THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR (Dean Koontz) - December 18/08

This typically overlong Dean Koontz mystery still boasts a number of compelling segments, though it's clear that the author is falling back on familiar tropes just a little too often (ie the soulless contract killer, the sinister, wealthy villain, etc). The inclusion of several preachy bits of animal rights stuff is a little much, though it does pick up for an entertaining finale. Koontz once again offers up a surprisingly brief bad-guy death, as the whole confrontation transpires in just a couple of pages. **1/2 out of ****