I haven't read Dean Koontz in years. I don't think I've missed much after reading this one though. BUT some of my other buddy readers think differently. They are wrong.Dean Koontz can't even wash his panties in the same room with Stephen King. Now that I've put that image in your head, I'll ramble some about the book. You have this lab who had been creating super smart critters to fight. They never really tell how so don't be getting your sciency on for this one. There is a hit man who is offing the scientist so that might be why Koontz doesn't tell us. Who knows? I wanted at least a pretense of explanation. The lab has 'sired' a super smart dog and that other thing. The Outsider. Then enter the guy character. He was sorta alright but not a character that would stick out in my head. For ex-Delta force I really expected a whole lot more bad-ass than he was. Enter in Nora, she has lived her whole sheltered life in her mean old aunt's shadow. She has had really no contact with the outside world and is introverted as all get out. For about five minutes, because once she meets the guy she is the most beautiful woman ever and everyone wants to bang her. All these characters are pretty annoying. The only ones I liked? The Outsider and the Dog, Einstein. I do think Einstein should have been a chihuahua though. Chihuahuas rock. I have three and then I have the boy child's dog. (That's a whole nuther story on that one though.) But chihuahuas would have gotten this book an extra star from me. Because see how smart they are? (Blatant promotion of my own dogs coming here)Faking sleep when tries to be made to go outside and pee in the rain: Smart! Being Spider-Dog to try and jump in mom's plate of food: Smart! Interupting mom's selfie taking to crawl on her shoulder wanting in the pic? Not really smart but you can't win them all. Then the Outsider. I wish he had ate perfect Nora and the guy and went on to make sciency babies with the dog, while they watched Mickey Mouse videos. Total win that would have been! I read this as a buddy read with Delee, Stepheny, 2.0, Ed and Kelly.