This 13 CD is an unabridged version of one of the latest books in the Mallory series. I recently read the book and therefore the voices were very fresh in my mind, it was therefore with some trepidation that I listened to this audio version, as I was sceptical that it would satisfy my “mind picture” of events. I was pleasantly surprised, even by this very American narration, and found myself driving the long way round in order to listen to the particular CD I was on at the time!
In Shark Music, Mallory is taking the kind of road trip only Mallory could take – following her unknown father in a Frankenstein car down a road which is almost falling apart as she drives it. In addition, she just happens upon a serial killer who has been killing children for years and now has started on their parents.
In a way that only Mallory can, she fights the FBI, and her own partner Riker, to try and catch the killer, see the sights and find her roots. The narrative takes you through the whole journey seeing Route 66 as Mallory does, as the killer does and as Mallory’s father did years before. Dogging her footsteps as ever is her suffering New York PD partner and the faithful, but jilted, friend Charles.
The narrator, Regina Reagan, gives each character in the story a particular rhythm and accent which help to address the lack of visual support and because of the quality of the writing there is no doubt who is speaking at any one time. In addition, the tone is both light and dark reflecting the writing well and capturing the mood from the book. An enjoyable listen.
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Amanda Brown