BOOK REVIEW: The Other Emily by Dean Koontz

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It is hard to write about "The Other Emily" by Dean Koontz.

It is not because it is a bad book. I was pretty pleased with and enjoyed it.

But how do you write about a book without giving away key plot points?

The synopsis is simple. Emily Carlino vanished 10 years ago after her car broke down on a California highway. She was presumed to be one of serial killer Ronny Lee Jessup’s victims.

Her remains were never found. Emily was the love of writer David Thorne’s life. He hasn’t recovered from losing her or from the guilt of not being there to save her. Since then,  Thorne has sought closure any way he can. He visits with Jessup regularly in prison, desperate for answers about Emily’s final hours so he may finally lay her body to rest.

Then Thorne meets Maddison Sutton. Everything about Maddison from her face to her kisses is just like Emily.  Is she Emily? Or an irresistible dead ringer? Either way, the ultimate question is the same: What game is she playing? Whatever the risk in finding out, Thorne is willing to take it for this precious second chance. It’s been ten years since he’s felt this inspired, this hopeful, this much in love and he’s afraid.

Reading this synopsis a few months ago made me want to read this book.

I finally was able to check it out from Marian Wright Edelman Public Library in time for my vacation. I don’t regret it.

“The Other Emily” is part love story, part thriller, and part science fiction with 
a generous helping of a serial killer and a dash of what is going on in this book.

I will admit the book was slow getting into at the beginning. It took me about 14 chapters to really commit to it. The book has 96 chapters.

If I am not interested after three chapters, I am done with a book but it was Dean Koontz so I didn’t want to give up.

Once the action got started, the pages flew by for me. 

Koontz is one of my favorite authors behind Stephen King. This book was weird and to say that you will suspend your disbelief is the understatement of the year.

The only main gripe was how Koontz kept writing about how much Thorne loved Emily. I get it. He loved her and felt guilty.

I was okay with the ending and I will leave it at that because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

If someone reads this book and wants to discuss it with me, you know where to find me.

This book will not land in the top ten of my favorite Dean Koontz books but it wasn’t a bad way to spend a vacation morning in the sunroom.

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