Deeply Odd: an Odd Thomas novel

The seventh Odd Thomas novel takes place a mere 19 months after the events of the first book, which shows just how tightly knit this story is more of a serial, really, than a series. An unplanned encounter with a hateful trucker leads Thomas to put his own life on the line to save the lives of the three children who will otherwise die at the hands of the man. Thomas, you see, has a special gift that allows him to see not just the spirits of the dead (the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock is a supporting character in the book) but also events that have not yet happened but certainly will, unless he intervenes. Odd Thomas is an engaging narrator, a young man who's still coming to terms with the rather staggering recent changes in his life, and, although the setup of the story would normally suggest a fairly predictable conclusion This very bad guy isn't really going to get away with it, is he? there's never anything predictable about an Odd Thomas adventure. Another satisfying entry in this wildly popular series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: It's Koontz, and it's Odd. Class dismissed.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Series fans will appreciate more than newcomers bestseller Koontz's sixth paranormal crime novel featuring itinerant fry cook and prophetic dreamer Odd Thomas (after 2012's Odd Apocalypse). Thomas, who is "drawn to trouble as reliably as iron to a magnet" and can see "the spirits of the lingering dead," has been searching for the meaning of his life for two years-ever since he saved many people (though not the love of his life, Stormy Llewellyn) from a shootout in a California shopping mall. When Thomas investigates a truck he knows to be evil, he receives images of a masked man in a blood-red suit torching children. Convinced that what's he's glimpsed is a vision of a tragedy to come, Thomas dedicates himself to preventing it-after fending off the truck driver with a barrage of fruit. The farce in this novel often undercuts the terror. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Odd Thomas, a short-order cook who can see dead people and recognize those who intend to harm the living, is back and better than ever. When he encounters evil in the guise of a rhinestone cowboy trucker and receives a vision of the horrors the trucker plans to inflict on innocents, Odd knows he must do all he can to stop it. He encounters a host of new and endearing characters, including Edie, an elderly lady with a mysterious history and talents, and others whose unique skills would be of great use to Odd in the brewing battle against the forces of darkness. Written to include enough backstory that one who has never read any of the earlier books could easily begin here without feeling lost. David Aaron Baker does a superb job of interpreting Odd's humility and self-deprecating humor and bringing all the other characters to life. VERDICT Recommended to all listeners of fiction audio. [The Bantam hc was a New York Times best seller.-Ed.]-Gay Smith, Dripping Springs Community Lib., TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The seventh Odd Thomas novel takes place a mere 19 months after the events of the first book, which shows just how tightly knit this story is—more of a serial, really, than a series. An unplanned encounter with a hateful trucker leads Thomas to put his own life on the line to save the lives of the three children who will otherwise die at the hands of the man. Thomas, you see, has a special gift that allows him to see not just the spirits of the dead (the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock is a supporting character in the book) but also events that have not yet happened but certainly will, unless he intervenes. Odd Thomas is an engaging narrator, a young man who's still coming to terms with the rather staggering recent changes in his life, and, although the setup of the story would normally suggest a fairly predictable conclusion—This very bad guy isn't really going to get away with it, is he?—there's never anything predictable about an Odd Thomas adventure. Another satisfying entry in this wildly popular series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: It's Koontz, and it's Odd. Class dismissed. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

Series fans will appreciate more than newcomers bestseller Koontz's sixth paranormal crime novel featuring itinerant fry cook and prophetic dreamer Odd Thomas (after 2012's Odd Apocalypse). Thomas, who is "drawn to trouble as reliably as iron to a magnet" and can see "the spirits of the lingering dead," has been searching for the meaning of his life for two years—ever since he saved many people (though not the love of his life, Stormy Llewellyn) from a shootout in a California shopping mall. When Thomas investigates a truck he knows to be evil, he receives images of a masked man in a blood-red suit torching children. Convinced that what's he's glimpsed is a vision of a tragedy to come, Thomas dedicates himself to preventing it—after fending off the truck driver with a barrage of fruit. The farce in this novel often undercuts the terror. (June)