The Night Window is the fifth and final installment of the Jane Hawk series by Dean Koontz, and it feels as if I’m saying goodbye to an old friend. The only thing I don’t know is how her story will conclude. Will our badass Mama Bear come out of the fight in one piece? Or will I be left hurling abuse at my Kindle, and maybe Mr. Koontz himself?

I had a bit of a wait to find out.

Jane’s story continued at breakneck speed, and once again, there were several inter-connected subplots with various timelines told in the different voices of old friends and new, potentially terrifying, characters.

In The Night Window, Jane has her son, Travis, safely stashed away (or so she thinks), and she has a new and unexpected addition to her oddball cast of collaborators. That addition, however, comes with some challenges, and Jane finds some bridges burned and former allies turned against her. She knows that she needs to end her fight against the Arcadians who are always hot on her trail, and while you suspect you know what her plan is, it’s not obvious until the very last.

With plenty of tension, suspense, drama, some pretty thrilling twists and a scarily realistic conspiracy (seriously - too realistic), Mr. Koontz has once again exceeded my expectations. With a sometimes unreliable and wildly different cast of characters, I am still very much in awe of his ability to slip in and out of each subplot and each character’s mind with such ease, you have to wonder how much therapy the man needs (or how much he drinks after each chapter!).

Once again, if you’re into strong female leads and plenty of action, look at the Jane Hawk series. Since this one isn’t due for release until mid-May, you have plenty of time to catch up on all of Jane’s adventures.

As for me - I’m still digging that bunker. Hey, I live in the desert ... that caliche is tough!