cover image Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Command

Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Command

Paul Garrison, read by Scott Shepherd. Hachette Audio, unabridged, nine CDs, 10.5 hrs., $34.98 ISBN 978-1-61113-542-8

Scott Shepherd delivers a solid reading of the audio edition of Garrison’s latest thriller, this one picking up where the late Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Directive left off. Former Navy SEAL Paul Janson an ex-member of the shadowy covert group called Consular Operations, is working to rehabilitate burned-out agents and looking for personal redemption—while still taking on the occasional assignment and saving the world. Shepherd’s narration captures the spirit of the prose and effectively translates the author’s lightning-quick action sequences to audio. Additionally, Shepherd—who has narrated thrillers by the likes of James Patterson—transitions between dialogue and violent action smoothly, accelerating his words without losing any articulation, an essential skill for a book of this kind. A Grand Central hardcover. (Feb.)