As big a fan of Dean Koontz I am, this book just doesn't do it for me. It's too much like Dark Rivers of the Heart, only not nearly as good.
It seems as if Mr. Koontz is lacking new ideas. Yes, a lot of his books goes around the same plot (man meets woman who is being hunted by psykopath with all means at his disposal, man and woman flees together and tries to fight the overwhelming threat), but usually he hides it better. This time the story around the plot is just not convincing. It seems unfinished. ( )

Well read book on tape that keeps you engrossed. Plot revolves around a hired murder and an innocent guy getting caught up in uncovering the killer and victim. ( )

Mild-mannered Tim Carrier meets a man by chance in a bar who gives him $10K as a down payment to kill a woman. This is just the beginning of Tim's adventure because of a mistaken identity. Fast read and as always a very entertaining, thrilling read from Dean Koontz. ( )

Quick read. Good fun. ( )

It's a good thing I don't expect more from Koontz than one long chase scene with all the loose ends rather sloppily tied up at the end. It's not all bad, of course. The dialogue had some funny bits and the miscommunication that starts off the book was cleverly done. Unfortunately, the villain wasn't especially convincing and the ending seemed thrown together at the last minute. In short, this was a nice diversion while recovering from surgery but I'm glad I didn't spend any money on it. ( )

I have to say that I enjoyed THE GOOD GUY a whole lot more than THE HUSBAND, which I didn't even finish. Although there's no paranormal elements to this book, like my favorite Koontz books have, this is a pretty good thriller.

Tim Carrier is the quiet, stay-out-of-the-way-and-disappear-into-the-shadows type of guy. That seems to be working fine, until a customer walks into the bar where Tim's at and mistakes him for a hired killer. Before he can rectify the mistake, another man enters, and it doesn't take Tim long to figure out that THIS man is the REAL killer. It also becomes quite clear that offering the hit man money to not kill anyone isn't going to work.

What follows is Tim doing what Tim does best -- taking on the problems of others as if it were his mission. As the humble mason tracks down Linda, the woman the hit man was going to be hired to kill, the story turns into a book version of the TV show "24."

There's action-adventure here, and well-drawn characters (the villain, by far, is the most interesting character in the book), and a plausible story line. I really enjoyed THE GOOD GUY! ( )

Guy comes up to "Tim" in bar & hands him a manilla envelope for "a hit" on a woman. Then, leaves & a few minutes later the real "hit man" comes in. Tim finds the woman & tries to save her & find out why she's a target. Turns out she was just in the wrong place at wrong time. Was O.K., but not the best. ( )

This is an extremely fast-paced thriller. Although it held my attention, a week later I will have forgotten most of what happened. Characters are not well developed and certain plot details didn't really develop. ( )

Basic story of good guy who gets wrapped up in a govermental plot to kill a good girl. I found this story very light reading and sappy at times. I found myself, like when you watch horror movies, saying "just call the cops you dummies". Fairy tale happy ending. Not one of Koontz better books. ( )

I loved the beginning of this book! That's unusual for me. I typically like endings much more than beginnings. This one starts out with Tim sitting in the bar. Not only is Tim an intersting character that I couldn't wait to learn more about, but so are the people around him. The people that he calls friends. When the stranger sits next to him, the conversation is a bit odd, yet totally intriguing. Then, the next stranger, and again a conversation to remember. Then the roller-coaster ride hits high speed. Tim decides that he's going to save the woman who's been targeted by an unknown to be killed. But what Tim doesn't expect is how he will feel about that woman. As they run and hide from the killer, Tim realizes that he loves her. Although Linda doesn't really voice her feelings, it's pretty clear that they are attracted to each other. However, don't mistake this book for a romance. It certainly isn't. The killer is rutheless and his killings are brutal and detailed. The ending comes together and finally answers the questions that I had about other occurances in the book.
A quick note about the audio....I listened to the unabridged version of this book. The reader was great. He used different intonations and infliction in his voice, however, I didn't care for the way that he portrayed Linda's voice. He made her sound airy, or ditsy, yet that really wasn't the image that I had of her. I think that had I read the book, her voice in my head would have been much different. Overall, it doesn't affect the outcome of the book, I just kept thinking in my head that Linda shouldn't sound like that! ( )

This was not my favorite Koontz book, but it was decent. This would be a good book for newcomers because he has much better books out there for instance "The Husband". It did hold my attention which is no easy feat. ( )

Timothy Carrier is a man who keeps to himself and tries to live as simple a life as possible. Until one day when a man sits beside Timothy at a bar and passes him an envelope with ten thousand dollars and a picture of a beautiful woman named Linda Paquette. Timothy is intrigued by the woman but horrified to know the man has mistaken him for the contract killer he employed to murder her. When the killer later arrives and mistakes Timothy for the man who hired him, Timothy tells him the hit is off and gives him the money but pockets the picture. However, the killer makes it clear he will not be stopped. Timothy rushes to Linda’s house to warn her, and from that point on, both are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with the killer who now is determined to kill Timothy as well and will go to any length to do so.

Koontz excels at creating evil characters and allowing the reader a glimpse into the mind of a deranged murderer. The story moves at a fast pace and is filled with gut-wrenching suspense and continuous action. Timothy and Linda are two damaged souls who immediately connect and trust one another. Koontz’s ubiquitous dog is present, and, as always, appreciated. The killer is deliciously malevolent and intense, and the story one that will keep the reader turning pages. ( )

Well, it's another Dean Koontz novel. I swear, he should stick to writing mystery. I found myself smirking when listening to the descriptive adjectives. And rolling my eyes, especially toward the end. I mean, really. He isn't know for beautiful writing, but it seemed like he was trying to go there.

Tim Carrier gets sucked into a murder-for-hire. Once he meets the girl, he wants to save her, and thus begins a whirlwind of a weekend. First, I hate when they never call the cops right away. Secondly, I hate when the bad guy has every available technology to use immediately at his disposal. Thirdly, I hate when there is a government conspiracy involved. Maybe I've read too many of these novels? ARGH!!!!!!! ( )

The Good Guy is short, snappy, easy to read and delivers a thoroughly intriguing tale of one man's fight to uphold justice. When Tim accidentally wise-cracks his way in to the path of a psycho-for-hire, a story unfolds in which we follow the pair as the etch out a brutal cat and mouse tale. Tim is a character full of good intention, with a background, which teases it's way in the to story as the drama unfolds. The killer, however, is the real treat to follow. He is brilliantly crafted as a cold contract killer, yet there are glimpses in to his psyche which flesh out his thought process, ultimately creating a persona which will send a shiver down your spine. It's a little derivative, with an easy option finale, but overall The Good Guy is a great read. There is plenty of what makes Koontz fun to read and is certainly recommended for old Koontz fans and newcomers alike. ( )

A decent Koontz book, a really fast and fun book in general, but for a Koontz book i think it lacks his usual depth and snazz that they usually have, plus it has a lot of recycled ideas from previous books of his. However, the book was very thrilling, it kept the characters pasts a mystery until the end so it kept you guessing on that front, as well as why Linda is being targetted by the killer and where the killer comes from/who is employed by. It also had some pretty fun and suspensful action scenes. Not much else to say about it to be honest, all in all it was a good read, especially if you enjoyed Koontz's other high concept novels like Husband and Velocity, its just not on par with his earlier work like Lightning, Watchers, Coldfire, etc. ( )

Rated PGThis is a book about great lifelike heros fighting conceivable evil. Nothing supernatural in this Dean Koontz book. Each page is filled with edge of your seat suspense. ( )

I had heard great things about Dean Koontz, so I picked up this book. I was not particularly impressed with the story. The writing was good but the plot didn't grab me. I don't know if Dean Koontz is my cup of tea. I may try another one at some later date. ( )

Excellent beginning that sucked me right in. Moved from plausible situation to plausible situation. Satisfying ending. ( )

Worst take on a hit man I've ever read. It was so cheesy to read about this hired killer who liked to quote T.S Elliot. Aside from that the book was alright. ( )

Not bad. Not awesome. The characters are likable enough that it would be interesting to see them show up again in another "situation" of sorts, but overall the novel itself is pretty forgettable. ( )

Enjoyable characters, lots of suspenseful action, and good plot twists, however the ending was less than satisfying. ( )

"The Good Guy" by Dean Koontz was, as I've come to expect from this author, a pretty good read. Koontz went through a real "dry spell" in the early 90's as far as I was concerned. (Mr. Murder springs to mind.) His books had become filled with levels of gloomand doom, with darker characters. I don't know what happened in his life, (I suspect the addition of Trixie to his family....) but later on, his books were filled with interesting, off beat characters, that you could really like. Many of the books are positively gleeful, which makes for a pretty fun read.

The Good Guy is just that...a great story about a really good guy. I'm not going to do a synopsis of the plot here, I'm sure you can find those aplenty. I was nodding in agreement about certain parts of the plot. The explanation for the conspiracy, and the description of our society with regards to all our well publicized fears rings true. From the "oh my God, we're all gonna die from Global Warming", to "oh my God, we're all gonna die from the alar in apples, the oil used to cook our movie popcorn, the flouride in our water, etc. etc. etc." it seems like we are to spend the bulk of our lives quaking in fear. The tactics of those who we've chosen to govern us seem to often employ both the politics of distraction, and the incitement of fears.

I doubt very much that any of our politicians from either party would actually admit to thinking the same thoughts as Koontz's characters expressed above, but I'll bet every one of them privately agrees with the last line. And they all think that they know the proper way to manage our world, so much better than we do.

So--The Good Guy...good book, worth your time to read. ( )

I read this book while on vacation in Maine during a very large storm that lasted 3-days. When I picked up the book I didn't know what to expect but it grabs you right from the beginning. You can relate with the main character as he agonizes over the decisions a killer is forcing him to make. This book has a unique twist that you don't see with the cookie cutter crime or suspense novels. Great book to read snowed in. ( )

Another great one by Dean Koontz. Good ending too! ( )

Wonderful - could not stop reading ( )