Just over 3 years ago I read and enjoyed Kane, #2 in Steve Gannon's superb series that combines a great crime/police thriller with an extremely emotional family saga. My review rated it highly as a very powerful, exciting and challenging page-turning novel, which is both spine chilling and personally emotional.
I was given the opportunity to revisit the story now that it is available as an audiobook. With the closer immersion in the story through listening instead of reading the book my rating is now probably even higher.
My only reservation is that the narration could have been better. At the beginning the narrator's slow delivery made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story. As an Aussie I also has problems with his unfamiliar drawling accent. I nearly gave up but then I had a brainwave and adjusted the replay speed to 1.25% and without noticeable distortion the drawling accent and slow delivery disappeared, the narration came to life and gave the book the thrust and drive it needed to become a real page turner. After that I took every chance to find time to listen to the book.
Revisiting the book in audio format reminded me of Steve Gannon's undoubted talent in being able to combine a thriller with a great and very emotional family saga. Once again I warn the reader/listener that this is very much an adult novel with vivid scenes of sadistic serial murders but they are needed because they are central to the story.
Music is always a key emotional factor in the Kane books. In this one there is an extremely emotional scene where Kane's wife Catherine is the soloist in Dvorak's Cello Concerto. It would have been great if the audio version could have played some of the music in the background.
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