Holmes Male. Hong Kong

Rather slow-moving for a book of the Odd Thomas series, this fourth installment has more mystery than suspense. The role of the pregnant Annamaria is a complete mystery, but I'm sure will be revealed in the sequels. Koontz's asides on humanity are brilliant - sometimes so good that I had to copy a few here and there. My biggest disappointment is with the thugs: Koontz makes them all stupid bozos who love talking nonsense, which Odd is able to kill or disable every time! Give me a break!

On its own, this book is not that bad, just a bit bland. But being the culmination of his three-part Frankenstein epic, it is a major disappointment. The first in the series is electrifying, and it promises a dark and horrible world to be unfolded in subsequent sequels. The second book has a few unnecessarily slow moments, but it is still a gripping read. Now the third - it is nothing more than an embarrassment.

What a waste of intriguing characters such as Deucalion, Carson O'Connor, Michael Maddison, the Werner abomination - none is really essential to the climax of the story (if you call it a climax). Of course we know Victor Helios will fall because of his own arrogance, but we don't expect him to fall so easily! What a let down by Koontz. Maybe he just wanted to finish the series and get it over with...

...or to move on to his popular Odd Thomas series, in which Deucalion will surely make a quantum leap and play a role. You're wicked, Mr Koontz.

The book is definitely written by one whose mother tongue is not English, but the flair in writing is unmistakable. The author's subjective views are obvious throughout the book, which may not appeal to serious readers expecting objective facts, but it is still great to read through a book about the history of Berlin, a most colourful and most tragic German city.