: she lived instead with the conviction that her talent and her success required of her both humility and a generosity of spirit.'

Oh please...*eye roll* piss off, you simpering tit! Yeah you'r right, you're only married to the man. It's not like that gives you any right to know what the pigging hell he's been doing with his time when he's supposed to be at work. He's only consistently lied to you every morning for an extended period of time.

It was pretty much all downhill from there. What was with all the trees? Trees, trees, trees. These trees will soon turn from green to brown, whereas these trees will soon turn from red to yellow. These trees here look dead and gnarled, this tree is waving in the breeze. I think Dean likes trees.

The ending was arse-achingly cringe-worthy. Talk about Checkov's gun. I actually facepalmed.

There were good parts though. The disgraced priest was interesting, and I wish there had been more from him. The diary excerpts from the Alton Turner Blackwood character were also a major strength. My copy of the book included the short story about this charatcer, and a part of one of those two stars is reserved just for that.

My lasting impression of this book is that I've seen or heard most of it before elsewhere. It was OK, I don't regret reading it, but it could have been so much better.(less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Birgit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Frankly, I had almost given up hope that Dean Koontz would ever produce a decent novel again. So obviously I was pleasantly surprised to see he is back on track now.
The main ingredients are a family confronted with a killer of a different (or shall I say, changing) kind who sneaks into their lives through mirrors and familiar (yet changed) faces. The inevitable Golden Retriever will make an appearance too, of course.
Admittedly not one of his best, Koontz sure wrote a good and solid suspense no...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Joan Swan rated it 5 of 5 stars

By any stretch of the definition, Dean Koontz is a master author. Not simply because he’s been writing for decades. Not simply because he’s produced over 80 literary works or sold over 375 million copies of those books. Certainly not because he’s accumulated such wealth from those sales.

Just the opposite.

His mastery of the writing craft has allowed him to write successfully for decades, produce over 80 books, sell over 375 million copies of those works, and ultimately accumulate his wealth.

One...more

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Stunatra Koontz needs to lay off the metaphors and the similes. His prose is so robotic and stiff at times it's difficult to get into the story. It's gotten wo...more
Jan 16, 2012 01:48am

Maxine Is this review for real? What the Night Knows is an example of how not to write a horror novel. It is boring, cliched and ridiculous.
Feb 09, 2012 03:53am

Melissa I have definitely realized that I need to start reading more books that got many bad reviews, because call me strange or just unique in my interests a...more
Mar 13, 2012 06:14pm

Jul 28, 2011 Glen Moss added it

The last several Dean Koontz novels that I have read have been a heavy disappointment so I was not overly excited to start this book. This book moves into the supernatural so it was at least a step into the right direction.

This story focuses around a character named John who is a detective. John is married to a successful painter and has three kids, a boy and two girls. This is significant because twenty years prior, his two sisters along with his parents were brutally murdered by the villain of...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, horror, thriller

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

What the Night Knows is more than a ghost story. It is the haunting tale of a psychotic killer (Alton Turner Blackwood) who has returned twenty years after his death. He has returned to torment homicide detective John Calvino who shot and killed Blackwood when John was only fourteen years old and found him standing over the dead bodies of the Calvino family. Now, John is terrified for his wife and kids, knowing there is no way to stop the dead man.

Dean Koontz has wri...more Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

What the Night Knows is more than a ghost story. It is the haunting tale of a psychotic killer (Alton Turner Blackwood) who has returned twenty years after his death. He has returned to torment homicide detective John Calvino who shot and killed Blackwood when John was only fourteen years old and found him standing over the dead bodies of the Calvino family. Now, John is terrified for his wife and kids, knowing there is no way to stop the dead man.

Dean Koontz has written numerous books, primarily suspense thrillers, but What the Night Knows falls into the horror and thriller genres. It is told in the third person narrative from many different characters throughout the book including the main protagonist; John, his wife, children and the evil ghost as well as the many different people the ghost possesses.

This was a very scary book, in fact at one point while I was reading it late at night, I got so frightened, I had to close the book until the next day, to read it in the daylight! There were numerous scenes where Blackwood's psychotic personality came through with explicit gruesomeness. Some of my favourite scenes were the ones between John's two young daughters; I thought they were well written and believable. I liked how the story unfolded, and I thought the insight into Blackwood was intriguing and interesting.

This is a standalone story, with a great ending. I highly recommend this book, if you like horror and enjoy being frightened; you should read What the Night Knows.

My favourite quote from the book:

Or if it continued to seem crappy, often it was the kind of crappy that had the potential to be transformed into something quite wonderful if only she could shift her sluggish talent into a higher gear, find that sweet spot between bitter self doubt and dangerous overconfidence and get it done.

Questions to ponder:

What did you think of What the Night Knows?
How do you think it compares to other Dean Koontz Books?
What is your favourite Dean Koontz book?

For more of my reviews go to: http;//books-treasureortrash.com(less)

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Jul 14, 2011 Tash rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of horror

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 25, 2011 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

Alton Turner Blackwood murdered four families in horrific ways almost twenty years ago. Twenty years later a young man is incarcerated after murdering his own family in a similar manner. The pattern of the crimes is familiar to Detective John Calvino because on that long ago night his was the fourth family murdered and he was the one who killed Alton Turner Blackwood to put an end to the murder spree.

Through a journal shared throughout the book the reader is privy to the workings of a dysfunctio...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

For the past 6 years, my wife has bought me the newest Dean Koontz book for both my birthday in the middle of the year and Christmas. I've enjoyed reading his books and appreciated him releasing them on my holiday schedule. Unfortunately, over the past several years his books have gone downhill. He might have hit an all-time low with Relentless. It felt like Koontz was often mailing it in. Finally, I asked my wife to stop giving me the books. I would still read them, but didn't think they were w...more For the past 6 years, my wife has bought me the newest Dean Koontz book for both my birthday in the middle of the year and Christmas. I've enjoyed reading his books and appreciated him releasing them on my holiday schedule. Unfortunately, over the past several years his books have gone downhill. He might have hit an all-time low with Relentless. It felt like Koontz was often mailing it in. Finally, I asked my wife to stop giving me the books. I would still read them, but didn't think they were worth automatically purchasing anymore.

It appears that I picked the wrong time to put a halt on the Koontz purchases. What the Night Knows was his best novel since at least 2007, and possibly earlier. I'm going to go out and buy it now, and give him another chance. Maybe the extra time he took between major novel releases made the difference.

This book was darker than some of his recent entries, which helped to balance a little bit of the humor that has become such a big part of his recent books (which humor I do enjoy, but which is sometimes over the top). Alton Turner Blackwood was a great villain. I liked this lead (John Calvino) more than some of the recent lead characters, as well, and I was very much invested in his story. I was a little less invested in the stories of the children. The end maybe could have used a little more work. It seems like Koontz was planning on writing more but ran out of space, so he had to cut to the final scene really quickly. I don't really mind if the book is a little longer. Some of my favorites of his have been a couple hundred pages longer than this one. And Dean, there's really no need to always have a dog involved.

This book (and the rest of his recent material) still doesn't compare to some of the great ones like Strangers, Watchers, and Intensity. It's been over a decade since he's written a book that I think has deserved 5 stars (False Memory). I hope that he takes a little longer between novel releases again in the future and produces an epic that will never be forgotten. This book won't be forgotten, but some of his recent works have been already. At least this one, though imperfect, convinced me to start buying his books again.
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Feb 01, 2011 Ellyn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Dean Koontz's early work and read through all of them in a pretty short time frame, but I've struggled with him lately. I haven't liked the plots and language of recent books and I had hoped that this one would change my mind because I read mostly good professional reviews. While I was able to get through it quickly, I found it to be relentlessly dark and depressing. And while I was able to suspend disbelief about the supernatural elements, indeed they were the stuff of nightmar...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 3 of 5 stars

John Calvino is a detective with a wife and three children. They are living what one would call the perfect life. John, however, has a secret from his past that he has tried to keep hidden over the years.

John's father, mother, and two sisters were brutally and horribly murdered by Alton Turner Blackwood. John, coming on the horrible scene, killed Blackwood. He was fourteen years old.

John's family was one of three mass murders that were committed by Blackwood.

A present day mass murder is very sim...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Amy Boukair rated it 1 of 5 stars

Dean, Dean, Dean... what am I going to do with you??? I have (had) been a fan since the beginning, and am sorely disappointed in this one. I had even sworn you off years ago, but still find myself coming back hoping that maybe, just maybe, this next one will redeem you. Sadly, and again, this is not the case. Sure, you worked in all of your trademark items: 1) Golden Retriever (I have one of those), 2) child with a disability (I have one of those too), 3) Average Joe fighting the big baddie, etc...more

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About Dean Koontz

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 published under the na...more

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Quotes from What the Night Knows

“I'm small, I'm young - and I'm so different. You've always respected that difference, and you've always trusted it. Trust me now. There's a reason I am the way I am, and there's a reason I was born to you. There's always a reason. We belong together.” — 71 people liked it

“Evil itself may be relentless. I will grant you that, but love is relentless too. Friendship is a relentless force. Family is a relentless force. Faith is relentless force. The human spirit is relentless, and the human heart outlasts - and can defeat - even the most relentless force of all, which is time.” — 46 people liked it

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