The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk, #3)

Title: The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk, #3)

Author: Dean Koontz

Published in: 2018

Date read: 15th July 2019

Score: 4/5

Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Crime

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Crooked Staircase" by Dean Koontz, published in 2018, is the fourth novel in the relentless and high-stakes Jane Hawk series. It continues the harrowing journey of the former FBI agent who has gone rogue to expose a vast, insidious conspiracy threatening to strip humanity of its free will.

The story finds Jane Hawk still on the run, a ghost in the wind, relentlessly pursued by a shadowy, powerful organisation known as the Techno Arcadians, a cabal of immensely wealthy and influential figures from various elite sectors. These elites are systematically implanting microchips into people's brains, turning them into compliant, emotionless puppets – a horrifying form of mind control.

Jane's mission remains singular: to expose this conspiracy to the world, dismantle the Techno Arcadians, and protect the last vestiges of human freedom. She is driven by the memory of her husband, Nick, who was one of the first victims, driven to suicide by the implant.

In "The Crooked Staircase," Jane's desperate quest takes her across the country, constantly adapting, fighting, and outwitting the vast resources of her pursuers. She is a master of disguise and evasion, relying on her FBI training and a network of unlikely allies who believe her impossible story.

The novel features intense action sequences, psychological suspense, and Koontz's characteristic blend of horror and philosophical musings on the nature of humanity and evil. Jane faces off against increasingly dangerous operatives of the Techno Arcadians, including a particularly ruthless and sadistic assassin, Luther Tillis, who relishes the hunt.

As Jane gets closer to exposing the truth, she discovers more layers to the conspiracy and the horrifying reach of its architects. She learns of their ultimate goals for a compliant new world order and the extreme measures they will take to achieve it. Her journey involves deciphering cryptic clues, infiltrating secure locations, and engaging in brutal confrontations.

The "crooked staircase" metaphorically represents the convoluted and morally twisted path the Techno Arcadians have taken to achieve their horrifying aims, and the difficult, often morally ambiguous choices Jane herself must make to fight them. The climax sees Jane closing in on a crucial target, risking everything to gather the undeniable proof needed to shatter the conspiracy, even as the walls seem to be closing in around her. The novel propels the overarching narrative forward with renewed urgency and escalating stakes for Jane's desperate fight.

Comments:
This was eagerly read straight after the previous instalment. As more of this story unravelles in these books, the deeper the mystery and the more brazen the plans of the secret organisation appear to be.

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)