No.1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz is at the peak of his storytelling powers with this major new novel - a rich, multi-layered story that moves back and forth across decades and generations as a gifted musician relates the 'terrible and wonderful' events that began in his city in 1967, when he was ten. THIS IS THE STORY OF A BOY AND A CITY...Jonah Kirk's childhood has been punctuated by extraordinary moments - like the time a generous stranger helped him realize his dream of learning the piano. Nothing is more important to him than his family and friends, and the electrifying power of music. But now Jonah has a terrifying secret. And it sets him on a collision course with a group of dangerous people who will change his life forever. For one bright morning, a single earth-shattering event will show Jonah that in his city, good is entwined with malice, and sometimes the dark side of humanity triumphs. But it will also teach him that courage and honour are found in the most unexpected places, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart. If he can just survive to find it...
'I loved this novel. It is such a joy to read. This is more than your everyday adrenaline ride. There is a natural beauty to the writing here, as alive and human as the jazz that provides so much of the background. It is a rich, detailed story of hope and survival against the odds, a story of broken families, race, fathers, sons, love and hate, and how these things can bubble in the cauldron of the city. The most gripping thing I've read in a long, long time. You sense you are reading a master still at the peak of his powers' Matt Haig (author of The Humans)
Praise for Dean Koontz:
'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times
'A terrific pursuit story ... clever, up-to-the-minute, and riveting' Guardian
'There's surprise after surprise, including a killer finale ... a read-in-one-go novel' Independent on Sunday
'Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying' The New York Times
Author
About Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University). When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since.
His first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where he was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. His first day on the job, he discovered that the previous occupier of his position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and Koontz was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. He wrote nights and weekends, which he continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn't refuse: "I'll support you for five years," she said, "and if you can't make it as a writer in that time, you'll never make it." By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband's writing career. Dean and Gerda Koontz along with their dog, Trixie, live in southern California.
His books are published in 38 languages, a figure that currently increases more than 17 million copies per year.
