Book Review Rewind: The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz
Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
When I read the Bone Farm in January,
I fell in literary love with Dean Koontz's heroine, Jane
Hawk. This FBI agent's story continued in the Silent Corner, which I
ended up loving, as well. With two Jane Hawk books read, it was time for
another.
The Whispering Room is Dean Koontz's second full-length Jane Hawk novel. It is released by Bantam Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Publishing. Taking place a few weeks after the events of the Silent Corner, Jane Hawk is on the hunt for the masterminds behind the Techno Arcadians. This shadow organization has developed nanotechnology that once implanted in the body, becomes a control mechanism that allows them to puppet whomever they wish. They controlled Nick Hawk, causing him to commit suicide. This set off a shocking series of events that now has them in the crosshairs of Jane Hawk, Nick's wife. After raiding and eliminating the threat of one of the Arcadian's leaders, Jane is now determined to get a confession from the other mastermind behind the organization.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away from Jane
a celebrated teacher drives her flaming car into a hotel,
killing dozens of people. Her senseless act of terrorism is
confusing to her long-time friend, Luther Tillman, the local Sheriff.
As he investigates her death, he is intercepted by Arcadian
agents working as law enforcement. Soon he is removed from the
case and the teacher's home is burned to the ground. Reading journals
that he procured from her home before the fire, Tillman settles down to read
Cora Gundersun's last words. What he discovers chills him.
As Tillman and Hawk continue their
investigations, they eventually encounter one another in the town of Iron
Furnace. After exchanging stories, the two team up to help bring down the
Techno Arcadians. But the deadly organizations not only have the pair in
their sights but Luther's family, as well. It is a race against time to stop
the Arcadian's horrific ascension before they control what is
left of the country's free will.
The Whispering Room builds
upon the series' previous books, driving the adventure and danger up
several notches. Jane's fight to bring down her enemies is not the sole focal
point of this volume in the series. We are given several side
adventures that firmly bring the novel into the stand-alone territory. And with
Koontz's writing style we are given bullet points from the Bone Farm and the
Silent Corner, allowing readers starting with the Whispering Room to
never feel confused. The addition of the Tillman family gives
the novel an additional sense of dread, as we are given first-hand knowledge that
Luther's wife and daughters are being tracked by the Arcadians. And several
side characters, such as a family being stalked by hijackers on the highway,
give us a side of Jane that hearkens back to her days as an FBI agent,
setting aside her vendetta. There is also a kindly old man that Jane encounters
mid-way through the novel that is a definite heart warmer. But ultimately,
we return to Jane's pursuit of her enemies, which leads to a
surprise-filled finale that sets up a revelation that the reader and
Jane are not prepared for.
Elisabeth Rodgers returns as audiobook
narrator. Her past work on the series has been impressive. And the Whispering
Room is some of her best work. Her ability to read the action sequences
adds a more sense of urgency. And her presentation of Jane Hawk feels
like someone relating a life story filled with tension. Excellent
work.
The Whispering Room takes
the thrilling story of the Silent Corner and adds intricate layers that
end with a chilling finale. This five-star read had me once
again sacrificing sleep to finish this
six hundred-plus page-turner. With three more novels left in the
series, I know that when all is said and done, I will want to re-read all
books again. Koontz has not only created an excellent series featuring an
impressive heroine, but he has also left us with a literary masterpiece.
Run, don't walk to your bookstore for this book. It will leave you
breathless.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments
below what you are reading this week.
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