Review of Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas: Querky but Satisfying

Only one book could have an obese writer and his "evil" cat, a fry cook with a unique sixth sense and a crying Elvis neatly placed between the covers. Dean Koontz book "Odd Thomas" is a new view on fate, destiny, love and death. The character of Odd Thomas is honest, blunt and truthful about his power to see the spirits of the dead still trapped in this world. Yes, this might sound like a rerun of an M. Night Shyamalan movie but I promise that no Bruce Willis is present in this book. I was also a little reluctant at this point to continue thinking this is just another book about the dead seeking peace, revenge, etc. But because this book is a combination of thriller and mystery and makes this plot line so much different I was able to get pass the second page. Being guided by Odd and his encounters with a cast of characters that at times makes him seem bland in comparison at times is a joy. The books setting in the town of Pico Mundo in the Mojave Desert in the height of summer Koontz creates an oven of suspense. However, at times I felt like Koontz left me in the oven and spent more time describing the desert and not moving the plot along.

I must admit that the beginning is a little slow, but Koontz' keeps pulling you back in with little subtle hints of what is to come. Koontz creates a world in which the reader is comfortable encountering the living, the dead and everything in between. Odd never takes the time to fully introduce himself so the reader relies more upon is personal views of others to better understand his personality. This includes the addition of Odds longtime girlfriend Stormy, which helps in making Odd seem less like a loner and more status quo, accepting for the seeing the dead. The slow movement does pick-up to roller coaster speed after the first couple chapters with his first encounter with Fungus Man, a man Odd sees a being surrounded by pure evil. Koontz plays with man's inner fear of not only death but having the foreknowledge to stop it.

The books moves at normal pace till about half way through when Koontz throws the reader a curve and begins in a whole new direction. With even more lives in the balance Odd must stop the event from taking place or risk being haunted the rest of his life with the ghost of the dead. Koontz by the end accomplishes his goal of a great read.

P.S. There's a sequel.."Forever Odd"