The Husband by Dean Koontz (2006, Hardcover)

Wow! Koontz can run with a story.. This one gets a big Bravo Zulu !

Twenty-seven-year-old Mitchell Rafferty owns Big Green (a gardening service), lives a simple life, and loves his new wife very much. When kidnappers call to report that his wife Holly will be killed unless he delivers two million dollars to them, Rafferty has no idea why they would target him. Although he possesses a mere thirty thousand dollars in total assets, this innocent gardener finds himself falling into a tangled web of deception, greed and murder.

As the Ernest Hemingway quote just inside the cover says, Rafferty begins to exude grace under pressure. From the first encounter of evil to the last, he searches within himself for means to rescue his wife. Koontz’s glory is in the naïve personality of his garden hero, and the way that the outcome plays out rather sensibly. This is not some superficial action thriller, nor is it merely a one-trick wonder (think A History of Violence.) Instead, Rafferty is the everyman who seeks to save that which is lost.

Our everyman hero has a childhood story that needs to be told, understood, and worked through. And while Rafferty serves as the main character and lens through which we see the world, the reader’s examination of his family is equally important. While the book’s title obviously points to the familial, the commentary on relationships is strongest when discussing fathers and sons. Koontz examines each character in detail, allowing us to see Mitch, his father and his siblings for ourselves.

Koontz also shines light on the kidnappers, and others who would prefer to remain darkened, allowing us to feel justified when Rafferty inflicts pain on them. Still, the villains of this battle remain humanized, because the gardener sees them as misguided, tortured while cruel themselves. Don’t mistake mercy for fragility, though—the novel bears bloody fingerprints as Rafferty takes steps he never imagined to work out Holly’s rescue. The steps he takes wear at him as he shoots, punches, and stabs—our hero takes no pride in the pain he inflicts on his enemies.

That most of us would enjoy the retribution Rafferty enacts seems obvious to Koontz, and we find ourselves hoping for the punishment of many of the villains. Rafferty’s own childhood is ripe with cruelty, and the novel allows us to see the choice that he made in comparison to others. Two children encounter the same extreme situation but respond differently. What causes one to rise and one to fall? How does one, but not the other, learn sacrifice and mercy in the face of selfishness and cruelty? Koontz doesn’t provide us with the answers to these questions, but he does show that one can strive to be a better man and a better husband.

Whether you agree or disagree with the decisions made by our hero in the story, you’ll find the plot ripe with action, intrigue and true love. Based on my enjoyment of The Husband, I may have to go back and try those other Koontz books again. If nothing else, I’ve learned that one must finish the course.

Dean Koontz has always been a favorite writer of mine. When I saw this one.
For those of you who are afraid to read this author this is one of his best. It was not horro but a great, fast-paced suspense book filled with surprises. By far one of his best in a long time. I finished it in 2 days.
A great plot that never stops moving.
What would you do for love? We have your wife you can get her back for 2 million cash. Though Mitchell Rafferty is a small lanscaping operation those are the terms. Someone has kidnapped his wife and they are serious about the ransom.
Follow Mitchell through the fast paced plot,his plan to help his wife and find her no matter what. It will make you think about what matters in life.

I really like Dean Koontz next to Stephen King, The Husband was a good book, It's a suspense novel. About a simple life and then out of the blue, a phone call. Mitch didn't even know his wife was missing, now she's up for ransom. the price for love. Can he find a way to get his wife back?

The Husband, weaves a thrilling tale of intrigue and suspense. Who
would want to kidnap a gardners wife? What enemies do I have that would
do this to my family? These are some of the questions Mitchell Rafferty is asking himself, after he receives a ransom demand. The tale unfolds
at a leisurely pace, showing the extent Michell will go to save his wife
Holly. Testing his ability to act in ways he didn't think possible.

This book riveted me from page one. A page turner, for sure. A thriller, fast, fast paced, but as usual with his books, when you are done, you realize how many layers of truth, possibilities, he uncovered. And also as usual, he introduced new ways of thinking, a kind of happy magic. I love Dean Koontz because he makes ordinary people wonderful, shiny, bigger than they seem. He introduces us to precious Human(and dog) Spirits, and also does not mince words or position with evil. Hi s bad characters should just how bad human beings can be...but always,
you end up lifted up.
The whole ending is a surprise...And my only complaint is that the book ended at all!
Kat Jones