This story is not the most original Dean Koontz has ever written. Plenty of thrillers out there do something bolder with their premise these days. But originality is not really what this series is after. The whole “Nameless” run breathes a very distinct 90s flair and this instalment fits that tone perfectly.

„A series of suspicious deaths in a retirement home draws Nameless into the confidence of a terrified former resident and into the dark heart of a shocking conspiracy. In part five of the Nameless series, it’s time to hunt. Oakshore Park is Michigan’s most exclusive assisted-living community. Presided over by two killer angels of mercy, it’s also the go-to facility in assisted dying. For a cut, they make impatient heirs happy. Nameless must concoct a scheme just as cunning. But righteous retribution stirs disquiet in the avenger as light starts to shine on the black hole of his past. Should he welcome it or keep running?“

Blurb

The case itself, set in a retirement home, is suspenseful from the very first page. It carries a few twists I did not see coming and the accomplice of the deranged doctor turned out to be a character I “liked” the way you like a well built villain. The resolution is where the book really shines. Nameless has a habit of letting the bad guys take each other out and Koontz plays that card with genuine satisfaction here.

There is also something oddly comforting about the fact that Nameless and his team simply know everything. Realistic it is not. Thrilling it absolutely is. That omniscience gives the story a momentum a more grounded approach would probably lose.

My one complaint is not new. The portrayal of women has bothered me throughout the whole series, but in this volume it is more pronounced than in any of the previous ones. The female characters fall into exactly two categories. Either they are helpless, small and beautiful or they are the crazy bad ones who will kill anything that is not up a tree by the count of three. There is almost nothing in between. With the 90s vibe in mind I can live with it, but it does stand out. Overall another 4 stars for this one.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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📝 If you are looking for my own short stories, poems and texts, check out my Substack: https://substack.com/@fragmentsandthedark