Saint Odd: An Odd Thomas Novel

By: Dean Koontz 
Publisher: Bantam 
Publication Date: January 2015
ISBN: 978-0-34554587-9
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: January 24, 2015

There are moments in time when every fan of some writer out there falls into a depression when they know that their absolute favorite character will never be heard from again. There was a line in this novel that spoke of how this one young man had made so many friends in his short life – a line that could not better fit the character of Odd Thomas. This is it. After a long run, one of the greatest authors out there has offered an action-packed, thrilling, deeply-emotional and frightening journey to provide Odd Thomas with a first-class send-off.

Pico Mundo, the original spot where it all began, is where readers are brought back to. Odd must get there; he is being followed by members of the desert cult that truly want to take him out. In the last novel, Odd saved children from these vicious individuals, and now all they want to do is get even.

When Odd arrives back home, he heads to the Green Moon Mall, and readers almost feel as if they are walking through that devastating scene right beside him. Odd looks back on the day when Stormy, his beloved, was taken away from him in a burst of gunfire. He knows he has become the prey and the predators are closing in swiftly, giving him less than twenty-four hours to save the town. So with the help of old friends, and characters that readers have fallen in love with, Odd heads to a safe house where a sweet married couple who have the ability to shoot are waiting to help him. As the action grows, wolves appear, dynamite is stolen, and police officers cringe as they wait to see what comes next.

Pico Mundo is the host of a carnival this time out, bringing back the same old Gypsy that’d once promised two kids they would be together forever. Psychic midgets dressed like bears, face painting by females who are immersed in dreams, and an ogre that instills fear at the Fun House: all of these things and more are in Odd’s path to help him or harm him, as he faces the impossible challenge of stopping death…and discovering his own life.

The ultimate battle, Dead Koontz has saved the best for last. He is the owner of the brilliant mind that continues to grace the literary world with an illumination that can’t be found anywhere else. And although I am grateful Koontz will gift me with the next unbelievable tale very soon, I feel the heartache saying goodbye to one of the best characters written. Odd Thomas will be sorely missed.

Quill says: A fantastic tale from start to finish. Readers will want to go back to the beginning and follow Odd once again.