It's difficult to place a new book on the bestseller charts during the frenzied holiday season. But not if your name is Dean Koontz. His latest, Odd Thomas, lands in the #10 spot on PW's list after just a partial week in stores. His first landing is usually higher (almost always among the top five), but then, his usual publishing month is August. Bantam reports that there are more than 500,000 copies in print after four trips to press. The book launched with a rave starred, boxed PW review—"once in a very great while, an author does everything right—as Koontz has in this marvelous novel." After satellite radio and television interviews, Koontz will get back to work on a new novel, The Taking, scheduled as a Bantam Hardcover in June 2004.