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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Significant thriller violence; Ahriman's crimes include killing and sadistic control of victims
Language
Some
Adult language in Koontz's thriller register
Sexual Content
Some
Adult content; Ahriman's violations of his patients include sexual elements that are disturbing rather than explicit
Substance Use
Barely any
Some controlled-substance references in the clinical/therapeutic context
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Extreme psychological horror; the premise of having your own mind turned against you — phobias planted, memories altered, will subverted — creates genuine and sustained dread throughout
What this book is about
Dean Koontz's psychological thriller follows Martie and Dusty, a married couple in Newport Beach who discover that Martie's crippling agoraphobia and their friend Susan's phobias are being deliberately induced by their therapist, Dr. Mark Ahriman — who uses his patients for his own pleasure and control. Koontz builds extraordinary dread through Ahriman's chilling point-of-view chapters. The psychological horror is extreme; Ahriman's use of hypnotherapy to violate his patients makes this one of Koontz's most disturbing novels. Very long at over 700 pages.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extreme psychological horror involving mind control and violation of autonomy
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