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Title: A Werewolf Among Us
Series: ----------
Author: Dean Koontz
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF/Mystery
Pages: 211
Words: 53K
Series: ----------
Author: Dean Koontz
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF/Mystery
Pages: 211
Words: 53K
Synopsis:
|
Baker St Cyr is a
detective, a Cyber-Detective! He can plug a portable computer into
his chest and have it integrate within himself, thus giving him an
edge of logic that most humans don't have. It also nags him about his
dreams, dampens his emotions and can affect his actions.
St
Cyr is hired by an extremely rich man on a pleasure world to find out
who killed some of his family. With no clues whatsoever, the local
constabulary are baffled. Several more murders occur while St Cyr is
there and an attempt is made on his life. All clues point to a local
animal that supposedly can turn humans into werewolves. St Cyr must
also battle the deadening of his emotions and the awakening of said
emotions when he falls in love with his client's daughter.
In
the end, St Cyr figures out that the “butler” did it, is
prevented from destroying said robot by his own cyber-unit (because
it isn't logical as all robots must adhere to the 3 Laws) and almost
dies. The love interest saves the day, saves St Cyr from himself and
saves herself from a stifling family relationship.
My
Thoughts:
|
Koontz turns his hand to future murder mystery with rather
predictable results. Just looking at the cover should tell you who
the murderer is. As soon as the main character noticed that the robot
butler went around on an anti-grav plate, I knew it was the robot.
There was no mystery. It would have been cooler if there HAD been a
werewolf.
The main reason I knocked off some stars is because of the final
fight scene. St Cyr refuses to accept that his cyber-unit is
deliberately affecting him by not allowing him to shoot the killer
robot, that is trying to kill everyone right then, right there in
full view. So he wastes half the fight trying to shoot down
Robo-Butler and missing, while his love interest is screaming at him
to throw the gun to her so she can turn Robo-Butler into
Robo-Scrapmetal. He ignores her until it is almost too late. That
isn't logic but plain stupidity.
The overall story was a fun little tale, even while being completely
predictable. I'd probably have notched it up to a 3 ½ star rating if
it weren't for St Cyr acting like a complete idiot in the fight.
Well, another old Koontz under my belt (I believe this was published
in 1973?).
★★★☆☆
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