Velocity

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Michael Hayden

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Dean Koontz’s unique talent for writing terrifying thrillers with a heart and soul is nowhere more evident than in this latest suspense masterpiece that pits one man against the ultimate deadline. If there were speed limits for the sheer pulse-racing excitement allowed in one novel, Velocity would break them all. Get ready for the ride of your life.…

Bill Wile is an easygoing, hardworking guy who leads a quiet, ordinary life. But that is about to change. One evening, after his usual eight-hour bartending shift, he finds a typewritten note under the windshield wiper of his car. If you don’t take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours.

It seems like a sick joke, and Bill’s friend on the police force, Lanny Olson, thinks so too. His advice to Bill is to go home and forget about it. Besides, what could they do even if they took the note seriously? No crime has actually been committed. But less than twenty-four hours later, a young blond schoolteacher is found murdered, and it’s Bill’s fault: he didn’t convince the police to get involved. Now he’s got another note, another deadline, another ultimatum…and two new lives hanging in the balance.

Suddenly Bill’s average, seemingly innocuous life takes on the dimensions and speed of an accelerating nightmare. Because the notes are coming faster, the deadlines growing tighter, and the killer becoming bolder and crueler with every communication—until Bill is isolated with the terrifying knowledge that he alone has the power of life and death over a psychopath’s innocent victims. Until the struggle between good and evil is intensely personal. Until the most chilling words of all are: The choice is yours.

©2005 Dean Koontz (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Graphic, fast-paced action, well-developed characters and relentless, nail-biting scenes show Koontz at the top of his game."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Genuinely terrific."—Booklist

“Just in time for summer, Dean Koontz again delivers a top-notch thriller full of well-drawn characters and anxiety-spiked sequences.”—Chicago Tribune

Amazing!

Bought this book the day it came out(2005) and it was captivating and mind boggling 🤯
I do love all of Dean Koontz work!

I like this kind of Koontz

I loved Koontz's book "Odd Thomas", and even though this story is its own separate plot, it had the feel of "Odd Thomas" for me which made me like it. When I first read the description, I was intrigued right off. I couldn't help but put myself in the situation that Billy was in - what would I do? Of course, that's the hook to this story. If you put yourself in Billy's place, I believe you will feel the tension and suspense in the story at a greater level. I could almost feel the "wounds" that he endured (rather well described - almost too well, I should say).

Of course the narratation is great, and it makes for an entertaining story. Koontz's characters like Billy Wile and Odd Thomas are some of my favorites, and I wouldn't mind at all if he continued to write such books. I would say give it a chance.. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

What a great listen

this is -- narrator provides both the literate tone (lots of T.S. Eliot is salted into this book) and the creepiness that makes Koontz so distinctive. I looked forward to every lunchtime installment listen!

don't bother

Even though the author has created a slightly more believable bad guy that some of his earlier books, it's still the same formula, and I'm tired of it. You get to the end and think to yourself, did I get anything at all out of this book? No.

Koontz, but not Classic

I've read a number of Koontz's books and this is a good one. It's a very good one. But it's not a great one. As the publisher's summary says, this is the story of a bartender who finds a note on his car, bring it to the cops and one person dies, don't and a different person dies. So begins an ever increasing and rapidly escalating series of choices, each worse than the last. And the body count is piling up. The main character is sympathetic, the villian is wicked and the final confrontation looms dark in the horizon.

However, there is a problem. The plot feels very constrained. You can see Koontz pulling strings to keep the plot contained, to keep the cast of characters smaller, to make sure the authorities don't get too involved. For that reason the development doesn't feel natural. Some of the deductions are a little shady and the last confrontation isn't the masterpiece I have come to expect from Koontz - and man who is a real master of his craft.

It's good, but a little contrived. For that reason it's a four and not five star book to me. But, in the end, I'm glad I read it.

Old school koontz

This book was classic koontz and more like the books that made me a fan.- A great story, excellent characters, and exciting pace.

my favorite book as a kid

I had to listen to it again because I'm too busy to read it but I love it so much! such an amazing book!

Enjoyed the Story, didn’t care much for the narrator

I felt that the narrator’s voice was droning, which is great for sleep, but hard for keeping me focused. But, the story was good enough to keep me entertained until the end.

Kept My Interest The Entire Time!

What did you love best about Velocity?

There were a lot of twists and turns no one would expect.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I was excited to listen to each chapter and try to figure out what was going to happen. Wow was I surprised!

Which character – as performed by Michael Hayden – was your favorite?

Definitely Billie.

above average mystery thriller

it was good, not amazing, but I don't regret listening. the narration was alright. the ending felt a bit rushed, but I was on edge during a lot of the book and I think that makes up for it.