Odd Interlude

ACCLAIM FOR DEAN KOONTZ AND HIS ODD THOMAS SERIES

Odd Thomas

“Once in a very great while, an author does everything right—as Koontz has in this marvelous novel [which] features electrifying tension and suspense, plus a few walloping surprises.… This thriller also stands out for its brilliant tightrope walk between the amusing and the macabre.… Above all … Koontz has created a hero whose honest, humble voice will resonate with many.… This is Koontz working at his pinnacle, providing terrific entertainment that deals seriously with some of the deepest themes of human existence: the nature of evil, the grip of fate and the power of love.”

—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“If Stephen King is the Rolling Stones of novels … Koontz is the Beatles.”

—
Playboy

“One of Koontz’s best novels … a darkly humorous literary pastiche.… Packed with plenty of original surprises, and at least one lump-in-your-throat moment.”

—
The Denver Post

“Koontz merrily takes bizarre situations and makes them completely believable. For a chiller, the book is surprisingly warm, set among charming eccentrics.… Odd Thomas describes himself as merely a fry cook who leads an unusual life; Koontz … serves this one up tasty and hot.”

—
People
(critic’s choice)

“Koontz is a master of melding the supernatural with the commonplace.… [His] writing [crackles] with dry, tongue-in-cheek wit.”

—
The Boston Globe

“Chilling and moving.
Odd Thomas
is a brilliantly observed chronicle of good and evil.”

—Norwich Evening News

“
Odd Thomas
is one of Koontz’s finest books, and Odd himself is a superb character. A hit.”

—The Independent on Sunday
(London)

“Dean Koontz straddles the genres.…
Odd Thomas
is certainly a page-turner.… A read-at-a-sitting novel—with a terrific final twist.”

—The Observer
(London)

“Odd Thomas becomes exactly the kind of hero that’s needed.… Koontz keeps the tension high, the suspense long, and the humor on the wry side as
Odd Thomas
builds to an explosive and heart-wrenching end.”

—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“What makes
Odd Thomas
a remarkable read is the author’s masterful characterization.… These characters become a part of the reader’s life.”

—Rocky Mountain News

“The plot simmers and boils as Koontz builds his signature level of suspense [which] reaches an unbearable level. Uplifting … Odd Thomas is another name for courage, truth, and devotion to your fellow man, and I liked him a lot.”

—Baton Rouge
Advocate

“While still sustaining the requisite level of creepiness, Mr. Koontz manages to tell a breezy, overtly inspirational story that should attract a few fans of its own.… Vonnegut-style fancifulness.”

—
The New York Times

“Koontz, at a time when his contemporaries choose to retread, remake and remodel past glories, is doing some of the most mature, intriguing and innovative work of his career.…
Odd Thomas
has echoes within its pages of past masters: memorable homages to H. P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Sherwood Anderson, Theodore Sturgeon, and others. Yet it is clearly and uniquely an original, a quietly haunting morality tale that beckons to be embraced and deserves to be studied. Koontz, astoundingly, continues to challenge his readers and himself.”

—Bookreporter

“Taut and suspenseful,
Odd Thomas
is the kind of book Koontz made his bones with. Gifted storytelling.”

—Chicago Sun-Times

“Koontz delivers another taut-muscled, teeth-chattering story that keeps the reader glued to the pages.”

—Associated Press

“The insistent and clear story line features suspense, tension, and surprising plot twists … lightened by Koontz’s humor, informed by his keen observations on the manners and morals of the day, and inspired by his themes of the importance of duty, honor, friendship, and love.… Characters and the search for meaning, exquisitely crafted, are the soul of [Koontz’s] work.…
Odd Thomas
[is] yet another imaginative trip with one of the master storytellers of this or any age.”

—The Tampa Tribune

“
Odd Thomas
is one of Koontz’s most beguiling novels. Strange, eerie, packed with characters who steal your heart, and events that could happen in your own hometown. The author’s own philosophy slips into this tale of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances as gently as a dream touches your heart before falling out of your consciousness. Little life lessons light as air, yet deep as the ocean.”

—Tulsa World

Forever Odd

“Odd’s strange gifts, coupled with his intelligence and self-effacing humor, make him one of the most quietly authoritative characters in recent popular fiction.”

—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“The nice young fry cook with the occult powers is [Koontz’s] most likable creation.… Candid, upright, amusing and sometimes withering.”

—The New York Times

“A marvelously narrated cat-and-mouse game.”

—New York
Daily News

“Good-to-the-last-page enthralling.… Stranglehold suspense.”

—Booklist

“An inventive … mix of suspense, whimsy and uplift.… It’s refreshing to come across a character as good-hearted as Odd. [Koontz is] an interesting writer with a voice all his own.”

—The Washington Post

“Heartfelt and provocative … a wonderfully rich and entertaining story.”

—Chicago Sun-Times

“Concise, addictive … chills, action and suspense … signature Koontz … He has been delivering uplifting messages in the context of a fictional genre better known for cheap thrills.… Odd is one of Koontz’s most compelling heroes.… A worthwhile and highly entertaining read
.”

—The Flint Journal

“Thomas is one of Koontz’s most arresting characters to date.”

—Life

Brother Odd

“Poignant … quick-moving … Koontz deftly mixes [in] humor … as he tackles the big questions: Can humans prove that God exists? And why is Elvis scared to go to Heaven?”

—
People
(4 stars)

“Koontz gives his character wit, good humor, a familiarity with the dark side of humanity—and moral outrage.”

—
USA Today

“Supernatural thrills with a side of laughs … Odd Thomas’s latest adventure will make a believer out of even the hardest-nosed soul.”

—
The Denver Post

“An irresistibly offbeat mix of [the] supernatural … and laugh-out-loud humor.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Thrilling, rather poignant … heart-stopping … Terrific characterization and patient plotting mark Koontz’s work, and this novel about the triumph of modesty over hubris proves exemplary on both counts. A work both exciting and engaging—and with its heart in the right place.”

—Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)

“An unforgettable character in another unforgettable book!”

—
Romantic Times
(top pick)

Odd Hours

“One of the most remarkable and appealing characters in current fiction … a page-turning account [that] reveals the depth of [Odd’s] character and the strength of his intellect … The other characters are nearly as colorful.… Beautifully written, with frequent literary allusions … and nuggets of homespun wisdom … Another literary home run.”

—
The Virginian-Pilot

“Koontz is at the top of his game.… Both a great storyteller and a novelist of ideas … one of the most important novelists writing today.… Many of his books are perhaps best described as suspense thrillers with dashes of science fiction, gothic terror, and screwball comedy.… What they never are is bleak or hopeless.… One of his techniques is to create a narrative voice that is utterly disarming, as he has done so effectively in the books featuring Odd Thomas.”

—National Review

“Koontz has established a unique archetypal universe that is destined to provide readers with thought-provoking plots for many volumes to come.”

—Library Journal

“Koontz’s writing in the Odd Thomas novels is among his most crisp as he imbues these novels with bits of philosophy about identity and destiny. There also is a stunningly accurate and heartfelt passage about love.”

—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“The novel takes off at breakneck speed.… A great mystery/thriller [that] should also be acknowledged as a contemporary literary work.… One would be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying read. Not since
Watchers
has Dean Koontz created such an endearing and enduring character as Odd Thomas. A superb story from one of our contemporary masters.”

—San Antonio Express-News

“Koontz forges the kind of sweeping melodrama complete with screwball laughs, nail-biting moments, and surprises that is the bedrock of American narrative entertainment.”

—Booklist

“No one does a better job of evoking an eerie atmosphere than Koontz.… Koontz’s lyrical style envelops his story … with an otherworldly vibe that’s as mysterious as it is beautiful.”

—
Romantic Times
(4-1/2 stars)

“Wise beyond his 20-something years, Odd evokes the homespun wisdom of Forrest Gump amid the mind-spinning adventures of a Jack Bauer.… The ultimate Everyman … an avatar of hope and honor and courage for all of us—the linchpin of a rollicking good tale.”

—BookPage

“Odd Thomas, the Gunslinger, Harry Potter, Stephanie Plum, Alex Cross, and Thursday Next are some of the most fascinating characters in modern fiction.”

—The Manhattan Mercury

“Another spellbinder … Odd Thomas stands on the brink of his greatest adventure … the person we all aspire to be.”

—Binghamton
Press & Sun-Bulletin

Odd Apocalypse

“Wry, offbeat … This supernatural thriller surely ranks as one of the series’ funniest.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Odd Thomas is the greatest character Dean Koontz has ever created. He’s funny, humble, immensely likable, courageous, and just a joy to read about.…
Odd Apocalypse
[has] really got everything a great book needs. The characters are complicated and interesting. The story is very unique and provides a great deal of suspense. The ending is open enough that you crave more, but aren’t left on a cliffhanger.… There’s a lot to love about every Odd book.… This brilliant series … has stayed strong.”

—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“[An] astonishing series … Spooktacular!”

—RT Book Reviews
(4-1/2 stars)

“This is the most fanciful … Odd Thomas escapade.… 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
). Koontz makes Odd’s narrative voice as winning as ever.”

—Booklist

“A fast and frightening tale … Koontz blends steam-punk machines, time travel and Shakespearean wisdom [and] play[s] with descriptive language and humor in the face of danger.”

—Bookreporter

“With this offering Odd’s fanbase … is certain to grow, while previous admirers of his quirky charms will not be disappointed.”

—Library Journal

Odd Interlude
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

2013 Bantam Books eBook Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Dean Koontz
Excerpt from
Deeply Odd
by Dean Koontz copyright © 2013
by Dean Koontz

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

A signed, limited edition has been privately printed by Charnel House.
Charnelhouse.com
.

BANTAM BOOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Title page photograph by Diane “dinny” Miller

Originally published as a serial e-book in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., in 2012.

This book contains an excerpt from the forthcoming title
Deeply Odd
by Dean Koontz. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming book.