CHASE [Paperback] by DEAN KOONTZ

by K.R. Dwyer, Dean Koontz, Dean R. Koontz

Book Overview

A chilling tale of psychological suspense This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0755347293
• ISBN13: 9780755347292
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

creepy and poetic

Not quite the contemporary Koontz, but close; well written, attractive verse, plenty of suspense and strong endings, especially the first tale.

Two excellent stories, the first being the best.

War leaves scars on soldiers, but training still counts for good. This first story was really quite excellent and no spookiness about it...an evil person committing untold crimes, but the weaving of the story is superb. You'll enjoy these two!

Efficient, suspenseful page turner. If a little strange at times.

Dean Koontz is a prolific writer of thriller novels having written over 50 novels in the past 35 years under various names. Up until "Chase", I had never read any of his work, so I thought I'd start with his earliest stuff with the intention of reading all of his Headline published releases. "Chase" was originally released under the K W Dwyer name, written in the early 70s, but not released until the mid 80s. Ben Chase is a war hero that is haunted by his horrifying experience in Vietnam. The guilt that he feels affects his everyday life and he has become reliant upon alcohol to simply get by. His existence is a cheerless routine that will lead to an inevitably sad and lonely end. Yet after witnessing a murder and saving the life of a would-be victim, Ben becomes the serial killers next intended kill. Or is he just imagining this plot due to his unstable condition? What follows is a thriller in the most literal sense and one which involves action, clues, sex and suspense. I ripped through this book in 2 days, mainly due to its relatively short length (240 pages), but also due to the fact I couldn't put it down. It gets straight into the action from the first paragraph and really doesn't muck around with heavy descriptions or background information. Koontz tells this story very efficiently and the reader can't help but be pulled in, never hesitating to turn the page to find out what happens next. But this is by no means a perfect novel. Koontz was only 25 when he wrote it and although the book is thoroughly gripping, the characters and the action seem somewhat amateurish at times. It's hard to be concerned for Ben when the serial killer that's after him is seemingly hopeless at what he does. Instead of the usual chilling, professional hitman from other stories, we have a bumbling, inaccurate, motiveless character that is much less a killer than our hero. Also, gorgeous sexpot Glenda's understanding reaction to Ben's completely insane (not to mention impotent) first date antics is a little far-fetched. I can't help but get the feeling that Koontz was going through a bit of a hormonal period himself when he wrote this as there are some rather off-putting and seemingly unnecessary sexually charged thought processes throughout. But there is simply not enough time to ponder these anomalies in what is a very enjoyable, based on infinite cliches, yet somehow original and enjoyable story. I'm looking forward to reading his next books.

'Chase' is a good read, but short story is riveting!!

I liked 'Chase.' It was read quite well by the narrator and you do start to feel much empathy for Ben Chase, who is a young, struggling Vietnam hero who is feeling anything but heroic. As Ben drinks whiskey and eats apples in the solitary of his apartment day by day, the reader is right there with him, sipping along, staring at the bare, white walls of his drab one-room studio apartment. He is miserably content in his solitude, only venturing out to see his psychiatrist. But then he witnesses the murder of a young man, and his protective shell begins to be chipped away -- and not always by the right people and circumstances. The true identity of the stalker/murderer is hidden well throughout the book; I did not begin to figure it out until toward the end. Another plus to this book is that Ben Chase is a modern, Shakespearan tragic hero with an evolving tragic flaw that the reader discovers as the book goes along. On a negative note for 'Chase,' I felt Ben's love interest needed more character development; it's like she's just thrown in there suddenly. The book goes rather slow at times, and I found myself wondering if an abridged version might have been better. Also, this might just be a personal thing, but I had different expectations for what type of person the killer would be, so it was a strange ending and resolution at the end for me. But perhaps that adds to the mystique of the book, and you yourself might like that. Now, as for the short story, "Down in the Darkness," I loved it so much that I listened to it twice so I, the second time around, could hear those subtley wound clues a virgin listen may have missed. The story from the very beginning grabs your attention and holds on tight until the end. Just what is the story behind the disappearing cellar in this new house? And what is down there? These are the questions you'll be urgently asking yourself as you explore the cellar with 'Jes.' The sights, smells and anxious but curious horror that Jes feels truly come to life. And the end will lead you on a path of self-introspection that makes you question your own motives and feelings at times. This short story is a concise work of art -- not too long, not too short -- your daily dose of Koontz at his best. Needless to say, I highly recommend it, and while I give 'Chase' a 4, I give this short story a 5++!

A gripping rendition of an earlier work, well revised.

The audio version of Chase is done in a gripping and mysterious style fitting with the content. The story is one to sympathize with as the listener feels he is living out the adventure with the main character, a misunderstood Vietnam vet who wants only to be left alone in his misery. His struggle towards heroism in the context of Koontz's expert thriller content is an enchanting mix. The extra content added to this book only adds to its value in the same vein. The "Down in the Darkness" story is similarly a story of struggle of a man against his baser instincts and against his more natural and unnatural inclinations. Highly recommended.