One Door Away From Heaven

Author: Dean R. Koontz
Publisher: Headline

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Micky is a young woman with an unpleasant history. Leilani is a nine-year-old girl with an unpleasant present. But the fates have brought them together and maybe, just maybe, Micky can find peace by freeing Leilani from her terrible fate. A fate imposed by a famous believer in bioethics called Preston Maddoc, and his drug crazed wife, Sensemilla.

Noah is a private investigator who’s currently working on a case for a congressman’s wife. The congressman is not overly enthralled with this arrangement and is trying to ensure that Noah stops his investigations and takes the party line.

A young boy, who shall be called Curtis for arguments sake, has just lost his family and is currently running for his life from a group of vicious assassins and the FBI.

What makes One Door Away From Heaven so good is the way these disparate characters and stories are brought together, seamlessly. Koontz also plays each story off the others to build more tension and suspense. This works so well because each story is valid, for want of a better word, in it’s own right. And each one draws you in completely.

The characters themselves are well composed and don’t feel stereotyped. Although Noah the PI can be seen in thousands of detective novels, Koontz brings him to life. The emotions expressed feel very real and honest. This allows you to get under the skin of the characters and to empathise with the situations they encounter.

Koontz has also taken a subject, utilitarian bioethics, which he feels passionately about — he disagrees with this philosophy. And this passion comes through very strongly in the book. This is a must read for everyone, not just Koontz fans.

Very highly recommended.

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