The Bad Place

Title: The Bad Place

Author: Dean Koontz

Published in: 1990

Date read: Not yet read

Score: /5

Genre:

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Bad Place," published in 1990, is a fast-paced and bizarre blend of sci-fi, horror, and suspense that centres on a married couple of private investigators who find themselves entangled in a terrifying and otherworldly mystery.

The story begins with Frank Pollard, a man who appears at the private investigation firm of Bobby and Candy Dakota. He is in a state of utter terror and amnesia, with no memory of his past, his identity, or where he came from. He only knows that he is being hunted by something terrifying and that his life is in grave danger.

Frank asks the Dakotas to help him unravel his identity and figure out why he is being hunted. The Dakotas, a witty and resourceful couple, agree to take the case. They soon discover that Frank possesses some highly unusual abilities, including a strange affinity for animals and an almost psychic sense of danger. He also has a disturbing habit of occasionally spouting strange, poetic phrases that seem to come from another person's mind.

As they begin to investigate Frank's past, they are relentlessly pursued by a group of incredibly ruthless and strangely powerful individuals. These are not ordinary criminals; they are a bizarre and violent family, all of whom have terrifying and unusual abilities. They are relentless in their hunt for Frank, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.

The Dakotas, with Frank in tow, are forced to go on the run. The chase is a high-octane affair, filled with narrow escapes and shocking acts of violence. The mystery deepens as Frank’s memory begins to return in fragmented flashes, revealing a horrifying truth about his past and the true nature of the family pursuing him.

The climax reveals a science fiction/horror twist. The family hunting Frank are not just evil humans; they are a group of alien or extradimensional beings with terrifying powers, capable of creating havoc and destruction. They are seeking Frank, not to harm him, but to return him to "the bad place" – their own brutal and alien dimension.

Frank and the Dakotas must make a final stand, using their wits and newfound understanding of their enemies to outsmart them and prevent them from dragging Frank back to his terrifying home world. "The Bad Place" is a wild and imaginative thriller that constantly surprises, blending Koontz's signature humour with a deeply unsettling and otherworldly horror.

Comments:

Books that we've read by Dean Koontz (27):
Demon Seed (1973), Icebound (1976), The Voice of the Night (1980), Phantoms (1983), Darkness Comes (1984), Watchers (1987), Dragon Tears (1993), Mr. Murder (1993), Tick Tock (1996), False Memory (1999), The Face (2003), Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas, #1) (2003), The Taking (2004), Forever Odd (Odd Thomas, #2) (2005), Velocity (2005), Life Expectancy (2005), Brother Odd (Odd Thomas, #3) (2006), The Husband (2006), Odd Hours (Odd Thomas, #4) (2008), Breathless (2009), Relentless (2009), The Silent Corner (Jane Hawk, #1) (2017), The Whispering Room (Jane Hawk, #2) (2017), The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk, #3) (2018), The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk, #4) (2018), The Night Window (Jane Hawk #5) (2019), The Other Emily (2021)