The Face

Title: The Face

Author: Dean Koontz

Published in: 2003

Date read: 14th September 2010

Score: 5/5

Genre: Supernatural, Horror

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Face" by Dean Koontz, published in 2003, is a standalone thriller that delves into themes of predestination, good versus evil, and the terrifying reach of ancient, malevolent forces.

The protagonist is Ethan Truman, a former police officer who now serves as the head of security for a reclusive, immensely wealthy, and eccentric Hollywood mogul named Channing Manheim. Manheim lives in an impenetrable, high-tech fortress-like mansion, surrounded by his strange staff and protected by an array of sophisticated defenses.

The story opens with a shocking and inexplicable event: a chilling, disembodied face appears to Manheim, uttering a dire warning: "There are seven days." This spectral visage, known only as "the Face," then begins to appear to other individuals across the country, each time delivering a cryptic message and instilling profound terror. These encounters are followed by horrifying and violent deaths.

Ethan Truman, a man with his own haunted past and a deeply ingrained sense of duty, finds himself at the center of this burgeoning nightmare. He quickly realizes that the Face is not merely a hallucination or a random supernatural phenomenon. It is a powerful, malevolent entity, an ancient force of pure evil that is orchestrating a series of bizarre and brutal assassinations, all leading towards a cataclysmic event.

As the body count rises and the deadline of "seven days" looms, Truman must race against time to understand the nature of the Face, its connection to Manheim (who seems to be its primary target or catalyst), and its ultimate objective. He is aided by Manheim's quirky and deeply loyal staff, who, despite their oddities, are drawn into the chilling mystery.

Koontz weaves together elements of supernatural horror, high-tech thriller, and philosophical introspection. Truman is a classic Koontz hero – a good man burdened by personal demons, but driven by an unwavering moral compass. He must confront not only a tangible evil but also the unsettling idea that fate or some grand, terrifying design is at work.

The climax involves a desperate, supernatural showdown within Manheim's fortress, as Truman attempts to stop the Face from completing its horrifying agenda and unleashing a greater evil upon the world. "The Face" is a taut, suspenseful novel that explores the battle between light and darkness on a grand, terrifying scale.

Comments:
I must have really enjoyed this as I scored it the maximum possible. I recognise the story from the plot summary but can't recall anything else other than I really enjoyed it.

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)