THE BAD WEATHER FRIEND by Dean Koontz

THE BAD WEATHER FRIEND

Dean Koontz(deankoontz.com)

Thomas & Mercer (apub.com)

£19.99

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Benny Catspaw is a nice guy. Just a genuinely nice guy, who can’t imagine being rude or unfriendly to anyone. Even when his life starts to fall apart, Benny can’t believe that it’s anything other than a mistake, that no-one could have set out to deliberately ruin his life. First his job, then his fiancée. What started out as a day full of promise seems to have fallen apart around him. But it’s not all bad: a distant uncle, with the unlikely name of Talmadge Clerkenwell, and who looks remarkably like KFC’s infamous Colonel Sanders, has sent him some gifts – a somewhat cryptic video message; and a large crate which the manifest claims contains nothing but books. Instead, it contains a seven-foot-tall man named Spike who claims to be Benny’s “bad weather friend”, his sole purpose to ensure that no-one takes advantage of Benny and his constant niceness. Along with a waitress-turned-private-eye-in-training, Harper Harper, Benny and Spike will get to the bottom of what has happened today and get Benny’s life back on track in the process.

I have been reading Dean Koontz on and off since his 1987 novel, Watchers, and the only thing you can be sure of from a Koontz novel is that you can never be sure what to expect. The Bad Weather Friend, his latest offering, is unlike anything he has written before; I’d even go so far as to say it’s unlike anything you’ve ever read before. But it is, undeniably, Koontz. To guide us through the worst (and maybe best) couple of days of Benny Catspaw’s life, Koontz adopts a jaunty voice that is, sometimes, at odds with the violence we are witnessing. This is the voice of an omniscient narrator who will often break the fourth wall, but never breaks character over the course of the novel’s almost-400 pages.

(What has happened thus far to Benny is unfair and sad. We’ve all endured too much unfairness and sadness in our lives; exposing ourselves to more of the same in stories like this could be healing, but it might also risk opening new psychological wounds. Therefore, be assured that while more unfairness will ensue, Benny is too nice and sweet-tempered to be undone by it. The sadness will diminish as the chapters unfold, though some events will require a handkerchief. Also be prepared for shocking developments that overturn everything you thought you knew about the nature of the world as well as for a few moments of almost unendurable terror.)

At the centre of the story, as you might expect, is Benny himself and his blossoming relationship with waitress/PI Harper. It’s difficult to dislike Benny, though there are times when we feel a good shake might do him the world of good. We quickly come to see just how important Spike will become in this young man’s life if he is to remain happy and healthy. A wonderful camaraderie quickly develops between the three central characters, which quickly becomes more of a lifelong friendship as they move backwards through the people who have ruined Benny’s day, trying to get to the bottom of just why Benny’s life had to be ruined. Spike is an interesting character with a vast backstory that we just accept as gospel. He’s here to help Benny, so why should we be suspicious of him? He is, it soon transpires, a lot older than he appears, and may not actually be human. This most definitely falls into the realms of speculative fiction, so be warned: The Bad Weather Friend is, as it seems, a thriller, but it does have some supernatural and/or inexplicable elements; so if you’re looking for something along the lines of Reacher, you may need to come at this one with a slightly more open mind.

Koontz intersperses the modern-day narrative with flashbacks to the time Benny spent in a remote private school where the headmaster’s wife carried out horrible scientific experiments on some of the boys. There are hints of the Netflix series Wednesday in these segments, and a much darker, more horrific feel than the more up-to-date storyline. This serves to break up to the ongoing story a bit without necessarily interrupting the pace – they act more as places to catch our breaths – and, while seemingly unrelated to what’s going on in the main story, give us a glimpse into how Benny became the man he is. The main story is fast-paced and wonderfully-plotted. A sort-of quest that sees our central trio move from one clue to the next, Koontz knows exactly how to keep our attention focussed on the page and ensures that the payoff is more than worth the effort we’re putting in. While the major plot arcs are all resolved, we’re left with lots of questions – mainly about the mysterious Spike – and the hope that this might only be the first outing for this oddball trio.

So, should you read Dean Koontz’s The Bad Weather Friend? Of course you should! Full of humour and love, and lots of action, it’s the perfect read to brighten up your day…even with those few moments of almost unendurable terror thrown in. Koontz, in a career that spans over fifty years and at least ten pseudonyms, continues to go from strength to strength, and shows no signs of slowing down. Which is excellent news for us readers, especially if he continues to experiment with the form and the voice, as he has done in The Bad Weather Friend to wonderful effect. What makes it work so well? I think it’s that, at heart, it’s a simple story with engaging characters. Everything else is dressing, but I can guarantee you’ll still be thinking about Benny, Harper and Spike months after turning the final page.