This is the second in the Odd Thomas series that I have read. They are weird, scary and downright funny at times. Somehow, I always find myself drawn in. This novel finds Odd residing at Bartholomew's Abby in the High Sierra mountains of California. As with the previous Odd novels, the plot is full of quirky characters and an interesting storyline. I'm looking forward to reading the additional Odd Thomas novels. ( )

I didn't intend to obtain this book after reading book 2, then discovered it lurking in my TBR pile so decided it would serve the purpose as a lighter read in between the volumes of Jack Vance's Lyonesse series.

The beginning is not very promising as it takes an age to get going after we learn that Odd Thomas has indeed retreated to a monastery, although he is a guest there, not a lay brother. The mountain is remote and in mountainous country, and the snow which will cut off the community for the duration of the story, has just begun. It is a new and not always welcome experience to Odd who has grown up in hot and dry desert-like conditions.

Odd leaves his room when he notices a dog, which lives at the monastery, behaving strangely and then realises it has spotted one of what Odd calls bodachs, dark spirits which are always drawn to the site of a future bloodbath. In pursuing the dog out into the snow, he stumbles over one of the brothers, but before he can see who it is lying in the snow, or whether he is dead or just unconscious, Odd is clubbed from behind. He is only saved by the fact that he moved at the time of the blow, so it caught him mainly on the shoulder. He runs off, and is not pursued - luckily, it transpires when we discover what it is that had attacked him.

The threat this time seemed extraterrestrial in nature from the weird description of what Odd sees through a window when something chases him to the building where nuns reside and where they look after the community of children with disabilities. That was a genuinely menacing scene. But Odd also confronts other entities, such as a figure which resembles the grim reaper, which seem more supernatural. Eventually it all stems back to a brother who was a multi-millionaire and former quantum physicist who built the community and retired there, only he had continued his research all along and has a souped up digital printer.

I didn't find the denouement at all convincing sadly. It was rushed and the outcome was obvious, plus not instituted by the protagonist. I also was less than convinced with some other elements, such as the possible Russian spy with his 'cake humour', and the readiness of the brothers and nuns to believe Odd's wild story and act accordingly, even if the police chief from his old town had vouched for him to the abbot and mother superior before his arrival. One of the characters, Brother Knuckles as Odd calls him, is rather a stereotype from old films about the Mafia. But the creatures and their behaviour, very reminiscent of 'Alien' and other films was intriguing, so their origin was rather disappointing. The author even name checks the classic film from which he drew the idea Forbidden Planet so he is fully aware of how derivative the rationale behind everything actually is. And the ending is a bit too cheesy, swapping one famous legend for another, plus the 'revelation' about the dog which I had guessed very early on. There is even one little girl who loves dogs and wants to work with them when she grows up, but she has no relationship with the supposed resident animal, so it was very obvious.

Another issue, which I've noticed in his more recent books as opposed to those he wrote in the 1970s, is that his hobbyhorses about modern life and his anti-science bias are here, the latter being more to the fore.

However, one redeeming feature was the portrayal of the young man who has been living at the monastery for some years, and is very autistic but is a fantastic artist. So with that and the early promise of the hostile creatures, I would award this one 4 stars. ( )

With all of the weird stuff happening in Odd Thomas's life, could anyone blame him for taking time out at a monastery? Here he though all would be peaceful and calm, but alias, nothing is normal in Odd Thomas's world.

Another engaging chapter in the life of Odd Thomas, that is thoroughly enjoyable. ( )

The best of the Odd Thomas books. What a fun ride. ( )

Koontz dialed-back the totally crazy and pared down the setting quite a bit. In a way, it is almost the opposite of the pandemonium in the second novel, Forever Odd.

I am not going to lie – I utterly enjoyed this novel. This novel is not really anything other than a superficial, kind-of entertaining pulp fiction. I mean, you likely would not include it in your permanent collection and I do not think it is going to set Koontz up for any prized awards. The villain is kind of obvious and the pseudo-science is incredibly ridiculous. This book is really not for everyone. The author told me a good story that had elements in it that I could access and that also I could be entertained by. ( )