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Dark Rivers of the Heart
Do you dare step through the red door?
Spencer Grant had no idea what drew him to the bar with the red door. He thought he would just sit down, have a slow beer or two, and talk to a stranger. He couldn't know that it would lead to a narrow escape from a bungalow targeted by a SWAT team. Or that it would leave him a wanted man. Now he is on the run from mysterious and ruthless men. He is in love with a woman he knows next to nothing about. And he is hiding from a past he can't fully remember. On his trail is a shadowy security agency that answers to no one--including the U.S. government—and a man who considers himself a compassionate Angel of Death. But worst of all, Spencer Grant is on a collision course with inner demons he thought he'd buried years ago—inner demons that could destroy him if his enemies don't first.
Spencer Grant had no idea what drew him to the bar with the red door. He thought he would just sit down, have a slow beer or two, and talk to a stranger. He couldn't know that it would lead to a narrow escape from a bungalow targeted by a SWAT team. Or that it would leave him a wanted man. Now he is on the run from mysterious and ruthless men. He is in love with a woman he knows next to nothing about. And he is hiding from a past he can't fully remember. On his trail is a shadowy security agency that answers to no one--including the U.S. government—and a man who considers himself a compassionate Angel of Death. But worst of all, Spencer Grant is on a collision course with inner demons he thought he'd buried years ago—inner demons that could destroy him if his enemies don't first.
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
858 people are currently reading
7845 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
906 books39.6k followersAcknowledged 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, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 683 reviews
May 11, 2020
4 to 4.5 stars
When I read the recent Jane Hawk series by Koontz I thought he had gone in an interesting and unique direction he had never gone before. After reading Dark Rivers of the Heart, I realize I was wrong.
This book and Jane Hawk feel so very similar to each other. In some ways, they are identical. This is not a bad thing, however, since I enjoyed them both and really dig this kind of story.
If you normally come to Koontz for horror, you will not find it here. What you will find is a techno-thiller full of government conspiracy, serial killers, and some pretty bizarre goings-on. One of the great things you will find about the characters, which I feel is pretty common in Koontz, as good and pure as the good guys are is how bad and demonic the bad guys are. It's really fun to see them go up against each other.
In summary - if you want horror Koontz and nothing else. This is not for you. If you are a fan of Jane Hawk and techno-thillers full of white knights and really bad motor scooters, then this is worth checking out.
Oh, and yeah, it's Koontz so one of the main characters is a dog!
When I read the recent Jane Hawk series by Koontz I thought he had gone in an interesting and unique direction he had never gone before. After reading Dark Rivers of the Heart, I realize I was wrong.
This book and Jane Hawk feel so very similar to each other. In some ways, they are identical. This is not a bad thing, however, since I enjoyed them both and really dig this kind of story.
If you normally come to Koontz for horror, you will not find it here. What you will find is a techno-thiller full of government conspiracy, serial killers, and some pretty bizarre goings-on. One of the great things you will find about the characters, which I feel is pretty common in Koontz, as good and pure as the good guys are is how bad and demonic the bad guys are. It's really fun to see them go up against each other.
In summary - if you want horror Koontz and nothing else. This is not for you. If you are a fan of Jane Hawk and techno-thillers full of white knights and really bad motor scooters, then this is worth checking out.
Oh, and yeah, it's Koontz so one of the main characters is a dog!
April 21, 2023
A genre-bender with thriller, horror, action, adventure, conspiracy, suspense, and even some romance elements thrown in.
Spencer is an awesome and resourceful dude; Valerie is a tough chick. They are total couples’ goals. Rocky (you know there’s gotta be a dog) is pretty great, too.
It’s Koontz, so even though Spencer has a heart of gold, he also has a disturbing past. Quite compelling.
Roy and Eve are disturbing af.
Asset seizure and other illuminations of bad government behavior are as relevant today as they were back in 1994, arguably even more so. Rules for thee but not for me…
Edge-of-the-seat reading. And overall, one of DK’s best.
Spencer is an awesome and resourceful dude; Valerie is a tough chick. They are total couples’ goals. Rocky (you know there’s gotta be a dog) is pretty great, too.
It’s Koontz, so even though Spencer has a heart of gold, he also has a disturbing past. Quite compelling.
Roy and Eve are disturbing af.
Asset seizure and other illuminations of bad government behavior are as relevant today as they were back in 1994, arguably even more so. Rules for thee but not for me…
Edge-of-the-seat reading. And overall, one of DK’s best.
April 18, 2023
“No one’s more dangerous than a man who’s convinced of his own moral superiority,”
This story reads as classic Koontz and it should since it was originally published in 1994! Action packed, PNR feel to it, a man and his dog on a mission to find a woman, a dark entity of the government after him, and multiple side characters.
A chance meeting between Spencer and Valerie one evening leads to the love of a lifetime. Their story feels very ethereal (this is not a love story, it just happens to have love in it). Let’s not forget Spencer’s dog, Rocky, who has severe PTSD from a former owner, but loves high-speed car chases and orange juice.
This story is packed full of depressing and frightening US government facts. Like how our elected officials are exempt from assets seizure laws, and have their own retirement account (they don’t pay into Social Security like the rest of us povvos).
Political and corporate corruption is something every country knows about.
“Somehow we’ve allowed ourselves to be ruled by the greediest and most envious among us.”
I won’t even get into the serial killer bad guy and his gf. They are craaaazy.
Overall fun, but a little wordy. Easily could be 200 pages shorter and still get the same information across.
This story reads as classic Koontz and it should since it was originally published in 1994! Action packed, PNR feel to it, a man and his dog on a mission to find a woman, a dark entity of the government after him, and multiple side characters.
A chance meeting between Spencer and Valerie one evening leads to the love of a lifetime. Their story feels very ethereal (this is not a love story, it just happens to have love in it). Let’s not forget Spencer’s dog, Rocky, who has severe PTSD from a former owner, but loves high-speed car chases and orange juice.
This story is packed full of depressing and frightening US government facts. Like how our elected officials are exempt from assets seizure laws, and have their own retirement account (they don’t pay into Social Security like the rest of us povvos).
Political and corporate corruption is something every country knows about.
“Somehow we’ve allowed ourselves to be ruled by the greediest and most envious among us.”
I won’t even get into the serial killer bad guy and his gf. They are craaaazy.
Overall fun, but a little wordy. Easily could be 200 pages shorter and still get the same information across.
August 31, 2020
This book was 578 pages of just nonsense and also excuses for why a man decided he had a connection with a waitress and then proceeded to stalk her. I was literally throwing up my hands at some point. Koontz maybe had an interesting idea about how the government uses asset forfeiture to go after people, but this was 100 percent not the book for that conversation. This was written in 1994 and I felt like the fall of Koontz from my auto buy list to borrow only from the library came much later. There are some of the same themes in this one, former special operations (dude), dog, and a woman that defies beauty or some such crap who is also in expert in IT/cyber-warfare or something. I don't know. My brain started to fog over while reading this one.
"Dark Rivers of the Heart" follows Spencer Grant who returns to a hole in the wall place to seek out the waitress he met the other night that he felt a connection to. When the waitress, Valerie Keene doesn't show for her shift, Spencer decides he will figure out what is going on. So he goes to her place (where he followed her the night before we find out) and realizes that something is wrong at Valerie's place. When a bunch of armed men come out of nowhere and start shooting into her place Spencer returns to his own home and starts doing research into Valerie in order to see what is happening and if he can save her. The book then switches gears to follow our main antagonist named Roy Miro who apparently thinks he's a nicer version of the Angel of Death cause he's all about perfect people being killed by him to go onto something better? The book then jumps to a former colleague of Spencer's from the police force (yes he is an ex-cop) who Roy takes an interest in cause he doesn't like how he spoke to him. This book is just a lot of back and forth and Roy trying to figure out who Spencer really is cause of course Spencer has a mysterious past.
Look Spencer is a stalker. I really wish that Koontz had gone even deeper with this mess when he does eventually meet up with Valerie again cause she rightfully points out what he did and why it is not okay. And then we find out about Spencer's family and I went, yeah nope. No spoilers, but seriously Koontz crammed too much "crap" into this one. We have a dark secret government agency. A mysterious woman on the run. A secret resistance group. At one point I kept wondering how all of this was supposedly happening and no one knew and realized I didn't care.
Valerie is not well developed. She's just a cipher for Spencer and honestly the book gets even more bogged down when she is reintroduced back into the book.
Roy. Ugh. No. He reminds me honestly of other Koontz villains, but somehow he is dumber. There's a whole action that this guy takes for no reason except Koontz wanted to have a big showdown that didn't work. Once again, think that different plots were force fit together in this one and it didn't work.
The writing was long winded as anything. Koontz also keeps throwing in flashbacks via Spencer that added nothing and I absolutely started to get sick of.
The flow was just bad. Some other reviewer noted this could have been shaved down to 350 pages without losing anything and they were right.
The ending just made my eye twitch.
"Dark Rivers of the Heart" follows Spencer Grant who returns to a hole in the wall place to seek out the waitress he met the other night that he felt a connection to. When the waitress, Valerie Keene doesn't show for her shift, Spencer decides he will figure out what is going on. So he goes to her place (where he followed her the night before we find out) and realizes that something is wrong at Valerie's place. When a bunch of armed men come out of nowhere and start shooting into her place Spencer returns to his own home and starts doing research into Valerie in order to see what is happening and if he can save her. The book then switches gears to follow our main antagonist named Roy Miro who apparently thinks he's a nicer version of the Angel of Death cause he's all about perfect people being killed by him to go onto something better? The book then jumps to a former colleague of Spencer's from the police force (yes he is an ex-cop) who Roy takes an interest in cause he doesn't like how he spoke to him. This book is just a lot of back and forth and Roy trying to figure out who Spencer really is cause of course Spencer has a mysterious past.
Look Spencer is a stalker. I really wish that Koontz had gone even deeper with this mess when he does eventually meet up with Valerie again cause she rightfully points out what he did and why it is not okay. And then we find out about Spencer's family and I went, yeah nope. No spoilers, but seriously Koontz crammed too much "crap" into this one. We have a dark secret government agency. A mysterious woman on the run. A secret resistance group. At one point I kept wondering how all of this was supposedly happening and no one knew and realized I didn't care.
Valerie is not well developed. She's just a cipher for Spencer and honestly the book gets even more bogged down when she is reintroduced back into the book.
Roy. Ugh. No. He reminds me honestly of other Koontz villains, but somehow he is dumber. There's a whole action that this guy takes for no reason except Koontz wanted to have a big showdown that didn't work. Once again, think that different plots were force fit together in this one and it didn't work.
The writing was long winded as anything. Koontz also keeps throwing in flashbacks via Spencer that added nothing and I absolutely started to get sick of.
The flow was just bad. Some other reviewer noted this could have been shaved down to 350 pages without losing anything and they were right.
The ending just made my eye twitch.
July 24, 2025
Not the usual Koontz horror this time, but a story just as terrifying when big government goes beyond its limits.
Seemed to mirror our present times in some respects.
Fast paced, at times, but the wordiness bogs you down.
Seemed to mirror our present times in some respects.
Fast paced, at times, but the wordiness bogs you down.
September 30, 2023
It begins, innocuously enough, with a guy liking a girl. After having an extensive conversation with Valerie, Spencer finds that he likes her for more than her physical attractiveness, and when she fails to show up for work the following day, he grows concerned that something has happened to her. He goes to her house and when a SWAT team raids her apartment the intrigue amps up.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is either one of Dean Koontz's most prophetic books, or a paranoid delusion of weaponized technology utilized by a clandestine law-enforcement organization to control its citizenry. Of course, Koontz masterfully weaves engaging characters into a suspenseful high octane narrative that propels a fever-dream of governmental distrust into a waking nightmare that is all-too possible.
I include this quote to demonstrate how we humans are sometimes so convinced about our correct motives that we fail to realize the truth. This is said by the VILLAIN: “Even bad guys,” Roy said patiently, “deserve compassion. This man has suffered. You can see that. I need to get my hands on him, yes, and be sure that society’s safe from him—but he still deserves to be treated with compassion, with as much mercy as possible.”
Dark Rivers of the Heart is either one of Dean Koontz's most prophetic books, or a paranoid delusion of weaponized technology utilized by a clandestine law-enforcement organization to control its citizenry. Of course, Koontz masterfully weaves engaging characters into a suspenseful high octane narrative that propels a fever-dream of governmental distrust into a waking nightmare that is all-too possible.
I include this quote to demonstrate how we humans are sometimes so convinced about our correct motives that we fail to realize the truth. This is said by the VILLAIN: “Even bad guys,” Roy said patiently, “deserve compassion. This man has suffered. You can see that. I need to get my hands on him, yes, and be sure that society’s safe from him—but he still deserves to be treated with compassion, with as much mercy as possible.”
June 22, 2022
This is a very captivating and suspenseful Koontz novel in which he expertly blends bits of science fiction, romance, intrigue, and mystery. It presages many of the themes of later books, particularly the Jane Hawk series, with considerable humor and observations of some of his favorite topics like obsession, high-tech government agencies that operate without checks and balances, and there's even an evil father. And a dog. It's a real Good Read.
June 2, 2015
Definitely my most favorite book - Koontz or not.
Critics of this book (I have just read some of the reviews) are quite understandable.I am a Filipino,but I am also a patronizer of the American politics.Many may say I do not know much,for I don't live under the American government,but they must also remember that this novel is not based on a true story.It's fiction,and everything is real and possible in a work of fiction.They can't criticize a fiction novel using reality as a basis,it's going to be more of an opinion than a neutral review.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is one of the greatest piece ever written by Dean Koontz.The first part of the novel opens with the story of a young man Spencer Grant who is tormented by the past,which he keeps escaping.After meeting a mysterious young lady Valerie Keene,and gets enchanted by her at first sight,he becomes consumed by the need to "find a life".When Keene does not appear the next night,he comes to her house only to get caught up in an electrifying assault by mysterious armed men;and eventually feels the need to find her and help her,whoever she is.
In this story,the virtue of freedom,the grip of faith and the power of love - with a lesson that will make you understand the meaning of past and its connection with fate - Koontz has made another flawless masterpiece that will surely make your heart race and fall in love at the same time.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is a package by the way - techno-thriller,suspense,comedy,romance and drama.You will never regret reading.Definitely his best chase novel.
Critics of this book (I have just read some of the reviews) are quite understandable.I am a Filipino,but I am also a patronizer of the American politics.Many may say I do not know much,for I don't live under the American government,but they must also remember that this novel is not based on a true story.It's fiction,and everything is real and possible in a work of fiction.They can't criticize a fiction novel using reality as a basis,it's going to be more of an opinion than a neutral review.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is one of the greatest piece ever written by Dean Koontz.The first part of the novel opens with the story of a young man Spencer Grant who is tormented by the past,which he keeps escaping.After meeting a mysterious young lady Valerie Keene,and gets enchanted by her at first sight,he becomes consumed by the need to "find a life".When Keene does not appear the next night,he comes to her house only to get caught up in an electrifying assault by mysterious armed men;and eventually feels the need to find her and help her,whoever she is.
In this story,the virtue of freedom,the grip of faith and the power of love - with a lesson that will make you understand the meaning of past and its connection with fate - Koontz has made another flawless masterpiece that will surely make your heart race and fall in love at the same time.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is a package by the way - techno-thriller,suspense,comedy,romance and drama.You will never regret reading.Definitely his best chase novel.
June 24, 2022
Thrillers do not tend to age well, and techo-thrillers even less, but Dark Rivers of the Heart was a mess even when new. I also know that with thrillers, you often have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but that was not possible for this one. Our main protagonist is Spencer Grant, a former Army Ranger and cop in L.A., who quit one day and now lives in a shack in Malibu. His adopted rescue dog Rockie also plays a major role. Spencer likes to go to bars to talk to strangers about the meaning of life and such, and one day he stumbled into a bar and chatted up a waitress. Then he follows her home stalker-like and sits outside of her house for hours. The next day he returns to the bar, but she is not working and she should be. Hence, Spencer cruises out to her house to see whats what. He walks into her house (she is not there) and suddenly a SWAT team hits the place; of course, he manages to escape, but now he is even more curious about the waitress...
Spencer is a character that I could not relate to at all. First, he falls in love on the spot, becomes a stalker, and then obsessively tries to hunt the gal down. Next, we find out that the SWAT raid was actually undertaken by some shadowy government agency that want the gal dead; yes, we find out why, but in the meantime, we are 'treated' to Roy, the head of the agency, who likes to kill people out of compassion. Kootz really ran with the government conspiracy here full throttle and at times this felt like it must be required reading for 'patriots' in Montana worried about little black helicopters. The romance between Spencer and the gal? Cringe worthy. Even worse was the romance between Roy and Eve, who likes to masturbate with Roy watching.
Now, like most Kootz novels, this started off ok, but as the story went on, this quickly became something of a hate read. Yes, there are some decent action sequences, but that in and of itself is not enough to save this turkey. The tech may have seemed fresh in 1994 when this was first published, but it is more than dated now. I am done with Kootz.
Spencer is a character that I could not relate to at all. First, he falls in love on the spot, becomes a stalker, and then obsessively tries to hunt the gal down. Next, we find out that the SWAT raid was actually undertaken by some shadowy government agency that want the gal dead; yes, we find out why, but in the meantime, we are 'treated' to Roy, the head of the agency, who likes to kill people out of compassion. Kootz really ran with the government conspiracy here full throttle and at times this felt like it must be required reading for 'patriots' in Montana worried about little black helicopters. The romance between Spencer and the gal? Cringe worthy. Even worse was the romance between Roy and Eve, who likes to masturbate with Roy watching.
Now, like most Kootz novels, this started off ok, but as the story went on, this quickly became something of a hate read. Yes, there are some decent action sequences, but that in and of itself is not enough to save this turkey. The tech may have seemed fresh in 1994 when this was first published, but it is more than dated now. I am done with Kootz.
January 10, 2018
Here is more junk from Dean
This book makes me feel unclean
It's a bloated waste of time
It's a bother to make this rhyme
--the Book of Counted Sorrows
We may as well start with that title, Dark Rivers of the Heart. Melodrama much? You can practically hear the 1980s saxophone solo reverberating through the title. It’s a harbinger of things to come.
The story opens with our protagonist, Spencer, stalking a woman. She was the waitress at the bar the previously night, who chatted with him. Spencer has returned the following evening, and is distressed to find out she’s not at work. So distressed, in fact, he decides he should drive to her house and check on her. He creeps around and doesn’t see her. When she doesn’t answer the door, he breaks in and starts taking a look at her stuff and trying to learn about her.
Though Koontz is at pains to try to frame this as normal and good behavior, I guess I have to point out that it’s not. It is, in fact, extremely scary and an awful thing to do. Spencer has great difficulty understanding appropriate boundaries and there is no question his behavior is criminal. He deserves to go to prison right away.
Spencer is your basic arch-Koontzian hero type. It’s the only type that Koontz writes. He is a Very Good Man with a Dark Secret. The woman that Spencer is doing his best to terrorize at the beginning of the novel is Ellie. She is also the stock Koontz type of love interest: faultless, hyper-competent (able, for instance, to commandeer foreign defense satellites from a laptop computer in a car in 1994, because…hacking), also with a mysterious and painful past. We also get the obligatory Koontz dog, which is contractually required to include in each story.
Spencer and Ellie get wrapped up in a plot that involves a clandestine government agency the employs a sadistic bureaucrat willing to torture and kill in the name of a misplaced, vaguely liberal ideology. Might as well spend a minute on our villains here as well. Roy, our main bad guy, likes to kill people in the name of empathy. For instance, if someone is in a wheelchair, he may shoot them because he feels so sad for them. I’m sure this is supposed to be a skewering take on PC liberal values, though it is, uh, dumb as hell. There is also a beautiful woman whose main quality is that she is ambitious and enjoys self-pleasure, and [obligatory spoiler warning] a surprise last minute bad guy whose “art” involves seeing beauty in the pain of others. The spoiler warning is truly unnecessary, since 100% of readers of the book will see the twist a mile away.
The novel is simultaneously rote and extraordinarily long-winded. It’s over 550 pages when it easily could have been 350. In the middle sections, I frequently experienced déjà vu, reading the endless chase sequences again and again.
Now is the part of the review where I really slide in pedantism and quote parts of the book at you, for you experience the majesty yourself:
Page 83, [our hero Spenser is talking to a restaurant owner/landlord who is a Mysterious Asian with Deep Insights]:
“After a pause, with his eyes still hidden by the patterns of reflected color that glimmered in his eyeglasses, he continued: ‘The larger a government, the more likely it is to be riddle with such covert organizations—some small but some not. We have a very big government, Mr. Grant.’
‘Yes, but—‘
“Direct and indirect taxes require the average citizen to work from January until the middle of July to pay for that government. Then working men and women begin to labor for themselves.”
Ok, first of all, this statistic is complete bullshit. Secondly, look how much Koontz is awkwardly trying to shoehorn his email forward political ideas into the story. It completely kills any momentum in terms of character or plot. This is both bad politics and bad writing.
Koontz does a very similar thing on page 309, where he interrupts his (previously alluded to) story about commandeering a spy satellite to interject some garbage about EPA: “The EPA cooperated so successfully with the Department of Justice that a citizen who even inadvertently contaminated protected wetlands was at risk of spending more time in prison than would a doped-up gangsta dude who killed a 7-Eleven clerk, a pregnant mother, two nuns, and a kitten while he was stealing forty dollars and a Mars bar.” Ho-ho! Koontz really hitting the bad writing jackpot with being stupid, unfunny, and killing story momentum all at once.
These are a couple of examples but the book is littered with this nonsense. Usually these are dressed up, like the EPA comment, as “funny” side commentaries. They’re the kinds of things your uninformed grandpa might say. Maybe it doesn’t bother you, but it certainly is a distraction for me. Authors that want to engage with social issues are great—but you have a responsibility to make some effort to accurately describe reality.
At the conclusion of the book, Spenser and Ellie have evaded capture from an all-powerful, high-tech quasi-governmental unit and are on the run. Rather than trying to find somewhere to hide out, Spenser convinces Ellie to stop by the old farm where he grew up and had a traumatic experience as child. This moment, he decides for some apparent reason, is when he wants to go back and try to remember the events of the past, which he conveniently has amnesia-ed out of his brain.
I’m tired of writing this review and I’m sure you’re tired of reading it, if you’ve gotten this far.
There’s no reason, plot-wise, that he should want to stop off at the old place, but Koontz needs to tidy up the end of the book by having him confront all of his old demons in both literal and metaphorical senses. The place is chosen for symbolic value, even though it makes no sense in a variety of ways.
No moral ambiguity is allowed to exist—the bad guys are very bad and our good guy is completely good (at this point, we are expected to have forgotten about his breaking and entering and stalking from the first part of the book.). Justice is supposedly served and everybody lives happily ever after.
We also get a whole other side-plot forced into the last part of the book about some kind of network of resistance fighters, but you don’t want to hear about it and I don’t want to write about it. It is just as bad as the rest of it.
I’ve read and reviewed a lot of Koontz in my time, often being very hard on him. However, the last few books of his I read prior to this, I took it a little easier and tried to be more forgiving. I don’t have that forgiveness in me this time around. This book is an offense. It’s as bad as his worst work dating back to his early novels. It’s called Dark Rivers of the Heart, but it makes me think Koontz has dark rivers in his brain.
This book makes me feel unclean
It's a bloated waste of time
It's a bother to make this rhyme
--the Book of Counted Sorrows
We may as well start with that title, Dark Rivers of the Heart. Melodrama much? You can practically hear the 1980s saxophone solo reverberating through the title. It’s a harbinger of things to come.
The story opens with our protagonist, Spencer, stalking a woman. She was the waitress at the bar the previously night, who chatted with him. Spencer has returned the following evening, and is distressed to find out she’s not at work. So distressed, in fact, he decides he should drive to her house and check on her. He creeps around and doesn’t see her. When she doesn’t answer the door, he breaks in and starts taking a look at her stuff and trying to learn about her.
Though Koontz is at pains to try to frame this as normal and good behavior, I guess I have to point out that it’s not. It is, in fact, extremely scary and an awful thing to do. Spencer has great difficulty understanding appropriate boundaries and there is no question his behavior is criminal. He deserves to go to prison right away.
Spencer is your basic arch-Koontzian hero type. It’s the only type that Koontz writes. He is a Very Good Man with a Dark Secret. The woman that Spencer is doing his best to terrorize at the beginning of the novel is Ellie. She is also the stock Koontz type of love interest: faultless, hyper-competent (able, for instance, to commandeer foreign defense satellites from a laptop computer in a car in 1994, because…hacking), also with a mysterious and painful past. We also get the obligatory Koontz dog, which is contractually required to include in each story.
Spencer and Ellie get wrapped up in a plot that involves a clandestine government agency the employs a sadistic bureaucrat willing to torture and kill in the name of a misplaced, vaguely liberal ideology. Might as well spend a minute on our villains here as well. Roy, our main bad guy, likes to kill people in the name of empathy. For instance, if someone is in a wheelchair, he may shoot them because he feels so sad for them. I’m sure this is supposed to be a skewering take on PC liberal values, though it is, uh, dumb as hell. There is also a beautiful woman whose main quality is that she is ambitious and enjoys self-pleasure, and [obligatory spoiler warning] a surprise last minute bad guy whose “art” involves seeing beauty in the pain of others. The spoiler warning is truly unnecessary, since 100% of readers of the book will see the twist a mile away.
The novel is simultaneously rote and extraordinarily long-winded. It’s over 550 pages when it easily could have been 350. In the middle sections, I frequently experienced déjà vu, reading the endless chase sequences again and again.
Now is the part of the review where I really slide in pedantism and quote parts of the book at you, for you experience the majesty yourself:
Page 83, [our hero Spenser is talking to a restaurant owner/landlord who is a Mysterious Asian with Deep Insights]:
“After a pause, with his eyes still hidden by the patterns of reflected color that glimmered in his eyeglasses, he continued: ‘The larger a government, the more likely it is to be riddle with such covert organizations—some small but some not. We have a very big government, Mr. Grant.’
‘Yes, but—‘
“Direct and indirect taxes require the average citizen to work from January until the middle of July to pay for that government. Then working men and women begin to labor for themselves.”
Ok, first of all, this statistic is complete bullshit. Secondly, look how much Koontz is awkwardly trying to shoehorn his email forward political ideas into the story. It completely kills any momentum in terms of character or plot. This is both bad politics and bad writing.
Koontz does a very similar thing on page 309, where he interrupts his (previously alluded to) story about commandeering a spy satellite to interject some garbage about EPA: “The EPA cooperated so successfully with the Department of Justice that a citizen who even inadvertently contaminated protected wetlands was at risk of spending more time in prison than would a doped-up gangsta dude who killed a 7-Eleven clerk, a pregnant mother, two nuns, and a kitten while he was stealing forty dollars and a Mars bar.” Ho-ho! Koontz really hitting the bad writing jackpot with being stupid, unfunny, and killing story momentum all at once.
These are a couple of examples but the book is littered with this nonsense. Usually these are dressed up, like the EPA comment, as “funny” side commentaries. They’re the kinds of things your uninformed grandpa might say. Maybe it doesn’t bother you, but it certainly is a distraction for me. Authors that want to engage with social issues are great—but you have a responsibility to make some effort to accurately describe reality.
At the conclusion of the book, Spenser and Ellie have evaded capture from an all-powerful, high-tech quasi-governmental unit and are on the run. Rather than trying to find somewhere to hide out, Spenser convinces Ellie to stop by the old farm where he grew up and had a traumatic experience as child. This moment, he decides for some apparent reason, is when he wants to go back and try to remember the events of the past, which he conveniently has amnesia-ed out of his brain.
I’m tired of writing this review and I’m sure you’re tired of reading it, if you’ve gotten this far.
There’s no reason, plot-wise, that he should want to stop off at the old place, but Koontz needs to tidy up the end of the book by having him confront all of his old demons in both literal and metaphorical senses. The place is chosen for symbolic value, even though it makes no sense in a variety of ways.
No moral ambiguity is allowed to exist—the bad guys are very bad and our good guy is completely good (at this point, we are expected to have forgotten about his breaking and entering and stalking from the first part of the book.). Justice is supposedly served and everybody lives happily ever after.
We also get a whole other side-plot forced into the last part of the book about some kind of network of resistance fighters, but you don’t want to hear about it and I don’t want to write about it. It is just as bad as the rest of it.
I’ve read and reviewed a lot of Koontz in my time, often being very hard on him. However, the last few books of his I read prior to this, I took it a little easier and tried to be more forgiving. I don’t have that forgiveness in me this time around. This book is an offense. It’s as bad as his worst work dating back to his early novels. It’s called Dark Rivers of the Heart, but it makes me think Koontz has dark rivers in his brain.
May 28, 2017
On the road that I have taken,
one day, walking, I awaken,
amazed to see where I have come,
where I'm going, where I'm from.
-The Book of Counted Sorrows
I didn't really like this when I first read it 2006. I tried to re-read it with the Koontzland - Dean Koontz group in 2011, when it was chosen as a group read but I just couldn't get into it so I put it aside. In 2017, I successfully completed Dark Rivers of the Heart with the Koontzland - Dean Koontz Group. I must admit that this is among the most solid and formidable novels by Dean Koontz. I still don't consider it one of my personal favorites, but I appreciate the work.
In the Koontz Universe, everything is connected & I typically pick up on connections carried between Dean Koontz novels. I can't think of another Dean Koontz novel that is filled with more references & similarities than Dark Rivers - there are shadows of other sagas including Dean's most recent novel THE SILENT CORNER. There are so many novels that connect to Dark Rivers that I shouldn't even attempt to list them, but here are a few: The Silent Corner, Hideaway, The Door to December, Velocity, The Key to Midnight, The Face, The Mask, Dragon Tears, Relentless etc.
Favorite Passages:
Wednesday night, he had stepped through an invisible doorway that separated his lifelong reality from another place. In this new reality, Valerie was his destiny. Once found, she would be a magic lens that would forever alter his vision. All that was mysterious would become clear, but things long known and understood would become mysterious once more.
_______
His heart had been pounding with a strange jubilation, as though he desperately wanted to encounter something paranormal, even if it proved hostile, rather than return to a life without wonder.
_______
On clear nights, the Rocky Mountain sky was deeper than eternity, deeper even than the mind could imagine, and starlight sparkled in the icicles.
one day, walking, I awaken,
amazed to see where I have come,
where I'm going, where I'm from.
-The Book of Counted Sorrows
I didn't really like this when I first read it 2006. I tried to re-read it with the Koontzland - Dean Koontz group in 2011, when it was chosen as a group read but I just couldn't get into it so I put it aside. In 2017, I successfully completed Dark Rivers of the Heart with the Koontzland - Dean Koontz Group. I must admit that this is among the most solid and formidable novels by Dean Koontz. I still don't consider it one of my personal favorites, but I appreciate the work.
In the Koontz Universe, everything is connected & I typically pick up on connections carried between Dean Koontz novels. I can't think of another Dean Koontz novel that is filled with more references & similarities than Dark Rivers - there are shadows of other sagas including Dean's most recent novel THE SILENT CORNER. There are so many novels that connect to Dark Rivers that I shouldn't even attempt to list them, but here are a few: The Silent Corner, Hideaway, The Door to December, Velocity, The Key to Midnight, The Face, The Mask, Dragon Tears, Relentless etc.
Favorite Passages:
Wednesday night, he had stepped through an invisible doorway that separated his lifelong reality from another place. In this new reality, Valerie was his destiny. Once found, she would be a magic lens that would forever alter his vision. All that was mysterious would become clear, but things long known and understood would become mysterious once more.
_______
His heart had been pounding with a strange jubilation, as though he desperately wanted to encounter something paranormal, even if it proved hostile, rather than return to a life without wonder.
_______
On clear nights, the Rocky Mountain sky was deeper than eternity, deeper even than the mind could imagine, and starlight sparkled in the icicles.
October 22, 2022
3.75/5
The book turned out to be one of Koontz's goofier adventure thrillers more in line with his novel Tick Tock than his more serious work such as Intensity. The pace was fast and most of the POVs were fun to read. The epilogue chapters were dumb but maybe a little too timely, who knows?
An enjoyable read nonetheless.
The book turned out to be one of Koontz's goofier adventure thrillers more in line with his novel Tick Tock than his more serious work such as Intensity. The pace was fast and most of the POVs were fun to read. The epilogue chapters were dumb but maybe a little too timely, who knows?
An enjoyable read nonetheless.
February 16, 2020
By far my favorite Koontz novel. Much better story-line than typical Koontz. I love most of his earlier works, because the stories usually went off in an oddball way without a typical 'happy ending'.. which is more believable.
February 28, 2010
Another great book by Dean Koontz. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The books are great, the humor is welcome, and they usually keep me reading until late into the night.
Publisher's Summary
Spencer Grant had no idea what drew him to the bar with the red door. He thought he would just sit down, have a slow beer or two, and talk to a stranger. He couldn't know that it would lead to a narrow escape from a bungalow targeted by a SWAT team. Or that it would leave him a wanted man.
Now he is on the run from mysterious and ruthless men. He is in love with a woman he knows next to nothing about. And he is hiding from a past he can't fully remember. On his trail is a shadowy security agency that answers to no one, including the U.S. government, and a man who considers himself a compassionate Angel of Death. But worst of all, Spencer Grant is on a collision course with inner demons he thought he'd buried years ago - inner demons that could destroy him if his enemies don't first.
Publisher's Summary
Spencer Grant had no idea what drew him to the bar with the red door. He thought he would just sit down, have a slow beer or two, and talk to a stranger. He couldn't know that it would lead to a narrow escape from a bungalow targeted by a SWAT team. Or that it would leave him a wanted man.
Now he is on the run from mysterious and ruthless men. He is in love with a woman he knows next to nothing about. And he is hiding from a past he can't fully remember. On his trail is a shadowy security agency that answers to no one, including the U.S. government, and a man who considers himself a compassionate Angel of Death. But worst of all, Spencer Grant is on a collision course with inner demons he thought he'd buried years ago - inner demons that could destroy him if his enemies don't first.
July 16, 2015
I’m a massive Koontz fan, I love pretty much every book I have read by him, yet I am of the firm belief that his older work is much better than his more recent work. I admit that the Odd Thomas series is my favourite, but collectively his older work scores higher ratings than his more recent work – for me, that is.
So, that means you’re going to hear a number of the same comments about this one as with his other work.
As always, Koontz creates a collection of great characters (yep, even those with mysterious pasts) and throws them into a truly gripping story. I confess that this one started slower than some of his other books, but once the ball is rolling it does not stop. A faced paced suspenseful read, it has everything that Koontz has to offer: his usual charms of pulling at our emotions, leaving us second guessing, questions arising only to be answered at the right moments… basically the old school Koontz package.
Overall, another great old school Koontz. Whilst not my favourite by the author it is a great way to remind me of what he is truly capable of.
So, that means you’re going to hear a number of the same comments about this one as with his other work.
As always, Koontz creates a collection of great characters (yep, even those with mysterious pasts) and throws them into a truly gripping story. I confess that this one started slower than some of his other books, but once the ball is rolling it does not stop. A faced paced suspenseful read, it has everything that Koontz has to offer: his usual charms of pulling at our emotions, leaving us second guessing, questions arising only to be answered at the right moments… basically the old school Koontz package.
Overall, another great old school Koontz. Whilst not my favourite by the author it is a great way to remind me of what he is truly capable of.
February 13, 2021
Dean Koontz at his best!!
Fantastic!!!
All classic Koontz ingredients here:
A flawed heroe, two very evil foes, big romance, and of course a dog!!!
Sci-fi and horror elements blended together..
Good at the beginning, a great story well written, and the ending is awesome!!!
Populated with believable characters, enriched with humor and intelligent dialogues!!
Dean;)
Fantastic!!!
All classic Koontz ingredients here:
A flawed heroe, two very evil foes, big romance, and of course a dog!!!
Sci-fi and horror elements blended together..
Good at the beginning, a great story well written, and the ending is awesome!!!
Populated with believable characters, enriched with humor and intelligent dialogues!!
Dean;)
June 16, 2025
heh heh!
there's a blurb, one of many, from the orlando sentinel: "as it appears, george orwell was ten years late, and it is left to dean koontz to add the finishing touches to an orwellian future that is here and now. one of his best novels."
i chuckle because of so many takes i've read from others who flam-beau koontz for his vision...ha ha ha ha! i mean, i've often wondered if when our elected newbies get to where they're going if they're not taken into a room, w/o any windows or doors....work w/me...and they're introduced to our handlers, shape-changers who in turn change them, into something acceptable.
great story, some sci-fi elements, big-chase elements, powers-beyond-our-control elements...a great dog, rocky, who is built for speed and enjoys it as well. big black chrysler limousines, helicopters.
spencer and valerie, right, they meet by chance. valerie is more than a waitress in a cocktail lounge. and spencer has a past that plays a part. "he had good reason not to dwell on the past." (an idea that comes back a time or two in may of koontz's stories, like his latest novella/novel, 2010...what's it call?....shoot me) mormons and guys in suits, hardware in armpits. nice, too, the idea that is also present in other koontz stories, a kind of network of resistance.
i know i've read this one at least twcie, probably three times. well worth one read.
excellent story. recommended. snowflakes could potentially be butt hurt.
there's a blurb, one of many, from the orlando sentinel: "as it appears, george orwell was ten years late, and it is left to dean koontz to add the finishing touches to an orwellian future that is here and now. one of his best novels."
i chuckle because of so many takes i've read from others who flam-beau koontz for his vision...ha ha ha ha! i mean, i've often wondered if when our elected newbies get to where they're going if they're not taken into a room, w/o any windows or doors....work w/me...and they're introduced to our handlers, shape-changers who in turn change them, into something acceptable.
great story, some sci-fi elements, big-chase elements, powers-beyond-our-control elements...a great dog, rocky, who is built for speed and enjoys it as well. big black chrysler limousines, helicopters.
spencer and valerie, right, they meet by chance. valerie is more than a waitress in a cocktail lounge. and spencer has a past that plays a part. "he had good reason not to dwell on the past." (an idea that comes back a time or two in may of koontz's stories, like his latest novella/novel, 2010...what's it call?....shoot me) mormons and guys in suits, hardware in armpits. nice, too, the idea that is also present in other koontz stories, a kind of network of resistance.
i know i've read this one at least twcie, probably three times. well worth one read.
excellent story. recommended. snowflakes could potentially be butt hurt.
December 18, 2017
This story is meant to be fiction and yet the more time that passes, the more real this chilling account of the world is, not only believable, but also fact...now in 2017.
Corruption is rife, laws are beneficial for those in charge and power has twisted the hearts of those who have it.
It was a long book and I was surprised by the numerous typos, however, the characters were great, and much of the dialogue between Spencer and Ellie was brilliant and funny (as I expect from this author), and Rocky's personality was both charming and sad. The villains were perfectly awful; just as they should. So, together with the suspenseful plot and psychological explorations, this made for a compelling read.
Hope - yes, let's hope.
Highly recommended.
Corruption is rife, laws are beneficial for those in charge and power has twisted the hearts of those who have it.
It was a long book and I was surprised by the numerous typos, however, the characters were great, and much of the dialogue between Spencer and Ellie was brilliant and funny (as I expect from this author), and Rocky's personality was both charming and sad. The villains were perfectly awful; just as they should. So, together with the suspenseful plot and psychological explorations, this made for a compelling read.
Hope - yes, let's hope.
Highly recommended.
November 19, 2010
This book has been a longtime favorite. It's more of a straightforward thriller, similar to Koontz’s recent high-concept novels, but far more thoroughly worked out. There’s a level of depth that signifies an old-style Koontz. I’ve read this novel several times, but during this second reading of the original English text I noticed that nothing he writes is mere filling; everything matters.
The novel chapters switch between the pro- and antagonist, but without a change in verb tense as he does in later novels; the use of the present tense, however, is still used for small flashbacks.
Koontz really puts us off on the wrong foot with these characters. What we at first would consider good guys suddenly commit criminal (and even violent) acts right after their introduction.
Spencer Grant, the main character, is introduced after he has already met his female counterpart, which is different from Koontz’s usual tactics of letting these characters’ first meeting be witnessed by the reader. When Grant goes back to the cocktail lounge where the woman works, she appears to have vanished. All Grant’s next moves are in function of finding her again. Thanks to his computer hacking skills – though he’s certainly far more than just a nerd, as soon becomes obvious – he locates her address and finds himself inside her home. The good guy turned creepy stalker soon drops back in his original role by what happens next, however. And of course Koontz connaisseurs should never doubt the righteousness of a character accompanied by a loveable canine.
The other bit of misdirection concerns Roy Miro, the main villain of the piece, who is introduced helping out a woman with car trouble. He changes her tire, being gentlemanly all the way, only to follow the same path as Spencer Grant afterwards: he looks up her address, finds her at home and kills her and her husband. In contrast to Grant, Miro stays evil and his actions will turn him into a memorable Koontz villain. For some reason I’ve always pictured him as a grown up Roy Borden of “The Voice of the Night” fame.
I already mentioned the dog in this piece. Rocky is more than just a companion to the main character; he’s really a full-grown character of his own and even though he can’t talk, he’s still capable of participating in dialogues. But apart from many other dogs in Koontz books, Rocky always remains “just a dog”. There’s no gimmick to elevate him to a higher level of dogginess; no increased intelligence like Einstein of “Watchers”, no inner dialogue as with the dog in “Dragon Tears”, yet his presence really adds something to the novel besides using him as a plot device.
The second part of the book finally brings the enigmatic and elusive Valerie Keene to the foreground. At this time, the spy games have really kicked off and the story becomes like a Jason Bourne movie. The most memorable thing about this novel, is the use of lots of high-tech spy stuff, using computers in all kinds of ways not only to collect data but to physically locate people as well. For the finale, Koontz takes it one step further and introduces a popular conspiracy theorist’s weapon, which might jump the shark a bit (or perhaps better in this case, nuke the fridge) depending on your own level of gullibility.
To prevent the novel from being that straightforward thriller I mentioned, Koontz adds his signature psychological element concerning Spencer Grant’s past, in the form of the previously mentioned flashbacks and by the appearance of a ghost of his childhood – his father who turns out to be a serial killer who also murdered Spencer’s mother – which always seemed a bit out of place
compared to the rest of the novel, not to mention too convenient for the villains.
The novel chapters switch between the pro- and antagonist, but without a change in verb tense as he does in later novels; the use of the present tense, however, is still used for small flashbacks.
Koontz really puts us off on the wrong foot with these characters. What we at first would consider good guys suddenly commit criminal (and even violent) acts right after their introduction.
Spencer Grant, the main character, is introduced after he has already met his female counterpart, which is different from Koontz’s usual tactics of letting these characters’ first meeting be witnessed by the reader. When Grant goes back to the cocktail lounge where the woman works, she appears to have vanished. All Grant’s next moves are in function of finding her again. Thanks to his computer hacking skills – though he’s certainly far more than just a nerd, as soon becomes obvious – he locates her address and finds himself inside her home. The good guy turned creepy stalker soon drops back in his original role by what happens next, however. And of course Koontz connaisseurs should never doubt the righteousness of a character accompanied by a loveable canine.
The other bit of misdirection concerns Roy Miro, the main villain of the piece, who is introduced helping out a woman with car trouble. He changes her tire, being gentlemanly all the way, only to follow the same path as Spencer Grant afterwards: he looks up her address, finds her at home and kills her and her husband. In contrast to Grant, Miro stays evil and his actions will turn him into a memorable Koontz villain. For some reason I’ve always pictured him as a grown up Roy Borden of “The Voice of the Night” fame.
I already mentioned the dog in this piece. Rocky is more than just a companion to the main character; he’s really a full-grown character of his own and even though he can’t talk, he’s still capable of participating in dialogues. But apart from many other dogs in Koontz books, Rocky always remains “just a dog”. There’s no gimmick to elevate him to a higher level of dogginess; no increased intelligence like Einstein of “Watchers”, no inner dialogue as with the dog in “Dragon Tears”, yet his presence really adds something to the novel besides using him as a plot device.
The second part of the book finally brings the enigmatic and elusive Valerie Keene to the foreground. At this time, the spy games have really kicked off and the story becomes like a Jason Bourne movie. The most memorable thing about this novel, is the use of lots of high-tech spy stuff, using computers in all kinds of ways not only to collect data but to physically locate people as well. For the finale, Koontz takes it one step further and introduces a popular conspiracy theorist’s weapon, which might jump the shark a bit (or perhaps better in this case, nuke the fridge) depending on your own level of gullibility.
To prevent the novel from being that straightforward thriller I mentioned, Koontz adds his signature psychological element concerning Spencer Grant’s past, in the form of the previously mentioned flashbacks and by the appearance of a ghost of his childhood – his father who turns out to be a serial killer who also murdered Spencer’s mother – which always seemed a bit out of place
compared to the rest of the novel, not to mention too convenient for the villains.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2013
Dean Koontz has done it again. I have a love/hate relationship with most of his books. He reaches out and grabs you by the throat and drags you through the white-knuckle adventure and doesn't let you go until the last page. His writing is so much more spell-binding than other people in his genre. The "hate" part is that I can't get anything done when I'm engrossed in his books. My business goes to pot, my house doesn't get cleaned. And after I escape, wrung-out and exhausted, I look around and am overwhelmed with all the stuff I DIDN'T get done while I was under his spell.
This book is no exception. There are a few things that might have been left out. Maybe a few minor details, but mostly it was perfection and I was left being paranoid of the power the government has over our lives, and it wouldn't take much of a stretch for this novel to be a true story.
This book is no exception. There are a few things that might have been left out. Maybe a few minor details, but mostly it was perfection and I was left being paranoid of the power the government has over our lives, and it wouldn't take much of a stretch for this novel to be a true story.
May 20, 2010
GREAT READ! This one comes highly recommended. also check out From the Corner of His Eye Large Print and Life Expectancy After this sample you will be hooked and will surely want more. This Koontz addiction is like crack.
May 25, 2017
A good story but far too long this was the second group read for Koontzland
December 28, 2024
I think Dean Koontz will always be one of my favorite authors. Nearly every book I’ve read by him has turned out to be very creative and interesting. This one was one of the best that I’ve read. This was full of action and there were plenty of surprises throughout and I just loved it so much. I can’t wait to read more of his books. I highly recommend reading this.
October 23, 2007
Despite the blatant push-push-push of an overt political agenda woven throughout the entire novel, this is a great read.
June 25, 2017
Masterful and intriguing
As always, Koontz captivates and awes me with his wonderfully woven words spun into intricate details for an amazing read
As always, Koontz captivates and awes me with his wonderfully woven words spun into intricate details for an amazing read
February 25, 2021
Sadly, this just wasn’t it. Deemed as a “thriller”, the thrills were few and far in between. The prose was extremely winded at times, and often overly detailed where it didn’t need to be. Events were drawn out for pages, and for a “thriller” it didn’t make me want to turn the pages. At some points character plots got jumbled or lost, and then were quickly, but not seemingly, at least entirely, wrapped up in a matter of 40-50 pages. And even that was just lackluster. Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment and wouldn’t categorize this as a “thriller” at all, because it just is not quick paced throughout. When it has those moments, they are good, but they last as quick as a breeze in the air, a few seconds, at best.
July 25, 2008
Ugh. I tried, really tried to like this. A number of friends, whom I consider readers of taste, recommended Koontz. I listened to an audiobook of this. Bleah. I mean, the plot was interesting enough to keep me until the end of the story, but the writing was god-awful. The style kept changing between a stereotypical "taut thriller" no-frills Hemingwayesque voice and this bizarre, baroque, almost delirious pseudo-poetry. Maybe that was a conscious technique (I hope so for his sake), but I found it jarring and off-putting. Perhaps Koontz has others that are better, but I'm not inclined to seek them out.
November 24, 2012
this is, in my opinion, one of Koontz's best. Suspenseful, high tech and full of interesting characters. I was glued to it. I definitely recommend it.
May 16, 2021
Good book, Koontz always is a go0d read to me.
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