Your Heart Belongs to Me
Dean Koontz
 The central character, Ryan Perry, is the wealthy founder and owner of an online social networking site, Be2Do. Ryan is dating an author named Samantha, who had interviewed him for a magazine article. Although seemingly in good health and only 34 years old, Ryan begins to have seizures at random times of the day, and decides to seek the assistance of his doctor, Dr. Gupta. He is informed that he has a rare, inherited heart condition (cardiomyopathy) of which there is no cure. Ryan is only given one year to live unless he can receive a heart transplant, so he is put on a waiting list. Meanwhile, Samantha reveals to Ryan that her mother, assumed dead by Ryan, is in fact alive and living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ryan becomes temporarily suspicious of Samantha, and believes she may have something to do with his sudden decline in health. He makes a secret trip to Las Vegas to investigate Samantha’s mother and her boyfriend, Spencer Barguest. While searching the home of Barguest, Ryan discovers photographs of dead bodies with their eyes taped open. One of the photographs appears to be of Samantha’s identical twin sister, who was declared brain dead after a car accident and later died. This discovery leads Ryan to believe that Barguest is involved in assisted-suicide, or euthanasia. Still distrustful of those close to him, Ryan secretly switches doctors from Dr. Gupta to Dr. Hobb, who specializes in wealthy clients. He also replaces his household staff. Within a month, Ryan is informed that a heart donor has been found and successfully receives the transplant. After returning home, his relationship with Samantha ends for unknown reasons. One year later, a series of mysterious events unfolds at Ryan’s home. His personal handgun is stolen from his vault, and several heart-themed items appear in his room with the message ‘Be Mine.’ After reading her first novel, Ryan attempts to rekindle his relationship with Samantha. He meets with her outside a book store, but she tells him that she can no longer love him. An Asian woman standing nearby tries to offer lilies to Ryan, but he refuses. Later on, the same woman stabs him in his stomach while at a parking lot mall and tells him that she can kill him whenever she wants. After answering his cell phone later, the same woman tells him that his heart belongs to her and she wants him dead. Concerned for his safety, Ryan decides to investigate his anonymous heart donor. Through Dr. Hobb, he is able to obtain a photograph and first name of the donor, who was declared brain dead after a car accident and later died when her heart was removed. The young woman’s name was Lily, and she is identical to the woman who has threatened Ryan. After reviewing security footage from within his estate, Ryan discovers that Lily's twin sister looped the video to make her appear invisible to security cameras. This leads him to the belief that she is involved in a large conspiracy to kill him, but she later denies this and claims to be working alone. Ryan must once more fight to save his life – this time from a woman who claims his heart belongs to her.