Publisher Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz delivers terrifying thrills in this novel about a man caught in a never-ending nightmare.

Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning he awakes, he discovers something strange—like blood on his hands—a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person—a young man with Down's syndrome—can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns...

Author Biography

Dean Koontz, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Review

"Fast-paced reading...masterly!"—The New York Times
 
"This is white-knuckle, hair-curling-on-the-back-of-the-neck reading—as close to actual physical terror as the printed word can deliver."—Los Angeles Times

"Koontz's skill at edge-of-the-seat writing has improved with each book. He can scare our socks off."—Boston Herald
 
"Fascinating. Even his minor characters seem to live. A roller-coaster ride."—The Boston Globe

More Praise for Dean Koontz

"Dean Koontz is a prose stylist whose lyricism heightens malevolence and tension. [He creates] characters of unusual richness and depth."—The Seattle Times

"Tumbling, hallucinogenic prose....'Serious' writers...might do well to examine his technique."—The New York Times Book Review

"Lyrical writing and compelling characters...Koontz stands alone."—Associated Press

"In every industry there exist 'artists' that are not only unforgettable, but know their craft better than the rest. Dean Koontz...is among these artisans."—Suspense Magazine

"[Koontz] has always had near-Dickensian powers of description, and an ability to yank us from one page to the next that few novelists can match."—Los Angeles Times

"Perhaps more than any other author, Koontz writes fiction perfectly suited to the mood of America...novels that acknowledge the reality and tenacity of evil but also the power of good...[and that] entertain vastly as they uplift."—Publishers Weekly

Review Quote

"This is a grotesque world, much like that of Flannery O'' Connor or Walker Percy...Scary, worthwhile reading."

Excerpt from Book

Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 "THIS IS WHITE-KNUCKLE, HAIR-CURLING-ON-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NECK READING--as close to actual physical terror as the printed word can deliver." -- Los Angeles Times Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning he awakes, he discovers something strange--like blood on his hands--a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person--a young man with Down''s syndrome--can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns ... THE BAD PLACE "Koontz''s skill at edge-of the-seat writing has improved with each book. HE CAN SCARE OUR SOCKS OFF." -- Boston Herald Praise for The Bad Place "Psychologically complex characters... fast-paced... a masterly and satisfying denouement." -- The New York Times "The intricate plot races along. Koontz also creates characters of unusual richness and depth ... a level of perception and sensitivity that is not merely convincing; it''s astonishing." -- The Seattle Times "At times lyrical without ever being naive or romantic. This is a grotesque world, much like that of Flannery O''Connor or Walker Percy... Scary, worthwhile reading." -- The Times-Picayune "A taut suspenseful novel that transcends genres. Total entertainment." -- The Macon Telegraph & News "Thoroughly absorbing and wonderfully entertaining, a real leave-the-light-on effort." -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Koontz puts his readers through the emotional wringer. There are scenes... that stick in the mind long after the thriller has been laid aside." --The Associated Press "Fascinating. Even his minor characters seem to live. A roller-coaster ride." -- The Boston Globe "Strange. Weird. Eerie. Macabre. Terrifying." -- New York Daily News "A compelling plot... excellent characters." -- The Baltimore Sun "Koontz soars... shriek-worthy suspense." -- Publishers Weekly "A roller-coaster ride." --Seattle Post-Intelligencer "The pace accelerates like an avalanche. By the time the reader reaches the denouement, he''s emotionally exhausted, shaken."-- The Baton Rouge Advocate "A celebration of the imagination--and every bit as creepy as you hope it will be!" --Chattanooga News-Free Press "Just when you think you''ve got everything figured out, Koontz tosses in yet another surprise. He masterfully weaves [many] elements into a plot that is totally involving." -- Hartford Courant "Completely satisfying. His prose is rich and evocative. His characters are among the warmest--also the most despicable--in fiction." --Ottawa Citizen "Highly entertaining." -- The Indianapolis Star "By the time you reach the end, you''ll feel as if you''ve just stepped off a roller coaster." --Fort Worth Star-Telegram "A stylishly terrifying adventure... characters the reader can care for, and a mystery that is truly mysterious." -- South Bend Tribune "You can''t stop reading. It takes you on a chilly roller-coaster ride of stomach-gripping suspense that throws you breathlessly against a brick wall at the end." --UPI "Hard to put down, absorbing... Each character comes alive." -- The Memphis Commercial Appeal "Koontz is a master." -- Calgary Herald "Dean Koontz is on a roll. Each new novel... has brought more respect and more popularity. He creates sympathetic characters who are very human, and [the story races] from page to page." -- Rockdale Citizen "This may be Koontz''s best book yet. He deftly juggles several subplots while keeping the suspense turned on high. A rousing conclusion." --Tulsa World "Driving, character-rich, panoramic... a marvelously boisterous, scare-and-suspense-packed entertainment." -- Kirkus Reviews "Fast and furious... surprise piled upon surprise...highly entertaining." --Orange County Register "Memorable characters. Koontz has written another page-turner." --Gannett News Service "Complex and fascinating characters. The character of Thomas is a tour de force of stylistics that more than anything suggests Koontz''s remarkable skill." --Mystery Scene "Give me more of this man''s fiction anytime. The Bad Place [is] unrelenting in its purpose to thrill, challenge, and charm. It is one of the new breed of mystery thrillers... with such explosive panache that you don''t need explosive sex or violence to keep a reader''s interest." --Fear Berkley titles by Dean Koontz THE EYES OF DARKNESS THE KEY TO MIDNIGHT MR. MURDER THE FUNHOUSE DRAGON TEARS SHADOWFIRES HIDEAWAY COLD FIRE THE HOUSE OF THUNDER THE VOICE OF THE NIGHT THE BAD PLACE THE SERVANTS OF TWILIGHT MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING THE MASK WATCHERS TWILIGHT EYES STRANGERS DEMON SEED PHANTOMS WHISPERS NIGHT CHILLS DARKFALL SHATTERED THE VISION THE FACE OF FEAR This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author''s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. THE BAD PLACE A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author PRINTING HISTORY Berkley mass-market edition / December 1990 Copyright

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