Synopses & Reviews
"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe its a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odds otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different.
A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odds deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.
Today is August 14.
In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.
Review
"[E]lectrifying tension....This is Koontz working at his pinnacle, providing terrific entertainment that deals seriously with some of the deepest themes of human existence: the nature of evil, the grip of fate and the power of love." Publishers Weekly (Starred and Boxed Review)
Review
"One of the many reasons this novel works is Koontz's talent for creating richly drawn characters. Odd's oddness seems to arise partly from his estrangement from his family. But Koontz doesn't hit the reader over the head with that underlying psychodrama." Boston Globe
Review
"In a cleaner, less congested style than he usually favors, Mr. Koontz builds an enveloping story....Odd Thomas walks a very thin line between the exploitation of horror and the feel-good religious optimism that transcends the darkness..." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"[D]espite the lift he strives for, these pages go by on automatic pilot....With its tender surprise ending, call it It's a Wonderful Sixth Sense, built out of wet pulp and milk." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[O]ne of Dean Koontz's best novels....Packed with plenty of original surprises...Odd Thomas is a patchwork tale of borrowed and often gruesome parts that sometimes manage to hide the kind and humane heart at their center." Denver Post
Review
"[A] corker of a new thriller, [Koontz's] best since Intensity....Koontz employs dry, goofy humor, often in daring counterpoint to the story's spikes in tension and horror." Booklist
Review
"There's some fun horror in this book...and Odd Thomas, like Koontz's writing, is likable enough....But Odd Thomas is not up to Koontz's best....[It's] empty calories, sugar spun into a meaningless shell of horror-movie cliches..." San Jose Mercury News
Review
"Koontz has once again set in motion a compelling combination of character and circumstance, tempered with his special brand of dark humor." Library Journal
Review
"The rapid pace, eerie circumstances, and bizarre characters will keep readers turning pages....The last chapters are so powerful and heartrending that they should be read several times." School Library Journal
Review
"In the past, Koontz has been known more for his plain old scares, but in books like Odd Thomas...he's obviously enjoying creating unconventional characters that are more winsome than extreme or intense. Don't get me wrong, plenty of his characters are not nice at all, and if you're here for the chills then chills you shall have..." David Hannon, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopsis
In this New York Times bestseller, Koontz delivers a haunting tale of love and terror, suspense and self discovery. Odd Thomas is an unassuming young man a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who serves as the reluctant confidant of the dead.
About the Author
Dean Koontz is the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers. He lives with his wife, Gerda, and their dog, Trixie, in southern California.