When I think of Dean Koontz, two things come to mind: great characters, horrible endings. Well, "From The Corner Of His Eye" doesn't stray from that formula. The characters Koontz creates, and especially in this book, are complex, intriguing people. Enoch Cain is the quite possibly the most fascinating villian I have ever had read.

Most of the book is spent focusing on them instead of the main plot, which is a little unusual, and eventually disappointing. Very little of the book is spent dealing with the mysticism that entwines these people's lives, and the ending gives no clear explanation for the events that took place, which is really a let down. The majority of the book has a feeling that something spectacular will happen to the characters in the end. I laugh at that thought now.

There is no major plot action until the VERY end of the book, and the climax is so ridiculous that I had to reread it to make sure I wasn't daydreaming. I wasn't. The climax was only one paragraph long. The rest of the book was utterly useless, and everything seemed to be a little too convenient. I lost count how many characters got married by the last ten pages.

I would reccomend this book for people who can create their own endings, because at least they can come up with something that is in the least bit satisfying.

First I read the book, then I read what the other reviewers had to say. Then I went back and checked the title and the author in case there were two Dean Koontz or two books entitled "From the Corner of His Eye". And then I realized what the problem was... all the reviewers who had downgraded this one were Koontz fans who expected a horror story (which this is not). Since I'm not a regular Koontz reader, I was not so easily disappointed.

But it's okay to cry, guys, I know the feeling well. I've suffered pangs of severe angst when reading Grisham's 'Painted House' to find there wasn't a lawyer in sight; or struggling all the way through 'Skipping Christmas' just waiting for the courtroom scene. Out of genre; out of sync it would seem.

Yet for me, From the Corner of His Eye was a charming, thought-provoking, here-a-smile-there-a-frown book whose only real negative was that it was a bit too easy to put down between chapters... oh yeah, and the twins did get just a bit tedious by the end... oh and I guess I'd have to agree that Barty and Mummy and the whole smiling happy-clan became just a bit too gooey by the end... oh and Cain was wopped too easily when he made his curtain call. Anything else? Not really; it was a good, steady, entertaining read, and I'll be quite happy to buy another Dean Koontz based on that one. So what was the problem, guys... other than Barty and Angel climbing a tree on their eighteenth birthdays when they should have been tucked up in bed?

Dean Koontz's "From the Corner of His Eye" is probably the best book ever written by a man who has had more than his share of great reads. Rare is the storyteller who excels not only at spooking us, but also at making us realize how beautiful the world and its inhabitants can be. I recommend this book whole-heartedly. Much like his other steller works, such as "Intensity" and "Lightning," Koontz takes us into the mind of an absolutely diabolical madman. However, at the other end, there are characters whose goodness makes them impossible not cheer for and care about. This novel ultimately deals with good versus evil, but other themes are present as well: dealing with loss and rediscovering faith just to name two. This may seem like too much for one novel, but Koontz weaves the story in a way that ties all ends together in a unique and interesting way. There is also a neat bit of science fiction in the novel dealing with quantum machanics. This should come as no surprise to longtime Koontz fans, as his novels have dealt with time travel in the past. ("Seize the Night" for example). However, here there are no headaches from trying to understand any theory. Koontz explans the theory in a simple and easily understandable way, as much of the explaning comes from the precocious three year olds in the novel. Again, it seems like alot, but Koontz's touch is brilliant. As I finished the book, I thought about how amazing it was that someone could think of, much less write, such a complicated story and make it smooth and endearing. Koontz quite simply has a beautiful mind. Many critics call Koontz "a poor man's King," referring to Stephen King. It should be noted that King reads and adores Koontz's work. This book shows why.