Tim Carrier is an ordinary guy: a big man physically, but an unassuming one. He likes to put in an honest day’s work as a brick mason, and then go to his favorite bar where he can sit at the back of the room and be unnoticed while he talks to his good friend the bartender. You get the feeling he has been on retreat for many years from an unspecified tragedy or crisis in his life.

The book opens on yet another quiet evening in Tim’s life that will nevertheless change his entire life. He orders his usual beer, takes his usual seat, and exchanges his usual bantering remarks with the bartender who needles him good-naturedly about sticking his neck out and living a little for once. Maybe finding a good woman to get to know. Tim brushes all this well-meaning advice off with a sense of guilt.

Then, once his friend has hurried off to serve other customers, Tim sits alone. But then a man sits down beside him. And begins talking to him, starting off with, “You’re early.”

At first the man seems like one of those harmless strangers with whom it can be fun to exchange a few cryptic remarks at a bar. Tim sometimes likes to lead on strangers like this, pretending to know them just to see what they will say. This mischievous impulse springs from his genuine curiosity about people.

But after some nervous chatter, the man stuffs an envelope in Tim’s hands. He adds that half the money is there, and Tim will get the rest when “she’s gone.” Then he hurries out. The envelope is filled with $ 10,000 cash and a photo and address of an attractive young woman. Tim has just been mistaken for the hit-man that this individual had contracted to hire.

Frozen in disbelief, Tim clutches the envelope. Then a second man enters the bar and walks over to sit beside him. And says, “You’re early.” This is the real killer. He has mistaken Tim for his employer. Poor Tim is definitely sitting at the wrong place at the wrong time!

Tim claims to have changed his mind about the hit. He takes the intended victim’s photo and address, and gives the envelope of money to the assassin, calling it a “no-kill fee.” The assassin is puzzled and suspicious, but leaves. This gives Tim a chance to rush to the woman’s address to introduce himself and warn her that someone wants her dead.

This clever, chilling premise kicks off a story of non-stop action and suspense. The assassin is one of those complete loons that Koontz does so well: he has no memories of himself before age 18, he thinks of himself as a superior being from a looking-glass world, and he has a habit of hunting down and killing authors when he disapproves of their books! It doesn’t take him long to figure out that Tim has tricked him, and to jump back on his victim’s trail. Even worse, he seems to have a formidable amount of technical support from a shadowy government organization … (another favorite Koontz theme.)

The victim is a tough and funny writer named Linda. She has no idea why anyone – let alone powerful government operatives – would take out a hit on her. Childhood tragedy lurks in her past, but she has risen above her demons and made a good life for herself (one more familiar Koontz theme). She and Tim run for their lives while exchanging the sort of screwball comedy dialogue that Koontz often favors between his heroes and heroines. It is a striking part of his style that sometimes doesn’t work when paired with all the suspense, but more often does.

Will the assassin find them? Will we learn why Linda must be killed? Will we learn Tim’s mysterious past, a secret background that makes him more formidable than one might expect? You’ll have to get a copy of The Good Guy to find out. The Good Guy is an entertaining read and can be found on Amazon through this link: The Good Guy