The Bad Weather Friend

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 43,227 ratings

Price: 9.99

Last update: 12-22-2024


About this item

Benny is so nice they feel compelled to destroy him, but he has a friend who should scare the hell out of them in this breathtaking new kind of thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz.

Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.

How strange—though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.

In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.


From the Publisher

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD FOR EVERYONE, JUST FOR BENNY

Top reviews from the United States

  • DD Gott - Donadees Corner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hello, book lovers; here is a review on one of the greatest writers of our time, Dean Koontz.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
    His latest book, ' Bad Weather Friend,' is one exciting thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot revolves around a young man who loses everything he cares about: his job, fiancee, and favorite chair. Then, he receives a mysterious package from an uncle he never knew he had. This leads him to a series of events that will challenge him to find out the truth behind his losses and the secrets of his family.

    The book is full of suspense, action, and twists that will keep you guessing until the end. Koontz's writing style is engaging and captivating, creating vivid characters and scenes that draw you into the story. The book also explores friendship, loyalty, courage, and morality in the face of danger.

    If you are a fan of Dean Koontz or thrillers in general, you will love this book. It is a fast-paced and exciting read that will leave you breathless. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and a thrilling adventure.

    • ASIN: B0C2VYV9KD
    • Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
    • Publication Date: 2/1/2024
    • File Size: 4342 KB
    • Print Length: 374 pages
    • Genre: Supernatural Thrillers, Action Thriller Fiction, Mystery Action Fiction
  • TVWatcher
    4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2024
    I usually have mixed feelings about books authored by Dean Koontz. He tends to come up with unique, interesting and often scary stories. This one wasn't really horror... It was a little more magical and metaphysical. I also found it pretty humorous and enjoyable to read.
    But typical of Dean Koontz, the ending of the book came quick, fast, and in a hurry. His endings often feel very abrupt, like they came out of nowhere to meet a deadline. Such is the case with this book as well.
    I would still recommend this book to others as long as you are forewarned and able to accept an abrupt and kind of unfulfilling ending
    I would enjoy reading more about the craggle Spike... He was an interesting character and there are so many things I would still enjoy knowing about craggle-kind.
  • BrewersFTW
    3.0 out of 5 stars 50% good, 50% pointless
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2024
    This was a curious book. Regarding the main storyline, I thought it was good and I found it interesting and engaging. The main character and his mythical companion were interesting, fairly well-written, and I was invested in their story. Even the supporting cast of characters were decent and added their own nuances to the story. Mind you, it's still a story that's a bit far-fetched, but one that's still worthwhile in my opinion.

    Where I struggled with this book, however, was the author's decision to interrupt the main storyline repeatedly with flashbacks of the main character's childhood past. I was assuming that the events of the past would play a bigger role in the present-day story, but no, it adds barely anything. For me, it almost seemed like the author had written a second story, but it wasn't good enough or long enough to warrant its own book. So as to not let it go to waste, the author decided to mix it into this book and call it a "flashback". In my opinion, it was completely extra and I tried to race through these portions as quickly as I could. They were drab, uninteresting, and were alarmingly far-fetched (ex: what 12 year old boys talk in a near-Shakespearean manner on a daily basis?)

    To fully enjoy this book, I'd recommend simply skipping any flashback chapters and stick to the main storyline. The flow of the book will be improved and nothing of value will be lost.
  • Tammy Moldovan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A multi-layered supernatural tale
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2024
    This story is mix of romance, tragedy, mystery, sci-fi, suspense, and the quintessential Koontz science twist. It is ultimately a story of good versus evil with a social message about income and power inequality but Koontz does such a fantastic job of creating multi-layered characters and storylines that that’s an extreme oversimplification of what this story is. Benny is kind and decent, a nice man who sells high end real estate and has a girlfriend that he plans to ask to marry him. This is true despite a series of horrific childhood events that are revealed using flashbacks as the story progresses. On the day he gets a video message about an inheritance from a heretofore unknown uncle, Benny’s life implodes, he’s fired, his reputation is ruined. and his girlfriend dumps him. He is at a loss for the reason why this has occurred. Then his inheritance arrives in the form of a 7 foot tall protector whose vocation is to protect people too good for this world like Benny. Thus the destiny buddies, Spike and Benny, with the help of a third destiny buddy, waitress/PI in training Harper, set out to put Benny’s life back to rights. The journey is at times surprising, fantastical, funny, creepy, and philosophical but with Benny’s narration it is a journey that you want to go on, cheering for him the entire time. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - dangerous situations, secret societies, supernatural creatures, evil masterminds, heroes rising to the challenge, tragic back stories, mystical coincidences, synchronicity, and even some chuckles. Another fantastic story from Koontz.
  • Dexrala
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2024
    This is the first book by Dean Koontz that I’ve read and it won’t be the last. I absolutely love the writing style in this book. The author occasionally breaks the fourth wall to address readers which is something I’ve not seen a book before. I enjoyed these breaks throughout the novel.

    The strangeness in which Benny’s life unfolds followed by the absurdity of how Benny ( the nice guy), Harper ( smooth and blue) and Spike the craggle go about fixing Benny’s life after a nefarious organization nearly destroys him makes for a funny, adventurous and thoughtful book.

    This is one of the best books I’ve read this year!
  • Snowbird
    4.0 out of 5 stars playful, enjoyable
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2024
    Really good, unique story. I love how Koontz can make something far-fetched seem normal in his character’s lives. Easy read, excellent plot.

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