Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas, who narrates, is 20, works contentedly as a fry cook in a small California town, despite a talent for writing. The reason for his lack of ambition? A much rarer talent: Odd sees and converses with ghosts, the lingering dead who have yet to pass on, a secret he has kept from nearly everyone but his girlfriend, an eccentric author friend and the local police chief, whom he occasionally helps solve terrible crimes.

Odd also has the ability to see bodachs, malevolent spirits that feast on pain and whose presence signifies a likelihood of imminent violence. The proximity of bodachs to a weird-looking stranger in town, whom Odd dubs "Fungus Man," alerts Odd that trouble is brewing; breaking into Fungus Man's house, Odd discovers not only hundreds of bodachs but a shrine to serial killers that helps him deduce that somehow Fungus Man will wreak widespread havoc very soon-so Odd is caught in a classic race against time to deter catastrophe.

So while Odd tries to figure out where the event will happen he has to come to terms with his own past as he meets with his distant and conman father and his beautiful but psychotic crazy mother. Odd knows that his life is different but he wants to make a difference so he puts himself at risk to stop the killing but will it be in time to save who he loves most.

I'd heard about this series over the years but honestly I do not read horror books like Koontz or King. So I decided to get this on CD and found myself drawn into the really well done story. I found myself caring about Odd and his friends but living and dead, plus who knew that Koontz had such a sense of humor? Now I want to read more.

Thousand Bones by P.J. Parish

Part of the Louis Kincaid series.

Focuses on Jo Frye, his partner and lover, as she tells him about her rookie year. Told in flashback, Frye recounts her investigation of serial murders 13 years earlier, in 1975. Frye's uneventful rookie year in the Leelanau County, Mich., sheriff's department undergoes a drastic change with the discovery of human bones in the woods of Echo Bay. Soon, the discovery of more bones and a multitude of artifacts point police to the conclusion that the remains belong to more than one victim. Mysterious Native American glyphs carved into a tree nearby provide the lead Frye needs to push herself to the front and puts others at risk.

I have not read any of the previous books but was intrigued by the storyline. This was a page turner but I found it hard to finish the book. I don't mind mysteries that give us the point of view of the murder which this story does really well until about midway through the book and they actually name him! It just spoiled it for me as I kept wanting to yell out "he's the killer! don't go with him!" but what can you do but read to the end. I have to say the ending was really 2 endings as we end the flashback and the end of the story. The end of the flashback was really powerful but since I have not read the other books in the series the ending of the story didn't really move me.

Interesting note is that the author is actually 2 sisters,Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols, who write together.