The Good Guy by Dean Koontz (2007, Hardcover)

Tim Carrier is a nice, big, teddy bear of a guy who has settled into a routine bachelor's life of working as a mason, and getting a couple of beers every night after work at a friend's pub. For the most part, he doesn't encourage conversation with the other bar patrons, but if he has "the good luck to encounter an eccentric" he'll play along.

One night, just such an eccentric arrives. He tells Tim he "jumped out of an airplane with his dog." Intrigued, Tim turns to him and responds. After a short conversation, the man, mistaking Tim for a hitman, slides a manila envelope across the bar and tells him, "Half of it's there...The rest when she's gone." Then he turns around and hurries out of the bar. Shocked, Tim waits just a split second too long, and misses the opportunity to inform the man of his mistake. Minutes later, the real hitman shows up, and mistakes Tim for the guy wanting the hit! Unable to simply walk away, Tim slips the intended victim's picture out of the envelope, gives the cash to the killer, and tells him he's changed his mind. With that, Tim's life is forever changed.

Tim finds Linda Paquette, the target of the hit, and together they set off; with a killer on their tail as relentless and inhuman as 'The Terminator.' As the story unfolds, the direness of their situation draws them close to one another, and Linda is able to open up to Tim about the many trials and tribulations she has endured. Tim, a complete stranger, is there for her and she trusts him. Together, along with Tim's friend, Pete Santos (a robbery-homicide detective), they put the puzzle pieces together bit by bit in order to finally discover the big picture. And ultimately, Linda discovers what a "good guy" Tim really is.

The story took off right away, and each chapter is more riveting than the last. The tender, blossoming relationship between Tim and Linda was enjoyable to read, and the evil, cold-blooded killer made my stomach turn on more than one occasion. I ended up staying up until two o'clock in the morning reading this book because I simply could not put it down. Another exciting thriller by one of my all-time favorite authors. It's classic Koontz all the way!