Mr. Murder
Published: 1993
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Fiction, Genetic Engineering, Ghost, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller
Check out the review of this book here:
Summary
Marty Stillwater, a best-selling mystery writer, was recording himself one day when he discovered he kept saying "I need..." over and over again. When he rewound the tape, he discovered that he had been mindlessly repeating "I need" for more than 7 minutes. Marty was nervous the entire day, but as he put the kids to bed, he cooled down and was finally calmed.
Meanwhile, the Killer is out and about before his shift. He enters the pub and walks out with a prostitute to a hotel. He has sex with her and then murders her since she is unable to relieve his rage. He kills his targets and returns to his hotel. That night, still restless, he feels pulled to Topeka for some reason. Suddenly, he begins to say:
"I must... be... I have to be... I have to be..." As the suburbs and, eventually, the dark plains speed by on both sides, his enthusiasm grows gradually. He trembles on the verge of an epiphany that, he believes, will transform his life. "I must be... to be... I feel the urge to be someone." He immediately grasps the significance of what he has spoken. He does not mean what another guy may mean by those three words; he does not imply that he has to be someone famous, wealthy, or significant. Just one person. Someone who has a legitimate name just an ordinary Joe, as they used to say in 1940s movies.
— Mr. Murder, pp. 48-49 (the above paragraph is from the book but I changed the way it is in the book to be safe from the Copywrite issues)
The Killer is drawn to the Stillwater mansion like a magnet by an unknown power. On his route, he murders many people, including an elderly couple for a pair of clothes and a gas station employee for food and money.
When he breaks into the Stillwater home, he discovers a photograph of Marty and thinks it's him. He notices Marty's books and decides they are his. He views images of Emily and Charlotte, as well as Marty's wife Paige, and decides he wants to be the father and husband. He tries to write a book but is unable to do it, so he breaks the computer in fury.
Marty was concerned about his fugues (a lapse in recollection) and decided to consult a doctor. The doctor blamed it on stress. When Marty returns home, he discovers that his belongings have been missing and his computer has been shattered.
The Other then enters and accuses him of forgery. Marty shoots him twice in the chest in response, but The Other seems unmoved. The battle catapults them over the banisters, injuring The Other but allowing him to flee.
Marty's family arrives home, and Marty directs them to their next-door neighbor's home. The cops come soon after. The investigator, Cyrus Lowbock, interrogates Marty and doubts his account, implying it is a publicity ploy. Marty and his wife refuse to comply, so the cops go.
The Other's body has recovered quickly from his injuries, but the exertion has left him hungry. He returns after devouring copious amounts of food to reclaim Paige and the girls from Marty, whom he believes has taken them. He "rescues" the daughters from the neighbor's house, but Marty spots him and pursues him. The car smashes, and the girls flee, but the Killer disappears once again.
Drew Oslett and Karl Clocker, two operatives from a shadowy government agency, are dispatched to find the Killer (referred to as "Alfie") they find the bodies of the two seniors as well as Alfie's tracking gadget.
A note from their agency directs them to a People magazine article about Marty Stillwater, where they learn of his link to the Killer.
They encounter someone who might be able to assist them find Alfie. To keep their cover, they determine that the Stillwaters must be murdered/suicide, and Alfie must be brought in.
Meanwhile, the Stillwaters retreat to a cabin in Mammoth Lakes to prepare for an attack by The Other. Paige hides beneath a boulder to ambush The Other, but he unexpectedly drives through the cottage.
After that, the Stillwaters retreat to an abandoned church. Marty has been shot, and Paige and the girls are imprisoned.
Drew and Karl seek down The Other as he prepares to murder them. Drew murders The Other, only to be murdered by Karl, who has turned against the agency. He saves the Stillwaters and gives them new identities, a new house, and proof to bring down the agency.
He says that cloning and genetic engineering were utilized to produce a breed of elite killers, with Marty's tissue samples inadvertently being used in the creation of Alfie. Marty submits the proof to the authorities under an unknown name after a few months, and the Stillwaters begin their new lives.
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
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