The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
So, as mentioned in the previous post, I got my hands on this lovely book then realized it was a sequel. Oops!
I was intrigued as to where this one was going to go and I’m always curious about some sequels. Sometimes, a sequel assumes you read the previous one(s) in the series and tells you absolutely nothing about any of the characters or their back story. That wasn’t the case with The Whispering Room and even though I had read The Silent Corner right before, it was nice to get those little refresher bits.
Honestly, I think this one could almost be read alone, but there would be some confusing elements that would leave a reader asking a lot of questions.
Now, to the nitty-gritty.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. I had really high expectations going into it because I really enjoyed The Silent Corner. It was quick and exciting and while at times a little unbelievable, entertaining nonetheless.
Unfortunately, the first in the series was better than this one and I am reluctant to read any further Jane Hawk books, at least for a while.
I did appreciate that the story picked up where the prequel left off. There wasn’t a dozen chapters reminding readers who Jane was or what her mission was, it jumped right into the action. The glimpses into Jane’s past were brief but informative and for someone who just recently read the first in the series, it wasn’t boring to read those tidbits. If it had been months (or years) between readings, the bits and pieces would have been just enough to spark a memory.
It was slower compared to The Silent Corner and I think that’s where it lost me. I was ready to dig in and read, but the suspense was built differently.
I also found this one to be a little less believable than the previous one. The level of the mind-control went to an extreme and without giving away a very crucial detail to the story, it didn’t feel right. It felt forced and just like when you watch a sci-fi show that starts throwing in random monsters and cures to incurable diseases, it didn’t seem to fit the bill.
Am I glad I read it?
Eh… yes and no. There was some closure for Jane, which is why I wanted to read it in the first place. Koontz does an amazing job and providing just enough detail to paint and image while leaving enough to my imagination. He is well-researched in weapons and tactics that FBI/police would actually employ and I appreciate that. None of those aspects felt fake, forced, or unbelievable. I think it flopped a bit for me though.
Jane didn’t feel as badass in this one as she did in the first one. She felt more like the cop-gone-renegade and at times, I didn’t really like her. In the first novel, I was rooting for Jane, “Go kick some ass!” This one, I was shaking my head a couple of times, “No. Come on. Just don’t, ugh.”
The first was definitely better (as unfortunately the case for many series) but it wasn’t horrible. I still enjoyed Koontz work and his well-written characters, I was just left wanting a little more out of it.
Under Literary Construction 