“The Whispering Room” is the follow-up to the novel “The Silent Corner” in which the prolific Dean Koontz introduced Jane Hawk, a former FBI agent whose husband’s inexplicable suicide sent her a quest that introduced her to nanotechnology that is used to brainwash people into compliance or self-destruction.
In many ways, this is typical Koontz with his usual penchant for fanciful vast conspiracies and somewhat unlikely heroes and heroines. Yes, it can be a bit repetitive, however I was a bit more drawn into this one than I was in the first book. I think the various changes in locations were helpful. Jane’s unexpected alliance with a Minnesota sheriff who is investigating the motivation for a suicide bombing committed by a cheerful and trusted schoolteacher is rather intriguing.
The series basically started Jane Hawk finding a pattern of suicides throughout the US that were more unexpected and perplexing than usual and learning of experiments into mind control with the assistance of nanotechnology. She has been forced to send her into hiding and has been following one lead after another to unravel this nest of malevolence.
Koontz still manages to display an impressive array of descriptions and imagery in his prose. I am probably one of those readers who will always be willing to enjoy a Koontz novel regardless of the repetition. This particular leg of Jane Hawk’s search for answers was actually pretty well delivered. I also liked the character of Luther Tillman, the sheriff, who is drawn into Jane’s search. There were quite a few other charming encounters to help offset the more intense confrontations.
Jane Hawk is a pretty implausible protagonist but a likeable one. She is certainly likeable enough for me to eventually get to the next installment in this series as she either ascends or descends “The Crooked Staircase”
However, I don’t like to read two books in a row from the same series or author, so I will next see if the Thirteenth Doctor can do better to engage my interest in print with Juno Dawson’s latest Doctor Who novel. “The Good Doctor”.
Reviews, Musings, and Other Things... 