After doing a Google search of Dean Koontz’s, Relentless, and finding massive pages of book reviews, I almost didn’t bother doing this one. But then I realized that very few of the reviews were original, but merely used material from the jacket cover. I decided that maybe people needed a book review by some one that actually read the book.
This story was written in the voice of Cullen “Cubby” Greenwich, the author in the story at odds with book critic, Shearman Waxx. This story had very little dialogue and read quickly. I promise not to be as ruthless as Shearman Waxx, the insane book critic of Relentless nor as diabolical, but I won’t provide a “this is the greatest book I have ever read.” This was a decent read for after the Florida Writer’s Association award banquet, while sitting in the motel room watching the last of the Gator football game.
Relentless contains a wide array of characters. As in many Koontz stories, Relentless also contains a somewhat magical dog, Lassie, who protects the family. Cubby’s wife, Peny, writes children’s books, and his six-year old son, Milo, just happens to be a genius. Did I forget to mention the survivalist in-laws that blow up buildings for a living and live in bunker with lots of guns or the widowed child sitter that carries a big gun, and was married to a police officer? Now for the antagonist, Shearman Waxx, maniac book critic, who belongs to an International organization with a manifesto for controlling culture, and wants to destroy Cubby. His organization also happens to be extremely sadistic, and supported by the government. While far fetched, the characters show a good deal of imagination.
In Relentless, Koontz has written a parody of the author/book critic relationship. The book is not sophisticated, but it is entertaining. Koontz pokes fun at the book critic industry, and I can appreciate his angst.
Bruce G. Smith 10/31/2009