Book Review: The Other Emily by Dean Koontz

The Other Emily by Dean Koontz
Genre: Adult Fiction (Horror/Thriller/Mystery)
Date Published: March 23, 2021
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Number one New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz takes readers on a twisting journey of lost love, impossible second chances, and terrifying promises.

A decade ago, Emily Carlino vanished after her car broke down on a California highway. She was presumed to be one of serial killer Ronny Lee Jessup’s victims whose remains were never found.

Writer David Thorne still hasn’t recovered from losing the love of his life, or from the guilt of not being there to save her. Since then, he’s sought closure any way he can. He even visits regularly with Jessup in prison, desperate for answers about Emily’s final hours so he may finally lay her body to rest. Then David meets Maddison Sutton, beguiling, playful, and keenly aware of all David has lost. But what really takes his breath away is that everything about Maddison, down to her kisses, is just like Emily. As the fantastic becomes credible, David’s obsession grows, Maddison’s mysterious past deepens—and terror escalates.

Is she Emily? Or an irresistible dead ringer? Either way, the ultimate question is the same: What game is she playing? Whatever the risk in finding out, David’s willing to take it for this precious second chance. It’s been ten years since he’s felt this inspired, this hopeful, this much in love…and he’s afraid.

The Other Emily by Dean Koontz is a book I won through Goodreads. It's been a while since I've read one of his books- too long, but Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors. He keeps you on your toes while you read. Unfortunately, this one wasn't the greatness I was expecting. I hate saying that. I really do. There was a lot of world building. There was a lot of character building. There were a lot of details and descriptions... however, there just wasn't a lot happening. It was kind of piecey. Is that a word? Hmm.. It was almost like each character had the potential for their own separate story...almost.. and they were all kind of pieced together within this one story and not always in a flowing manner. It could be down right choppy at times. On the upside, they could each have their own compelling story, because each chaacter and the premise itself is really intriguing. So, anyway.. we get all this detail and building. We finally start to see some action in the last third of the book. Then it ends. What?! And the ending was completely out of nowhere. I mean, normally, I like that kind of thing, but it felt very thrown together. Too much so to actually flow well with the rest of the book. And, this is all really hard to accurately express without spoilers. Because, some of my issues with it contain spoilers. I don't know. Maybe I missed something vital somewhere along the way. If you read it, let me know what you think. And by all  means, don't let my review sway you away. This author is awesome and completely gifted in story telling. I just happen to not like this particular book as much as his others that I've read.

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

To learn more about Dean Koontz and his books, visit his website. You can also find him on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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