The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk, #4)

Title: The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk, #4)

Author: Dean Koontz

Published in: 2018

Date read: 17th August 2019

Score: 4/5

Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Crime

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Forbidden Door" by Dean Koontz, published in 2018, is the fourth novel in his intense and ongoing Jane Hawk series. It continues the harrowing, high-stakes flight of the former FBI agent as she battles a vast, insidious conspiracy to control human minds and reshape society.

The story picks up directly from the events of "The Crooked Staircase," with Jane Hawk still a phantom, relentlessly hunted by the immensely powerful and deeply secretive organization known as the Techno Arcadians. This cabal of global elites is systematically implanting microchips into people's brains, turning them into docile, obedient drones, devoid of free will and emotion.

Jane's unwavering mission is to expose this horrifying plot to the public and dismantle the Techno Arcadians before they succeed in their goal of creating a "perfect," controlled society. Her motivation remains deeply personal: her beloved husband, Nick, was one of the earliest victims, driven to suicide by the insidious mind-controlling technology.

In "The Forbidden Door," Jane's desperate journey leads her to the heart of the conspiracy, or at least closer to its most prominent public faces. She discovers that the Techno Arcadians are not merely an underground group but have infiltrated the highest echelons of government, industry, and even the media, making it incredibly difficult for her to find allies or get her message out.

The novel is characterized by its relentless pace, Jane's ingenious methods of evasion and counter-attack, and Koontz's signature blend of high-tech thriller elements with philosophical musings on freedom, individuality, and the nature of good and evil. Jane continues to be a formidable, almost superhuman, protagonist, always one step ahead, but constantly aware of the immense odds against her.

She faces increasingly dangerous and unhinged operatives sent by the Techno Arcadians, who are becoming more desperate as Jane chips away at their secrecy. The "forbidden door" metaphorically represents the hidden access points to the deepest secrets of the conspiracy, the truths that the Techno Arcadians are desperate to keep locked away. Jane is determined to force it open, regardless of the personal cost.

The climax of "The Forbidden Door" involves Jane closing in on key figures within the Techno Arcadian leadership. She undertakes a series of daring infiltrations and confrontations, risking everything to gather the irrefutable evidence she needs to expose their atrocities and bring their empire crashing down. The novel concludes with the stakes higher than ever, pushing the narrative towards its grand, explosive finale.

Comments:
Another excellent instalment. It follows on perfectly without reducing the pace.

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)