Product Description

Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning when he awakes, he discovers something strange--like blood on his hands--a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person--a young man with Down's Syndrome--can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18337 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-06
• Released on: 2004-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780425195482
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In his imaginative new novel, Koontz soars beyond the limits of Midnight and his other bestsellers. The principal characters, married detectives Julie and Bobby Dakota, agree to help frightened amnesiac Frank Pollard figure out what he does when he's asleep. (Not only can Frank not remember his past, but he wakes up mornings to find mysterious bags of large-denomination bills by his bed.) In due course, Frank and the Dakotas join forces against murderer Candy Pollard and his weird sisters, who want to kill Frank--evidently the sole human in the monstrous family. Candy extends psychic feelers toward potential victims, emanations that are sensed by Julie's younger brother Thomas. A Down's syndrome child, Thomas is telepathically gifted and able to warn Bobby of the demons who threaten Julie. Horror follows horror with each crime perpetrated by Candy & Co. as they come ever closer to the Dakotas and other prey. Besides episodes of shriek-worthy suspense, the book features out-of-body flights, and data on insects and gems of impossible origins, no less unnatural than the Pollard villains, who could incite envy in Lucifer himself. Koontz should lure even more readers to his myriad following with his terrifyingly credible fantasy. Literary Guild main selection.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Pencil in two more best sellers for Koontz, author of Strangers ( LJ 4/15/86), Watchers ( LJ 3/1/87), and Lightning ( LJ 1/88). Originally written under the pseudonym "Leigh Nichols" and published as a Pocket Books paperback in 1979, The Key to Midnight (#8 on the 11/1/89 LJ Prepub Best Sellers List) tells the story of expatriate songstress Joanna Rand, owner of a trendy Japanese night club in Kyoto. When vacationing private eye Alex Hunter recognizes Joanna as the victim of an unsolved ten-year-old kidnapping case, the tale takes an eerie turn into the all-too-real science of mind control and psychological conditioning. In Koontz's latest offering, The Bad Place (#20 on the 11/1/89 LJ Prepub Best Sellers List; Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/89), amiable Frank Pollard hires a husband-and-wife detective team to watch over him while he sleeps. Every time poor Frank nods off, he awakens covered with blood and in possession of some decidedly weird objects. Soon, our detectives discover that Frank is teleporting in his sleep, endlessly pursued by a grotesque genetic freak which threatens to destroy them all. This masterful rendition marks Koontz's full maturation--and the point at which he displaces Stephen King as America's premier weaver of horror yarns. Public libraries should expect big demand for both novels.
- Mark Annichiarico, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
BTW...for those of you who are into unabridged audio books by DK...you may want to check out a company called, The Reader's Chair. They have several books by DK on audio, and they are read by *excellent* narrators. I highly recommend it. Yes, this is a shameless plug...but it was unsolicited. Good reading is good reading. -- R. O., 3/18/97

Both readers are chilling in their calmness. The reading and characterizations are riveting and are certain to frighten anyone. -- AudioFile, July 1993

First I want to tell you that the awards you have received are well deserved! NOBODY can tell a good story like Carol and Michael. The performances are exactly on par, if not better than, the works of art that are read. Audio book companies should place THE READER'S CHAIR as their goal. -- M. P., 8/1/98

I have listened to several of your Dean Koontz audios and really enjoyed them. Carol Cowan and Michael Hanson are very talented. -- WinnyMac,8/23/97

I have purchased all of your Dean Koontz selections and I could not be more pleased with them. Keep up the good work! -- R.T., April 5, 1997

I just finished The Bad Place on Saturday. I'm really impressed by the fact that I can read a book, and two years later listen to it and be just as intrigued as I was when I read it. Congrats on a great product. -- Ted, California

The horror and tension are unrelenting. Cowan and Hanson's ability to milk every nuance from even the simplest of words and portray a wide range of emotions is superb. Highly recommended. -- Wilson Library Bulletin, May 1993

The story's many bizarre twists and turns are effectively heightened and energized by the alternate readings of Carol Cowan and Michael Hanson. -- Library Journal, November 15, 1992

Thought you might like to know one of our regular renters just called to let us know that he thought that your Koontz productions with Michael Hanson and Carol Cowan contain the best reading he has ever heard and he particularly appreciates the two reader concept. -- Duncan, 5 Apr 1996

Customer Reviews

Another classic
If a Koontz book like this can't scare you- nothing will!! One of his best in my opinion, The Bad Place is about true evil. Beware if you are reading this before you go to bed. But don't worry- when you finish, there are many other Koontz books to satisfy your appetite! You'll be hooked.

Fireflies in a Windstorm....
Frank Pollard is completely terrified and perplexed upon waking in the middle of an alleyway. He has no idea why he is there or who he is. He remembers his name, but hasnt a clue as to how old he is, where he lives, what he does for work...all he knows is that something or someone is after him for reasons he cant guess...he has to run or die - there is no other choice. While on the run, hopping from one motel to the next, Franks fears begin to escalate as upon waking he is met with one new shock after another. One morning he wakes covered in blood, another morning he is fully clothed and covered in sand after having crawled into bed clean and in his pajamas - and he has absolutely no memory of what events took place. Frank needs help, but because he cant remember who he is, he has no idea who his friends are; whom can he trust? Thats where Bobby and Julie Dakota come in. Frank hires the team of Private Investigators to watch him, follow his every move, monitor him as he sleeps...only NO ONE expected what is ultimately revealed.
The Bad Place was a good, entertaining read. It wasnt a favorite of mine, but still worth it. I am finding that any Koontz book is pretty much a safe bet. The man can write. His characters are so well drawn and his mind comes up with wild and unpredictable turns. I just love his mind. If you have never read Koontz before, I highly recommmend him.

A WILD RIDE!
There are so many positive things to say about "The Bad Place". It was thoroughly absorbing and suspenseful from beginning to end, never failing to entertain. As usual, Dean Koontz writes about the horrific and bizarre with an eloquent flair. I was really taken in by the character of Bobby. Everybody KNOWS a Bobby...and loves them! Some of the dialogue between Bobby and his wife was hilarious. (I can't remember ever laughing out loud while reading a Koontz novel until now) There is only one reason I didn't give "The Bad Place" a 5 star rating; I got the feeling that the last quarter of the story was rushed and possibly not as well thought out as the rest of the book. Even so, it was a great read and I highly recommend it.