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I liked the book too ... you can't compare it to the Odd series but I will say it is on par with Life Expectancy. It was a good solid book (relentless in its pace - thus the Relentless title) ... nothing will again be on par with his earlier greats like Watches, Lightning, FTCOHE, etc.

I actually thought this book was brilliant, definitely up there as one of my koontz favorites over the last 7 or 8 years. I've noticed an upturn in quality lately. I liked the last Odd book and thought Your Heart Belongs To Me was superb too. This one had everything for me and I was glad to see a child genius in it who was so eccentric, yet becoming. I was also pleasantly surprised to enjoy the dog in it, I think mainly because it wasn't a golden!! If any of you are holding back about getting this then don't think twice, it's a fantastic read!!

When novelist Cubby Greenwich reads a devastating review by the nation’s most feared critic, he can’t leave it alone and arranges a meeting with the man – which leads to terrifying events.

A very simple premise but one that works. Not a plotline involving your typical heroes and villains from Koontz’s recent straightforward thrillers, but a scene taken from everyday life which also represents the craziness of the modern world and its inhabitants. Take “Mr Murder”, then add the style and ambience of “Life Expectancy” with a hint of “The Face” and you’ve got “Relentless”.

The first few pages of the opening chapters feel a bit rushed, but this is necessary to provide the setting. The story is told from a first person point of view with Cubby as the narrator, so he needs to establish his surroundings in a quick all tell and no show fashion. But when he’s done and the story takes off with a great breakfast table dialogue, the atmosphere of the book is immediately introduced and we know we’re in a fresh, exciting and funny ride.

The first person perspective is my favorite, but it’s difficult to do right. Next to the Chris Snow and Odd Thomas books, Koontz has limited the use of that perspective to “Life Expectancy” and “Twilight Eyes”. It works great in “Twilight Eyes” but in “Life Expectancy” the pastry analogies can get a bit too much after a while. Luckily, such problems aren’t present in “Relentless”.

The characters are so fresh and real, after reading only thirty pages it feels like you’ve been in their company for vast volumes. Cubby and Penny are a dynamic husband and wife duo. Milo’s enigmatic behaviour is too profound to ignore and you just know what he’s doing will affect the grand finale.

The book is perfectly balanced by a light tone and dreadfulness in the events. Koontz does an excellent job with cliffhanger chapter endings. This also affects the chapter lengths; some of them are rather short, which accelerates the pace if you like short chapters, or annoys you if you like long chapters.

Then comes the flashback chapter. Ironically, it must be one of the most beautiful written accounts in fiction ever. It’s a presentation of the truth, but there is so much truth between the lines as well. Also from a first person point of view, it’s switched from past to present tense, a well-known author’s trick often applied by Koontz. There’s no more silliness left but instead a hard realization that here lie the clues to predict what is yet to happen, which gives the remainder of the novel a sad, melancholic taste, but the hope that it’ll turn out all right in the end still remains.

Finished it...it was okay. I gave a more detailed review in the "What Are You Currently Reading" thread.