Breathless

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Jeffrey Cummings

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Grady Adams lives a simple, solitary life deep in the Colorado mountains. Here the 35-year-old carpenter works out of a converted barn, crafting exquisite one-of-a-kind furniture. There's little about this strong yet gentle man to suggest the experiences that have alienated him from the contemporary world. But that is about to change.

One day, while hiking, Grady spots a pair of stunningly beautiful furred animals unlike anything he's ever seen. They flee the instant they detect his presence, but the mystery of that brief encounter remains. In the days ahead, Grady will approach the creatures again, gaining their trust but coming no closer to solving their mystery. For this he enlists the help of an old friend, veterinarian Camellia "Cammy" Rivers, who, in turn, is stunned - and enchanted - by Grady's new "pets." But while Grady and Cammy carefully observe these enigmatic animals for clues to their origin, they, too, are being watched.

Soon Grady's home and hundreds of square miles of surrounding wilderness will be placed under quarantine by Homeland Security. And Grady, Cammy, and the two creatures they've come to feel they must protect at all costs find themselves virtual prisoners - and the unwilling focus of an army of biologists, naturalists, and research scientists. But it's a stunning event no one could have foreseen that convinces Grady and Cammy to do the unthinkable: to escape with the two creatures on a riveting race for freedom.

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©2009 Dean Koontz (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Critic reviews

"Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition." ( USA Today)
"Koontz is at the top of his game...both a great storyteller and a novelist of ideas...one of the most important novelists writing today." ( National Review)

Interwoven stories that kept me enthralled to the end!

Diverse cast of characters that singly have no connection until the well-crafted end. I highly recommend this booked to anyone who is looking for audio entertainment. 

Boring and incomplete

I like Koontz generally although his work has a very high variance. This particular book is not worth reading (or listening to). It is not really a complete book, more like a rough draft. The plot generally makes no sense. The bad guys are inserted into the story for no purpose and do not really participate in the events at all. And the book suddenly ends as if Koontz got bored and just stopped writing. The good characters are also not developed, and the only semi-interesting character is the dog. This dog, unfortunately does not talk, though, and has no real role in the story. Even if you are a really big Dean Koontz fan, as I am, give this one a pass.

Average

Not one of Koontz best works. Was ok but a little off center.

Did Dean Koontz really write this???

Simply a wasted read (or listen); don't bother buying even if you are a die-hard Koontz fan (I am). I agree with one of the other reviews...would have given it 0 Stars if possible. I've never seen a Koontz novel where the various parts of the novel never come together or seem to have a connection. Terrible.

Bad in every way

I have liked many of the author’s books over the years, but, with the exception of the Odd series, his recent efforts have been generally disappointing. This is easily his worst. Just mentioning chaos theory and explaining that everything has a deeply hidden underlying pattern does not mean that you can just throw together a lot of random threads and have it become a coherent plot.

The totally incoherent creationist rant does not help either.

I would no recommend this to anyone, and I will have to become more selective in picking books by Mr. Koontz.

Worthless not Breathless

Truly one of the worst I have read! I thought the Frankenstein thing went badly but not as bad as this. He must just need some extra cash for his place in Newport Coast.

I don't get it

I have started this book over three times and I don't get it. I love to listen to books and am very disapointed in this one.

HORRID

This was my first Dean Koontz book. I was completely dissapointed! This book seems to have a plot then goes nowhere. This book is a total waste of 8 hours. Two of the characters are extremely perverted low lifes and I am dissapointed that author would invest so much of the readers time to experience such a lifestyle.
Don't waste your time or credits on this book.

Stupid Book - not up to his usual standards

Dean Koontz is one of my favourite authors - but this one was not up to his usual standards. From one sub-plot to another to another to another ... and on and on it goes. Good descriptions of the animals and of the surroundings, but bo-o-o-o-ring. Then, an ending that yawns ... like he was tired of writing and had to end it somehow.

Save your money - or, pick one of his earlier stories.

The reading and writing were so dull...

... That I could not muster up even marginal interest after an hour, so I gave up. I've heard more dramatic textbook readings.