By Ian Wilson
As some of you might know, I am a great admirer of the thrillers of Dean Koontz. His flair for the exciting and dramatic have captured my attention for several years now. His fast-paced writing style that keeps you glued to the page is a quality that I have wanted to imitate in my own work. This book was no exception. I can honestly say I had trouble putting it down. Every page kept me on the edge of my seat!
The story is told from the perspective of James “Jimmy” Tock, pastry chef, the only son of a pastry chef (or is he?) in scenic Snow Village, Colorado. He was born on a stormy night in Snow County hospital, the very same evening that his grandfather, Josef Tock, is expiring from a stroke. Meanwhile, his father, Rudy, is in the expectant father’s lounge, making the acquaintance of a rather resentful circus clown, Konrad Bezo. Konrad is also expecting a child; his beautiful wife, an acrobat, is in the maternity ward giving birth to what Konrad is certain will be a son “Punchinello, the greatest clown in history”. However, clowns and acrobats are forbidden to marry. This becomes important, later.
As he is in the throws of death, Josef makes several predictions about his grandson’s future. He predicts that James will be forever known as “Jimmy,” that he will be born with syndactyly (a fusion of the digits) and that he will have to endure five terrible days. He compels his son, Jimmy’s father Rudy, to record the exact dates, writing them down on a circus ticket he had stuffed in his pocket. The same moment Jimmy is brought into the world, Josef passes away. When Jimmy is finally born with syndactyly, Rudy starts to become concerned.
After Bezo receives the dreadful news that his wife passed away in childbirth, he goes on a murderous rampage, killing the doctor and two nurses and absconding with his son. However, he allows Rudy, his wife, and young Jimmy to live. Konrad disappears into the night. Rudy breathes a sigh of relief, believing that he has seen the last of the murderous clown. But he is sadly mistaken.
Jimmy has an idyllic childhood with loving parents and an eccentric grandmother. His life is ordinary, boring even; until the first of five terrible days occurs. Jimmy’s life is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by a mysterious, handsome figure with dark intentions. The novel takes off at a breakneck speed, twisting and turning through the five terrible dates as Jimmy fights murderous clowns and psychotic acrobats, all in an effort to live a full life. Jimmy’s life, and indeed, Snow Village will never be the same!
This book was a charming read. I enjoyed every moment of it. While there are moments of darkness and danger, there was just as much light and laughter in the midst of it. That’s one of the things I love about Koontz; he always seems to find a bright spot, or humor in every situation. He believes life is worth fighting for, and that goodness and truth will win out in the end. Every character was well-written and enjoyable. Every scene was crafted to keep my eyes on the page. There were so many unexpected twists, I almost couldn’t keep up! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry! Prepare to be enchanted!
Originally published in Legends and Songs: The Newsletter of Ian Thomas Wilson
LogoSophia Magazine 