The Eyes of Darkness - Dean Koontz (Review & Summary)

Date of Reading: 22/03/2020

Author: Dean Koontz/Leigh Nichols (pseudonym)

Publisher: Berkley

Year: 1981

Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

A year after little Danny's death, his mother swore she saw him in a stranger's car... It was a mystery she could not escape. An obsession that would lead her from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the cold shadows of the High Sierras. A terrible secret seen only by... The Eyes Of Darkness.

Review:

      One of my friends suggested this book a while back but I just put it off. Then with the onset of Covid-19, the novel gained an unprecedented popularity and now I can't really keep it aside, right? 

     The novel started off like a ghost story with Danny's mother seeing her dead son in another car. Well, horror is my least favourite genre along with psychological thriller, so I did have a peek at some of the spoilers. Don't want to waste my brain work finding the criminal only to realise that it only happened in the protagonist's mind. Nope, definitely not my thing.

       The story tuned out to be a thriller with some elements of the supernatural. Packed with action, the narrative follows Tina Evans and Elliot Stryker on their journey to find what really happened with Danny. With just more than three fifty pages, the book can be finished in one sitting. The plot gives some old cinematic vibes, but it can only be expected since this was written way back in 1981.

    So to the million dollar question that is on everyone's mind: did this 1981 novel predict corona virus? Not exactly. But a virus named Wuhan-400 (so named since it is developed by the Chinese in Wuhan lab) is the crux of the problem. Fortunately for us, the virus that we experience is far from lethal compared to the one described in the novel. The author seems to have taken great care not to insinuate something against China and US, but may not have succeeded completely. It do blames both the countries, at least that is the way I found it.

Summary:

      Its been one year since Danny Evans died during a camping trip. His mother Tina is in the process of coming in terms with this tragedy, but then mysterious things begin to happen. First, she feels that she saw Danny in a car, and then a message appears inside Danny's old room -- "NOT DEAD". First she thinks this is a prank played by her ex-husband, Michael, but a meeting with him clears those doubts.

       Meanwhile, she meets Elliot Stryker, a lawyer who previously worked for Army Intelligence. There is an instant attraction between the two. Considering Tina's flustered state, Elliot decides to petition the reopening of Danny's grave. She had never seen Danny's body since the authorities advised against it. His body was too mangled to be recognised. Both believe that once she sees the remains of her son, she will be able to accept his death. Then her frequent nightmares involving Danny trapped in a pit about to be buried alive by a skull face also may stop. 

      Elliot approached Harold Kennebeck, a judge who was also his mentor in the Intelligence. He agrees to think about it and when Elliot is attacked at home, he realises that something is amiss. Someone needs to keep Danny's grave unopened and Harold has leaked Elliot's whereabouts to them.

      While packing all the things in Danny's room Tina finds an old horror comic which features the same skull faced man in her dreams. It is titled 'The Boy Who Was Not Dead'. She wracks her memory but cannot remember checking Danny's comics before. A worker comes to check signs of gas leak in her house and tampers with the pipes. Luckily, Elliot arrives on time to save her from the explosion.

     They lose their pursuers and another series of mysterious events convince Tina that her son is alive. It is Danny who is reaching out to them. Even as a boy, he is known to have strange telepathic powers, and it seems he has improved a lot. Since reopening Danny's grave is no longer possible, their only lead is a series of questions found in one of the attacker's body. They were supposed to question Elliot with it.

      The Sierra accident which supposed to have killed Danny seems to be linked to Project Pandora. They decide to talk with Luciano Bellicosti, the coroner who prepared Danny's coffin and fly out to meet him in Reno. Meanwhile, the head of the Nevada bureau of the Network, George Alexander, figures out their destination and things are set in motion to trap Elliot and Tina once they land.

     Elliot finds the coroner murdered in his house and his quick thinking helps them make a narrow escape. To find Danny's location Tina tries to channel his energy to pinpoint his location in a map. But her mind is too restless to cooperate. With the help of Billy, one of Tina's friends proficient in hypnotism, they manage to find the route eventually. 

Source: npr.org

     Borrowing Billy's vehicle they proceed to Project Pandora. With Danny's help they make a smooth entry. The guns of the guards failed to work and door opened leading the way. Danny is found in a lab, skeleton thin and full of tubes attached to his body.

     Dr. Carlton Dombey, one of the scientists in charge of the experiments on Danny takes their side to rescue the weak boy. It was a military centre dedicated to chemical and biological weapons. From a defected Chinese scientist they got the news of a deadly virus named Wuhan-400. The scientists in the institute managed to create a replica but one of them got infected. Instead of following the standard procedures on such an instance, he panicked and got away. On the way he met the scouts including Danny and they too got infected. No one survived except Danny. They kept him there to isolate the antibody and when that is accomplished, Dr. Tamaguchi, the director used him like a lab rat to test how many times he can withstand the attack of the virus. Danny beat it fourteen times so far.

       Tina and Elliot wrapped Danny carefully for the journey back. But Alexander and his cronies had followed them in a helicopter. Just before they land, Danny creates a storm to smash them to pieces. Finally, he is on his way home.

Meet the author:

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.