Watchers

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Dean Koontz

Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins

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

Great Read.

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

Love the story

I met Mr. Koontz back in 1997 at a book signing and have read everything he has written but listening to someone reading the story was so much more interesting, glad this is on Amazon Audible. Can't wait to see if he ever does write a sequel.

Awesome!

Could not put it down. Glad I was listening and not reading. so difficult to read with tears in your eyes.

What the Heck!

What person on the planet would go into a home knowing a killing crazed creature is in there, encounters what a maniac the creature is, and then continues further into the house after it? Unbelievable, stupid, completely out of character, puts his wife and super-dog in peril. of death? Then leaves his vehicle and travel trailer’s protection for all three of them to go on foot for refuge? ABSOLUTELY STUPID,, stupid, stupid. It totally makes the reader feels like an idiot.
THIS MADE ME SUPER ANGRY! Seriously, the writer thinks we, the readers are that gullible? Ugh, rarely have I felt this upset about a plot line I was invested in, only to go upside down into just plain stupid!

Read this book 20 years ago and still love it

This novel is what brought me to love Dean Koontz over the years. The story was so unique and moving at the time I read it o couldn't put it down as a teenager. I still had the same feels the second time around. Enjoy

Thoroughly loved it

I never wanted it to end!! Five days after finishing the audiobook, I still find myself thinking about it. You’ll laugh, cry, grimace, and be on the edge of your seat!

Awesome book and narrator!!!

I was on the edge of my seat from start to finished. And, I couldn't have picked a better narrator to read it. just exceptional!!!

One of Koontz’s best Tales!

The Watchers tells the story of Travis Cornell, a former Special Forces Soldier (Delta), who, after being diagnosed with PTSD, and his wife having left him as a result, has lost his way. He is trekking aimlessly in his favourite woods one day, contemplating the meaning of life, and whether it is worth continuing, when he finds a beautiful Golden Retriever.
Whilst checking the dog out, it suddenly becomes aggressive, and tries to pull him away from an area, and when he tries to leave via that area after, the dog again stops him. Eventually, he goes a different way, back to his truck, and takes the dog home.
Cornwell quickly discovers that the dog is no ordinary dog, that it is incredibly intelligent, and as a result, names him Einstein.
One day, whilst out with Einstein, and as a result of his actions, the meet a woman, Nora, and we learn that this woman is being stalked and abused by a man called Arthur Streck.
This is how the 3 main characters come together, Travis, Einstein and Nora. We also learn that there is another main character, The Outsider, which is the opposite to Einstein, Einstein being the embodiment of all that is good and pure, and The Outsider is the opposite, he is Evil. Einstein is a beautiful Golden Retriever, The Outsider is a hideous creature of nightmares. It smashes mirrors wherever it goes as it hates its own reflection.
These two are things developed by the Military as potential weapons, and The Outsider hates Einstein, and wants to kill him, no matter the cost.
And this is the main premise of the story, The Outsider hunting Einstein, and Einstein trying to hide, and not be caught, by the Government, the Military, or The Outsider.
There are several other aspects to the story as well, it looks at the life of Travis, Nora, Nora’s past, as well as her relationship with Streck.
The book covers a lot of different aspects of good and evil, or good and bad, in varying degrees.
The Watchers is a classic now, having been around for decades now, and been made into a Movie (of course the book is better!).
There is some wonderful character work in this book, from the main character of Travis, to the main point of the story, Einstein (Einstein is easily one of the best characters in the book). But even characters such as Streck are written with such incredible depth and thought, making them exceptionally well thought out and thrilling characters in the story.
Perhaps the best character of the entire story is Nora. She has such a beautiful and compassionate soul, and Koontz writes her character so well. She is such an in-depth and fascinating character, so realistic in her struggles with domestic violence, and also so real in relationships with both Travis and Einstein.
The other really enthralling character is The Outsider, as you try to see the world through its dark eyes and darker heart, the malice and hatred it has for all things, and yet, you can almost understand why it feels this way
This is an epic thriller, and even given its age, it shows just how brilliant Koontz was even back then.
This is an amazing read, and you will love it, regardless of which genre you like.
The Narration by Edoardo Ballerini is outstanding. He does a fantastic job with all the character voices, giving a really wide range of voices, both male and female, and they are distinctive, so that you can easily tell characters apart. The Narrator speaks in a nice clear and precise voice, so that he is easy to understand.
This was a great listen, and I would happily listen to this Narrator again in the future.

Wonderful story, especially for dog lovers!

One of the best Dean Koontz books I've read, and I've read a bunch of them!

Nail biter! Classic Dean Koontz!

I love Koontz as a writer because he brings quantum physics, the super natural and nail biting suspense together in a way that is all his own and this book is no exception. If you are prone to nightmares I suggest not listening right before bed as the concepts in this book make it impossible for you to feel safe ever again! I highly recommend this one. #sleepwontcomenow #whoisthevillian #tagsgiving #sweepstakes