WHEN Grady Adams has a life changing, ET-type experience in the Colorado mountains, it should hold out promise for the human race.

But in a fear-haunted American society, Homeland Security are soon on the case and Grady has to be prepared to meet fire with fire if an atrocity is to be prevented.

Koontz’s sci-fi saga crackles with energy and suspense but fails to ignite completely as his central theme has been explored so many times before.