Odd Interlude (Odd Thomas #4.5) Review

Odd Interlude (Odd Thomas #4.5)

Dean Koontz

Publisher: Harper

Nestled on a lonely stretch along the Pacific coast, quaint roadside outpost Harmony Corner offers everything a weary traveler needs--a cozy diner, a handy service station, a cluster of cottages . . . and the Harmony family homestead presiding over it all. But when Odd Thomas and company stop to spend the night, they discover that there's more to this secluded haven than meets the eye--and that between life and death, there is something more frightening than either. 

Originally published as some e-book shorts, all three parts of Odd Interlude have been collected together and published in traditional form here. Set immediately after Odd Hours, this sees Odd and Annamaria stop at a motel which has harboured refugees before...and worse.

I love Dean Koontz book – they are warm and familiar and I always know that no matter perils and tribulations are thrown at our hero, he will overcome and survive. They are like an ice cream sundae on a warm day – delicious and to be eaten quickly before it melts. This is no exception and I loved catching up with Odd again. I admit to being a little behind with Odd’s adventures but this short book caught be up quickly and re-introduced me to Odds humble bravery and quirky sense of humour. That’s another element I love about Koontz’s books – despite the fast pace, there is plenty of joy. Sometimes it’s wry observations on the ridiculousness of humanity and sometimes there is some physical humour.

Odd encounters a variety of people who have been living under a curse for a long time, something related to a refugee from Moonlight Bay. Those who read Dean books might recognise Moonlight Bay as the home town of Christopher Snow, another character of Dean’s that we haven’t visited for a while. However, you really don’t need to read any other books before picking this up – this a pure standalone adventure that will whet your appetite if you’ve not read Dean Koontz before and a happy catch-up if you have. A great adventure which covers horror, science-fiction, gentle humour, ghosts and thriller. Highly recommended!

Recommended for fans of James Rollins and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10

Breathless Review

Breathless – Dean Koontz

Publisher: UK - Harper

In the Colorado mountains something miraculous comes into the life of Grady Adams, a strong, gentle man whose past experiences have alienated him from the modern world and driven him to live in the wilds. When he sees it, he knows that one of Nature's great mysteries has been revealed to him.
He takes his friend Cammy Rivers to bear witness to the phenomenal presence. As a scientist, she is stunned and awed. She emails photos to colleagues in far places to try and find a name for the wonderful beings. Before they know what is happening, Homeland Security has quarantined the wilderness around them and sent in assorted scientists to track down and 'neutralize' the threat to the known world.

If I’m in a mood for an easy, comfort read, I pick up one of Dean Koontz’s many books and know I’m going to get a thrilling ride with haunted characters who despite all their scarred and horrible pasts’ still believe in good and right and eventually triumph over evil. And they usually own a clever, intelligent dog. With Breathless this is what you get to a certain level. The writing is classic Koontz, melodic and easy to read. There is a man, woman and dog who suddenly find themselves in the middle of extraordinary circumstances. There is a man who’s dead brother is haunting him. A gambler who wins big and gives it all away. And finally there is a down and out bum who has a mysterious encounter that changes his life. Each of these stories has enough mystery and intrigue to pull you in and make you want to find out more.

Usually with a tiered story like this you’re waiting to see how the various strands relate to each other – how they build together. Like taking some caramel, nougat, chocolate and peanuts and knowing how to make snickers bars out of them. However, this time I didn’t get a snickers bar – I got caramel, nougat, chocolate and peanuts. The stories of each where each interesting and fascinating but there is barely any cross over between them. It seemed a little disparate. And I was a little disappointed. The ending seems rather abrupt and convenient with little actually earned by our main characters. It just happens.

Having said all that, a poor Dean Koontz book is still a Dean Koontz book with plenty of philosophy, suspense and heart to make it a very enjoyable read. The various story points keep you reading as you want to find out what happens to each character – whether they get their comeuppance or not!

Recommended for fans of Dean Koontz and Lee Child. 6 out of 10

Book Chick City's Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge Book 6/12

Darkness Under The Sun Review

Darkness Under The Sun

-       Dean Koontz

Kindle Book

There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt. He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still…he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death. This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to insure that he does not visit us.

First I should say that this is a short story available on e-format as a prequel or additional background for Dean Koontz’s new book, What The Night Knows. However, no prior knowledge of that book is needed or even required to fully enjoy this story. I picked it up when Amazon were offering it free a couple of week ago but I believe there is now a cost on it.

This story is creepy. It starts with a young boy, Howie, who has trouble making friends because of the way he looks. One day he finds a man he finds in his secret hidey hole who befriends him. I don’t want to say too much and ruin the story but this book has such a haunted atmosphere to it. The boy is haunted by his past and struggles to live day to day because of it.

To me this book felt like reading a Stephen King rather than Dean Koontz. Usually Dean Koontz characters have a core of goodness to them which helps them fight the evil they come across. But this is much darker than his usual fare and he does spooky very well. The boy is still finding himself and that adds more shades of grey to the story. The ambiguous ending as well leaves me shivering and wondering. I think this actually strengthens the story - which is perfect to read on a stormy night with the curtains closed against the dark. It’s not a long story but a perfect little taster that will definitely have me picking up What The Night Knows  when it’s released.

Recommended for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. 9 out of 10

Dark Rivers of the Heart Review

Dark Rivers of the Heart

-          Dean Koontz

Publisher: UK – Hodder

Spencer Grant is physically and emotionally scarred. An outsider, he often sits for hours in bars just to avoid being alone - and to tell his story to someone who won't remember it the next morning. But last night he met Valerie and something about her melted his isolation. Then she doesn't turn up for work and he finds her home abandoned, with a strange message fixed to the wall. Before he has time to wonder who or what Valerie is, the house is hit by an explosion. Spencer escapes, only to find himself on the run - not only from his past but also from the conspiracy he has unwittingly stumbled on.

I’ve read a lot of Dean Koontz books – not all of them but a lot of them. I find them a comfort read. You know what to expect – the good guys are pure, the bad guys are evil and there is usually a dog who saves the day at least once.

Dark Rivers was no exception. The hero – Spencer was an upstanding good guy with a troubled past and a heroic dog. The heroine was a resourceful, beautiful woman with advance knowledge of the worst of humanity but also faith in the best of it. Dean Koontz has a faith in the goodness of people and dogs that is somehow uplifting – and if after a while a lot of his novels have a similarity to them in terms of characterisation – the story and the humour carries you through. And there is a lot of humour in Koontz books.

This was the perfect for me at this time – I was in the middle of moving and needed something that would entertain but not taxing, something easy to read and something that would distract me from cardboard boxes and delivery men. And it is a great read – action, humour, big conspiracy and hope.

Recommended for fans of Dan Brown (to see how it could be!) and James Rollins. 7.5 out of 10