DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART

by Dean Koontz

Alfred A. Knopf Inc. (1994)

Reviewed by Bob Thompson 12/1/94

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Well, Dean Koontz has done it again. Another scary page-turner.

Spencer Grant is the good guy, Valerie Keene is the woman on the run and Roy Miro is the head field operative of the bad guys. Spencer is an ex-Army Ranger, ex-cop, and a computer hacker with a secret past. Valerie is a super-hacker who knows too much. Roy works for a secret government agency, which allows him to practice his strange avocation with impunity.

There are no vampires, genetic mutants or demon posessed machines here; The reason that this book is scary is that up to page 464, everything that happens is based in reality. The characters are fictional and the story as a whole is fictional, but break it down scene by scene, and there are parallels that have actually occurred in the U.S. in the last few years. On pages 465 - 468 something happens that I can't swear presently exists, but is within the realm of possibility given current technology.

While "dark rivers of the heart" refers to some psychological abnormalities that exist in some of the characters of the book, the real story is about a government out of control, a secret agency, a secret conspiracy unaccountable for its evil deeds. Innocent citizens are ruined and/or murdered because they stand in the way of a government agency, or simply because an agent doesn't like the way they look. It shows what can happen when a government ignores God-given and Constitutionally guaranteed personal rights in the name of "the War on Drugs" or "Crime control".

I think that Dean Koontz is trying to warn his readers about what is happening in this country right now, but doing it in a more subtle and entertaining way than the "conservative" print media and radio talk show programs of today.

There are a few technical details that the author slipped up on, and one unlikely situation outcome, but for the most part, it is all too realistic. Just look behind the headlines---in fact sometimes you don't have to look behind them.

Dean Koontz is one of my favorite novelists. Usually his stories play upon the primal fears of the reader, or they feature villains with very abnormal mental processes, and while these are present in DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART, it is the important message about the trampling of personal rights by the government, and the dangers of the "Information Superhighway" that really make this book so good.

On that basis, I fully recommend this book to everyone. It is very entertaining and flows well. Try to read it all in one sitting if your time permits. If you are one of society's blithe spirits who is not upset by certain recent government decisions or actions; if this book causes you to think twice the next time the U.S. Department of Justice, The Department of the Treasury, The FBI or The IRS makes the headlines, Dean Koontz will have served humanity very well indeed.

Of the 18 Dean Koontz novels that I have read, I'd place this one at #2 for pure storytelling enjoyment and #1 for its important message. Although it is in a different genre and an easier read, I'd rate it nearly as socio-politically important as Ayn Rand's ATLAS SHRUGGED,
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