With nearly six decades of novels to his credit, Dean Koontz has become an institution who has amassed legions of fans worldwide. That said, GOING HOME IN THE DARK could have been released alongside his books from the ’70s and ’80s as it shares the same literary DNA that includes supernatural chills combined with top-line suspense. The engaging characters and propulsive plotting do not hurt, either.

Back when they were youngsters in the town of Maple Grove, Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer and Ernie were so inseparable that they were known as the "four amigos." All but Ernie eventually left and made something of themselves. Ernie, a small-time songwriter, has fallen ill and is now in a coma. Bobby, a bestselling author, reaches out to Rebecca, a famous actress, and Spencer, a renowned artist, to reunite at Ernie’s bedside.

"GOING HOME IN THE DARK could have been released alongside [Koontz's] books from the ’70s and ’80s as it shares the same literary DNA that includes supernatural chills combined with top-line suspense. The engaging characters and propulsive plotting do not hurt, either."

It took each of them leaving Maple Grove to realize their full potential, but they don’t recall how much of their memory was erased by this town, which is not nearly as wholesome as it appears to be. When they arrive at the hospital, they find Ernie to be in even worse shape than they had anticipated. They also do not expect to find his mother looming over them and with a tongue that is beyond condescending and cutting. Imagine how disapproving she will feel when Ernie dies of his illness only to have his three friends abscond with the corpse.

Rebecca, Bobby and Spencer did not do this to defy Ernie’s mother. Their memories are starting to return to them. They’re aware that something really strange is going on, and their friend may not be entirely dead (as we understand the sense of that word). Each suffered from different forms of bizarre and horrific nightmares during their time away from Maple Grove. Only now do they realize that this was how their subconscious minds were dealing with the horrors that existed there.

However, there is far more to fear in Maple Grove than just Ernie’s mother. Wayne Louis Hornfly, a being that uses a semi-human appearance, is the personification of an ancient evil in the form of a fungus that has infected nearly all the territory within the borders of Maple Grove and wants to bring humanity to a quick demise. Rebecca, Bobby and Spencer must face it, as well as the very human Pastor Larry, with whom they have a dark history. He is in league with Wayne Louis Hornfly, and has allowed it to use church and cemetery grounds to grow and reproduce in the form of monstrous humanlike offspring that are literally the stuff of nightmares.

The eventual showdown will require the three amigos, as well as their not completely deceased pal, to fight with everything they have. What makes the story that much more interesting is the opening passage, in which Dean Koontz says that the novel is based on a real-life occurrence that he may have witnessed. Whether or not that’s true, GOING HOME IN THE DARK is a welcome step back in time for him. The book recalls parts of Stephen King’s IT and, more importantly, Koontz’s PHANTOMS.