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The Door to December (AUDIOBOOK) [CD]
A number one New York Times best-selling author many times over, Dean Koontz is legendary for his riveting suspense novels that keep the reading public looking over their shoulders and clamoring for more. Originally published under a pseudonym in 1985, The Door to December has now been revisited by the author, who provides a new afterword. Melanie went missing when she was A number one New York Times best-selling author many times over, Dean Koontz is legendary for his riveting suspense novels that keep the reading public looking over their shoulders and clamoring for more. Originally published under a pseudonym in 1985, The Door to December has now been revisited by the author, who provides a new afterword. Melanie went missing when she was three. Then she's found six years later, wandering a Los Angeles backstreet with a vacant stare-and carrying an unimaginable secret.
30 review for The Door to December (AUDIOBOOK) [CD]
Edward Lorn – Jan 06, 2020
To the checklist! 1. Blond lead/love interest - No 2. Dog(s) - Yes (small mention) 3. Government conspiracy - Yes 4. Aliens - No 5. Serial Killer - Yes 6. Bougainvillea plant - Yes (x2) 7. Sodium-vapor streetlight - Yes 8. Precocious child - No 9. Insta-Love - Yes 10. Mind Powers - Yes Seven out of ten! Holy Koontzian Bullshit, Hackman! The problem with reading Dean Koontz in chronological order of publication is that you start to see how much he reuses formulas. The Door to December has the same basic stru To the checklist! 1. Blond lead/love interest - No 2. Dog(s) - Yes (small mention) 3. Government conspiracy - Yes 4. Aliens - No 5. Serial Killer - Yes 6. Bougainvillea plant - Yes (x2) 7. Sodium-vapor streetlight - Yes 8. Precocious child - No 9. Insta-Love - Yes 10. Mind Powers - Yes Seven out of ten! Holy Koontzian Bullshit, Hackman! The problem with reading Dean Koontz in chronological order of publication is that you start to see how much he reuses formulas. The Door to December has the same basic structure as Darkfall, and even includes the theme of locked-door mysteries. Mix that with the theme of an important child that must be saved at all costs, ala The Servants of Twilight, and you're left with more of the same piled on top of some of the most superfluous writing I've ever come across. There's a 60-page chapter in here that is utterly ruined due to what I've coined to be the Finn Dilemma. You know how Finn in the new Star Wars movies is given that side quest in The Last Jedi that seemingly serves no purpose aside from keeping him active in the saga, as if the filmmakers didn't know what else to do with him? That's what happens here with the male lead. Koontz gave him a strong supporting role and then seemingly didn't know what to do with him. During a scene of suspense, Koontz keeps jumping out of the fun to show us a repetitive and useless argument between two detectives. This is the equivalency of Michael Bay cutting from an epic car chase to a scene wherein someone is watching grass grow, only the scenes wherein this person is waiting for the greenery to lengthen lasts longer than any of the car chase scenes. Rinse. Repeat. More than a dozen times this happens, effectively killing all tension and suspense and leaving me, the reader, scratching my head and wondering what kind of head injury Koontz sustained in order to think such a thing was a good idea. This book was originally published under the Richard Paige pen name, which automatically assures that it covers a recycled idea. The plot is so obviously such that I called the "twist" within the first 50 pages. Ask my friend Delee, who's been buddy reading these books with me. I texted her and was all like, "Yo, I bet this is what's going on." And guess what, sports fans, ya boi was right. So how did I know? Because Koontz has written this book more than a dozen times in his career. My theory is, he'd get stuck on an idea and continue to rewrite said idea ad nauseam until a new idea surfaced. He would then publish each of these eerily similar ideas under different names to keep people from catching on. Later in life, when the Koontz name became the most popular of his ventures, and Koontz realized that not only did people not care if he repeated plots time and time again but they actually PREFERRED when he did, Ol' Ray said "Fuck it" and started republishing all of his throwaways under the Koontz byline to pad his bibliography. But the biggest sin this book makes is the unforgivable sin of being meh as fuck. I didn't hate it, and I certainly didn't like it. It left me feeling indifferent, which is the worst thing a book can do, in my opinion. I would much rather hate a book than feel indifferent because at least then I can funnel my rage into a humorous review to entertain the general public. But this? This book just exists, and I have no idea why. In summation: The quintessential Koontzian experience, from the sodium-vapor streetlights to the insta-love. If you've read more than five Dean Koontz books, you've read this one at least four times. Final Judgment: The literary equivalent of a shrug.
Colette Guerin – May 07, 2012
Simply awful. I will go no further than to say that Mr. Koontz hasn't the least bit of an idea of what autism really is. The idea that autism is created by neglect or abuse on a parents part ie: the "refrigerator mother" theory developed by Bruno Bettelheim was discredited many years ago. It is a neurological disorder and the cause is yet unknown, it may be genetic, it may be environmental, it may have to do with vaccinations, but most likely it has a variety of causes making it difficult to fin Simply awful. I will go no further than to say that Mr. Koontz hasn't the least bit of an idea of what autism really is. The idea that autism is created by neglect or abuse on a parents part ie: the "refrigerator mother" theory developed by Bruno Bettelheim was discredited many years ago. It is a neurological disorder and the cause is yet unknown, it may be genetic, it may be environmental, it may have to do with vaccinations, but most likely it has a variety of causes making it difficult to find the source. Do not confuse catatonic with autism. It is offensive to take a child of abuse and neglect and intersperse autism in with her state of being, I don't care that you are writing a horror or occult novel or whatever you would like to categorize this as. Please know that if hard work, love, prayer and and making deals with God could cure a child from this disorder, my child would be attending college today and not a special education school. Some children find their way through the maze of autism, others don't. It's a puzzle. One of the many reasons puzzle pieces are used as symbol to represent the disorder. Highly unlikely I will ever read another Koontz novel. Needs to do a little basic research. Wish they would take this book off the shelves.
Dustin Crazy little brown owl – Jun 29, 2009
We'll plunge into darkness, into the hands of harm, when Science and the Devil go walking arm in arm. -as quoted in The Door to December The Door to December was featured as The Koontzland - Dean Koontz Group Read December 2019, I finally caught up months later. The sensory deprivation tank and "window to yesterday" remind me of my favorite television show FRINGE, which sadly only ran for five seasons - gonna have to revisit my friends who live in that reality again soon. Having recently re-read The E We'll plunge into darkness, into the hands of harm, when Science and the Devil go walking arm in arm. -as quoted in The Door to December The Door to December was featured as The Koontzland - Dean Koontz Group Read December 2019, I finally caught up months later. The sensory deprivation tank and "window to yesterday" remind me of my favorite television show FRINGE, which sadly only ran for five seasons - gonna have to revisit my friends who live in that reality again soon. Having recently re-read The Eyes of Darkness, I noticed similarities. Both novels feature messages coming via unusual methods, sudden drops in temperature and Las Vegas settings. As a previous Group Read, The Door to December was featured as Group Read with Mr. Murder. At that time, I liked Mr. Murder better, but this one is quite intriguing. In 2020, I increased my rating to 5 stars. Dean Koontz has penned tales of a similar theme in Cold Fire and Brother Odd, both of which I enjoyed immensely. I loved Dan Haldane, a character of witty humor. The Door to December was originally published under a pen name in 1985. Favorite Passages: "There's something else I want you to see, something I hope you might be able to explain to me." "What's that?" "Something weird," he said. "Something damned weird." _____ "Well, I don't exactly disapprove," she said. "But if you've got a psychologically disturbed individual who already feels adrift, only half in control of himself . . . the disorientation of a deprivation chamber is almost certain to have negative effects. Some patients need every grip on the physical world, every external stimulus, they can get." She shrugged. "But the again, maybe I'm too cautious, old-fashioned. After all, they've been selling these things for use in private homes, must've sold a few thousand over the past few years, and surely a few of those were used by unstable people, yet I haven't heard of anyone going all the way 'round the bend because of it." "Must be expensive." "A tank? Sure is. Most units in private homes are . . . new toys for the rich, I guess." "Why would anyone buy one for his home?" "Aside from the hallucinatory period and the eventual clarity of the mental processes, everyone reports being tremendously relaxed and revitalized by a session in a tank. After you spend an hour floating, your brain waves match those of a Zen monk in deep meditation." _____ "You sure?" "Of course I'm sure. Why're you acting like a homicide dick with me?" "I am a homicide dick." "You're a dick, that's for sure," Luther said, grinning. "All the people you work with say so. Some of 'em use different words, but hey all mean 'dick'." "Dick, dick, dick . . . are you fixated on that word or something? What's wrong with you, Luther? Are you lonely, maybe need a new boyfriend?" The pathologist laughed. He had a hearty laugh and a smile that made you want to smile back at him. Dan couldn't figure why such a good-natured, vital, optimistic, energetic man as Luther Williams had chosen to spend his working life with corpses. ____ Again, Laura felt as if the floor were tilting under her, as if the real world that she'd always taken for granted were an illusion. It almost seemed as though true reality might be the paranoid's nightmare world of unseen enemies and complex conspiracies. ____ Madness. She was caught in a whirlpool that was carrying her down into a nightmare world of suspicion, deception, and violence, into an alien landscape where nothing was what it appeared to be. ____ One entire wall of bookshelves was built around a television and VCR. Half the shelves were used for books; the other half were filled with videotapes. He looked at the tapes first and saw some familiar motion-picture titles: Silver Streak, Arthur, all the Abbott-and-Costello pictures, Tootsie, The Goodbye Girl, Groundhog Day, Foul Play, Mrs. Doubtfire, several Charlie Chaplin film, two Marx Brothers pictures. All the legit movies were comedies, and it figured a professional hit man might need to laugh a little when he came home from a hard day of blowing people's brains out. But most of the movies weren't legit. Most of them were pornographic, with titles like Debbie Does Dallas and The Sperminator. There must have been two to three hundred porno titles. ____ "I nearly tore his ear off." "Why'd you do that?" "For one thing, because he was trying to bash my brains in," Dan said impatiently. "Besides, I'm sort of like a matador. I always try to take a trophy home with me, and this guy didn't have a tail." ____ "You've always been a loner. A wiseass. No matter what you think of them, I have people who'll rally around me." "With a lynching rope." "Power makes people loyal, Haldane, even if they'd rather not be. Nobody'll believe any crap you care to throw at me. Not a rotten wiseass like you. Not a chance." ____ A new world, a science-fiction society, was growing up around him with disconcerting speed and vigor. It was both exhilarating and frightening to be alive in these times. Mankind had acquired the ability to reach the stars, to take a giant leap off this world and spread out through the universe, but the species had also acquired the ability to destroy itself before the inevitable emigration could begin. New technology - like the computer - freed men and women from all kinds of drudgery, saved them vast amounts of time. And yet . . . And yet the time saved did not seem to mean additional leisure or greater opportunities for meditation and reflection. Instead, with each new wave of technology, the pace of life increased; there was more to do, more choices to make, more things to experience, and people eagerly seized upon those experiences and filled the hours that had only moments ago become empty. Each year life seemed to be flitting past with far greater speed than the year before, as if God had cranked up the control knob on the flow of time. But that wasn't right, either, because to many people, even the concept of God seemed dated in an age in which the universe was being forced to let go of its mysteries on a daily basis. Science, technology, and change were the only gods now, the new Trinity; and while they were not consciously cruel and judgmental, as some of the old gods have been, they were too coldly indifferent to offer any comfort to the sick, the lonely, and the lost. ____ "What's that you've got there?" "Books." "Books?" "Assembled sheets of paper with words on them, for the purpose of conveying information or providing entertainment. . . " "You taking those books with you?" "That's right." "Don't know if you can do that." "Don't worry. I can manage. They aren't that heavy." "That's not what I mean." ____ Pedrakis followed him. "Hey, about those books - " "Do you read, George?" "They're the property of the deceased - " "Nothing like curling up with a good book, though they're not nearly so entertaining when you're deceased." "And this isn't like a crime scene where we can just cart away anything that might be evidence." Dan balanced the box on the bumper of his car, unlocked the trunk, put the box inside, and said, "'The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.' Mark Twain said that, George." "Listen, until a member of his family has been located and gives approval, I really don't think you should - " Slamming the lid of the trunk, Dan said, "'There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island.' Walt Disney. He was right, George. You should read more." "But - " "'Books are not merely lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves.' Gilbert Highet." He clapped George Padrakis on the shoulder. "Expand your narrow existence, George. Bring color to this drab life as a detective. Read, George, read!" ____ Melanie sat at the table, silent, unmoving, staring down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Her eyes were closed. She might have been asleep. Or perhaps she was just withdrawn further than usual into her secret, private world. ____ Some of the bookshelves were splintered, and all the volumes were on the floor in mangled heaps of rumpled dust jackets and bend covers and torn pages. But books hadn't been the only merchandise offered by the Sign of the Pentagram, and the floor was also littered with candles of all shapes and sizes and colors, Tarot decks, broken Ouija boards, a couple of stuffed owls, totems, tikis, and hundreds of exotic powders and oils. The place smelled of attar of roses, strawberry incense, and death. ____ "Powdered bat shit," Manuello said, "snake eyes, tongues of salamanders, necklaces of garlic, vials of bull blood, magic charms, hexes, and all sorts of other weird crap. What kind of people come in here and buy this stuff, Leiutenant?" "Witches," Wexlersh said before Dan could speak. "People who think they're witches," Manuello said. "Warlocks," Wexlersh said. "People who think they're warlocks." "Weird people," Wexlersh said. "Maniacs," Manuello said. "But this place, it accepts Visa and Mastercard," said Wexlersh. ____ "What happened to your head?" "I've been taking karate lessons." "What?" "Tried to break a board with my head." "Like hell." "Okay, then what happened was George Padrakis told me you wanted to see me here, and at the mention of your name, I dropped right to my knees and bowed down so fast I scraped my head on the sidewalk." ____ He was being relentless now because there was no way to stop until it had all been said. He wished he had never begun, wished he'd left it buried, but now that he had started, he had to finish. Because he was like the Ancient Mariner in that old poem. Because he had to purge himself of an unrelenting nightmare. Because he was driven to follow it to the end. Because if he stopped in the middle, the unsaid part would be as bitter as a big wad of vomit on his throat, unheaved, wedged there, and he'd choke on it. Because - and here it was, here was the truth of it, no easy euphemisms this time - after all these years, his own soul was still shackled to a ball of guilt that had been weighing him down (view spoiler)[since the death of the Lakey child, and maybe if he finally talked about it with Ross Mondale, he might find a key that would release him from that iron ball, those chains. (hide spoiler)] ____ "Will you hit me?" she asked. He was confronted not by a woman any longer but by a sick, lost, miserable creature. Not a frightened creature, however. The prospect of being struck did not fill her with terror. Quite the opposite. She was sick, lost, miserable - and hungry. Hungry for the thrill of being hit, starving for the pleasure of pain. ____ Something was wrong. Just a hunch. He couldn't explain the intensity of his sudden dread, couldn't give concrete reasons for it, but over the years he had learned to trust his hunches, and now he was scared. In the booth, he hastily and anxiously fumbled in his pockets for coins, found them. He punched the number for California Paladin into the keypad. His breath steamed the inner surface of the glass walls, while rain streamed down the exterior. The service station's silvery lights shimmered in the rippling film of water and were diffused through the opalescent condensation. That curious lambent luminescence, combined with the unsettling harmonics of the storm, gave him the extraordinary sensation of being encapsulated and set adrift outside the flow of time and space. As he punched in the last digit of Paladin's number, he had the weird feeling that the booth door had closed permanently behind him, that he would not be able to force his way out of it, that he would never see or hear or touch another human being again, but would forever remain adrift in that rectangular prison in the Twilight Zone, unable to warn or to help Laura and Melanie, unable to alert Earl to the danger, unable to save even himself. Sometimes he had nightmares of being utterly helpless, powerless, paralyzed, while right before his eyes a vaguely defined but monstrous creature tortured and murdered people whom he loved; however, this was the first time that such a nightmare had attempted to seize him while he was awake. He finished entering the number. After a few electronic beeps and clicks, a ringing came across the line. At first even the ringing did not dispel the miasma of fear so thick it inhibited breathing. He half expected it to go on and on, without response, for everyone knew that there were no telephone lines between reality and the Twilight Zone. But after the third ring, Lonnie Beamer said, "California Paladin." ____ "By the way, what the hell happened to you?" "What?" Dan asked. "Your forehead." "Oh." Dan glanced at Laura, and she could tell by his expression that he'd come by this injury while working on the case, and she could also tell that he didn't want to say as much and make her feel at all responsible. He said, "There was this little old lady . . . she hit me with her cane." "Oh?" Earl said. "I helped her across the street." "Then why would she hit you?" "She didn't want to cross the street," Dan said. ____ The motel room had two queen-size beds with purple-and-green spreads that clashed with the garish orange-and-blue drapes that, in turn, clashed with the loud yellow-and-brown wallpaper. There was a certain kind of eye-searing decor to be found in about one-fourth of the hotels and motels in every state of the union, from Alaska to Florida, an unmistakable bizarre decor of such particular nature that it seemed, to Dan, that the same grossly incompetent interior decorator must be traveling frantically from one end of the country to the other, papering walls and upholstering furniture and draping windows with factory-rejected patterns and materials. ____ "Ghosts. It's just . . . crazy." "Madness." "Insanity." ____ If memories could be vampiric, these were exactly that, sucking the blood and vitality from her. ____ "It's like . . . the cat . . . the hungry cats that ate itself all up. It's starving. There's no food for it. So . . . then it eats its own hindquarters, and then its middle. It keeps on eating and eating, gobbling itself up . . . until it's eaten every last bit of itself . . . until it's even eaten its own teeth . . . and then it just . . . vanishes. Did you see it vanish? How could it vanish? How could the teeth eat themselves? Wouldn't at least one tooth be left? But it isn't. Not one tooth." ____ Occasionally casting a glance at Melanie, Dan sat at the small table and paged through books written by Albert Uhlander, which he'd obtained at Rink's house the previous day. All seven volumes dealt with the occult: The Modern Ghost; Poltergeists; Twelve Startling Cases; Voodoo Today; The Lives of the Psychics; The Nostradamus Pipeline; OOBE: The Case for Astral Projection; and Strange Powers Within Us. ____ "I'm beginning to think you're an asshole, Haldane." "Well, at least it's comforting to hear that you're beginning to think."
Delee – Jul 31, 2012
Koontz re-reads buddy-read with Edward the Great!
Jennifer Waddell – Sep 10, 2013
My absolute favourite read of all time! I don't really like the whole para normal stuff but by far this book is a hit! Unfortunate I read a lot of the reviews. Nobody was dissing autistic kids, remember folks he's a writer and a dam good one, he's not out there to put people down, I am a mother with two autistic children plus myself I carry the gene, people say to me all the time your full of shit when it's a known fact DNA approved that its what we were granted, being autistic myself I didn't f My absolute favourite read of all time! I don't really like the whole para normal stuff but by far this book is a hit! Unfortunate I read a lot of the reviews. Nobody was dissing autistic kids, remember folks he's a writer and a dam good one, he's not out there to put people down, I am a mother with two autistic children plus myself I carry the gene, people say to me all the time your full of shit when it's a known fact DNA approved that its what we were granted, being autistic myself I didn't feel the least bit offended at all and I think people are all too sensitive to this so called autism! I don't have a disability nor do my two boys, we simply think of it as a gift, to teach ignorant people we are just as good if not better then most! But to say that this author is ignorant to autism! Do u even know him???
Christopher Jones – Oct 29, 2011
Better than the vast majority of his new books. With all the attention focused on a traumatized little girl and little (if any ) focused on Koontz whining about how much he hates modern society or Hollywood, makes this book a winner. Characters: Here they are alright, but still somewhat cookie-cutter. I read the book only a month or two ago and I've already forgotten the psychiatrist's name (she was one of the main characters, so that's really not good). I just checked and her name is Laura (same Better than the vast majority of his new books. With all the attention focused on a traumatized little girl and little (if any ) focused on Koontz whining about how much he hates modern society or Hollywood, makes this book a winner. Characters: Here they are alright, but still somewhat cookie-cutter. I read the book only a month or two ago and I've already forgotten the psychiatrist's name (she was one of the main characters, so that's really not good). I just checked and her name is Laura (same as the Lightning protagonist, which I didn't like). She is shy and withdrawn due to a bad childhood. Very common for a Koontz character. Lt. Dan Haldane is far more interesting. He's serious with people that he likes, such as the psychiatrist, and generally jokes with the people that he does not, like his rival Cpt. Ross Mondale. Of course, being a Koontz character, he's tough and capable. No complaints here on that subject. He preaches about the state of the world a little bit, but this is 1980s Koontz and he doesn't get on his soapbox for too long. Plot: The plot centers around the psychiatrist's daughter, Melanie. Melanie is deeply traumatized and catatonic after seven years in a deprivation chamber, and Laura must get her out of that catatonia, and find out what is the "Door to December" that her daughter keeps whispering about. However, Laura also realizes she's being hunted by the authors of Melanie's misery along with some unseen entity that is dispatching people with superhuman force. It is up to Lt. Dan Haldane to solve the case. It's a great plot, in my opinion, with mystery, a good smattering of action, and hints of sci-fi, just like Lightning. Climax: Actually pretty bad, which was a surprise but not a big surprise with Koontz. The gap between the revelation and the final resolution is far too small, probably not more than five or six pages. And the revelation isn't good either. You're going to see it coming from a mile away in slow motion. Prose: Somewhat mechanical. This really comes across in the way characters, like Laura, overthink to themselves. Like with Lightning, there are cases where Koontz could've used a 5 cent word in place of a 20 cent word. Still...bizarre, obscure words that nobody knows are extremely rare in here. As are long-winded metaphors and descriptions. You won't get a sense that he was writing with a thesaurus next to him (something that New Koontz more or less admitted in an interview), and trying really hard to impress people whom just want a good thriller with no bullshit. The metaphors and similes here seem to be in a balanced amount. "Hard spikes of cold rain nailed the night to the city." This is the second paragraph. It does a good job illustrating the power of the rain and night sky without being verbose. Likewise the imagery used in Door to December all seems to be just enough explanation without over doing it, as he does in recent efforts. I don't know where exactly to put this but it's worth noting. Early on, Laura is thinking about her parents that she was estranged from. This was because they were "religious zealots." Koontz, in this day and age, will never put those two words together like that ever again, at least not in the context of Christianity. In New Koontzland, there are no Christian extremists but bad atheists, bad professors, and bad scientists. It's perfectly readable, and I honestly wish Koontz would come back to this old style of writing. Highly recommended.
Brett – Jun 12, 2008
Another worthless Dean Koontz novel full of the usual Koontz crimes against writing: awful dialogue, characters with no complexity, and a "surprise" ending that I knew was coming on page 30 of this over 500 page novel. This is supposedly a mystery/suspense story focusing on the efforts of police officer Dan Haldane to unravel a weird case that revolves around forced sensory deprivation of a nine year old girl. As usual in the Koontz formula, Haldane falls in love with the girl's mother and there Another worthless Dean Koontz novel full of the usual Koontz crimes against writing: awful dialogue, characters with no complexity, and a "surprise" ending that I knew was coming on page 30 of this over 500 page novel. This is supposedly a mystery/suspense story focusing on the efforts of police officer Dan Haldane to unravel a weird case that revolves around forced sensory deprivation of a nine year old girl. As usual in the Koontz formula, Haldane falls in love with the girl's mother and there is a ridiculous romantic subplot in addition to the asinine regular plot. Also extremely amusing was Haldane's interaction with his police superior. Supposedly Haldane is some kind of no-nonsense crime solver while his boss is a ladder-climbing, politically minded person that care more about his reputation than solving crimes. But when you read their conversations, it's really hard to tell which character to dislike more, though the boss does seem more willing to compromise and try to work together. Detective Haldane is a real jerk that does not deserve to be on the force, that much is clear. Also, it was written under a pseudonym in the mid-eighties then re-released later under Koontz's name, always another bad sign when dealing with this author. There's really nothing to redeem this book, and it should be avoided at all costs.
Amelie Court – Dec 13, 2009
Oh my, this has to be my favorite book from Dean Koontz. There is something about the Author, that he can delve into the thriller realm and just suck you in, and freak you out with every turn of the page. I loved how descriptive he was when writing this book. I had many a sleepless night when reading this, but I couldn't seem to put it down, no matter how hard I tried. This will always remain at the top of my list forever; Unless he comes out with something even better! Move over Stephen King, you Oh my, this has to be my favorite book from Dean Koontz. There is something about the Author, that he can delve into the thriller realm and just suck you in, and freak you out with every turn of the page. I loved how descriptive he was when writing this book. I had many a sleepless night when reading this, but I couldn't seem to put it down, no matter how hard I tried. This will always remain at the top of my list forever; Unless he comes out with something even better! Move over Stephen King, you have been dethroned!
Obsidian – Oct 13, 2016
Please note that I gave this book 3.5 stars, but rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads. So I read this as my final book for Halloween Bingo 2016! This one was for the "It was a dark and stormy night" square. Lucky me for picking this to just read for the month of October and realizing as I read that most of the book takes place during thunderstorms/rain and the opening scene the main character (Laura) who arrives at a crime scene in the middle of the night during a torrential downpour. I also jus Please note that I gave this book 3.5 stars, but rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads. So I read this as my final book for Halloween Bingo 2016! This one was for the "It was a dark and stormy night" square. Lucky me for picking this to just read for the month of October and realizing as I read that most of the book takes place during thunderstorms/rain and the opening scene the main character (Laura) who arrives at a crime scene in the middle of the night during a torrential downpour. I also just realized that Koontz always seems to have his characters going to and fro while it is raining outside. I read this book years ago in my 20s. I thought it was okay at the time, but something about it stuck in my craw and I couldn't figure it out until I re-read this. I did not like the character of Lieutenant Dan Haldane. We find out that he hid how bad a fellow officer was years ago due to some sort of messed up loyalty, and only then though he is initially indifferent to the character of Dr. Laura McCaffrey, he finds himself attracted to her after he sees her vulnerability. At one point he even notes he loves it when a woman is in trouble and he can save her. The story starts off with Dr. Laura McCaffrey who is taken away by police car to a crime scene (don't get me started on this). She is only informed the police have found her husband who she was on the verge of divorcing 6 years ago. Her husband, Dylan, kidnapper their daughter and Laura has lost any hope of finding her missing daughter Melanie. Then Laura is told that her husband is dead and so are some others, and he was only living a few blocks from her this entire time (don't get me started on this). We find out that Laura is brought to the crime scene because Lt. Dan Haldane wants her to see the scene because he thinks that Laura's estranged husband was doing experiments on their daughter. From there, "Door to December" has Laura doing what she can to find out what happened to her daughter (she is eventually found wandering) and figure out what her husband and his friends were doing. Laura is a child psychologist and plans on taking off in order to work with Melanie to help her. I actually liked the character of Laura, though I didn't really get any idea how she supposedly did hypnosis to her daughter and didn't get that her giving her daughter commands to tell her what was done to her was probably dancing around the crap her husband Dylan was doing to Melanie. I also don't know if Dean Koontz gets how hypnosis works, but that's a long topic for another day. I don't like how Koontz portrays Laura as a beautiful woman who someone doesn't get that she is beautiful and he has her as being awkward until she meets her husband. We also have Dan interjecting that she is attractive and he can't see how she can view herself that way. Blech. I thought Laura had more chemistry with her personal bodyguard Earl then she did with Dan. At least Melanie seemed to like him more too. The character of Dan had a lot of backstory and I didn't think that any of it was necessary or needed. We know that Dan wants to save women who are in danger and he notes a lot of the time that he is attracted to Laura and wants to kiss her. Whatever dude. We have Melanie in this story and I wish we had focused on her a little bit more. Instead Koontz has her as autistic except some of the time and it didn't even make sense. There were a lot of secondary characters in this one (this book is over 500 pages) and besides Earl there were not a lot of them that I was too impressed with. We have Dan going around interviewing a lot of people and some of them are good and some are terrible people. I think if the plot didn't include the FBI, LAPD, some international organization that is trying to take over the world, etc. the book would have worked better. The story only really shines when you start to realize what is happening to all of the bad people in this book. The writing was okay, but sometimes Koontz is just way too melodramatic when describing something. Who knew there were so many ways to write about the rain. I also don't even know if the things he writes in the book about hypnosis, behavioral modification, etc. are even true. The hypnosis thing didn't even sound right to me. The ending just kind of happens and we have everyone realizing who has been killing all of the people in the book. I feel like the story was also showing that Dan planned on being in Laura and Melanie's lives (shaking my head) and was probably already thinking of ways to romance her.
Maciek – Nov 22, 2009
This is an old and rather obscure Koontz novel, originally published in 1985 under a pseudonym. It's a pretty basic feature: Laura McCaffrey is reconciled with her daughter, whom her father kidnapped six years earlier. The police found the child in his laboratory - along with his mangled remains. Melanie, because that's the name of the girl, is overpowered by terror - and she can only say the cryptic phrase the door to december...strange things start happening, as Melanie's fathers colaborators s This is an old and rather obscure Koontz novel, originally published in 1985 under a pseudonym. It's a pretty basic feature: Laura McCaffrey is reconciled with her daughter, whom her father kidnapped six years earlier. The police found the child in his laboratory - along with his mangled remains. Melanie, because that's the name of the girl, is overpowered by terror - and she can only say the cryptic phrase the door to december...strange things start happening, as Melanie's fathers colaborators start dying in gruesome ways. Police officer Dan Haldane rushes to help Laura and Melanie, hoping it is not too late... The premise is intriguing enough to pull the whole thing off, though the novel suffers from predictability. Still, it's over 500 pages long and allows for enough suspense and twists to develop. It also comes from the 80's Koontz, a time when he didn't denounce the "horror" label, meaning it's far grislier and more violent than his newer works. His style is very descriptive and easy to read, the plot good enough to follow, which makes The Door to December an extended Twilight Zone episode. It borrows too much from Koontz's previous works to be truly notable, but it's not bad; good reading for your morning commute.
Coni (coni_reads or skingproject) – Oct 07, 2018
I didn't know until I read the afterword that this was originally written under another name. I don't know Dean Koontz's writing style well enough to tell if this was written differently. It was set up as a detective story solving a paranormal crime, so while the detective angle seemed a bit new, the paranormal and possible conspiracies seemed to be in line with what I had read by Koontz previously. Dan Haldane is called to a crime scene where three bodies are so brutally beaten that no one can d I didn't know until I read the afterword that this was originally written under another name. I don't know Dean Koontz's writing style well enough to tell if this was written differently. It was set up as a detective story solving a paranormal crime, so while the detective angle seemed a bit new, the paranormal and possible conspiracies seemed to be in line with what I had read by Koontz previously. Dan Haldane is called to a crime scene where three bodies are so brutally beaten that no one can determine what kind of weapon was used against them. There is also a missing nine-year-old girl, Melanie, that has been used a human experiment for the three dead men, including one that used to be her father. The detective brings in the ex-wife, Dr. Laura McCaffrey, to help who has been looking for her missing daughter ever since her husband took off with her six years earlier. Between the two of them, along with a private investigator they figure out what's been happening to Melanie and why people keep dying that are somehow related to this secret experiment. There were some very odd things that really took me out of the story while reading it: - The book has a very dated view on autism. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that it was written in 1985. I will not claim to be an expert on autism, but when describing a girl who has spent a good portion of her life in a sensory deprivation tank as autistic seemed odd. She seemed a bit stuck in her mind, but I would relate that to being traumatized for a long period of time. The first time autism is mentioned, it immediately made me look to see when the book was written since it was so out of place. - Haldane is obsessed with Laura's beauty right away. There are multiple paragraphs about how he has the hots for her, but knows he can't act on it. It was incredibly icky to read. Later on in the story, I came to like his character, but that was how he was introduced. Why? He could have been working this case with her and come to admire her over the course of the story without pondering if he should start a relationship with her. So weird. - Koontz throws in really odd words that don't seem to fit with the level of writing that the rest of book. Throughout the book, he references some entity that has been destroying people. Then in one instance, he references it as a psychogeist. What is that?? He explains it later on in the book, but it seems he forgot that he didn't explain it before he used it the first time. It was much like he did some research and wanted to use the correct term, but you can't just slip in uncommon words without explanation. Even with those odd parts, I did enjoy the rest of the book. The revelation of what was going on was really easy to guess so I thought it must have been wrong. Nope! It was pretty obvious but I still enjoyed the rest of the story. I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
Japheth – Aug 19, 2012
This book was filled with clichés and insults to autism. The clichés were enough to insult everybody's intelligence already so the interchangeable use of the terms "cationic" and "autistic" tipped this over the edge enough to earn negative stars if it were possible. Yes, I get how at the time this book was written there wasn't a lot of study on autism but that doesn't mean it's fair game to make stuff up about a very real condition. This book was very predictable and easy to figure out within th This book was filled with clichés and insults to autism. The clichés were enough to insult everybody's intelligence already so the interchangeable use of the terms "cationic" and "autistic" tipped this over the edge enough to earn negative stars if it were possible. Yes, I get how at the time this book was written there wasn't a lot of study on autism but that doesn't mean it's fair game to make stuff up about a very real condition. This book was very predictable and easy to figure out within the first few chapters. The storyline had a lot of half baked dead ends. If that was to try to throw us in for a loop it didn't work. They were pointless at best. I would definitely recommend this book to my recycling bin.
Pixi Jo – Aug 13, 2020
Little Melanie is kidnapped by her wacky-science daddy and experimented on until she's found again some years later, in less than savory circumstances. As her mum & Deputy Dan plan to snog, I mean, try to solve the mystery of what was done to her, we are left to wonder, is Melanie perhaps more than she seems? Well of course she is or this would have been a dull novel! And yes, it's three sorts of predictable, but it's fun! Not often do you get a kid able to serve back what was served to her, for th Little Melanie is kidnapped by her wacky-science daddy and experimented on until she's found again some years later, in less than savory circumstances. As her mum & Deputy Dan plan to snog, I mean, try to solve the mystery of what was done to her, we are left to wonder, is Melanie perhaps more than she seems? Well of course she is or this would have been a dull novel! And yes, it's three sorts of predictable, but it's fun! Not often do you get a kid able to serve back what was served to her, for that alone I'm like here's a bundle of stars on this review and my happy face! Recommended for lite horror lovers, folk who love kids and other folk who wouldn't do anything bad to nasty people, but should accidents happen...
Ash – May 09, 2012
i did not like this book at all. this was my first Dean Koontz novel, and i must say after this book i don't think that i will be reading his work again. his writing style comes off as cheesy and long winded. and this particular story i found to be... silly. i suppose it just wasn't my type of book... i did not like this book at all. this was my first Dean Koontz novel, and i must say after this book i don't think that i will be reading his work again. his writing style comes off as cheesy and long winded. and this particular story i found to be... silly. i suppose it just wasn't my type of book...
D.M. Kirtaime – Mar 25, 2015
During my Army days I snapped up Koontz, King and Herbert as soon as titles became available. I still treasure the signed book from Koontz (hard to get when living in Europe).
Josh – Dec 04, 2019
The Door to December has similar themes to Disembodied by Robert W. Walker with a form of astral projection, poltergeist activity, and murder at its deadly core. While at times reading like a police procedural with a suspicion of supernatural activity, The Door to December is definitely horror, particularly in the mid to later stages of the book. That said the scares are more PG than nightmare inducing.
Armand Rosamilia – Sep 25, 2018
Another great Koontz book, especially the characters. They really shine throughout, although the middle dragged out a bit longer than I was hoping for. Still, the ending is great and it's another world created I wish he'd explore again in the future. Another great Koontz book, especially the characters. They really shine throughout, although the middle dragged out a bit longer than I was hoping for. Still, the ending is great and it's another world created I wish he'd explore again in the future.
Karen B. – Apr 21, 2011
Dean Koontz writing as Richard Paige. This is one of Koontz' earlier novels and it is full of the same fire and excitement as those early books. Melanie is a nine-year-old girl who was abducted by her own father when she was three. She had been used by her father and his associates for psychological research particularly into the realm of the unconscious. The men with her father have been brutally killed and her mother Janet, a detective, Dan Haldane and Earl, from a security agency are doing th Dean Koontz writing as Richard Paige. This is one of Koontz' earlier novels and it is full of the same fire and excitement as those early books. Melanie is a nine-year-old girl who was abducted by her own father when she was three. She had been used by her father and his associates for psychological research particularly into the realm of the unconscious. The men with her father have been brutally killed and her mother Janet, a detective, Dan Haldane and Earl, from a security agency are doing their best to keep the girl from encountering the same fate. She is autistic-like because of what was done to her and her mother, a child psychiatrist is working with her to try to reverse the damage. What is this mysterious force that is killing Melanie's abusers and from whom she might also be in danger? How are these brutal murders happening as it appears as if the bodies are being smashed to pieces? No weapon is present at the murder sites and no clues are being identified. Dan is committed to keeping the mother and daughter safe, no matter what. I couldn't put this book down. Suspense continually mounts as in most Koontz novels and the answers seem to be something the reader can't imagine.
Emma – May 05, 2015
No no no! I knew how this was going to end less than 100 pages in. Still, I tried to forgive it that because I was enjoying the story. I was disturbed and annoyed by the "autism" stuff. See also: Koontz asserts that autism is caused by child abuse. Not only that but autism is basically a fancy name for catatonia, I guess. I cringed every time he even used the word autism. Even still, I could overlook that due to the book's age. Then the ending to Door to December is basically like, "THEN WE GAVE H No no no! I knew how this was going to end less than 100 pages in. Still, I tried to forgive it that because I was enjoying the story. I was disturbed and annoyed by the "autism" stuff. See also: Koontz asserts that autism is caused by child abuse. Not only that but autism is basically a fancy name for catatonia, I guess. I cringed every time he even used the word autism. Even still, I could overlook that due to the book's age. Then the ending to Door to December is basically like, "THEN WE GAVE HER A HUG AND EVERYBODY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER." Ummmmm NO. NO. That is NOT how you end a book. Whatever. This one is going in the incinerator. Anyway, before all that garbage I was actually enjoying this story and its writing. So it gets a very generous two stars and a warning to never return.
June – Mar 31, 2016
I read The Door to December by Richard Paige (Dean Koontz) in order to see how Koontz's writing style has changed over the years (and also to see if he varied his plot-lines more 'back in the day.' Thankfully he did.). Written in 1985, this tells the story of Laura McCaffrey, a woman whose child was abducted six years earlier, by her ex-partner. When the ex is found murdered, Laura is called by the police, and shortly after that a girl is found wandering naked in the street. This is a story of te I read The Door to December by Richard Paige (Dean Koontz) in order to see how Koontz's writing style has changed over the years (and also to see if he varied his plot-lines more 'back in the day.' Thankfully he did.). Written in 1985, this tells the story of Laura McCaffrey, a woman whose child was abducted six years earlier, by her ex-partner. When the ex is found murdered, Laura is called by the police, and shortly after that a girl is found wandering naked in the street. This is a story of terrible acts inflicted on a child in the name of scientific research, and of a vengeful paranormal force hunting down anyone involved with those experiments. I sorta guessed the twist and that costs the book a star, but overall this was a pretty good read and it's easy to see why Dean Koontz was so popular back then.
The Face of Your Father – Aug 06, 2018
It's not bad Koontz, It's not good Koontz. It's not well written, it's not badly written It's not fun, it's not boring It isn't that long, It isn't too short Male cop hero? Check. Strong female lead? Check. Abused child? Check. Experiments gone awry? Check. Wacky character names? Check (Ned Rink? Really?) This is the Koontz checklist and he hits them all. Like I said, this isn't modern-day bad Koontz but it isn't classic era Koontz either (Twilight Eyes, The Voice of the Night, etc..) Take a grape. It's not bad Koontz, It's not good Koontz. It's not well written, it's not badly written It's not fun, it's not boring It isn't that long, It isn't too short Male cop hero? Check. Strong female lead? Check. Abused child? Check. Experiments gone awry? Check. Wacky character names? Check (Ned Rink? Really?) This is the Koontz checklist and he hits them all. Like I said, this isn't modern-day bad Koontz but it isn't classic era Koontz either (Twilight Eyes, The Voice of the Night, etc..) Take a grape. Now roll it across the floor. That action has the same amount of impact on me as this novel. 1.6/5
Jay Schutt – Jul 09, 2017
Another supernatural thriller from Koontz that kept me interested from start to finish. Very well done. An excellent read.
Chelsea – Dec 11, 2008
The Door to December by Dean Koontz Although Dean Koontz has written several novels, The Door to December is the first one I have read by him. He started out as an English teacher and started writing books in his spare time. He has used several pen names such as Aaron Wolfe and David Axton. Most of his novels are now published under his name though. Door to December takes place in Los Angeles, California. It is a very suspenseful fiction novel. It has a mix of horror, mystery, and science fiction The Door to December by Dean Koontz Although Dean Koontz has written several novels, The Door to December is the first one I have read by him. He started out as an English teacher and started writing books in his spare time. He has used several pen names such as Aaron Wolfe and David Axton. Most of his novels are now published under his name though. Door to December takes place in Los Angeles, California. It is a very suspenseful fiction novel. It has a mix of horror, mystery, and science fiction in it. Melanie is now nine years old. Her father kidnapped her when she was three. He has tortured her. When she is found naked walking in the street, she is put under the care of her mother, who is a psychiatrist. Because of the torture she has endured, she is now pretty much autistic. Laura described her as being in a "cationic" trance. When asked about what is wrong with her, she will say, "Please. No." or that the door to December is opening. Laura is Melanie's mother. She is so happy that her daughter has been found. She has looked for her ever since she was kidnapped. She is sick over all the trauma that her daughter has endured and is determined to help her in anyway that she can. Lieutenant Dan Haldane is a homicide detective. He is investigating all the murders that start happening after Melanie is found in the streets and her father is found dead. Murders keep happening. Dan likes Laura and Melanie. He vows that he will do everything in his power to keep them safe. When her father kidnaps Melanie at age 3, Laura looks everywhere for her. Laura gets a call telling her that her daughter has been found and that Melanie's father has found dead along with another unidentified man. The bodies had been beaten badly. Laura looks through the house with Lieutenant Haldane. They find a gray room, which has a sense-deportation chamber and an electric chair in it. By going through Melanie's father's notes, Laura finds that they did experiments on Melanie using the equipment in the gray room. Melanie has been much tortured and has not left the house in six years. A man is found dead outside the hospital and was beaten badly. Lieutenant Haldane thinks that he was going to try and kill Melanie. One by one everyone who has been in the gray room is found dead. The victims are beat so severely that every bone is broken and the body is unidentifiable. The killer wants more than death and Lieutenant Haldane thinks Melanie will be next. The theme of the story is that you should not hate yourself. Melanie hates herself. When Laura first tries to work with her, Melanie starts hit herself. Melanie threw a fit. This little girl hates herself and it is not even her fault. All the way through the book Laura is just trying to tell her that someone does loves her. I liked this book, because of the suspense. It had more violence than I would have normally read and kind of sad in some parts. Overall, it was an okay book. Page Count: 511 Genre: Horror/Mystery/Science Fiction
Henrik – Nov 08, 2007
It's been more than 10 years since I last read a Koontz book... 'Tis gonna be interesting... LATER: Okay, now I've read it. And all in all it's a pretty good yarn. A thriller-horror type story where Koontz deftly entwines pshychology and elements of the occult to fine, fairly believable effect. And the ending is more satisfying than I remember from several of his other stories. That's great:-) Unfortunately the plot was very obvious early on and it seemed incredible that the characters had to wade It's been more than 10 years since I last read a Koontz book... 'Tis gonna be interesting... LATER: Okay, now I've read it. And all in all it's a pretty good yarn. A thriller-horror type story where Koontz deftly entwines pshychology and elements of the occult to fine, fairly believable effect. And the ending is more satisfying than I remember from several of his other stories. That's great:-) Unfortunately the plot was very obvious early on and it seemed incredible that the characters had to wade through 400 pages before realizing what was going on... But then again, they are supposed to live in a "real life" scenario, so it's probably true they wouldn't consider the occult implications as fast as the reader; most people in the real world wouldn't either. Nonetheless, for the reader (me) it was unnecessary; could have been executed better. Dean Koontz, like Stephen King, spends considerable time developing his characters, and more so than many in this kind of mainstream fiction. That's a good trait for a writer, and it helps establishing a sort of emphatic link with the characters, so the reader is the more horrified/shocked/etc. whenever something happens to them. And I did like the characters, Dan the Cool Cop, Laura the Caring Mother, Melanie the Poor Kid and so on. But it annoys me that Koontz feels a need to pour syrup on top of it all--so we end up with clicheed relations (of course Dan falls in love with Laura, and of course he is such a good spotter of character that he can see their flaws at a distance, even if he's never met them before). Changed a good thing to a rather sour experience:-( I'd still recommend the novel, though. Just beware its flaws.
Alexa – Dec 25, 2012
Another brilliant story line, interesting and plausible, and a few more pages of waffle. Not too bad, but they take the edge off the story, and it comes across as less horrific than the author is trying to portray. I like the main 'cop' character, his attitude and pithy remarks, and defensive sarcasm is very appealing and entertaining, although his interactions with his Boss are weird and strike me as childish and playground-argumentative. Unfortunately, the main female character, Dr. Laura McCa Another brilliant story line, interesting and plausible, and a few more pages of waffle. Not too bad, but they take the edge off the story, and it comes across as less horrific than the author is trying to portray. I like the main 'cop' character, his attitude and pithy remarks, and defensive sarcasm is very appealing and entertaining, although his interactions with his Boss are weird and strike me as childish and playground-argumentative. Unfortunately, the main female character, Dr. Laura McCaffrey, who specialises in child psychology (at least that's the story), has so many glaringly obvious flaws for someone whose speciality is child psychology. She seems completely clueless, close-minded and doesn't come across as at all professional. She's a scared and worried mother who hypnotises her daughter, that's it. No professional details, no thoughts of other treatments, it's almost as if there was no research done into child psychology at all, but just a basic understanding of the profession used in the plot. The story also ends suddenly. You're left wondering what happens between the two main characters, if the child recovers, and if the 'psychogeist' comes back to finish the job.? As disappointing as it was interesting.
Cynthia – Oct 23, 2019
My first Koontz book and I LOVED IT. It definitely had the eerie feeling that i was look for in a book. It had everything i like in a good thriller murder-mystery book.The characters fit so well in the story and the main character had right amount of everything to make him a good main character eve though he was one in a couple. The amount of humor Dan had would have been excess but Koontz wrote it off amazingly. The book it'self was fast-paced despite the fact that it was 500+ pages, which is e My first Koontz book and I LOVED IT. It definitely had the eerie feeling that i was look for in a book. It had everything i like in a good thriller murder-mystery book.The characters fit so well in the story and the main character had right amount of everything to make him a good main character eve though he was one in a couple. The amount of humor Dan had would have been excess but Koontz wrote it off amazingly. The book it'self was fast-paced despite the fact that it was 500+ pages, which is except for the ending. I don't know what i was expecting, but it just ended. I'm not talking about how the events wrapped up but how abrupt it felt. It took me a while before it dawned on me that it was over and i can't read anymore of The Door To December. All in all it was a great read. I have officially joined the Koontz fan-club and now i'm on a hunt for more of his work.
Susan Beamon – Dec 22, 2019
Here is a good little horror story, filled with the healing goodness of love and family. A cabal of rich men fund some research psychologists in an attempt to create a group of superhumans . One of the researchers uses his young daughter as a subject of this research. They succeed, but the research has frightened the child. Her released mental energy decides to destroy the research, the researchers and the funders. Of course, no body can see this energy, only the battered results. I must have re Here is a good little horror story, filled with the healing goodness of love and family. A cabal of rich men fund some research psychologists in an attempt to create a group of superhumans . One of the researchers uses his young daughter as a subject of this research. They succeed, but the research has frightened the child. Her released mental energy decides to destroy the research, the researchers and the funders. Of course, no body can see this energy, only the battered results. I must have read enough of these stories over the years, because I knew the child was responsible long before any of her supporters even suspected it. Still, the development of the story was well handled. I enjoyed reading it. While the book was mine, I read this book as part of the Goodreads Koontzland Group.
David Cain – Apr 20, 2009
I've never read Dean Koontz before so I didn't know quite what to expect. I was...disappointed. Seems like a weak imitation of Stephen King. This book was SOOOOO predictable. I had figured out the "twist" ending in the first 50 pages and had to read the next 450 pages for my hunch to be confirmed. In fact, most of the plot twists were similarly predictable. Not sure who this book was aimed at, but my guess is either bored middle-aged housewives, or teenage boys. The whole "brainwashed sex slave" I've never read Dean Koontz before so I didn't know quite what to expect. I was...disappointed. Seems like a weak imitation of Stephen King. This book was SOOOOO predictable. I had figured out the "twist" ending in the first 50 pages and had to read the next 450 pages for my hunch to be confirmed. In fact, most of the plot twists were similarly predictable. Not sure who this book was aimed at, but my guess is either bored middle-aged housewives, or teenage boys. The whole "brainwashed sex slave" sub-plot was completely pointless, too. I guess this is an okay read if you're stuck on an airplane or need to kill some time, but otherwise you'd be better off looking elsewhere for entertainment.
Jesse S. Greever – Mar 14, 2013
Pretty well written, typical Dean Koontz style. I was able to predict the ending about 60 percent of the way through, but that didn't ruin the book for me at all. Dated in its views on autism and the technology, but overall a very fast, engaging read! As an aside: For those who have written reviews lambasting the author for his uninformed view on autism in this nearly-30-year-old book: get a grip, please. If you were using this book as a research tool on autism, then you would have every justifia Pretty well written, typical Dean Koontz style. I was able to predict the ending about 60 percent of the way through, but that didn't ruin the book for me at all. Dated in its views on autism and the technology, but overall a very fast, engaging read! As an aside: For those who have written reviews lambasting the author for his uninformed view on autism in this nearly-30-year-old book: get a grip, please. If you were using this book as a research tool on autism, then you would have every justifiable right to criticize him. But if that IS the case, might I suggest using NONFICTION and that is from the last five years? The fact that some have gotten so offended as to leave a one-star review is indicative of a hey-I'm-searching-for-things-to-offend-me mentality. For shame.
Julie Powell – Jan 03, 2019
This is a disturbing look into the arrogance of the wealthy and crazy scientists though offset by the brilliant character of Dan Haldane and his huge heart and wit. The story is disturbing because it highlights the terrors of those in power and their ever-greedy need for more. No spoilers, but I will say that the tale was excellent in the telling and certainly thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
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Bradman International Cricket Hall of Fame
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Begin your tour with the Origins of Cricket and travels through all the significant eras through to the Big Bash League. Listen to exclusive video interviews from hundreds of cricketers around the world.
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Adult $20.00
Child $11.00 (5-17 years)
Family $55.00 (2 adults + 3 children)
Concession $15.00
Groups $15.00 pp (+ 15 people)
School groups $10.00 pp
St Jude Street
Sunday, Saturday
closed Good Friday and Christmas Day
Great coffee, tea and cold drinks, snacks and lunch from 9am to 4pm.
Cricket Store
Committed to selling top-quality cricket related products, cricket equipment and Sir Donald Bradman's signed memorabilia.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With the current rental rates, it has encouraged many people to invest their money in the rental properties so that they make a lot of profits. Many landlords in the recent past are now benefiting much from the rental properties they own since the sector is rapidly growing and there are many customers.
Investing in the rental properties is quite critical and you should therefore be keen and ensure that you understand how it works. One of the benefits of investing in rental properties is that you would always have passive source of income. You would realize that in all the rental properties there are charges which the tenants would always pay monthly and the fact also is that the amount you would pay as taxes would not be compared to the source of income from an employment.
You would also realize that the rental rates would always change from time to time and hence if you have a rental property you can sell when the rates are higher and make abnormal profits. You would find that at times you are ready to move and the market conditions does not favor you and so you can decide to rent it out until the right time comes. When you have a job transfer or fid the place uncomfortable for you then you can still rent out so that once you are back at least you would have a home to stay. Investing in the rental properties reduces risks for an investor who could have invested somewhere else since the investor would experience minimal losses in case there is any.
Before investing in the rental properties it is important to first gather some tips so that you might penetrate the market and outshine your competitors. The location of the property you want to buy would always have a lot of impact on your investment and therefore it is one of the major factors you should consider. When it comes to location, you would realize that some places are worth living while some are pathetic. Your rental property would be rented out faster in places where many people would wish to live in. In places that there could be many properties or traffic it should have a sign to enable your client to find you.


text:
Sir John Cunliffe Replaces Paul Tucker As Deputy Gvnor
By R K, July 26, 2013 in House prices and the economy
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/news/2013/095.aspx
HM Treasury has today announced that Her Majesty The Queen has agreed, on the recommendation of the Chancellor and Prime Minister, to appoint Sir Jon Cunliffe as Deputy Governor of the Bank of England with responsibility for Financial Stability, starting on 1 November 2013. As the Bank's Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Sir Jon Cunliffe will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and stability of the UK's financial sector and will sit on the Bank's Court of Directors, the Financial Policy Committee, the Monetary Policy Committee, the Board of the Prudential Regulation Authority, and will represent the Bank on a number of national and international bodies.
Notes for Editors
1. HM Treasury's announcement regarding Sir John Cunliffe's appointment is available on the HM Treasury website, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sir-jon-cunliffe-appointed-deputy-governor-of-the-bank-0of-england-for-financial-stability 2. Sir Jon Cunliffe has been appointed to replace Paul Tucker, who announced on June 14 that he would step down from his post as Deputy Governor for Financial Stability in the autumn. The Bank has today provided further information on his plans, available at the following link: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/news/2013/094.aspx 3. Sir Jon, aged 60, has been appointed for a five year term (renewable once) with effect from 1 November 2013. 4. Sir Jon will lead the Bank of England's work on financial stability and will be directly or indirectly responsible for more than 600 staff. He will sit on the Financial Policy Committee (and chair it in the Governor's absence), the Monetary Policy Committee, the Board of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Court of the Bank of England. He will also represent the Bank of England on a number of national and international bodies. 5. Sir Jon has been the UK's Permanent Representative to the European Union since January 2012, covering policy issues including negotiations on the banking union and a number of financial services dossiers. 6. etween 2007 and 2011, he was the Prime Minister's Adviser on Europe and Global Economic Issues. As part of this role he was the G20 and G8 'Sherpa', including during the 2009 UK Chairmanship of the G20, where the post-crisis international financial regulation strategy was agreed. 7. Prior to this, he held a number of positions at HM Treasury and in the UK Government, including Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury with responsibility for the directorate that covered macroeconomic, international and financial sector policy, and Managing Director of the Finance Regulation and Industry Directorate at HM Treasury. 8. All appointments to the Bank's Court of Directors are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Sir Jon has confirmed that he has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years
Treasury mandarin.
About Me: Minskyite
One of Gordie's deep thinkers.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jameskirkup/100093808/sir-jon-cunliffe-britains-new-man-in-brussels-threat-or-menace/
Generally, running UKREP is fairly low-profile post: you're a big cheese in Brussels and a major player in Whitehall (Sir Jon is replacing Sir Kim Darroch, who becomes National Security Adviser), but hardly a household name. Yet Sir Jon's appointment may just make him rather more of a public figure, since he stirs strong feelings among some political types.
For many years, Sir Jon was regarded as a central member of Gordon Brown's Whitehall team. Relative to Tony Blair, at least, Mr Brown was cautious about the EU. Certainly, pro-European Blairites did not regard Sir Jon as being sympathetic to their cause.
(See, for example, Nick Watt's thoughts on Sir Jon's role in 2005 when Tony Blair tried to give away some of Britain's EU budget rebate.)
And in Whitehall, the Foreign Office remains somewhat suspicious of a man who spent his entire career in the Treasury.
On the other hand, some Conservative sceptics are profoundly hostile to Sir Jon, since he was the senior official involved in last May's talks over the first Greek bailout, talks that led to the creation of the European Financial Stability Mechanism, the first bailout fund, to which Britain has contributed.
Douglas Carswell, for instance, has described Sir Jon as the "official who helped negotiate Britain's mega liabilities for Euro bailouts"
On his blog earlier this year, Mr Carswell said this:
"The idea Cunliffe's appointment means a change of approach is balls. If anything, it confirms that it'll be EU business as usual."
The Knimbies who say No
HPC lurker
He should get on well with George then.
All you need to know!
Head of the Treasury whilst McBust was err busting the economy


The other day I was perusing through self-published authors on Amazon and came upon a person I know from the blogging world. She had written a couple of eBooks about getting out of debt and money management. I headed to the reviews and saw a less than stellar review and decided to read it.
In essence, the person was complaining that there wasn't anything new in her book. All advice that had been given before.
It got me thinking about people's desire to get out of debt and how so many are looking for the silver bullet, the magic pill to end their financial worries.
The truth of the matter is there is nothing new out there when it comes to getting out of debt. The principles most of us finance and money expert bloggers write about come from tried and true practices of getting out of debt.
Did we wish there was a magic bullet out there when we were struggling to get out of debt? You bet we did, but we also realized after many failed attempts that it would take good old-fashioned tried and true methods to get out of debt and stay out of debt.
If you're serious about getting out of debt, you need to know a few key strategies to be successful.
Getting out of debt is a journey and the best vehicle to make the journey smooth is to adopt the right mindset. I'm not suggesting that you just put on a happy face, but I am suggesting that you adopt a "can do" attitude. If you see getting out of debt as a painful, slow and long process – then guess what? It will be just that. If you instead see it for what it is, your personal journey to financial freedom, any bumps in the road will be better managed.
You won't be able to see how best to utilize the funds you have unless you develop a budget/spending plan. Determining where your money is being allocated each month lets you precisely determine how much will be available to you for debt pay off. If you don't map it out, you'll often find yourself short on the cash needed to pay the debt. Take the time to develop your spending plan each month so you can track your progress.
Tracking your spending is the number one way to reduce your expenses. When you see how you spend money, and you're trying to reduce debt, it becomes the tool that lets you see how much money you're wasting each month on frivolous purchases. I've told this story before but it bears repeating. When I was starting down the road to getting out of debt, I was still grabbing a morning coffee and bagel. When I started tracking, I saw my purchases were costing me a whopping $1200 a year. I immediately started making coffee and bagels at home. If you do none of the other things, at least, start with tracking. It will open your eyes!
Converting to cash is another awesome debt reduction tool. Paying with cash creates a different psychological experience for the spender. You don't want to part with the money. Therefore, you scrutinize your purchases more than if you paid with a debit or credit card. The result? You spend less and have more money available to pay off debt.
Commit to using the snowball method of debt reduction. If you make the commitment to use this method, you'll be less likely to use the money available for a card that has been paid off for something other than debt reduction. You'll know as soon as a card is paid off you have more money available to apply to the next piece of debt.
Most of us got into debt through a combination of impulse spending and emergency situations we didn't have the cash to cover. If you start saving now and build your emergency fund, you'll never have to revert to using credit to handle an emergency ever again. That's the power of saving as a means of getting out of debt. You build that fund so you can forever be prepared for the unexpected.
Getting out of debt is a mere series of steps when used in combination will help you achieve financial freedom. There's no secrets, no silver bullet or magic tool that somehow makes it easier or faster. It's just a series of tried and true methodologies geared towards helping anyone get out of debt once and for all.