Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

This is the sequel to Odd Thomas.
Odd is able to see ghosts and some other quite evil supernatural creatures as well. He cannot talk with them but he does manage to communicate. In addition he has the gift of psychological magnetism which draws him to people he wishes to find - or sometimes in reverse those people are drawn to him.

Odd is grieving for his lost soul mate/fiance who died in the first book. He has a terrible time sleeping and hasn't worked since her death. While tossing and turning early one morning he discovers he is not alone. The father of a close friend is standing in the room looking very worried and Odd assumes dead. Following the man back to his home draws Odd into a very weird murder mystery involving the kidnapping of his handicapped friend and attempts on his own life. The adventure takes him through the storm tunnels under the town of Pico Mundo, as thunder and lightning crash outside, in the Mojave Desert and into the burned out shell of a failed Casino/Resort. He is in pursuit of a woman he doesn't know but talked with briefly by cell phone before batteries went dead. With her are three thugs and Danny, his friend. The woman believes in voodoo and an assortment of other black magic and wants Odd to give her a big thrill by showing her the dead he sees. He does manage to get her to rile a poltergeist to a rage she finds quite satisfying. In the end she and the thugs want Odd and Danny dead. The thugs are well armed and not afraid to die themselves.

Odd does prevail but not without damage to his psyche. Great reading for fans of Ghost Whisperer and Supernatural. Its a wild ride.
jdw 4/19/06