From Dean Koontz, the international bestselling master of suspense, comes an epic thriller about a terrifying killer and the singular compassion it will take to defeat him.
Woody Bookman hasn’t spoken a word in his eleven years of life. Not when his father died in a freak accident. Not when his mother, Megan, tells him she loves him. For Megan, keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. But … happy is what matters. But Woody believes a monstrous evil was behind his father’s death and now threatens him and his mother. And he’s not alone in his thoughts. An ally unknown to him is listening.
A uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed, Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it’s too late.
Woody’s fearful suspicions are taking shape. A man driven by a malicious evil has set a depraved plan into motion. And he’s coming after Woody and his mother. The reasons are primal. His powers are growing. And he’s not alone. Only a force greater than evil can stop what’s coming next.
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Normally when I get an ARC of a Koontz book I try to make it last, read no more than a chapter each day, savor it like a fine wine. With DEVOTED I managed to do that, for a little while. Then I found myself reading a bit longer every night, turning a few extra pages, until I couldn’t help myself – with my daughter asleep in my lap, I read the final third of this incredible tale in a single sitting.
Like many of you, I first discovered Koontz with a book called WATCHERS – the story of a laboratory enhanced dog with heightened intelligence and a keen sense of right and wrong on the run from an unimaginable evil. There is no savoring WATCHERS, this is one of those books you gulp down without apology. A thriller through-and-through, one you start in the afternoon and finish somewhere around three in the morning before wondering how you’ll get up for work in two short hours. I remember closing the cover on that one and looking at my own dog, a German Shepard named Eva, asleep in the corner of the room and wondering if she’d been holding out on us for the last couple years – maybe a little smarter than she was willing to let on. Maybe unwilling to give up the free room and board. As with most Koontz books, the dog and characters end that story in a good place – the world is bright again and an unknown but promising future lies before them. I suppose that’s part of the rub, because like many who read that book, I’ve often wondered what came next – not necessarily for the humans (because who really cares about the people, right?) but for that damn dog.
While DEVOTED isn’t a sequel in the traditional sense, it carries the story of WATCHERS into the present by dropping us into the life of a dog descended from the original. Smart, loyal, and kind, unsure of where he comes from or why he’s different from most dogs but also knowing he’s got a much bigger calling than simply being.
This is also the story of Megan Bookman and her son, Woody. A very special little boy who has never spoken but has lots to say, particularly about the suspicious circumstances that took his father’s life. When he stumbles into the truth, those responsible are watching, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.
Sometimes sweet and poetic, other times dark and bitter, but always engaging, this is Koontz at his best.
Dean Koontz’s love of golden retrievers makes each page glow. Kipp, though, is not a regular GR (Does Koontz think there is such a creature?). In this good vs evil story, Kipp and his forever companion, Woody, literally help save the world. If you’re squeamish, you may find some of the description borderline pulp, but they serve Koontz’s theme: Evil is ugly. Oleaginous may be a good descriptor as well. The word isn’t one found in most books today, but Koontz doesn’t shy away from multi-syllables or scientifically twisted concepts. A long, long book, but worth the read.
Another great installment from the master of speculative fiction! AND IT FEATURES DOGS!! Dogs that think and talk? You can’t beat that. If you read Watchers and ever wondered what happened to Einstein, you’ll WANT to read this.
I also loved that one of the main characters was a differently-abled child. the villain is a true baddie and the good guys are numerous and beautifully flawed. There’s just enough magical realism to keep things fantastical but reality-based. I love that about Koontz’s novels because it gives me hope that there just might be a little magic in our world for real. And who wouldn’t want that right about now?
I highly recommend!!
I’m a new Koontz fan. This book is the third I’ve read and I cannot wait to devour more of his novels. The books I’ve read are hands-down some of the best I’ve read this year.
In Devoted, Koontz delivers all you’d expect from an author who knows how to pull you in on page one. It’s a subtle tug, like a fish nibbling on the tiny piece of bait at the end of your fishing line. When he thinks he has you interested, he tugs a little more and a little more and then wham! He’s got you, and pulls you into the deepest depths of his words.
I love the way the author weaves emotion into the story, the human frailties, courage, fear, and spine-tingling suspense will keep you reading. The idea of Woody, an autistic boy and Kip, a dog with human understanding as the center of this story is nothing short of brilliant, and I hated to see the story end. Enter the villain–and well, he couldn’t have created a creepier one than Lee Shacket, and the sub-plot that makes him the way he is…so cool!
If you want a book that will keep your interest from beginning to end, this is it. And what better premise than a boy and a dog? You’d be hard-pressed to find a more “devoted” companion than Kip the Golden Retriever.
Long-time reader of Dean Koontz
I will preface this review by writing that I have been reading Koontz’s books since the beginning of his writing career including some of his pseudonyms such as Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, and Owen West. Some of his books I’ve loved and some, in my opinion, were so-so.
Some of my comments in this review will probably upset some Koontz die-hard fans but so be it.
First of all, I loved the storyline of this book. There is a golden retriever (of course) and a mute autistic boy and some other great characters. Nothing wrong so far. I even liked the ending, which was a definite Koontz wrap up if there ever was one. These points stand strong through the entire book.
What I really had a problem with (and it seems to get worse as Koontz gets older – or maybe I just notice it so much more now than over the past years) is Koontz’s writing style. This book is chock full of flowery language, pompous descriptions, and Koontz using $20 words when a $1 word would definitely suffice. The book is definitely bloated in length because of these reasons. It would have been much better if it had been streamlined.
I gave it a four star rating instead of lower because I DO like Koontz’s stories and the particular aspects of the story I pointed out above.
Although Mr. Koontz says this is not a sequel to Watchers, it does read as though it could be. This book is classic Koontz. If you enjoyed his earlier works you will enjoy this one. I did like the story and the characters but I felt there was too much build up to the climax, and then once there everything happened too fast. There also seemed to be some details missing during the suspense building that left me a little unsatisfied. The ending was good, but a bit fairy tail like where everything ended up as it should be but may be a bit too idealistic. for some. Overall I really liked it and would recommend it.
While I wouldn’t class this as out and out horror, it’s definitely somewhat chilling with a disturbing undertone. It’s rare that Koontz disappoints, and this one isn’t disappointing as such, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of his earlier work. Still, it’s a quality read and if you like a bit of originality and a tense story, this is well worth picking up.
November 12, 2020
Almost Watchers 40 years later!
I was happy to see that I was reading an apparent continuation of Watchers after a long break. The dog and companion were wonderful. Then came the crazy bad guy exposed to Something.
His ramblings became more and more sexually disturbing as we read along. Is it the Time we live in?! Does Every Book Have to Have Explicit Sex to Sell?
Too bad, this Would have been 5 stars without that garbage!
Loved this book. Woody and Kipp and the Mysterium were awesome. I just love his comments about life and what is important. Just a truly inspirational story. May these dogs live long and change lives. Thank you for such a wonderful book.
Dean Koontz is known for his fast paced, exciting stories, and while Devoted offers this it takes quite a while for the action to get going. I was about a third through the book and sorely tempted to stop reading before the story really took off. The last half is classic Koontz and I admit was worth the slow start.
Dean Koontz is a prolific storyteller. With over a hundred books to his name, one wonders how he can package his craft of the supernatural and creepy with a new twist. How about making a breed of dog super smart? Mix in a murderer with a genetic defect decent into cannibalism. Voila, you have Devoted.
Koontz does several things very well in this book. First, he takes a character, a business executive who is morally corrupt and, due to an infectious lab accident, transforms him to a beast in gradual, subtle ways. Second, he lets us know what it would be to have the intellect of a human confined to the body of a dog. He mixes all of this into his proven plots where the bad guy is unseen, just around the corner, ready to grab you by the throat.
Regarding the super-smart dogs, I enjoyed how he portrays this ‘what-if.’ Remember, such a dog may lack thumbs with which they might pick up a pen and write the words they can read, but they have a vastly superior sense of smell which, in Koontz’s telling, can smell evil of different varieties.
Although I enjoyed this exploration of smart dogs, Koontz spent too many pages here and there waxing poetically about the whole thing. He was swooning over dogs. That’s fine, but it wasn’t needed for the story.
Devoted contains two main story arcs and half-way through the book, you believe there is only one, and that one is coming to an end. Patience. Koontz kicks in the second part of the tale and pulls in characters whose names you have read but have not yet come on stage. Then we have the larger, more sinister plot.
If you like the world of Dean Koontz as I do, you will not be disappointed. I dinged the number of stars by one because of the on-and-on about dogs. Nevertheless, this never ruins the tale. Recommended.
Those of y’all who have read…and re-read WATCHERS over and over again…this is the book for you! While not specified in so many words, Kip the dog may indeed be descended of that first canine hero. When partnered with young boy over the miles via mind-to-mind connection, nothing short of magic happens. Of course, they must together overcome bad guys, figure out horrible plots, and more. But the boy and dog are the stars here. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a great story, kid heroes, and smart dogs.
After last Dean Koontz book I read a couple years ago I said never again.ill I was gifted this book. His style of writing and my style of reading don’t mix. Yeh well the blurbs are always so good they suck me in. Then give me a dog in the story and I can’t say no. I should have donated it.
I’ll start with what I liked. There was a moment of intense fear in the middle, a child was in danger, a mother on the edge, that was the best scene in the book. I liked the connection made between man and dog, it felt right, even the wire while out there was interesting till it was repeated too many times.
Whoops I went into the what I didn’t like part too soon.
What went wrong for this reader. Repetitive everything, how many times do we need to hear about how it works, what they thought… HOW MANY ? I got it the first 3 times okay. Second there was the weird over sharing of inner dialogs from these bad guys. Really what was that is didn’t form a connection to them or the story it was just filler. The characters, except for the boy were cookie cut out unrealistically written poor actors. Finally and most importantly, all the ducks just got in a row so easily. All the right people showed up on time from far and wide, from some weird coincidence, all the right contacts were made, all the good people won, all the bad people lost.
Two stars is generous .
Have not read a Dean Koontz book in a couple of years (I don’t know why). He has not disappointed me yet! LOVED this book. I love when he has dogs in his books, you can tell he loves them when he writes about how loving and smart they are. This is a must read if you love a good suspense/thriller.
I recommend this to all!
On the path of his early glory books. I love it!
Typical Dean Koontz novel, but a step further than he has ventured before. I loved Kipp, the Goldie [what else?] and even accepted that dogs could have ESP. Good read with extremes of good and bad.
A good read. It had it’s twists and turns. Loved the idea with the dogs! And could actually see that happening in the future!
After reading quite a few very negative reviews, I almost didn’t read this latest from Koontz – mostly because I DETEST profanity (which he’s used in past books). But I gave it a chance & am glad I did. It’s quintessential Koontz – had me on the edge of my seat & had a hard time putting it down. There is profanity, which is always TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, Dean – especially when your books are so GOOD without it! And the killer is grotesque. But I loved the book regardless – as with all Koontz books.
Finally, here is a sequel to Watchers, maybe. In this book, Dean returns to uplifted dogs. If you love dogs, it is worth the time invested in the read. However, the story is formulaic good triumphs over evil, and the suspension of disbelief is almost impossible to hold onto. You just have to love the concept to overcome the Hollywood-esque plot.
Mr Koontz continues his love of goldens in this book. The story of a wonderful dog, a boy, a crazy assassin all come together.