WATCHERS

Travis Cornell has led a difficult life. His mother died giving him birth, his brother died while they were swimming together in the ocean, his father died in a car accident from which Travis walked away without major harm, his Delta Force unit had been wiped out to a man while he survived, and his wife had died from cancer shortly after their marriage. Naturally, Travis sees himself as cursed and has shut himself off from the world. Until he and a golden retriever cross paths.

The dog appears from seemingly nowhere as Travis travels through the woods in California. The dog, mangy and dirty, stops him from continuing along the path he was walking. Bemused at first, he soon discovers that there is something not quite right going on. A creature is nearby. Thinking it to be a cougar or some such animal, Travis is not at first concerned, but is soon overcome by unreasoning fear. He and the dog flee to his truck and drive away from the area.

It soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary dog. Little by little, the golden retriever reveals its intelligence. And it's an intelligence that no dog has ever possessed.

Meanwhile, we meet Nora Devon. Raised by her world-hating aunt until her recent death, Nora is socially inept and unable to stand up for herself. Which is perfect for the predator Art Streck, who begins to stalk her. Cornering her in the park, he plans to take her back to her house and rape her. Fortunately, Travis, and the newly named Einstein are in the park as well. And Einstein senses her distress and comes to the rescue, eventually driving Streck away. But poor Nora can't bring herself to reveal her trouble to Travis and returns home to find Streck there waiting for her.

Again, Einstein comes to the rescue. When Nora calls and hangs up, unable to bring herself to talk, Einstein senses it is her and forces Travis to call her back by persistantly bringing him the phone book. When she fails to answer, Einstein will not settle down until Travis agrees to take them both to her house. Fortunately, they arrive just in time to save her from Art Streck. Thereafter, the three of them begin spending time together and while Travis and Nora begin to build a relationship, they also explore the depths of Einstein's uniqueness.

Elsewhere, brutal and mysterious deaths are being reported. People, livestock and other animals are being torn to pieces, their eyes ripped out. And the NSA is stepping in and taking over. Lem Johnson, head of the local NSA office, is desperately trying to find two escapees from a government funded genetics lab. One, a dog with human intelligence. The other, called the Outsider, a ghastly mutated killing machine. One that hates the dog passionately. One that has a special bond with the dog that allows it to sense its location. One that will track the dog with single minded intensity until it finds it and kills it.

And if all that isn't enough, Koontz throws in a psycopathic serial killer. One who believes he has a Gift that allows him to absorb the life energy of all those he has killed, eventually enough life force to make him immortal. When he is hired to kill a number of scientists, he breaks the golden rule of contract killers and lets his curiosity lead him to question his victims. And thus he learns of the dog and the Outsider and makes his own plans of finding the dog and using it for his own purposes.

Travis and Nora eventually teach Einstein to read, and using tiles from a Scrabble board, they are able to communicate. Learning of Einstein's past, they devote themselves to keeping him free and safe. Safe from confinement in the lab, safe from the NSA and safe from the Outsider. Just as Einstein has saved them from their own lonely existences.

Soon, all of the players are rushing toward a climatic showdown

Dean Koontz has created a masterpiece with this book. Both Travis and Nora are believable and sympathetic characters. Einstein himself steals the show. Who wouldn't want a dog that could hold his own in a conversation and even come in second against two humans in a game of Scrabble? Even the Outsider is well written. Though evil and unmerciful, he is painted at times as a creature to be pitied, not just feared. In fact, Vince Nasco, the psychopath, is the only one dimensional character to be found herein. Yet even he is believable because his thought processes are consistent throughout.

Anybody who has ever lived with a dog for any length of time has had a moment, a brief instant, when, while talking to the dog, believes that he/she understands what is being said. Yes, it's silly, but be honest. It has happened. Perhaps once, maybe even numerous times. For a moment. And it makes you think, wouldn't it be great.........

If anything above intrigues you, read this book. You will not be disappointed. Have I mentioned that I love this book?

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