#Blogtour After Death by Dean Koontz

It's my turn on the Blogtour After Death by Dean Koontz.

About the Author

Dean Koontz is the author of many #1 bestsellers. His books have sold over five hundred million copies in thirty-eight languages, and The Times has called him a ‘literary juggler’. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, and their golden retriever, Elsa. Follow @deankoontz on Twitter

About the book

Michael Mace, head of security at a top-secret research facility, is amazed to open his eyes in a makeshift morgue twenty-four hours after an event in which everyone perished – including him and his best friend, Shelby Shrewsberry.

Having awakened with an extraordinary ability unlike anything he – or anyone else – has ever imagined, Michael now finds that he is capable of being as elusive as a ghost. He sets out to honour his late friend by using his new-found gifts to help Nina Dozier and her son, John, whom Shelby greatly admired.

Although what Michael does for Nina is life changing, his actions also evoke the wrath of John’s father, a member of one of the most violent street gangs in Los Angeles. But an even greater threat is descending: the Internal Security Agency’s most vicious assassin, Durand Calaphas. Calaphas will stop at nothing to get his man. And if Michael dies twice, he will not live a third time.

From the tarnished glamour of Beverly Hills to the streets of South Central to a walled estate in Rancho Santa Fe, only Michael can protect Nina and John – and ensure that light survives in a rapidly darkening world.

Review

There is a lot going on in this story, but it's Koontz, ergo you kind of expect the creative drive and often wild exploration of a variety of ideas. Science meets speculation, injustice meets a strong sense of justice, and dodging death means death is forever on your heels.

Behind or hovering in the background is the sub-premise upon which the author is driving a lot of the stories - the futuristic collaboration of gene therapy and nanobot technology - The Singularity. In this story it's melded with the concepts that wander into speculative fiction, perhaps even bordering a deeper understanding of life and after-life.

I think the main character had a little bit of an Equalizer meets Robin Hood, as Michael steps accidentally into the role of an settling scores and making things a little more equal for those on dangerous positions.

It's gritty, sometimes crude depending on the character, which is a reflection of the gang and prison culture featured in the story. It also has the potential for further books or explorations - speculative is the gift that keeps on giving.

Buy After Death at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Thomas and Mercer, 18th July 2023 - Hardcover | Kindle Ebook | Audiobook. Buy at Amazon com.