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 … 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…
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I have read this book several times over the years because it’s so good. Love it!
The best Dean Koontz book ever!
Always love Koontz incorporation of a dog. This one can communicate via abc blocks thanks to a bit of scientific hijinkery. Of course there is a bad entity. You always need someone to root against. I was so into the story that, when the people asked the dog why dogs eat grass, I was waiting for the answer! Koontz is almost as good a story teller as Stephen King but Koontz gives you a softer landing.
I can’t say enough about Dean Koontz novels. They are all wonderful.
This is the first Dean Koontz book I ever read and it will forever be my favorite. If you love dogs, you have to read this book!
This is one of my all time favorite books.
Read a long time ago, one of my all time favorites. The movie was awful but the book is really good
This book was amazing! And when I say amazing, I mean nothing short of AMAZING!!! Watchers was the first book I ever read by Dean Koontz. Another reviewer thought the movie was horrible, but I disagree. The movie was what led me to read this book way back in 1996. I rented it from a video store because I was looking for a horror movie to watch. I knew before I watched it that it was based on Koontz’s book because it said so on the front of the case while I was still in the store. As I watched the movie, I liked it so much that I decided I had to read the book and, when I later found it for sale in a flea market, I bought it immediately. Talk about a book being better than the movie! As anyone knows, in most cases, not only is the book better than the movie adaptation, it’s usually a lot better. But this book completely blew the movie out of the water!!! It has terrifying horror, unimaginable suspense, hilarious moments of humor, it’s sad, it’s extremely sweet and heartwarming, the characters are so well fleshed out that the human heroes Travis and Nora, are among the warmest people you’ll ever meet, Einstein, the dog, will make you fall in love, you’ll despise the story’s most vicious human villain, a hit man who is also a psychopath, you’ll find the story’s only supernatural villain, a monstrous beast called the Outsider, as sympathetic, thanks to one scene in the story, as you find him terrifying. The story not only features unpredictable plot twists that keep you on your toes—and scared out of your wits—but also provide just enough blood and gore to please any gore hounds who read the book. Science fiction addicts will be fascinated by the aspect of the story’s plot that reveals that Einstein and the monster were both products of genetic experiments that turned Einstein into such a mind blowingly super-smart golden retriever while also creating the monster that now relentlessly hunts the dog, using a psychic link to Einstein to its advantage. Can Travis and Nora outrun and outsmart the insidious creature that is so hellbent on destroying the dog? Can they outwit the predatory government scientists who are willing to stop at nothing to regain possession of Einstein? Do they have the courage and boldness to protect themselves and Einstein from the nightmarish, demonic assassin who has them in his sights and is determined to let nothing and no one stop him from killing them all? Read this exceptional book and find out for yourself. Watchers starts with a bang, one horrific, dreadfully scary chase through the woods and after that, it rarely ever slows down. If you manage to stop reading after a single chapter, you’ll find yourself panting for breath, wondering if you just read a chapter in a book or ran a marathon! If Watchers keeps you up at night, there will be 2 reasons: 1. You’ll be so busy lapping up every word of this wonderful story that you’ll probably lose track of time long before you stop reading! 2. While you’re reading and probably even after you finish it, you’ll be too scared to sleep! Trust me, not unlike any of the scariest horror novels I’ve read, this book is terrifying enough to haunt your dreams!
Watchers may not be the scariest scary book, but it has its moments. Travis Cornell is delicious as the heartbroken hero who has tragically lost everyone he has ever loved. Resolved to spend the rest of his life alone, one day he chances upon a dog that changes his whole life. But Einstein isn’t just a dog. He’s a genetically engineered miracle with all the loveable characteristics of a playful golden retriever combined with exceptional intelligence and kindness. Who could resist a canine like that? Soon Einstein helps Travis rescue Nora from a stalker, and the three become a family. But something deadly lurks in the shadows. The dog’s counterpart—dubbed The Outsider—in the science lab he was raised in has also escaped his cage, and this jealous monster is out for Einstein’s blood. With a sinister contract killer, government agents, and this ruthless monster close on their trail, Travis takes his new family and runs only to be ambushed and faced with losing everything again. No spoilers, but I think the end of this book is what made it exceptional for me.
Couldn’t get into it. I’ll try again soon.
Why is this my favorite Dean Koontz book? Because one of the major characters is a golden retriever named Einstein!! You can’t get better than that. For dog lovers everywhere!
This was my introduction to Dean Koontz’s work many years ago. As a dog lover, I loved the way that he made the dog an integral part of the story.
Great story.
Dean Koontz pushes all of my buttons! This was a re-read of the first of his books that I read, some years in the dim, distant past. And now I’ve read most of his prodigious output of very interesting books. His description of Einstein – the Golden Retriever in the story – led to my getting a Golden for myself, and Sam was with us for 13 years before he crossed that Rainbow Bridge.
At any rate, Watchers is all of the buttons I pushed at the beginning of this review, and more!
Read it!
HIs best book
This book has unique characters. Not entirely believable but it was exciting and a real page turner.
One of my new favorites!
I loved this book and have suggested it to many people
Read this a few years ago and it still remains a favorite.
Koontz’s best yet, especially if you’re a dog lover as I am.