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Summary
Summary
Once presided over by a flamboyant Hollywood mogul during the Roaring '20s, the magnificent West Coast property known as Roseland is now home to a reclusive billionaire financier and his faithful servants. And, for the moment, it's also a port in the storm for Odd Thomas and his traveling companion, the inscrutably charming Annamaria. In the wake of Odd's most recent clash with lethal adversaries, the opulent manor's comforts should be welcome. But there's far more to Roseland than meets even the extraordinary eye of Odd, who soon suspects it may be more hell than haven.
A harrowing taste of Roseland's terrors convinces Odd that it's time to hit the road again. Still, the prescient Annamaria insists that they've been led there for a reason. Just how deep and dreadful are the mysteries Roseland and her masters have kept for nearly a century? And what consequences await whoever is brave, or mad, enough to confront the most profound breed of evil? Odd only knows. Like his acclaimed creator, the irresistible Odd Thomas is in top-notch form--as he takes on what may well be the most terrifying challenge yet in his curious career.
Summary
The woman astride the ghostly mount reaches out desperately, the latest spirit to enlist the aid of Odd Thomas, the unassuming young fry cook whose gift-or curse-it is to see the shades of the restless dead, and to help them when he can. This mission of mercy will lead Odd through realms of darkness he has never before encountered, as he probes the long-held secrets of a sinister estate and those who inhabit it.
Author Notes
Dean Koontz was born on July 9, 1945 in Everett, Pennsylvania. He received a degree in education from Shippensburg State College in 1967. A former high school English teacher as well as a teacher-counselor with the Appalachian Poverty Program, he began writing as a child to escape an ugly home life caused by his alcoholic father. A prolific writer at a young age, he had sold a dozen novels by the age of 25. Early in his career, he wrote under numerous pen names including David Axton, Brian Coffey, K. R. Dwyer, Leigh Nichols, Richard Paige, and Owen West. He is best known for the books written under his own name, many of which are bestsellers, including Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, The Husband, Odd Hours, 77 Shadow Street, Innocence, The City, Saint Odd, and The Silent Corner.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of bestseller Koontz's wry, offbeat fifth Odd Thomas novel (after 2008's Odd Hours), short-order cook Thomas, who has prophetic dreams and can "see the spirits of the lingering dead," has a vision while he's a guest at a California retreat known as Roseland-of a blonde woman in a white nightgown on a black horse. Though unable to speak, this ghostly woman is able to communicate that her son, who's also at Roseland, is in danger. Thomas embarks on a quest to avenge the woman's death that will involve brutish piglike creatures that walk erect and travel in packs as well as secret discoveries by the legendary Nikolas Tesla. This supernatural thriller surely ranks as one of the series' funniest. Even as Thomas fights the forces of darkness, he observes, "Of course, one must always remember that although The Sound of Music is the most feel-good movie musical of all time, it is crammed full of Nazis." (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In his fifth adventure, Odd Thomas is a guest at Roseland, an immense California estate near the Pacific, thanks to Annamarie, who hitched her wagon to his in Odd Hours (2008). Although barely arrived, Odd already has seen the spirit of another murder victim seeking justice. The spectral woman on a horse, who wants Odd to rescue her son, isn't all Odd's seeing. Strange rivers of smoke darken Roseland's skies, and ferocious swine-men murderously scour the estate only to vanish as suddenly as they appear. Warily exploring, Odd discovers a 9-year-old boy who claims to be 90-plus and that his host, Noah Wolflaw, is one and the same as Roseland's original owner, a newspaper and movie mogul still alive at about 130, though looking only 50. This is the most fanciful and by far the most leisurely Odd Thomas escapade. Always prone to wisecracking; mooning over his lost love, Stormy; and kvetching about the state of the world like a right-wing moralist, Odd greatly indulges in all three in an sf-tinged tale seemingly indebted to H. G. Wells (The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau), H. P. Lovecraft (the Herbert West stories), and Orson Welles (Citizen Kane). Fortunately, Koontz makes Odd's narrative voice as winning as ever. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Koontz hits best-sellers lists, and with his name recognition, publisher publicity, and the press buzz behind his latest novel, expect the same results.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Odd Thomas, a fry cook who can see dead people, was first introduced to readers as a teenager in 2003's Odd Thomas. An engaging young man who peppers his narratives (Brother Odd; Odd Hours) with wisecracks, he also seems to have a sagelike understanding of humanity. As we encounter him again in this new adventure, he is a guest at Roseland, a sinister Pacific Coast estate set farther from reality's borders than Odd has ventured in the past. Here he is compelled by one of the restless dead to rescue a young boy from the grips of Roseland before he, like its other inhabitants, is no longer able to leave. VERDICT With this offering Odd's fanbase with fantasy-horror devotees is certain to grow, while previous admirers of his quirky charms will not be disappointed. Odd's screen debut, starring Anton Yelchin and Willem Dafoe, later this fall is certain to attract new readers. [See Prepub Alert, 1/30/12.]-Nancy McNicol, Hamden P.L., CT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.