I was at my local library recently, trying to choose my next book. Reading the jacket of "Velocity" made me pick it immediately. The premise: a bartender named Billy Wiles finds a note on his car one night after work. The note contains an ultimatum: If he turns the note over to the police, "an elderly woman active in charity work" will be killed. If he doesn't involve the police, "a lovely blonde schoolteacher from the Napa Valley" will be killed instead. Though Billy may not take the note seriously at first, he soon finds out that the person who left the note is quite serious with the threat, and then another note shows up.

What follows is a very intense, suspenseful struggle between Billy (a former struggling writer) and the unknown killer. Everyone becomes a suspect and there are multiple surprises until the final conclusion, a showdown between the two.

Fans of thrillers will love this novel!

I loved that I read this novel very quickly - it was so suspenseful that I couldn't put it down! It also surprised me many times. I just couldn't stay ahead of the story, and there were a number of unexpected turns. Just when I thought I might know who the killer was, it was proven not to be that character.

This book made me consider myself in Billy's place. Would I be able to make the decisions he was forced to make? A subplot of this novel involves his fiance, a woman stuck in a coma, and Billy's subversion into a normal, predictable life that he can control. The actions forced upon him make him face his past and act instead of passively live his life.

Koontz has written a number of bestsellers over the last few decades, and it's easy to see why. "Velocity" is just one of his very successful thrillers that involve a higher message.

Koontz has a unique gift - a blending of superb writing style and important yet accessible messages and themes.

To me, Koontz has improved greatly over the years. His earlier novels really must be held in a much different light than his later works. His earlier novels were fairly basic, average horror/thriller novels. His later work, though, has evolved into suspenseful tales containing higher messages. He tends to convey a message of connectivity and importance - a theme that many lives are connected for a purpose that will one day become clear. I personally love this about Koontz later work, and that's why I'll continue reading him.

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Created May 19, 2008 at 4:23pm • Submit your own review...