Narration Elevates Mediocre Story


Awarding 2.5 stars but rounding up to 3 for the outstanding narration, my expectations were high, fueled by my admiration for Joshua Jackson in Fringe and Dawson's Creek. Unfortunately, this novel fell short of my expectations.

Nate Russo collaborates with the FBI on missing persons cases, considering himself more a seer than a psychic. His unique gift enables him to locate the missing but forces him to share in their terror. Unwillingly bestowed upon him by The Bone Man, a terrifying ghost from his childhood home, Nate's gift becomes a curse.

As The Bone Man escalates his actions, Nate is compelled to return to his hometown to find a missing girl before it's too late. Despite the excellent narration, the storyline disappoints. The revelation of The Bone Man's origin story lacks impact, and the ending offers no surprises. Exclusive to audio, the dialogue feels somewhat mismatched for the medium.

However, for Audible enthusiasts, there might be merit in giving this a chance. While it didn't resonate with me, your experience might differ, particularly if you're a fan of the auditory format.
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I'm relatively new to the audiobook world, so I don't totally trust my objectivity, but this really grew on me. It was free to me on Audible so I figured, what the heck. I was a big fan of Joshua Jackson from Fringe and it seemed like he might work here as the protagonist. Nate Russo. Even the name seems like a Jackson-type character.

He doesn't disappoint and his vocal characterizations are quite good for the most part, even extending into the evil supernatural. I liked that the story opens by situating us in the past, and Pyper does a good job of connecting all the dots with a slow burn. That said, I found the ending disappointing on a few fronts, especially in terms of the "whodunnit"--that character was too convenient to the story. But there are subplots a-plenty -- Russo's unrequited love interest (more interesting because it is a reflection on both his damage AND his ethics that it hums along quietly in the background rather than being a major plot device), Russo's relationship with his family and his older brother, etc. His interaction with the two FBI agents was truly enjoyable, and Russo makes a great character who struggles with his "gift" (and rightfully so) but is fundamentally a decent human being who is trying to help children.

I enjoyed it much more than I expected and was excited to see that there was a sequel. I listened to the preview on Audible and was surprised to hear a full cast and music. It is actually a serial podcast, so essentially a radio play. That's a very different medium, it turns out--even the use of foley and music changes the experience (not unlike a book with illustrations). I'm not sure I'll listen, but the story looks like it will holdup for the sequel, so I'm tempted...

It truly is a good blend of the sort-of detective "noir" classic tale meets supernatural, and Jackson sells the character really well. ( )

Nate Russo, a man with psychic abilities, has been working with the FBI on a series of women and girls who have gone missing and been found buried alive. He pays a very high price for this gift - he feels everything the victim feels. The search for this killer has led Nate back home, to Johnstown, New York, where he first received his "gift" from the spirit living in his house that he calls "The Boneman." In order to save the latest victim, Nate must come face to face with The Boneman.

I will be honest and admit that what originally caught my eye was the fact that Joshua Jackson was the narrator. Like most women my age, I spent time watching Dawson's Creek and was a huge Pacey fan. All that being said, Josh did a great job narrating the story and making you feel that Nate's gift wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I would gladly listen to other books narrated by Josh.

Oracle was a well-told story that always kept me guessing. There were many times where Nate believed he knew who the killer was only to discover that The Boneman had made it look that way. I was not expecting the ending and really enjoyed the twist. I would gladly read another Andrew Pyper thriller. ( )

Once I got past the slightly clumsy read-these- newspaper-articles-to-get-the-backstory start and on to the first chapter, this was a hell of a ride.

A supernatural thriller that felt fresh and kept turning up the tension until the final sentence.

An evil at its heart that was original, gruesome and fully realised.

A hero so broken he barely functions.

A series of races against time that were more than a puzzle because the emotions attached to the outcomes were so intense.

Most of the action was set in the husk of a once prosperous town in Upstate New York where the smell of desperation and failure is as pervasive as the reek of the tanning vats that once made the city wealthy.

A plot filled with discoveries that almost always lead to either disappointment or fear or doubt but which propel the reader forward with a growing need to know and a strengthening desire for the fractured hero finally to succeed.

The icing on the cake was pretty much perfect narration from Joshua Jackson.

And all that good stuff came to me free as part of my Audible membership.

What more could I ask for?
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