”The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different.
A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.
I haven’t read a ton of his stuff, but what I have I have enjoyed. Forgetting the name, but the one where the main character can only go out at night was enjoyable in a similar way to the first few Odd Thomas books for me.
You’re right that his stuff feels lighter and that can be good depending on your mood. I enjoy King, but have to be in the right frame of mind because his stuff often feels a bit padded for me. I guess maybe I like a happy medium between the two.