Graham Harris is a former mountain-climbing enthusiast and a clairvoyant. While on a television program, he psychically 'sees' the latest murder of the Butcher, a serial killer. Now the Butcher targets Harris and his girlfriend Connie Davis as his next victims. While New York detective Ira Preduski tries to uncover the Butcher's identity, Harris and Davis must escape from the killer, who has trapped them in a 40 story skyscraper.

My Rating = B +

"The Face of Fear" is a gripping read that moves much faster than most Koontz novels. It utilizes many of the suspense techniques that Koontz explains in his book "How To Write Best-Selling Fiction". While not as complex as his later work, "The Face of Fear" is still thoroughly enjoyable.

Book Information

"The Face of Fear" was the fourth of five novels that Dean Koontz published under the pseudonym "Brian Coffey". It was the first "Brian Coffey" title which did not feature art collector / thief Mike Tucker, and was also the first "Brian Coffey" novel to be published in paperback in the United States. "The Face of Fear" was produced as a television movie starring Pam Dawber, Lee Horsley and Walter Addison. The movie debuted on September 30, 1990 on CBS. While the hardback edition is moderately difficult to find and is usually pricey, there seems to be an abundance of book club editions, which can be obtained for a much smaller investment. The paperback is fairly easy to locate at a reasonable price.

American First Edition Information

You have a first edition hardback if it states "First Printing" on the copyright page and if there is an $8.95 price on the inside front of the dustjacket. Curiously, there is also a Library of Congress publication data box on the copyright page which clearly shows Dean Koontz as the author. You have a first paperback edition if it states "First Ballantine Books Edition: June 1978" on the copyright page.