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Jul. 23--The Husband By Dean Koontz Bantam, $27
--As a gardener and landscaper, Mitchell Rafferty doesn't have millions of dollars.
That's a big problem for Mitch in Dean Koontz's latest thriller, "The Husband," because a mysterious group of kidnappers snatched his wife, Holly, and is demanding $2 million to release her unharmed.
Koontz's novel starts fast -- Mitch gets a phone call from the kidnappers, who quickly and viciously demonstrate their ruthlessness, and it's off and running.
In its breakneck pace, "The Husband" is a throwback to Koontz's earlier novels, such as "The Face of Fear." Mitch is thrown into an alien, brutal world and must learn to navigate it, all the while aware that the slightest mistake will trigger the death of his wife.
The two biggest questions -- who are the kidnappers and why did they target Mitch -- are answered about halfway through the book, but the narrative doesn't even slow down.
In his effort to save his wife, Mitch discovers that friendly faces are not to be trusted, and Koontz's writing style really drives home Mitch's sense of loneliness and desperation. Like most Koontz heroes, though, he's made of sterner stuff than he realizes.
The book does slow down in spots, most often when it abandons Mitch to focus on the captive Holly, who is carefully trying to develop a rapport with one of her kidnappers. The kidnapper is an off-kilter kind of killer, given to quasi-mystical pronouncements; he is a bit reminiscent of the hit man in Koontz's fabulous "Watchers." These episodes succeed in creating a sense of menace, but the book slows.
Still, "The Husband" is a one-sitting read, and Koontz displays a virtuoso's flair for suspense. Part of Koontz's magic is his ability to anchor his horror in real-world situations and to capture the fears and frustrations of ordinary people unexpectedly facing danger.
With "The Husband," he has delivered an exhilarating, white-knuckle carnival ride, all swooshing drops and hairpin turns, that will leave you breathless and satisfied.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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