Koontz’s works are mostly suspense thrillers that incorporate elements of mystery, fantasy, and horror. He got his breakthrough as a writer with Whispers, a thriller-horror he published in 1980 which happens to be his first to make the New York Times Best Seller list. The Odd Thomas series remains his most prominent works and apart from the eight major books of the series, there is Odd Thomas: You Are Destined to Be Together Forever, a novella published in 2014 and often counted as part of the series.
The Premise of Odd Thomas Books and The Order They Were Published
Imagine being able to see dead people and helping them hold their killers responsible, the ability to tell that someone is about to die, or foresee tragic events before they happen. That’s the premise the Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz’s famous thriller novel series. If you are interested in reading this series, you should read it in the order each of the books therein was published. Start from the beginning, it has always been the logical way to read a series. Below is a guide on how to go about that.
Odd Thomas (Book 1)
Publication Date: December 9, 2003 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 399 Pages
The first book of the series wasted no time in introducing the reader to the character of the series, Odd Thomas. More than showing that he has some eerie and supernatural gifts, it explored the background of the character: his dysfunctional childhood and upbringing, how he was named, and how all of that has shaped the person he has become. The mystery and thrill begin to unfold when Odd Thomas encounters a strange man with a heavy appetite and a pack of supernatural entities that Odd regards as the bodachs.
Forever Odd (Book 2)
Publication Date: November 29, 2005 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 352 Pages
Forever Odd continues to follow the life of Odd Thomas who strives to have a quiet life but at the same time is compelled to help the unliving who confide in him. Following the disappearance of a childhood friend, he was thrust into a disturbing discovery and must contend with the evil that had been brewing through the woman that kidnapped his friend and her unearthly friends. Forever Odd is an odd, comedic, and intriguing book to read.
Brother Odd (Book 3)
Publication Date: November 28, 2006 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 384 Pages
In search for a new beginning, Odd Thomas in Brother Odd found himself in St. Bartholomew’s Abbey where he lived amongst monks but would soon meet an inexorable adversary after the bodachs started showing up at the monastery. Odd must find the power within him to stop the evil as he realizes he had become fond of the Abbey. You might have one or two questions about the book when you are done reading but Brother Odd isn’t a book you’d regret reading.
Odd Hours (Book 4)
Publication Date: May 20, 2008 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 368 Pages
Odd Hours follows Odd Thomas as he is pulled to a small coastal town in California. In the company of the ghost of his dog, Boo, and that of the famous singer, Frank Sinatra, he was drawn to a young woman named Annamaria. Her life is in danger and Odd would soon learn that in the process of saving her, he would have to save the world as well from destruction. Apart from the fact that the book dragged a bit, it is as entertaining as the previous books of the series.
Odd Interlude (Book 4.5)
Publication Date: January 1, 2013 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 304 Pages
Odd Interlude is a combination of three short stories all published in 2012, the novellas were then put together to make Odd Interlude, one of the Odd Thomas books set between the events of Odd Hours and Odd Apocalypse. Odd Interlude is considered one of the best books of the series and it follows Odd Thomas adventure in Harmony Corner where he helps the founding family conquer the evil that had been tormenting them.
Odd Apocalypse (Book 5)
Publication Date: July 31, 2012 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 464 Pages
The fifth of the Odd Thomas Book series, Odd Apocalypse received a Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Horror in 2012. The book follows Odd Thomas on a fresh adventure to a shady estate where he yet again, clashes with a lethal adversary as he uncovers dreadful mysteries of the estate. Odd Apocalypse has an interesting plotline with engaging comedic banter but you might find it too slow for a thriller.
Deeply Odd (Book 6)
Publication Date: May 28, 2013 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 352 Pages
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror, Deeply Odd is the sixth book of the series and it continues to follow the adventure of Odd Thomas after Odd Apocalypse. The thrill begins with a vision of disturbing multiple homicides lurking at the corner. Like always, Odd felt obligated to prevent the tragedy and this had him journey from California to Nevada in a bit to stop the sociopath that would be responsible for the events he saw in his vision. Although you might find that you are struggling to stay engaged; you would agree it isn’t a bad book at the end of the day.
Saint Odd (Book 7)
Publication Date: January 13, 2015 Publisher: Bantam Print Length: 433 Pages
The seventh and last installment of the Odd Thomas books; Saint Odd won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Horror. Saint Odd follows Odd Thomas as he is drawn to Gypsy Mummy, a fortune-telling machine that told him he is destined to be together forever with the late love of his life, Stormy Llewellyn. As Odd Thomas grapples with the great destruction threatening to wipe out his town, he would come to embrace his ultimate fate.
