NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Jane Hawk—who dazzled readers in The Silent Corner and The Whispering Room—faces the fight of her life, against the threat of a lifetime, in this electrifying thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling suspense master Dean Koontz. “I could be dead tomorrow. Or something worse than dead.” Jane Hawk knows she may be living on borrowed time. But as long as she’s … knows she may be living on borrowed time. But as long as she’s breathing, she’ll never cease her one-woman war against the terrifying conspiracy that threatens the freedom—and free will—of millions. Battling the strange epidemic of murder-suicides that claimed Jane’s husband, and is escalating across the country, has made the rogue FBI agent a wanted fugitive, relentlessly hunted not only by the government but by the secret cabal behind the plot. Deploying every resource their malign nexus of power and technology commands, Jane’s enemies are determined to see her dead . . . or make her wish she was.
Jane’s ruthless pursuers can’t stop her from drawing a bead on her prey: a cunning man with connections in high places, a twisted soul of unspeakable depths with an army of professional killers on call. Propelled by her righteous fury and implacable insistence on justice, Jane will make her way from southern Southern California to the snow-swept slopes of Lake Tahoe to confront head-on the lethal forces arrayed against her. But nothing can prepare her for the chilling truth that awaits when she descends the crooked staircase to the dark and dreadful place where her long nightmare was born.
Don’t miss any of Dean Koontz’s gripping Jane Hawk thrillers:
THE SILENT CORNER • THE WHISPERING ROOM • THE CROOKED STAIRCASE • THE FORBIDDEN DOOR • THE NIGHT WINDOW
Praise for The Crooked Staircase
“An absorbing thriller full of fresh touches . . . Writing his unusual heroine, Koontz keeps the pages alive with attitude as well as action. . . . For Hawk, who is as fearless as she is beautiful, no obstacle is too great, especially with the well-being of her hidden-away five-year-old son on her mind.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Spellbinding . . . Beautifully plotted and written with notable care and flare . . . The Hawk series . . . is among [Koontz’s] best work.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Unrelenting . . . [Jane] rivets readers’ attention. . . . Michael Crichton fans and thriller aficionados who appreciate a fierce female protagonist . . . should be urged to meet Jane Hawk.”—Library Journal
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“I thought my war was over years ago.”
“It’s all one war,” she said, “and it’s never over.”
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This is absolutely the most fascinating, horrifying, deliciously twisty series! I am a long-time fan of Dean Koontz, but with the Jane Hawk books he’s really come up with something delightful – the plot lines are eerie and creepy and unbelievably believable. The characters are evil and heroic and broken and battered and unredeemable and terror- and awe-inspiring in equal measure. The action is finely tuned, interwoven with cards held – and revealed – at just the right time to keep the reader on not only the edge of their seat, but the edge of their nerves. I keep thinking that things can’t possibly get *that* much worse, and then – lo and behold! – they springboard right past worse and into uncharted territory…
Jane Hawk is perhaps the greatest, strongest, most phenomenal female heroine of all time. She is nearly super-human in her ability to stay one step ahead of the evil she’s pursuing, yet at the same time, her motivations and periodic bursts of self-reflection and concern about the configurations her mission is forcing her into keep her altogether human. She never doubts her path – she knows this is the ultimate winner-takes-all – or her love for her son. She has moved so far past self-doubt in her conviction about the destruction that the Techno Arcadians are seeding in their wake that she should, by rights, start seeming inhuman (or at least un-human) in her responses, yet she never does. She remains – odd though this will sound – an utterly humane ultra-violent, whatever-it-takes protagonist. Even when she’s forced to turn to some of the methods of her enemies, she manages to do so with just enough humility and calm recognition of the point-of-no-return corners she’s been pushed into that she remains not only likeable but unquestioningly, unfailingly, so. Koontz has her walking tightropes and she not only manages to do it with aplomb, but she does it while remaining upright – no small task, considering the forces massed against her. It is this indomitable spirit, as much as the great story-telling, that keeps this series so compelling…
This one ended with more of a cliff-hanger than I like. I love series books and don’t mind loose ends when I know more books are coming (particularly when they’re coming from someone like Koontz who is prolific, with quick turn-arounds, and who you know will follow through on those ends), but I don’t like when a major plot point/twist is introduced right at the end and then everything just stops. It feels too abrupt, a hostage situation forcing the reader to buy the next installment just to finish the story that was already read. There’s a sample chapter of the next book in this one, so you know it’s coming soon. “Soon” won’t be soon enough though – if Jane is the guts of this story, Travis is the heart and soul. And as Jane herself would happily tell you, one cannot live without one’s heart and soul. I’ll be anxiously waiting to see where this latest test of Jane’s legendary endurance takes her – my mind races with possibilities, most of which are horrible – which is a testament to Koontz’s wisdom in ending the book exactly where he did, regardless of how I feel about cliff-hanging plot developments… Perhaps that’s why he is Dean Koontz, and I’m me.
My review copy was provided by NetGalley. The Crooked Staircase releases in the U.S. on May 8, 2018.
The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz is the third book in the Jane Hawk series. I have been an avid reader from the beginning of this series and would definitely recommend reading them in order. While this book has a number of references and flashbacks to book one, there was very little summary of book two, which to date is still my favorite one in the series.
Jane Hawk is a kick butt kind of girl. She is a fearless mom on a mission and will stop at nothing to vindicate her husband’s death and reunite with her son who has been hiding out with friends in order to keep him safe. This book begins in southern California where she is attempting to gain information and seek revenge from those who caused her husband as well as many others to commit suicide. She works hard to remain one step ahead of the underground group, who are close on her trail and refuse to give to up.
As Jane makes her way deeper and deeper into the secrets surrounding the conspiracy, she finds herself being pulled into darker and more frightening circumstances. Will Jane be able to pull herself out of the depths referred to as the Crooked Staircase and get back to her son?
I can unequivocally say that I am a huge fan of Jane Hawk. She is a woman on a mission and will not let anything stand in her way. This book for me, however, was a bit lackluster. The first half was very slow, and took some detours that felt like fillers. The second half of the book was a bit more on par with what I expected from this series. It took some crazy turns, had more action and spent more time with Jane and her son as the focus. The book ended with a big-time cliffhanger, so I think this book was meant to be a bit of a bridge from book two to book four, and in many places it read that way.
Regardless of the slower moving speed in the first half of the book, I am still a huge team Hawk fan and cannot wait to get the fourth book in my hot little hands!
A kick butt four star read
*Review by Amy, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books Blog*
Jane Hawk continues her quest for revenge for her husband’s death in this third book in the series. This one had a lot more action, but it was also a darker novel, with lots of torture and a theme of bad things coming all the time. The book was hard to put down, but it was also hard to read since there is a threat to her beloved child Travis whom she thinks she has safeguarded. Since the book ends with a cliffhanger, and we know the next book is THE FORBIDDEN DOOR, we know that the quest is not finished, but I was quite dissatisfied with such an ending that made me want to read more right away when the next book isn’t available yet. The Techno Arcadians in this thriller were pure evil and will appeal to hard-core sci-fi fans. Jane’s strength and determination are what is carrying this book and makes it well worth reading.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Exciting with many twists and turns. Can not wait to see what happens in the next book in the series. It is scary to think about what would happen if there were really Arcadians making adjusted people in the real world
The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk, #3) by author Dean Koontz is another action-packed suspense thriller which gave me slight heart palpitations! Ok, maybe it was the combination of the non-stop plot and all the fresh ground coffee I drank while reading, (26 cups) but it is an amazing sequel to the Jane Hawk series.
I will not repeat the plot blurb, there is no need, but I will say for the reader and fans of Dean Koontz, the nanotechnology for mind control theme scares the hullabaloo out of me! It would be as easily administered as an immunization. Jane is trying to stop this from happening to more than the already sixteen thousand who are living in a state of docile servitude within society.
Not only is the life of free will for creative thinkers at risk, but Jane’s son, Travis is hidden away while she fights the good fight.
Oh my, the story answers questions from the previous two Jane Hawk stories and propels the reader further into a labyrinth of fear, despair, and a search for hope.
Wow, I can not believe the ending of The Crooked Staircase.
Mr. Koontz, I feel bereft, hurry, I need to know…!!!! (great story)
I have been binge reading the Jane Hawk series, checking them out from the library.
The danger increases for Jane Hawk. ‘They’ dog her every step. In this day of the digital footprint, she strives to stay off the grid, but even burner phones could lead to her destruction.
She finds some unlikely allies along the way, always on the run.
Jane Hawk is a character that hits all the high marks for me. To say she is strong is putting it mildly. It takes all the skills she possesses to stay one step ahead of those who want to take her down. She does not want to kill, but will do so when necessary. She plots and plans each step she takes, but when she has to make a quick decision, her mind quickly runs through her options and she commits to her course of action.
The books are loooooong and richly detailed. Sometimes I just wanted to skim through to get to the action, but as I walked…or ran…step by step with Jane, I felt it also increased my anticipation, knowing something wicked this way comes.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
The Crooked Staircase is the third installment in the Jane Hawk series. Author Dean Koontz provides plenty of information and settings along the way. There’s a very creepy aspect to this series so maybe read with the lights on and watch out for nightmares.
This is the third book in the series about Jane Hawk. Refers back to the first two several times, but could be a stand alone book.
Not real crazy about the way it ends. Leaves you hanging so you will have to get the next book to find out what happens. Don’t really appreciate this move.
Lots of conspiracy theories going on, but it is Koontz, and this is what he does. He sees black copters everywhere.
Like Jane and the story is pretty good, but ending sucks.
Dark, Dark, Dark!
Dark, dark, dark! This is book three of the series and what has gone on before is likely covered in detail in the previous two books (which, I regret, I haven’t read), but enough background is presented that one becomes au currant with the story quite rapidly and never feels lost. We are treated to “1984” updated to the modern cyber age, with scary possibilities, and probabilities of nightmare proportion. A modern zombie apocalypse? And to think folks were once frightened of fluoride! What redeems this Stygian gloom is the heroine herself. Jane, despite all the horrors in her life, has relentlessly pursued the light whether in the beauty of music or the night sky or in love of mankind, despite the evil surrounding her and against which she fights.
The action is well-paced and horrors are offset by moments of peace; the writing is riveting and sound; and the story is on the edge; fully deserving of the title “thriller.”
This is another great read from Koontz. I am a big Koontz fan, so I was excited to read a new book. If you love Koontz as much as I do you’ll love this book.
The third installment of the Jane Hawk series finds Jane even deeper into the web of deceit that surrounds her husband’s death. This action-packed novel builds toward an intense ending with the enemy closing in, setting us up for the fourth novel. The Crooked Staircase was almost unputdownable for me. If I could have read this one straight through, I would have, but unfortunately I had to sleep. And feed my family. Koontz is still my King of Creepy!
Cunning, beautiful, deadly. Three books in and I can’t get enough of Jane Hawk! With THE CROOKED STAIRCASE, Koontz reminds us just why he’s a master of the craft.
Hair-raising, page turning thriller! The Techno Arcadians extend their hawkish reach, sending more psychotic workers to further their cause. Jane continues to fight as her army decreases. Hate to see these heros fall. Cliffhanger. Not for the faint of heart. Exciting read. 3 1/2 stars.
Voluntarily read ARC, through Netgalley and publisher, for honest review.
Another story, 3rd in the series adds to the tension. Now Jane Hawk’s young son is threatened — I was a bit frustrated that each “bad guy” caught and dealt with simply reveals more to chase down. I will certainly read the 4th book, but am anxious for some sort of resolution.
I’m trying to recall if I have ever read a Dean Koontz book that has left me so doubtful that this series will have a good or at least hopeful outcome. I don’t know what to think about how this book ended.
One of a series about an FBI agent looking into the mysterious suicide of her husband, who was a Colonel in the Armed Services. What she trips over in her investigation leaves her running for her life and protecting her eight year old son that’s on the radar of unknown leaders belonging to a seriously dangerous organization.
The entire Jane Hawk series is phenomenal. Just let yourself into Jane’s world and enjoy the ride.
The 2nd in the Jane Hawk Tetralogy: Hawk pursues a cabal of Techno-crats who killed her husband and thousands of others who had the capacity to influence a free, humane society, contrary to the Techno master plan.
Cliffhanger
4 star rating (Book Bub wouldn’t let me rate it a solid 4)
Mature Audiences
Violence
Some strong language
References to rape and child abuse
Excellently described frightening situations.
Irritating because it, unlike other series stories, does not conclude. Even if the preview of the next book is read (which is included in the Kindle version), important characters remain in danger.
Reading previous Jane Hawk installments are a must to understand her fight against the evil of insidious mind-controlling technology that has been developed by a group of unimaginably twisted self-appointed protectors of society.
Koontz’s storytelling is flawless.
I would have given 5 stars but for the annoying cliff hanger ending.
Re-read this book from 05/18-05/20/19 and am now off to read the rest of the series.
“Machines of flesh”
This is the third book in the Jane Hawk series, after THE SILENT CORNER and THE WHISPERING ROOM. And you should definitely read the first two books before this one to fully enjoy the reading experience.
I enjoyed this story in Jane Hawk’s further brushes with death but I did feel it was a bit verbose. I felt author Koontz was padding parts of this book so there could be a fourth book, which there is – THE FORBIDDEN DOOR.
But this book is still definitely worth reading. Lots of action, continuing questions about the deadly conspiracy, further expanding on Jane’s character plus new characters added – good guys and bad guys.
As I wrote in another review of this series, it seems that author Koontz has got his writing mojo back, giving us readers a new and vibrant character and series. I just hope he finds a good stopping point and doesn’t ruin good books by having the series drag on for too long.
I highly recommend this book and the first two in the Jane Hawk series.
I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.