Frankenstein: City of Night By Dean Koontz Random House Large Print (2005), 432 pages ISBN: 978-0375434716 Genre: Thriller

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - March 2, 2011

This is the second volume in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. It continues the story in the first book. Readers may want to look at my review of the first volume Prodigal Son. Victor Helios is the name that Dr. Victor Frankenstein is using in New Orleans over two hundred years after he created his monster who he thinks is dead. He is manufacturing what he considers new improved beings, a new race, that he intends to use to kill and replace humans. These will be beings that do his bidding. Helios is over confident. Although he has been experimenting for two centuries, his beings, now numbering a couple of thousands, and placed in prominent New Orleans positions after the humans they are replacing are killed, are beginning to fall apart.

The first monster he created some 200 years ago is still alive and wants to stop Helios. He has unusual powers as a result of being hit by lightning. He is very strong and can move from one place or continent to another in a second. But Helios programmed him that he can't kill him. So Deucalion, as he calls himself, needs the help of two New Orleans detectives, Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison. The two are sexually attracted to each other, but Carson does not want to pursue their relationship until they settle the Frankenstein matter.

Carson has an autistic brother, Arnie. Helios made one of his creatures autistic. This creature, Randal Six, meaning that he is the sixth attempt to create Randal correctly, is one of the many Helios creatures who is disintegrating. He sees a picture of Arnie smiling. Although programmed to remain in his room, Randall leaves to go find Arnie and learn from him how to enjoy living. He decides that either Arnie will tell him or he will kill him. This problem of dissatisfaction with their existence is one of the main reasons why the Helios creatures are falling apart.

William, for example, like all the creatures, is programmed not to kill himself, but he begins to chew off his fingers to destroy himself joint by joint. Erica five, who Helios made to be his wife, does not understand why he beats her during sex. Isn't she satisfying him? Christine, a maid, against instructions, advises her to read a psychology book. Cindy and Benny, who were designed to kill humans, go amuck. She wants to have a child even though this is against her programming. The two of them also want to kill people who Helios hasn't designated to be killed. Father Ducaine, another replicant – a replicant is a Helios being who replaces a killed human – begins to feel the presence of God, although programmed not to believe. What will happen to these beings? Will Helios scheme unfold? What part will Deucalion, Carson, and Michael play?

• Frankenstein: Dead or Alive, by Dean Koontz.
  Book 3 in Koontz's Franenstein series. As a devastating hurricane approaches, as the benighted creations of Victor Helios begin to spin out of control, as New Orleans descends into chaos and the future of humanity hangs in the balance, the only hope rests with Victor’s first, failed attempt to build the perfect human.
  
  
• Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, by Dean Koontz.
  The first book in Koontz's modern-day Frankenstein series. Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, who's traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death...