Throughout history there have been stories of those who simply disappear. In Snowfield, California, history is being made ….. The town is gone. In this Dean Koontz thriller, 350 people are missing and 150 are dead and no one knows why.

When Dr. Jenny Paige and her younger sister return to Snowfield they find tables are set for dinner, lights are on but the town is eerily silent. No dogs barking or crickets sending their nightly serenade up to the sky…. Everyone including the animals are gone. The bodies of those left behind show no visible signs of disease, and no known plague kills its victims before they have a chance to place their napkins on the table or check the pot roast in the oven. As the mystery unfolds, the chilling and terrifying search for the truth keeps you on the edge.

There is a reason Dean Koontz keeps me coming back. He blends history and facts with terror and fiction….. Perhaps when the mysteries of the past are solved, some of these spellbinding books may not be a work of fiction at all.

As a new horror classic I give PHANTOMS 4 out of 5 ghosts.

Susan rates PHANTOMS

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ODD HOURS
By Dean Koontz

“The dead don't talk. I don't know why.”But they try to communicate with Odd Thomas. Fluffy pancakes, crisp bacon and perfectly grilled hash browns….. These are the aspirations of a simple fry cook from Pico Mundo, California.

“Odd Hours” is the fourth book in the Odd Thomas series. The latest is pure delight and suspense by the master of thrills and chills Dean Koontz. In a nut shell, Odd simply captivates my heart. Odd’s life is a journey of an ordinary and humble fry cook with a not so ordinary gift of seeing dead people. Though he cannot hear them, they communicate. Haunted by dreams of a doom laden red tide, Odd moves to a California coastal town where he takes up a position as personal chef for a great legend of the silver screen. With his ghost dog Boo as a companion, a small town where nothing is as it seems and visions of impending disaster, Odd’s bravery and resilient spirit continues wrap you in that familiar warmth we fans have come to know as “Odd one”.

As this fascinating journey began three books ago, let me give you my quick review of the other gems in the Odd Thomas collection.

In the first book “Odd Thomas” weaves a tapestry of mystery, laughter and tears. With his love Stormy Llewellyn by his side and tragedy around the corner, we can’t help but embrace this Dean Koontz love affair. This is a book chalked full of strange characters and ominous signs including the appearance the dark shadow creatures called bodachs. These sinister and negative beings gather and seem to feed on the despair of the living when disaster is about to strike. From the beginning with Elvis tagging along, Odd simply gets under your skin.

The second book “Forever Odd” imprisons the reader out of concern for our beloved main character. Recovering from tragedy and heart ache in the first book, the second book begins when a childhood friend of Odd's has disappeared. Using a unique gift Odd calls psychic magnetism, he sets out to face unspeakable terror in the quest to save his friend. “Forever Odd” again helps us to realize that with faith maybe we too can heal from life’s misfortune. Oh and did I mention…. Elvis who is a constant silent companion finds humor in picking his nose.

The third book “Brother Odd” is Odd’s desperate desire to escape the sadness and disappointment in life. In an attempt to find his path and again with Elvis by his side, Odd seeks refuge at St. Bartholomew’s Abbey in the California high Sierra Mountains. There, among the eccentric monks, the nuns, and otherwise abandoned children, Odd finds that the sinister bodachs (dark creatures that herald tragedy) are gathering and that the dead are not nearly as menacing as the living.

In conclusion, with new superstar companion at his side, Odd Thomas is quickly becoming a fictional legend. I believe we have not heard the last from our endearing fry cook. If you love suspense, thrills and the thought of eggs cooked to perfection, I recommend the entire Odd Thomas book series.

I give the entire series 4.5 ghosts (5 ghosts is perfect and well… nobody is)

Susan rates The ODD THOMAS Series 4.5

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