It's easy to overlook the powers of concentration it takes to be a really great narrator. But imagine a lengthy novel with many diverse characters and loads of dialogue. Think of the hairpin turns a reader must make, slipping instantaneously from narrator to character to character and back again while keeping every one straight. Not only does Stephen Lang accomplish this feat in this creepy Koontz novel, he makes it almost impossible to believe that a single person is giving voice to all of these incarnations. Listeners know from the opening passages that they're in good hands, and can sit back and enjoy the suspense as a murderous, soulless man and the young boy he regards as his mortal enemy edge toward their inevitable confrontation.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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