The Bad Place

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Carol Cowan, Michael Hanson

Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Frank Pollard awakens in an alley, knowing nothing but his name - and that he is in great danger. Having taken refuge in a motel, he wakes again only to find his hands covered in blood. As far as he knows, he's no killer. But whose blood is this, and how did it get there?

Over the next few days Frank develops a fear of sleep, because each time he wakes, he discovers strange objects in his hands and pockets - objects far more frightening than blood.

Husband-and-wife detective team Bobby and Julie Dakota specialize in high-ticket corporate security investigations, but when a distraught and desperate Frank Pollard begs them to watch over him, they can't refuse. Out of compassion - and curiosity - they agree to get to the bottom of his mysterious, amnesiac fugues.

It seems a simple job: just follow a client who wants to be watched and tell him where he winds up. But as the Dakotas begin to discover where their client goes when he sleeps, they are drawn slowly into ever-darkening realms where they encounter the ominous figure stalking Frank. Their lives are threatened, as is that of Julie's gentle, Down's-syndrome brother, Thomas.

To Thomas, death is "the bad place" from which there is no return. But Julie and Bobby - and their tortured client - ultimately learn that equally bad places exist in the world of the living, places so steeped in evil that, in contrast ,death seems almost a relief.

©2004 Dean Koontz (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"A master storyteller, sometimes humorous, sometimes shocking, but always riveting. His characters sparkle with life. And his fast-paced plots are wonderfully fiendish, taking unexpected twists and turns." ( The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Classic Thriller

This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far. Nothing too fantastical, nothing to force the reader to slog through mountains of irrelevant minutia, just like the three bears. It was just right.
The people who were killed off were presented to you just enough to establish a relationship but not so deep a friendship that you were devastated when they were gone. They felt like seasoning to make a good meal better.
My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more development at the end.

OUTSTANDING!

The storytelling in this book was simply outstanding. i was in awe the whole time!

Great read! Slow start but it gets better

This was a slow start, but it got better.
I thought maybe this was a series since the characters seem to reflect on other persons, but it is not.

Exceptional

His books have been a part of my library for years. This is my first time listening to one. Different.

Oh! C'mon! Koontz at is best.

Loved every crooked more than imaginable page of this book. It's fiction folks! It wasn't meant to be believed. You go DEAN. Highly recommend to other lovers of the weird and fantastic!

Fantastic story and well read

Yet another incredible story by dean koontz. Truly eerie at moments, combined with never-before thought of character development that begins you wondering how these characters will relate to the satisfaction of the story tying them together. Well done on the presentation and incredible story!

Great story, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE female narrator

Absolutely loved the story and the male narrator was good. The female narrator apparently doesn’t understand punctuation marks. For example, if the sentence was, “John ran. ‘Yay!’ he said.” She would say “John ranyay he said.” There are other aspects of her narration that I guarantee you’ll hate!

Must read.

So weird I can’t explain the twist in this book without ruining for you but after all these years since I first read it it’s stuck with me.

Engaging

Can't put this book down, you just want to know what is going on. The leads characters are believable and you want to root for Frank and hope they win. I would recommend this book.

terrifying and magical

I said to myself right from the beginning this book was going to make me cry and I was right. it is definitely another emotional rollercoaster, and is expertly portrayed by 2 separate voice actors