WATCHERS

The good news: Experiments with recombinant DNA result in a highly intelligent golden retriever who spends his evenings reading BLACK BEAUTY. The bad news: The prototype of a genetically engineered soldier-ape goes horribly wrong. "The Outsider" eviscerates, then rips the eyes out of its victims. Corrupt scientists and NSA agents, Soviet terrorists, and a Mob-connected hit man who believes he absorbs the life-essences of his victims populate a story loaded with the usual Koontzian paranoia. Narrator J. Charles's inexplicable cheeriness is misplaced. He sounds as if he's lost in another book. His frequent pronunciation errors and laughable Italian accent are jarring enough to interrupt the author's flow. But Koontz's many fans will still enjoy this sci-fi story about genetic engineering run amok. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]