Helpful Score: 5
I just finished this book yesterday and would have to put it in my ten best books of all time. It grabbed me from the beginning, had characters that I felt with, who made sense to me, and just enough descrition so you could see the events without being bogged down in adjectives. I will caution that if you are prone to nightmares, don't read this one at bedtime. Most of the book is pretty positive or at least tame on horror, but there are three or four sections (only one or two pages each) that are pretty graphically scary.
Helpful Score: 3
Humorous and spellbinding. An apparent savior hides many secrets
Helpful Score: 2
Teacher Jim Ironheart, aptly named, is sent by forces unknown to save chosen people in life-threatening situations. By chance, a young but jaded reporter stumbles onto his missions, and joins him to investigate who is controlling him and why. Shared nightmares begin to point to an extraterrestrial influence, and the pair are forced to confront Ironheart's forgotten past for answers. Koontz ( The Bad Place , LJ 12/89), a master at maintaining mystery and suspense, weaves themes from earlier novels into this latest thriller. Even if the ending calls to mind DuMaurier and Hitchcock, Cold Fire contains all the ingredients--likable characters, nail-biting suspense, and above all, unlimited imagination--that will please Koontz's fans.
Helpful Score: 1
Not one of my favorite Koontz books.
Helpful Score: 1
Very original plot. It kept me guessing until the end of the book. The story was so gripping I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
Another great Koontz read.
Helpful Score: 1
Good read.
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of my favorite Koontz novels. I like Dean's descriptive abilities, however, he often is very ambiguous concerning the evil in his books. This one deals with a man who has the ability to see the future. Great characters, a great story, well plotted.
Helpful Score: 1
Great story about a mysterious man who finds himself (almost literally) with the help of a woman who loves him. Did I happen to mention the ENEMY? An implacable hate filled vile and putrescent being that enters this world through their dreams and which wants them both dead? The man also spends his time being sent around the world, by another unknown entity, to save certain people's lives in the nick of time.
Helpful Score: 1
If you are a Stephen King fan, and haven't read Dean Koontz, you owe it to yourself to discover his writing!
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent! The ending is a total surprise. From the first three pages your hooked.
Helpful Score: 1
What would You think of a man who always turned up just in time to save someones life - and then moved on to do it again elsewhere. This is about such a man and the reporter who wants to know why...
Helpful Score: 1
Teacher Jim Ironheart, aptly named, is sent by forces unknown to save chosen people in life-threatening situations. By chance, a young but jaded reporter stumbles onto his missions, and joins him to investigate who is controlling him and why. Shared nightmares begin to point to an extraterrestrial influence, and the pair are forced to confront Ironheart's forgotten past for answers. Koontz ( The Bad Place , LJ 12/89), a master at maintaining mystery and suspense, weaves themes from earlier novels into this latest thriller. Even if the ending calls to mind DuMaurier and Hitchcock, Cold Fire contains all the ingredients--likable characters, nail-biting suspense, and above all, unlimited imagination--that will please Koontz's fans. For all popular collections.
Helpful Score: 1
Teacher Jim Ironheart, aptly named, is sent by forces unknown to save chosen people in life-threatening situations. By chance, a young but jaded reporter stumbles onto his missions, and joins him to investigate who is controlling him and why. Shared nightmares begin to point to an extraterrestrial influence, and the pair are forced to confront Ironheart's forgotten past for answers.
Helpful Score: 1
One of Koontz most detailed works kept me white knuckled for the entire book.
A bit different from the usual Koontz But starts exciting
Not usually a Dean Koontz fan, but I have to say this one kept me captivated. I loved it!
Another crazy book by Koontz, this is a good one!
Good book, with a different twist for an ending.
Very surprised by the end.
anyone who's a fan of koontz knows he basically can't write a bad book, and Cold Fire is no different. I liked this one a little more than most Koontz's that I've read cuz it had a more romantic twist to it, which I like in a book. He definitely needs to weave more romantic themes into his work, he writes them very well
I think that Koontz keeps the suspense level high in this book by crossing over many genres. Several interesting philosophical and theological issues come up. I found myself laughing and crying. I enjoyed myself immensely while reading this book. I was very pleased with this book, although it did not end the way I had expected.
Classic Dean Koontz. Great Book.
First things first it is in my opinion that Dean Koontz is one of the greatest writers of our time. Dean never seizes to amaze me ,or any reader for that matter, as to how his novels have a spell like effect on the reader. Cold Fire is no exception to this patteren either. In the book a man by the name of Jim Ironheart ,a skitsofrenic telekentic, saves people from allmost certin deaths. Why? Jim saves them because he is working under the powers of a higher being & they hold immportant keys to our (civilization's) future. This book is a flat out must read for any scifi or horror fan.
Interesting story line...A man can see into the immediate future using his powers to save lives. He doesn't know where the power stems from and a reporter helps him discover the source.
In Portland, he saved a young boy from a drunk driver. In Boston, he rescued a child from an underground explosion. In Houston, he disarmed a man who was trying to shoot his own wife. Reporter Holly Thorne was intrigued by this strange, quiet savior named Jim Ironheart. She was even falling in love with him. But what power compelled an ordinary man to save twelve lives in three months? What visions haunted his dreams? And why did he whisper in his sleep: There is an Enemy. It is coming. Itll kill us all?
IN PORTLAND, HE SAVED A YOUNG BOY FROM A DRUNK DRIVER, HE RESCUED A CHILD FROM AN UNDEERGROUND EXPLOSION. IN HOUSTON, HE DISARMED A MAN WHO WAS TRYING TO SHOOT HIS OWN WIFE. REPORTER HOLLY THORNE WAS INTRIGUED BY THIS STRANGE QUIET MAN NAMED JIM IRONHEART. SHE WAS EVEN FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM. BUT WHAT POWER COMPELLED AN ORDINARY MAN TO SAVE 12 LIVES IN 3 MONTHS? WHAT VISIONS HAUNTED HIS DREAMS? AND WHY DID HE WHISPER IN HIS SLEEP: THERE IS AN ENEMY. IT IS COMING. IT'LL KILL US ALL...?
Excellent!
Unforgettable tale and characters.
"In Portland, he saved a young boy from a drunk driver. In Boston, he rescued a child from an underground explosion. In Houston, he disarmed a man who was trying to shoot his own wife. Reporter Holly Thorne was intrigues by this strange, quiet savior named Jim Ironheart. She was even falling in love with him. But what power compelled an ordinary man to save twelve lives in three months? What visions haunted his dreams? And why did he whisper in his sleep, 'There is an enemy. It is coming. It'll kill us all.'?"
-from back cover
-from back cover
In Portland,he saved a young boy fron a drunk driver. In Boston he rescued a child from an underground explosion. In Houston, he disarmed a man who was trying to shoot his own wife. Reporter Holly Thorne was intrigued by this strange, quiet savior named Jim Ironheart. She was even falling in love with him.But what power complelled an oridinary man to save 12 lives in three months? What visions haunted his dreams? and why did he whisper in his sleep:There is an Emeny. It is coming. It'll kill us all...?
Love anything by Dean Koontz