From “The Cooked Staircase”, Dean Koontz’s 3rd book in the exciting 5-book ‘Jane Hawk’ series.
Original digital surreal art: “Comin’ 4 Ya” by: rob kistner © 9/7/23
W isely concerned, smartly cautious, but courageously undeterred. “I could be dead tomorrow, or something worse than dead.” Jane Hawk intuits that her days may certainly be numbered, but until that is determined, she’ll not cease her personal war on the horrifying conspiracy that threatens the freedom, and what’s worse, the free will of millions. Dean has set a plot that challenges a fundamental Human question. Like a shroud of death unfurling across the country, a bizarre epidemic of murder-suicides is ever escalating. Is free will a verified conclusion, or simply a wishful illusion?
This scourge has claimed Jane’s husband. It’s also turned Jane into a rogue FBI agent, a fugitive relentlessly sought by both the government — and by the strange and murderous secret cabal behind this incomprehensible deviant plot. “Only the insane are perfect in their paranoia, and I’m far from perfect. Besides, I’ve work to do.” Jane understands what she is up against, but there is too much at stake to worry — or be frightened. Deploying every resource their maniacal nexus of power and technology controls, Jane’s enemies are determined to see her die, or make her wish she was dead. Dean now examine’s the will to live. Although being ruthlessly pursued, Jane is singularly focused on her prey — a cunning and twisted man of unimaginable wide spread influence, with an army of profoundly evil professional killers at his beckon call. Can madness truly be deterred, as reality becomes irreversibly blurred?
Propelled by her righteous fury and unwavering demand that justice prevail, Jane makes her way from southern Southern California to the snow-swept slopes of Lake Tahoe. “They won’t know I’m coming — until they do, much too late.” Our heroine is intent on confronting, head-on, the lethal forces arrayed against her. Dean focuses on the essence and mechanisms of fate. However nothing prepares her for the chilling truth, to which she comes face to face, descending the crooked staircase. Concealed here in this dark hell, is the dreadful place where her long nightmare was born. Do you believe we truly can, ever escape from where we began?
Original digital surreal art: “The Crooked Staircase”
by: rob kistner © 9/7/23
is free will a verified conclusion
or simply a wishful illusion
can madness truly be deterred
as reality becomes irreversibly blurred
do you believe we truly can
ever escape from where we began
*
rob kistner © 9/7/23
Poetry at: dVerse
Poignant last lines!
Reena, if you ever have the chance to read Dean Koontz’s 5-book “Jane Hawk” series, you will understand just how deeply poignant. If you like the scifi genre, you will really enjoy this series my friend. And you must read the books chronologically “The Silent Corner”, “The Whispering Room”, “The Crooked Staircase”, “The Forbidden Door”, and the “The Night Window” — because it is one huge plot. To go out of order, or miss a book, the plot will unravel into confusion.
Undeterred you read it – What a book…
“Like a shroud of death unfurling across the country, a bizarre epidemic of murder-suicides is ever escalating”
I consumed all 5 “Jane Hawk” books Laura. I love Dean Koontz, and his “Jane Hawk” 5-book series was incredibly exciting, engaging, and terrifying. In my opinion, second only to his brilliant “Odd Thomas” series. This Jane Hawk book, “The Crooked Staircase” continues examining the end of humanity, and the beginning of the robo-human — something Elon Musk is actually leaning towards in his tech evolution in today’s world. A chilling quote from billionaire inventor Elon Musk heads the first chapter of THE NIGHT WINDOW, the 5th and final book in the Jane Hawk series: “Creating a neural [brain] lace is the thing that really matters for humanity to achieve symbiosis with machines.” Very unnerving, and damned sobering my friend!
Wow!your prose poem offers a really thrilling insight.
Luv your digital art
Much????love
Thank you Gillena, thank you so much… 🙂
Your great enjoyment of the book/series comes through!
I love Dean Koontz as a writer. His melancholy feels like a friend.
https://youtu.be/z0SFTA24M-M?si=FE1QPvKgJJ_y8_Hh
I have not read Dean and I do love sci-fi so I will give it a go inspired by the poetry of your review…
Dean is a very sober sci-fi writer whose wondrous but dark melancholy makes his work contemplative and engaging. It is written as a novel and not like a Saturday morning cartoon. Strange and smart.
I’ve heard of that author. Is this a horror series? Rob I love series like that, where you jump between the covers and live there until the end. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first book in a series that I read and totally fell into it. Still haven’t gotten to book 2 but will have to start again so I’m not lost. Zelazny’s 9 Princes in Amber was one I read them all.
I would not call it horror in the slasher fashion. It is more psychological terror, but extremely well done. Dean Koontz is a master writer my friend. He has many books to choose from. His Odd Thomas series is superb Lisa
If I’m ever in mind to read something along those lines, I’ll give him a shot.
He is a fine writer Lisa… 🙂