The Bad Weather Friend

“The Bad Weather Friend” by Dean Koontz is a darkly humorous and thrilling story about kindness, vengeance, and the strange forms that friendship can take.

The novel follows Benny Catspaw, an endlessly optimistic man whose life suddenly unravels—he loses his job, his fiancée, his reputation, and even his favorite chair. Convinced that someone is deliberately sabotaging him, Benny is baffled about who or why. Then, he unexpectedly inherits a mysterious crate and a video message from an uncle he never knew existed. The message promises that “all will be well in time.”

Inside the crate, Benny discovers Spike—a towering seven-foot-tall being who calls himself a “bad weather friend.” Spike’s purpose is to protect and avenge good-hearted people who have been wronged by the world. Although his help is powerful, his methods are terrifying, leaving Benny torn between gratitude and fear.

Joined by Harper, a clever and curious waitress with dreams of becoming a private investigator, Benny and Spike embark on a fast-paced, perilous adventure to uncover who is behind the attacks on Benny’s life.

Blending suspense, dark comedy, and heart, Koontz’s novel explores what happens when pure goodness meets unstoppable force—and how even the nicest person can be pushed to the edge when fate sends them a friend like Spike.