I like Peter Straub's prose. He has a poet's soul and a novelist mind. He depicts beautifully shaped
characters and the landscape is flawlessly described. Almost every dialogue has a deep hidden
meaning which will be slowly explained. "Koko" is no exception. Here, we will find a madman, a serial
killer from the war with a mysterious agenda. Which war? Vietnam, of course. This war's unholy
ghost rises again in a nightmare that will take some vets to a desperate search to stop the killing
before Koko comes to get them. Their experience with this murderer is an endless chase, not only
to stop Koko, but to reveal to themselves what they really want in life, to accept the past and get
over it. Koko will be seen by the characters as a slippery demon, a shadow with no face, until it's
useless to see his face, because it's already too late. The killer has a deep angst, too, unknown to
us, an urgent need to accomplish his task. There will be many surprises, lots of gruesome revelations: secrets from the war that, looking back, will leave the well-known bitter taste of the things that should have never happened.

 

   My highest recommendation. If you want more reference, you should read Straub's
"Mistery" and "The Throat" just after "Koko". There is a tenous link, almost imperceptible, but
they contain a more extensive explanation for some of the murders.