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Watchers  By  cover art

Watchers

By: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini,Dean Koontz
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Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2019 Audie Award for Best Male Narrator with an afterword read by the author

A “superior thriller” (Oakland Press) about a man, a dog, and a terrifying threat that could only have come from the imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz - nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods.

That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation....

©1987 by Nkui, Inc. Afterword © 2003, 2018 by Dean Koontz. (P)2018 by Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“His best story yet! Cross Lassie with E.T., add a touch of The Wolfen and a dash of The Godfather, and you get a sense of some of the ingredients in this thriller....this is the sort of thoroughly frightening and entertaining tale that has its readers listening for noises in the night.” --Publishers Weekly

“His best ever, an imaginative and unusual blend of sense and sentiment. A fable about love and trust...with echoes of Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau. A breakthrough for Koontz.” --Kirkus Reviews

“Displaying...more depth and a lot more humor than Stephen King, Dean Koontz has really hit his stride.” --The New York Times Book Review

What listeners say about Watchers

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A stunning masterpiece that leaves you with hope.

I don't normally write reviews but this story has left me awestruck. Dean Koontz's greatest work in my opinion. At the end you will be left with a great hope for the world and a realization of the power of connections made with others, be it humans, dogs, or any other form of life capable of love.

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333 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely splendid. A 'tail waging' worthy tale indeed.

In a 2003 interview, DK said, "Watchers is the best book I've ever written...it's my finest hour." And I wholeheartedly agree. Watchers is a true masterpiece of fiction. There's no doubt that this novel will continue to stand the test of time.

Eduardo Ballerini's performance is, quite simply, beautiful. Whether the characters are human, monsters, animals, or NSA agents, the life and depth of emotion he brings out in them is unparalleled.
MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

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197 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Best of Koontz

Koontz is my favorite. I have read many of his works and this is, by far, the best of them. The book is 30 years old, but this is my first introduction to it. The story stands the test of time with themes of love and friendship. On a deeper level, Koontz addresses the morality of genetic testing, the power of the individual versus the government, and the meaning of life. I cried at the end simply because it was over.

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174 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Such a wonderful story!

Just a beautiful story of love and loyalty, in all it’s two and four legged varieties. I can see why people say this is Koontz’s best work. Be warned- it’s going to give you major dog fever :)

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99 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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kept me awake all night,

loved this book to pieces. Will listen to it many more times to come.
At times I am so cynical in regards to our human race, especially when it comes to the cruelty people are capable of inflicting on animals, that it's difficult to believe we might ever rise above some of the more base aspects of our nature. While I was listening to this story, it was as if my heart was being relieved for a time of that knowledge. The novel actually shines as a ray of hope for what we might become.
And, it was just a damn awesome story!
kudos Mr. Koonz

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97 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Spectacular

This is an amazing book with a great narrator. Absolutely fantastic! A must buy. You can't be disappointed.

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76 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Best yet

Been listening to Dean Koontz’s books for awhile & just discovered this one—totally wonderful!
Thanks Mr. Koontz~

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56 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book

This book is heartfelt, sweet and smart. The narrator was good but not excellent, thus the 4 star overall rating. If you are a dog lover, this book will enthrall and move you. Enjoy!

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46 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Read.

loved this one. It was definitely worth buying.
I will listen to this book again!

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • CW
  • 02-05-19

Nonsense?

Honestly, i mean its like the author took a big bag of mixed tiles with themes and dramatic situations written on them then selected some blindly from the bag to put into this story. However, apparently he selected every single high drama, wild idea, conspiracy theory and alphabet agency in the bag to write about and then attempted to smash it all into one story. My take, nonsense... Not even remotely could i place myself in this bizarro world he created to make it somewhat believable that in even an alternate universe could i find myself in the shoes of the protagonist.

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31 people found this helpful