I'm a bit disappointed with book 3 in the Frankenstein series. I loved the first and second books, but the third book fell short. This enstallment was more of the same, but with less characterization.

The plot was quickly paced as all of Koontz books are, but there were plot holes and loose ends and things that just don't quite make sense.

The setting is New Orleans, which is awesome, I LOVE New Orleans. But the book lacked the "feel" of New Orleans that I wanted. Koontz did an okay job in the other books from what I remember, but this one was lacking. However the Helios mansion and The Hands of Mercy hospital are well mapped out and I can definately picture the creepiness of both locations.

Now here is my big beef with this book, the characters. The lack of characterization drove me crazy. Koontz jumped around between characters too much and didn't let the characters grow the way they should. My favorite parts from the other books were getting into Victor (Helios) Frankenstein's head, his first creation (the Frankenstein monster) Deaucalion, and the interaction between the detectives, Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison. They were hilarious in the other books, in this one however, we barely even see them. Then Koontz drops us a line at the end of the book that's supposed to make us feel better about the lack of interaction between those two? Ugh. I wanted to hit him.

And yes, Frankenstein is the bad guy, but what makes him tick? Why is he bad? People are rarely just bad to be bad.

Deaucalion rocks, but like the detectives, we rarely get to see him.

I can only imagine what book 4 is like, it seemed like he wrapped up everything (or almost everything) in this book. Why did he write another? I don't understand why authors turn trilogies into series. Seriously, why? Maybe they just can't let go of the characters, as a writer I get that, but sometimes you just need to let it go. I was given both 3 and 4 at the same time so I'll be reading it shortly. I'm hoping Koontz will surprise me.