The City

The City
Dean Koontz

No.1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz is at the peak of his storytelling powers with this major new novel – a rich, multi-layered story that moves back and forth across decades and generations as a gifted musician relates the ‘terrible and wonderful’ events that began in his city in 1967, when he was ten.THIS IS THE STORY OF A BOY AND A CITY…Jonah Kirk’s childhood has been punctuated by extraordinary moments – like the time a generous stranger helped him realize his dream of learning the piano. Nothing is more important to him than his family and friends, and the electrifying power of music.But now Jonah has a terrifying secret. And it sets him on a collision course with a group of dangerous people who will change his life forever.For one bright morning, a single earth-shattering event will show Jonah that in his city, good is entwined with malice, and sometimes the dark side of humanity triumphs. But it will also teach him that courage and honour are found in the most unexpected places, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.If he can just survive to find it…

THE CITY

DEAN KOONTZ

Copyright (#ulink_44023c49-4efa-544c-8299-5f7592d0f98a)

Harper

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2014

First published in the USA in 2014 by Bantam Books,

an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,

A division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Copyright © Dean Koontz 2014

Cover design layout © HarperCollinsPublishers 2014

Cover photographs © Mark Mahaney / Plainpicture (tower); Andy Roberts / Getty Images (feather); Shutterstock.com (http://www.shutterstock.com) (moon)

Dean Koontz asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Text design by Virginia Norey

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007520282

Ebook Edition © July 2014 ISBN: 9780007520275

Version: 2015-12-31

Dedication (#ulink_2104c267-6dea-5981-aa87-02cebbaae60f)

This novel is dedicated,

with affection and gratitude,

to Jane Johnson,

who is one continent

and one sea away.

And to Florence Koontz

and Mildred Stefko,

who are one world away.

Hold every moment sacred. Give each clarity and meaning, each the weight of thine awareness, each its true and due fulfillment.

—Thomas Mann, The Beloved Returns

Contents

Cover (#u9bfd1782-978d-5ca8-be1e-f72c8f78d503)

Title Page (#u7f5f3e4d-144d-563a-b3c6-6114e253dae9)

Copyright (#u5180f224-0b46-5ca3-aa62-7aa6317f5431)

Dedication (#u36db6b5a-b8c8-5e15-a8f5-1e9de215a7c8)

Epigraph (#u6b3bf1c8-4a17-5fe8-9d4d-0f8b80eede74)

Prelude (#uf1e759ee-1f9c-587d-9073-a328d85b839a)

Chapter 1 (#u98c90a83-3aab-5245-b42e-b0bf118883b3)

Chapter 2 (#u2eabd28c-eba9-5b48-b4c7-27a1fb1668b4)

Chapter 3 (#u5e827bfc-164f-530b-9b46-794e6cfdaa6a)

Chapter 4 (#ud398e82d-bad9-53d7-9a57-fc79155d2479)

Chapter 5 (#u4d4bd3e2-bf97-5791-9a59-69ffe18a9cd1)

Chapter 6 (#u0cfff204-fa7f-53c5-9c68-0f421c02bdee)

Chapter 7 (#u2fe7fbb0-28b6-59f4-9dab-e7bdfdd629c8)