Joe Carpenter is a man paralyzed by grief and anger. On the one year anniversary of the plane crash that killed his beloved wife and daughters he visits their cemetery and spots a woman taking pictures of their grave marker. He approaches her and sets off a series of events that make him question if the death of his family and 300 others was the intentional work of officials attempting to cover up something that could possibly change mankind for all time. As he digs for the truth he witnesses and discovers strange, terrifying, incomprehensible events, and finds evidence that is impossible for him to ignore. He finds a purpose for living once he realizes he may be the only person left alive to expose the truth.

Dean Koontz usually writes so much more than an eerie, suspense filled page-turner and SOLE SURVIVOR is no exception. He creates characters who are human, people you care about and anguish with, everyday people stuck in extraordinary situations. He's outdone himself with the character of Joe. Poor, tortured Joe. His grief is expressed so vividly I felt his sorrow and my heart broke about a million times as he's reminded of his wife and girls in nearly every thing he does.

Any book that can keep me on edge like this one did and make me care so much about a character gets my recommendation. There were a few parts that dragged a little bit but overall it was an interesting, emotional and nail-biting read.

Koontz writes an thrilling story and he continually surprises me but it's his talent for characterization that keeps him on the top of my favorite author list.