Fear Nothing
Dean Koontz

Christopher Snow is different from all the other residents of Moonlight Bay, different from anyone you've ever met. For Christopher Snow has made his peace with a very rare genetic disorder shared by only one thousand other Americans, a disorder that leaves him dangerously vulnerable to light. His life is filled with the fascinating rituals of one who must embrace the dark. He knows the night as no one else ever will, ever can - the mystery, the beauty, the many terrors, and the eerie, silken rhythms of the night - for it is only at night that he is free.
Until the night he witnesses a series of disturbing incidents that sweep him into a violent mystery only he can solve, a mystery that will force him to rise above all fears and confront the many layered strangeness of Moonlight Bay and its residents.

Christopher is called into the hospital, to his father's sick bed, to be with him when he passes away. At first, he doesn't think he wants to be with his father's body in the cooler, waiting until the mortician picks him up. But after some thought, he changes his mind. When he heads down there what he sees is that his father's body is being taken someplace else and the body of a murdered vagrant is the one that will be cremated in the place of his father. Unfortunately, during the course of seeing this, he leaves some evidence behind so that those who are behind this ploy know that he's seen something he shouldn't. The truth behind why his fathers body is being taken away is more horrifying than the fact that the ashes Christopher receives will not be those of his father, but those of one who was murdered.

In places, this novel has a bit of an Odd Thomas feel - probably because of the dialogue, the way Christopher behaves, and his relationship with his dog Orson (who is much more than just a dog). The characters, especially Christopher and Orson, are well rounded and believable. Even the villains and the terrifying plot of genetic research are believable. The action is a slow burn, building up to an ending where there is a shoot out between the protagonists and a group of villains.

I can't say much more than that without ruining the surprises held within.

This book stands up well to Koontz's other works and not only feels like a Dean Koontz novel, but also is definitely one of his better works. The plot is both engaging and gives the reader something to think about. Especially in this day and age when DNA testing is being done more so than when this book was published.

I would recommend this book to anyone and say it is a must read for any Koontz fan.

My rating: Four out of five snails.