NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • When this relentless rogue FBI agent comes knocking, her adversaries will have to answer—with their lives—in this thrilling Jane Hawk novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Corner.“Koontz continues the incredible saga of the robust character of Jane Hawk, and it’s as terrific as the others in the series.”—Associated Press“We’re rewriting the … series.”—Associated Press
“We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.”
She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.
But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden . . . for now. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.
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 Forbidden Door
“Compelling and enthralling.”—New York Journal of Books
“Mind-blowing. . . [a] gripping series . . . a thrill ride. [Dean Koontz is] able to distract you for hours.”—Bookreporter
“Koontz is on another roll with a new series that boasts a juicy premise and a compelling star. . . . Pure gold.”—Booklist
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The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz is number four in the Jane Hawk series. There is more activity within the Arcadians and the effect it is having on the people who have been conditioned.
Jane was an FBI agent with the Critical Incident Response Group which was often assigned to work cases with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units. She dealt mostly with the cases which required fast action due to mass murders or serial killers. Since the suicide death of her husband Nick, Jane has tried to expose and bring to justice the people who were responsible for his death. Jane is considered a rogue agent and is being hunted by the Techno Arcadians, an evil group of powerful people who want to undermine society through nanotechnology for mind control. It has begun to go awry and some who have been treated with the injections are going way off course and it is causing widespread chaos!
Jane’s main fear is for the safety of her beloved son, Travis. She hid Travis with friends, Gavin and Jessica Washington but they are killed and the child goes into the care of Cornell, a huge man with a brilliant mind, but also he has a form of autism which places limitations on the care he will be able to offer the little boy.
Ancel and Clare Hawk are on the move in this book. They have gone into hiding and hope to be of some assistance to Jane.
I won’t post spoilers, but it is non-stop action as Jane carefully plans her strategy to stay alive and to keep Travis safe.
Publication Date October 9, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I’ve really loved this series so far, and have been impressed with the originality and strength of the characters and the complexity and interconnectedness of the plot sub-lines. But I’m starting to think enough may just be enough… If you want to see my earlier reviews they are here, here, and here.
In this latest installment, Jane once again kicks ass and takes names. Her ability to foil the multi-faceted, multi-pronged, technologically advanced, nearly omniscient in its ability to access data, uber-machine that is the Techno Arcadians continues to entertain even when it’s seems so far beyond possible that it should be ridiculous. I love Jane. I admire the hell out of her. She’s a great character. And she’s surrounded by a team of equally great characters, from all walks of life and all sides of the law. That’s the part of the book I love. What I struggled with in this book was the overwhelming focus on her opponents in this war, and the insanity and viciousness that underpin their actions. I don’t mind reading dark, but when 85% of the book seems to be describing horrors inflicted on people for little to no reason beyond the accretion of power, I find the reading to be a bit of a slog… In the earlier books there was a lot more focus on Jane herself and the good people she found to ally herself with, often in unlikely places, and that gave the earlier books a very different tone and tenor than this one. It’s starting to get repetitive – if one can ever call the escalation of evil repetitive – to read about the horrible things that are committed in the name of the Techno Arcadians goals. And I noticed that the preview of the upcoming book that was included at the end of this one calls it the next title, not the last. I’m starting to think that, as much as I’ve loved the series, it’s time for it to end. Book after book describing Horrors and placing Jane and increasing peril are not going to do the series any service. This is a great series with a great idea underpinning it, but all great ideas have a lifespan, and I fear this one is rapidly approaching the end of its own.
I have no idea how Koontz is going to pull it all together, but do hope that he does so in short order, because the pacing is starting to slow as things feel like they are escalating but not actually moving forward… One of the greatest things about the early books was the rapid introduction of a lot of uniquely horrifying ideas. The zombie bit in this book was new and interesting, but a lot of the other “action” felt like it was a caffeinated version of things that happened to Jane in her quest to keep Travis safe in the earlier books.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.
The Forbidden Door takes a wicked turn and proves that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Now the real Dean Koontz shows his face.
‘They’ have been unable to capture Jane. Even when they catch up to her, she is quick and manages to escape by the skin of her teeth. So…they have set their sites on her five year old son. I love the character that is introduced here…Cornell…is absolutely fabulous.
Dean Koontz brings his characters to life and I root for the good guys who lay it all on the line. Regardless of what could happen to them, they feel compelled to do the right thing.
This is the fourth book in the Jane Hawk series. I am so disappointed I will have to wait for the next one from the library, The Night Window, the finale. I have been binge reading them and I sooooo much want to know what happens next. This is a 5 book series and needs to be read in order. The books are looooong but I have been devouring them.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
The Forbidden Door is the fourth book in this Dean Koontz series. Former FBI Agent Jane Hawk has now risen to the position of the nations most wanted fugitive. She’s still battling the Arcadians and their mind control technology. At least she’s beginning to be joined by some other ‘good guys’. In the Forbidden Door, Jane is trying to reach her five-year-old son, Travis before the Arcadians get to him. There is a lot of action and a lot of side stories going on. I found it an enjoyable read.
Loved this story,
Jane Hawk is a character that has come to feel almost like family to me. Throughout the series, she has been written in such a realistic and vibrant way, that I have found it very easy to become heavily invested in her plight to prove that her husband, and others, did not commit suicide but were programmed to do so through the experimental use of invasive, biological, nanotechnology.
In this fourth novel of the series, Jane continues to show courage and determination as she battles, tirelessly, to stay alive and keep her young son safe from those that would use him in the most nefarious of ways. Since she has been labeled a rogue FBI agent and ‘hawked’ (pun intended) to the public as an exceedingly dangerous and unstable criminal that has committed treason, she must employ the use of clever disguises to hide her identity. She finds that she must rely on the help of not only strangers she befriends along the way, but those who are involved in the types of illegal activities for which they should, lawfully, be arrested. Through everything, she continues to be hunted, mercilessly, while trying to gather the evidence she needs to expose the secret society of extremely powerful people called the Techno Arcadians that are running the horrific project which is turning innocent people into mindless, biddable, husks willing to do anything they are told to do, including murder, prostitution and suicide.
Once again, Koontz brings the techno thrills and cyber chills that have been the driving force in this series, while also giving you a kick butt, take-no-prisoners heroine with the heart of a mother lioness that you can really champion. And, I applaud him for his unique ability to stay fresh, modern and relative in a very demanding and exacting niche of the literary market.
#TheForbiddenDoor #NetGalley
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
I love all his books and he is a great on
This is my first book by this author. I really liked most of the characters and it was easy to dislike a lot of the others. I want to know more about Jane Hawk and so I will have to go back and read the previous books in this series. Jane needs to save her son. She has to get to him before the Arcadians get to him. They have no problem with using anyone else to further their agenda so they put Jane’s in-laws, a family in Texas and a whole town in California in jeopardy to get to Jane. Jane really doesn’t like what she has to do, but to save her child, she would do anything. Along the way, she has made some good friends who are willing to help her even if it could cost them their lives.
Dean Koontz kept me totally absorbed in his new Jane Hawk thriller. Jane seemed to be a minor character in this book, with the focus more on the bad guys, known as the Techno-Arcadians. I learned a lot more about how their authority structure worked and how they were disciplined. Many of the scenes in which the Arcadians encountered and fought against regular civilians were absolutely horrifying. Without giving anything away, the title itself turns out to be an extremely violent and horrifying spectacle that left me gasping for breath and hurrying to read to the end of that scene. In this book, Travis is in danger and Jane has to risk everything to get to him to save him. The love of a mother for her child knows no bounds, as shown in this book that continues the saga of Jane versus the bad guys. My favorite character was Cornell, a giant man with a big heart and a lot of psychological problems. But his way of approaching problems was nothing less than heroic and I loved his gentleness, kindness and acceptance of what was happening. This book is a must read if you are a fan of the Jane Hawk series as I am, but I have to say that the violence is increased in this book and graphically described, so it is not for the faint of heart.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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.”
Conspiracies, Technological Backfire, and Saving the Boy
Mature Audiences -That means adults, okay?
Sex
Violence – including gore
Strong language
Very intense situations
Well-developed characters
Surprising plot twists
In order to appreciate this book, you should really read books 1 – 3.
The plot’s skeleton no spoilers:
Jane realizes the evil shadow government, conspirators who have developed microscopic devices that are injected into victims and subsequently bend their will to whatever their “masters” desire, have come dangerously close to finding her son.
Knowing she will come after him, the conspirators have reinvented who she is for the media making her public enemy #1.
Depending on those who know her and believe in her, Jane uses all her FBI training to reach her boy and extract him safely.
While some characters are included because they’re needed for the story to progress, others, both good and evil, are fleshed out so we understand their complexities.
Besides that, this is simply a thrill ride of a story.
RECOMMENDED.
You really need to read all of the other books in this series to have The Forbidden Door mean a lot. If you’re a fan of Dean Koontz, I know it’s always (well.. maybe most of the time) a great read!
The Jane Hawk books are wonderful, fun and great escapist reads.
Well, Jane Hawk is not quite there yet! Another severe escapade involving the Arcadians – and things are starting to go wrong for the future rulers of the world. Son, Travis, dominates Jane’s thoughts and leads her to visit more violence, but in truth it’s the Arcadian characters who are totally bizarre. One for the Series’ fans.
Spellbinding. Compelling. Edge of hour seat, pee your pants thrill ride that will take you on an adventure even deeper into the mind and how far some people will go to control and enslave us all to their own ends. Dean Koontz definitely nails it with this latest installment of Jane and her fight against the evil men and women that wants to rule the world in its own image of utopia and takes a few very disturbing turns. I was on the edge of my seat and could not put it down. You do not want to miss this penultimate book in The Jane Hawk series that will leave you grasping the next one before you even close the pages.
A chilling continuing story about a secret society that wants control of the world
In this fourth book of the Jane Hawk series, Jane finds that some of her well-laid plans for the protection of her five year-old son are at risk and so she rushes to rescue this most important person in the world to her.
Jane is an ex-FBI agent that is hard on the trail of the Arcadians, the group behind the staged suicide of her beloved husband.
You really need to start at the beginning of this series and read the books in order. I had previously read the first three books but just finished re-reading them because it had been a while since I finished them. I’m glad I did. There were bits and pieces all the way through those first three books that I had forgotten.
Jane is one kick ass mother/wife out for her own vengeance plus to protect the world from the coming threat.
Bernie is back in this book and I love his character. And I love a new character added in this book. This is my favorite book of the series so far. It IS over 400 pages but the pages and the story zoom by. Lots of action and tears of sadness and happiness are shed.
I am now off to read the fifth and final book in the series THE NIGHT WINDOW.
I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
not one of his better books
The fourth book in Dean Koontz Jane Hawk series is absolutely one of the best of all of them. It moves the story along and shows us many sides of Jane as she struggles to get to Travis on time. Read this in order – but read them.
Jane Hawk is relentless in her pursuit of her adversaries and determined to protect her young son. It doesn’t matter that, once a top FBI agent, she is now the most-wanted criminal in America and a fugitive. She is determined to stop the powerful Arcardians, who have already infiltrated all branches of government and some of the nation’s most critically needed agencies, from implementing their mind-control technology. Tragically, she didn’t realize what was happening and was unable to save her husband. But she continues to employ her tactical skills to survive.
The character of Jane Hawk is universally empathetic because of her motives: the anger, outrage, a broken heart, and maternal instinct. She also has a deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong, a moral code from which she will not stray, that fuels her quest for justice. In Koontz’s capable hands, Jane’s internal emotional struggles are fully developed and explored, and keep readers cheering her on.
In the three previous installments in the series, The Silent Corner, The Whispering Room, and The Crooked Staircase, Jane eliminates some of her most powerful enemies, while her five-year-old son is safely tucked away with trusted friends. And her in-laws are also secure. But her enemies know that the way to bring Jane to submission is to strike those she loves and they are determined to use both her son and her in-laws as bait in order to do just that. And as The Forbidden Door opens, both her son and her in-laws are in grave peril. Jane must act quickly and stealthily if she is to save them.
As Jane battles her way across country to her son’s side, she encounters growing numbers of victims of the evil mind-control technology, all programmed to wreak violence and stop her. Both Jane and her adversaries are in a fight for their lives. And the forbidden door unleashes unimaginable terror and mayhem.
The Forbidden Door is, like the first three installments, fast-paced and pulse-pounding. But it is even more terrifying because of the magnitude of the threats Jane faces, and the fact that Koontz has brought five-year-old Travis and Jane’s in-laws to the forefront of the story. Jane’s inventiveness, wit, and sheer will to save those she loves propel her to nerve-wracking confrontations with Arcadians that keep readers turning the pages until . . . alas, the story is not over and readers must wait for the next book in the series, The Night Window, to see what happens next.
Thanks to Net Galley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
I am hooked! I just finished the fifth book in the series (The Whispering Room) and it gets more exciting and intense with every book. I love Jane Hawk’s character.
It is classic Koontz in this series. Plenty of action and fast paced.