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    The Husband
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    The Husband
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    The Husband
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Husband

    Written by Dean Koontz

    Narrated by Holter Graham

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes-and the pulse rate-higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.

    What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?

    We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighborhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.

    Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way.

    If he loves his wife enough. . . Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it. He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.

    From its tense opening to its shattering climax, The Husband is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation…until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 30, 2006
    ISBN9780739332887
    Unavailable
    The Husband
    Author

    Dean Koontz

    Dean Koontz is the author of more than a dozen New York Times No. 1 bestsellers. His books have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, and his work is published in 38 languages. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and lives with his wife Gerda and their dog Anna in southern California.

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    Reviews for The Husband

    3.5/5

    908 ratings54 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Quick read
    • 4/5
      Dean Koontz never disappoints. Great twist! I love when I'm blindside on a plot twist!!!
    • 3/5
      Fast read, enjoyed
    • 4/5
      Pulse racing, jaw dropping, plot twisting thriller. Again, typical Koontz.
    • 4/5
      Never underestimate the power of the marriage vow...

      Mitch Rafferty, a stand-up guy; a true-to-form, law-abiding citizen finds himself stretched to both his mental and physical limits, when a small gang of kidnappers abducts his wife (whom Mitch greatly loves and cherishes) and demands from Mitch a two million dollar ransom for her life and safe return. Two million dollars that Mitch Rafferty - a gardener - does not have...

      What would you do if such an evil found its way upon you?

      The Husband is a fairly good story with both a decent plot and character development. It has its suspense, but at moments, the suspense feels "forced" to a certain extent. However, the heart-pounding is surely there; you'll feel as though you're there, right in the thick of it all. And the story moves along at a respectable pace.

      The Husband may not be one of Koontz's best, but it's definitely worthy of a read.

      (Original Kindle review.)
    • 3/5
      Not up to par with this author's other books in my opinion.
    • 4/5
      I love Dean Koontz books and although this may not rank as one of my favorites, it was still very good. This is a story of a kidnapping with a twist, and the characters are what you would expect from the mind of Dean Koontz. There are many surprises along the way and the struggle between good and evil is evident throughout the book.
    • 3/5
      wrapped up 2 hastily. definitely not his best, good tale could have been better
    • 5/5
      The Husband is suspenseful and action packed from the very beginning. Holly is kidnapped and Mitch has to overcome dangerous hurdles to get her back home safely. A huge ransom, his gardeners salary would never afford, seems inexplicable until a disfunctional and cruel family background is revealed. Plenty of greedy, corrupt and unexpected villains endanger both their lives. A fast paced and exciting read.
    • 5/5
      This is the first book I've read by Dean Koontz and I liked it. It had a good plot and interesting characters.
    • 3/5
      Good read, will make an interesting movie for sure... very intense at the end, with a quick come down... didn`t quite understand the whole New Mexico thing... I`ve read better Koontz.. also, what's up with the wind thing???
    • 5/5
      The pace was perfect. I never saw the twist coming and I usually do. Some pretty hard things to hear and have described. Koontz knows how to weave a story.
    • 2/5
      I decided to read this novel with some reluctance since of late I seem to be disappointed with Dean Koontz’s novels. I read them because occasionally (at least with his older works) he hits a home run and the novel is terrific. The premise of the book is interesting enough. Mitch Rafferty’s wife is kidnapped and the kidnappers demand two millions dollars, something that is difficult since he is only a simple gardener.The problem is the characterization in the novel. The novel is filled with one weak character after another. The first is Mitch. He is a nice enough guy, but he falls into the category of someone who isn’t capable. What I mean is that in a difficult situation with violence and lives on the line, he is not the type of character that would be able to come through. He is a bit of a wimp. The bad guy characters are even worse. Realism and dreadfully poor villain characters have always been Koontz’s downfall, and that’s the case here as well. An example is Mitch’s brother. It is impossible to believe that he’s this hardcore gangster without Mitch ever having a hint of that being the case. Also, his rationale of betraying his brother is just downright stupid. The even more villainous character is one of the kidnappers, and this character is just God awful. In the end, this novel did not deliver and I would recommend skipping it.Carl Alves - author of Conjesero
    • 4/5
      Audiobook performed by Holter Graham3.5*** Mitch Rafferty runs a small, 2-man, landscaping business. He’s in the middle of planting impatiens in a client’s yard when he gets a call on his cell-phone. His wife starts with “Whatever happens, I love you.” Then the kidnapper gets on the line and demands $2 million. There must be some mistake; he and his wife have less than $12,000 to their name. But the kidnapper is adamant that “If you love your wife enough” Mitch will find a way to come up with the ransom in time. Well, this was a wild ride! The formula is pretty standard, and I was pretty certain the “good guys” would win. Trouble is, who are the “good guys”? Koontz includes multiple twists in the plot so that every time I thought I had figured it out, I was proven wrong. The ending felt rushed and unfinished to me, but I definitely enjoyed the ride. This is the first book by Koontz that I’ve read. It’s not great literature, but it sure held my attention and I’ll definitely read more from him. Especially when I’m in the mood for a fast-paced, entertaining thriller.Holter Graham does a fine job narrating the audio version. He has good pacing and I believed in the characters as he voiced them.
    • 4/5
      THE HUSBAND Review This could possibly be the last good Dean Koontz novel. I only say "possibly" because I have yet to read RELENTLESS, which was published after this one, and do not hold high hopes for me liking it.

      Written in 2006, three years after the stellar debut of Pico Mundo's paranormally-inclined fry cook, THE HUSBAND avoids all the typical Koontz trappings. There's no witty/sarcastic narrator, no uber smart Golden, no blond female lead, no unrealistic dialogue, absolutely zero filler, and not a hint of quirky, preposterous, mustache-twirling villainous types.

      There's something truly fresh about this book, and I think what stands out the most is, Koontz actually managed to scare me again. There are more than a few scenes from the kidnapped wife's POV that chilled me to the bone. One especially terrifying chapter has the kidnapper's voice circling her in the darkness, drawing closer, drifting away, leaning in, ebbing... sometimes it's so close that she fears he's about to kiss her. I'm not doing justice to the scene, but suffice to say that, after reading it, I needed a space heater to thaw the blood in my veins. I haven't felt that way during a Koontz novel since reading DRAGON TEARS in 1993, and I think that novel only scared me because I was 13 years old. Back then, Barney the Big Purple Pedophile scared the shit out of me.

      Our main character, Mitch, is a likable enough guy, but by the end of THE HUSBAND, he's a broken individual. He manages some pretty nasty and twisted things after finding out why his wife was kidnapped. If I'd been in Mitch's shoes, well... the song "Five Minutes Alone", by Pantera, comes to mind. Needless to say, I still rooted for the man Mitch became, but I was a tad more fearful of him than for him.

      In the last Koontz book I read, the MC (a pastry chef) droned on and on about this baked good or that tasty confection. It was useless information, and as boring as turtle sex. Koontz is also known for describing at length plantlife in exceedingly banal prose. When I first started THE HUSBAND and found out that the MC was a gardener, I almost slammed the book closed. I thought, "Wonderful... now he has a reason to bore me to death," but I continued to read. Boy, am I ever glad I did.

      The ending ties everything up nicely if a bit too quickly. But I think the finale only speeds by because the middle of the book is so well paced. Koontz had me on the edge of my seat for over 95% of this book, so much so that I didn't want the ride to end. Sweet baby Tom Cruise, I wish he still wrote like this. I did deduct half a star for the tacked-on final chapter. It read as if someone told Koontz: "You have to say something about what happened afterward. Toss in a one-page epilogue of sorts and call it a day." To which Koontz responded: "Fuckin' A. I'm on that shit like scars on John Wayne Bobbit!" The final thousand words of THE HUSBAND are so rushed and heartless you'll feel as if you've just been raped by a rabbit that suffers from premature ejaculation, leaving you with this final thought: "That was brief and uncalled for."

      In summation, should you choose to read a Dean Koontz book from this century, pick up THE HUSBAND. It won't win any literary awards, but it's a tense thriller by a former master of suspense. This is Koontz on his game, and it shouldn't be missed. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I've read a few, though not a lot, of Dean Koontz, and I find that he can be hit or miss. His writing can range from psychological thriller to almost horror, but regardless, his books tend to make me squirm in my seat and a bit uncomfortable. I have to remind myself that it's just a novel and that it's written to make the reader a bit uncomfortable. Such is the case with this one. Mitch is an average guy, he's been married a few years, & he loves his wife dearly. He's a gardener, his wife is a secretary who's studying to be a real estate agent, so they're just a typical young couple with a modest salary. But one day, out of the blue, his wife is kidnapped and to get her back he needs to come up with two million dollars. Of course he can't get the police involved or her life is in danger, so he has to try to figure it all out on his own. As far as kidnappings go, this kind of followed your typical movie-style kidnaping storyline, although there were some somewhat unexpected twists. As expected, I squirmed & felt bad for the guy & just wanted it to be over. Overall, Koontz does a good job with moving the story along and he is able to keep the momentum going for a good thriller. I have to be in the mood to read this type of story and can't do it too often, but I think this filled my quota for the year. It's not the best Koontz I've read, but certainly not the worst either.
    • 4/5
      If you're looking for a great, gripping, class-A thriller, this is the book for you. Dean Koontz is famous for his super-natural / horror stories, but the nice thing about this one is that there's no super-natural element at all. Still frightening as hell though. A very entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill? We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighborhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
    • 3/5
      First Impressions:

      What I liked about The Husband has to do with the husband's reactions to the news that his wife has been kidnapped and the kidnappers seem to have unlimited resources and can kill him at any time.

      Plots (some spoilers):

      His name is Mitch, and he lives a good life as a gardener. He knows he does not have the money. Later the criminals get him to get his brother Anson involved, who, it turns out, is a criminal himself. The kidnappers know this and want to pull one over on Anson.

      Despite these criminals thinking they have it all under control, Mitch finds deep inside himself the balls to do something about it, including killing (in self defense, of course) and stealing to get the money together.

      Dean Koontz does get into a sub-plot of Mitch and his brother and their relationship with their parents who had an unusual way of raising children, including a sense-deprivation room that was designed to "help" but really it was to break them. The book really does not explore this fascinating item very well. We meet his dad, Daniel, but his mother Kathy is barely mentioned and not at all developed. They were caricatures to me and not really well-developed, despite them being a critical influence on Mitch and Anson and their sisters (who are not even mentioned until near the end of the book and even then not developed).

      The book does get into the criminal minds and only fully develops the last guy – the one with a spiritual bent and who has no problem killing people so that they may attain "ascendancy".

      Holly is the kidnapped wife who we don't even meet until well into the book – at least not to any great degree. She too has depth and needs to reach in for strength and is surprised to find that she too can be devious.

      Why The Book Fails:

      The book fails for me in touching on certain characters (Julian Campbell with his child porn business is never developed, so you have no sympathy nor care that the guy gets his later) and leaves a huge plot hole at the end (Mitch kills and steals and then near the last chapter he has kids and is friends with the Columbo-like detective – huh? What happened?). Too much landscape vocabulary to show us how smart and real Koontz is, but does not add to the tale.

      Conclusion: Not Dean's best, though I do appreciate his writing a "straight" novel. However, I much prefer his supernatural stuff.
    • 4/5
      More thriller action from master of crazy ideas. This again is more of a thriller and follows landscaper Mitchell Rafferty as he tries to find the kidnappers who have taken his wife.
    • 3/5
      The plot twists were…not that exciting. The protagonist is very likable.
    • 3/5
      If you're into the fast paced action type of book, you'll probably really like this one. It was an ok read for me, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters.
    • 4/5
      "We have your wife" and thus begins an adventure for a gardener who makes a small income, and yet is told to pay $2 million ransom for his wife to be returned. The plot thickens, as only Dean Koontz can write it, and without telling you the twists, turns and surprises, I can say that I had no idea that the outcome was going to be what is was. If you like suspense, murder, thrills, shocks and family ties, read this book. One of the best.
    • 4/5
      This book was like all the other Koontz books-thrilling. I find that there are no two books alike that he has written. I love the feeling of excitment you get everytime you open the cover of his books. As always from the first chapter of [The Husband]you are gripped by the series of events that take place. It is a question of how far you would go to save a loved one. Wonderful read.
    • 2/5
      This was a fairly good book, but it involved too much blood and stuff for my tastes—too dark. There is some violence, but not tons. There are some gun fights. I'm not really into the action genre much. However, if I were, I would have liked this a lot more, though I think the first three fourths was done better than the latter.There's a small amount of swearing, but nothing too big.The author certainly does put the main character into a lot of tough spots.I wish he wrote more about what happened with the police after he got his wife. I mean, they'd charge him with assaulting a police officer, they'd investigate all the evidence, you'd see firsthand how they handled his brother, etc. However, he just skipped all that to after everything's all cleaned up and happy.The book seems to be about this man's determination to get his wife back. His wife's actions, however, are essential for the outcome of the book, as well; it's good to read that she put effort into escape as the kidnappee, even though her foes seemed to have so much power over her.
    • 4/5
      Great book, very suspensful! I was very surprised that there was no super-natural twist to this Dean Koontz book. It has been a long time since I've read one of his books and I guess he has branched out to new formats! Good one!
    • 3/5
      just like every other someone's-been-kidnapped suspense book/movie. Twists and turns are fairly predictable. Not bad, not good.
    • 4/5
      Scary book on tape with good suspense and excellent reader.
    • 2/5
      I have remarkably little to say about this one. As it says on the cover, this is about a gardener who gets a phonecall from his wife's kidnappers, demanding two million dollars in sixty hours. It's got a lot of good suspense, though the ending is so tidy as to be unbelievable. I like Koontz, but I'm glad I only paid a dollar for this one.
    • 4/5
      Koontz hit pretty near the mark; the characters seem quite real as they do in our world. The underlying theme of, "What would you do for love?" is surely a thought each of us who has a partner thinks from time to time.