The Vision, one of Dean Koontz’ earlier novels, gives the reader a chilling look into the paranormal and what could possibly occur if a crazed killer were able to harness the unsuspecting mind. While finding The Vision to be a suspenseful easy read (not anywhere on the scale with Intensity), it was also quite slow in spots and quite predictable; but for the reader who wants a thriller without too much gore this could be a perfect choice, however, be aware that some of the scenarios are morally decrepit. The Vision has the main plot revolving around Mary Bergen, a gifted clairvoyant, who uses her psychic ability and haunting visions to aide the police in solving both past and future crimes but who must also deal with the stress of not having the power to stop the perpetrator from carrying out his evil intentions. While revolving around Mary’s past and present history the story would not be complete without her husband, Max Bergen (tough guy with a very soft heart when it comes to Mary), or her older brother, Alan (who on the surface is caring but has a vicious propensity for evil) the two of which neither like or trust the other. A major subplot involves a suppressed event from Mary’s traumatized childhood that causes her to have constant nightmares and to hear the mysterious sound of leathery wings that she now feels is somehow related to the current serial killer. While Mary struggles with these issues Alan takes a vacation, leaving her alone with Max and during which time Mary’s visions change only to open the possibility that she is the killer’s next intended victim. 

The Vision while not one of Koontz’s best works is rather cleverly plotted with clues being slipped in regarding the fairly obvious killer’s identity and motivations, as well as, some interesting distractions so that overall I would say that it was an enjoyable two-day read.

For more information on Dean Koontz be sure and take advantage of your Google search engine.  [tags]book review, book report, The Vision, Dean Koontz, Google, mystery, horror, thriller, clairvoyant[/tags]