The Bad Place

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Carol Cowan, Michael Hanson

Frank Pollard awakens in an alley, knowing nothing but his name - and that he is in great danger. Having taken refuge in a motel, he wakes again only to find his hands covered in blood. As far as he knows, he's no killer. But whose blood is this, and how did it get there?

Over the next few days Frank develops a fear of sleep, because each time he wakes, he discovers strange objects in his hands and pockets - objects far more frightening than blood.

Husband-and-wife detective team Bobby and Julie Dakota specialize in high-ticket corporate security investigations, but when a distraught and desperate Frank Pollard begs them to watch over him, they can't refuse. Out of compassion - and curiosity - they agree to get to the bottom of his mysterious, amnesiac fugues.

It seems a simple job: just follow a client who wants to be watched and tell him where he winds up. But as the Dakotas begin to discover where their client goes when he sleeps, they are drawn slowly into ever-darkening realms where they encounter the ominous figure stalking Frank. Their lives are threatened, as is that of Julie's gentle, Down's-syndrome brother, Thomas.

To Thomas, death is "the bad place" from which there is no return. But Julie and Bobby - and their tortured client - ultimately learn that equally bad places exist in the world of the living, places so steeped in evil that, in contrast ,death seems almost a relief.

©2004 Dean Koontz (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"A master storyteller, sometimes humorous, sometimes shocking, but always riveting. His characters sparkle with life. And his fast-paced plots are wonderfully fiendish, taking unexpected twists and turns." ( The San Diego Union-Tribune)

One of the best books:

I normally like to read the book so my mind can better act out the characters, visualize the scenes, etc.

This book was such a wonderful listen I found it hard to not listen to until the end.

I so enjoyed it I had to buy the paperback so I could read it myself, nonetheless the narrators did such a wonderful job I don't know if my mind can out do them.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Amazing

In the span of less than a hour this book can and will make you laugh, sob, gasp, and your heart race. Listening to this is one of the best five LITERARY EXPERIENCES, I have ever had. I'd recommend it to anyone, however it is not for the faint of heart.

Stopped listening: Narrator awful.

How could the performance have been better?
Re-record with any different narrator. This narrator sounds as if he is reading to a third grade class, has never seen the text before, and is bored silly.
I stopped listening after only 7-8 minutes.

Was The Bad Place worth the listening time?
No, and I gave it back to Audible.

Any additional comments?
Buy at your own risk.

Spellbinding!

The story lines are incredible and well delivered. It took great concentration in the beginning to keep every story line straight but it was well worth it as the story continued, developed and came to the conclusion!

really great book!. one of Dean's best.

LOVED IT! from the start of the book until the last page I was hooked.

Love it!

I've lost count how many times I've read this particular story, but it gets better every time.

Male narrator is awful

It has been very difficult to get through this book due to one factor only and that is the male narrator starts each sentence very loudly and then reduces his volume so much that the last word or two are barely legible. The story is great and the female narrator is fine, but I’ve had to rewind so many times that the enjoyment and ease of listening to an audio book has been completely lost on this title. Very disappointed is an understatement.

Really good story

Really good story and audible also good.
At times you kind of know what is coming but also some surprises..

The Bad Place

Any additional comments?

Read by Carol Cowan and Michael Hanson, The Bad Place is just over fifteen hours of listening.

There are actually two simultaneous stories and you’ll wonder how Koontz will be bringing these to journeys together.

First, the story begins with Frank Pollard waking in an alley. Frank knows his name but nothing else. Why or how he wound up in an alley, what he does for a living, where he lives, if there is a family … all is unknown. No car, only a duffle bag. He knows absolutely nothing other than the fact that he is running or hiding from ‘something’, and it is evil and scary. Frank also is plagued with what the reader will assume to be sleep-walking in that he wakes in hotel rooms with blood on his hands and clothes, or jewels in his pocket … and always bags of cash. Frank seeks out the services of a married team of private investigators … Julie and Bobby Dakota. Add to this duo Julie’s brother, Thomas, a gentle soul living in a shelter as a down-syndrome victim. Thomas is also gifted with extraordinary extra sensory perception; he just ‘knows’ things.

The second tale is the grizzly and macabre; we’re talkin’ Dean Koontz, here. Candy is a guy who murders people and animals when he’s hungry, drinks blood, has sisters who do the same, has a mother buried in his back yard, etc. You know the type.

No spoilers, but the stories merge with delightful hide-under-the-covers terror. Keep the lights on when you listen!

The narrators do a great job, particularly Carol Cowan. Have you have listened to any Nevada Barr books read by Barbara Rosenblat? If so, Carol Cowan is very similar. She certainly had me thinking of Anna Pigeon :-). Enjoyed.

Good Book, Mediocre Narration

Read the book years ago and loved it! Listened to the book and was disappointed in the narration.