Whatever else happens, Dean Koontz can always be relied on to provide a great reading experience. Rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk is back in the sequel to The Silent Corner. The Whispering Room takes up where the first book left off, and Jane is determined to get the whole story out to the public and save the world and herself (and maybe get a little justice for her murdered/programmed suicide husband).

This book managed to trap me within a very few pages and really hold my interest until I'd read it completely. There are not many books which have actually made me miss my bus stop, but this one did. Narrative tension is hard and Koontz makes it look easy. He's a masterful writer and writes well crafted exciting books. This is a solid brick of a book, 528 pages, and I didn't find that it lagged anywhere. Jane encounters a whole host of secondary characters (I <3 Bernie!!!!) but they're described well and mostly introduced serially, so there's no problem with keeping track of who is who.

For fans of thriller/conspiracy/black ops type books (Clive Cussler, Lee Child, Robert Crais & co., I'm lookin' at you!), Jane is pure entertainment. I'm looking forward to seeing how she manages in book #3.

If Amazon were Disneyland, Dean Koontz would be an 'E' ticket ride.

Published 21st November, 2017 by Bantam
Format: Kindle, Hardback, Paperback, audio (Audible)

Four stars

Often sequels disappoint. Not the Whispering Room! Perfect for a long weekend this is a great book in which to immerse yourself! I can't wait for the next Jane Hawk installment.

Shoutout to netgalley for the ARC.

OK, I think all of the images below are from the second book, but I can’t be sure because they blur together. Why do they blur together? BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE BOOK. I mean, the technological impossibilities aside, the super hot omg we need to talk about it every three minutes doesn’t she look like a model protagonist aside, and the literal absurdity of her quest aside, the plot is too slow. For years, my sister and I have said that Dean Koontz has this drive that forces him to use larger words than necessary, and to add these superfluous descriptions in order to make himself look smart. With this trilogy, it seems to be filler. I believe the second book came out less than a year after the first, so obviously, he knows where it’s going. I feel badly for readers of Dean Koontz, like myself. Did you ever read Watchers? Or Phantoms? Or Night Chills? They’re great. They’re scary and have actual plots and good and evil and they’re just nice books. But the stuff he comes out with now…I don’t know. It feels hollow. It’s like James Patterson, churning out two new books a month. Why not turn the Jane Hawk trilogy into one, hard-hitting book? Because we need to describe the gd sky 400 times. I cannot tell you how many times he described the sky in detail with its gray clouds and possibility of rain. WE GET IT. RAIN IS COMING. IT WAS COMING 10 CHAPTERS AGO. Which is another point of contention with me – the chapters are each about 5 pages long. Unnecessary. As happy as I am to have a kick-ass female protagonist, I’m disappointed that she absolutely has to be 1. super hot (she’s compared to a runway model, a Vogue model, etc. over and over and over throughout the books. She also eats like there’s no tomorrow but is super thin and hot. At one point, she unbuttons a button on her blouse before talking to a couple of teenage boys, not because she hopes it will distract them, but because, you know, maybe it will or maybe it will help her in some way to show off her tits. Gross.) and 2. she’s superhuman. There’s no way anyone could pull this off. She should be dead about 4000 times. I get it, she’s FBI, but she’s also incredibly young (27 or 28) so she’s barely out of FBI training, and yet can go up against the most amazing criminals in the world and work through these incredibly detailed plans to bring down half the world. Ugh. I mean, the story itself is fairly absurd but I am learning how horribly it is to live in this time period and use technology because literally, no one is safe and we’re all going to die. Below are some pictures that illustrate my raw anger at Mr. Koontz.

This story is well written and an interesting follow-up to the Jane Hawk novel, The Silent Corner. Though this is an intriguing read, this book has a little different feel from the first. Jane is driven to hunt by the loss of her husband and safety for her son. She’s chasing and being chased. I was excited for such a relentless kick-a$$ female character. I’d definitely recommend reading the first book before snagging this one. Though, you could read it as a standalone as long as you don’t mind a little confusion in the beginning. I’m not one hundred percent sure on which way this series is going to go just yet, but it’s definitely worth the read. I enjoy the different stories this author writes. On a side note, I do enjoy when music is mentioned in a story. Kudos! Enjoy!

Evil has infiltrated government agencies, business, politics, police forces and even small town America! Jane is on the run, (labeled a rogue FBI agent), determined to bring it to light. Good people are dying and good people are killing them! Freedom, including a person's free will, is at stake!
Intrigue and action are intricate in this thriller! Didn't read the first book in the series, but was able to stay with the story. Empathize with Jane and Luther; irate Luther didn't share more info with his family. Good read. 3 1/2 stars.
Voluntarily read ARC through Netgalley and publisher, for honest review.

I love Dean Koontz books and this one did not disappoint. It had an inventive storyline, with two main lead characters that made one completely sympathetic to all their decisions and actions. Jane was a strong, determined female that felt led to not only seek revenge, but do all possible to protect her son. Luther was a wonderful, strong male with integrity and love for his family. This book was a real page-turner and I look forward to the next book in this series. I was given a copy of this book for my honest review, but would have gladly paid for this book.

This is the second installment in Koontz’s Jane Hawk series. Like most of his books this is filled with suspense and adventure. Jane is an extremely strong heroine. Koontz has created a powerful enemy for Jane to battle in her quest to save the world. He has also included some interesting technology to go along with the evil. The characters are extremely well developed and the pace of the book was wonderful, I had a hard time putting it down.

Thru NetGalley I was given the latest Dean Koontz Jane Hawk novel, The Whispering Room for free in exchange for an honest review. Wow and what a ride Dean Koontz puts the reader thru with the latest Jane Hawk installment. The Whispering Room picks up right where the previous novel ended. Jane Hawk continues on her quest to find those who threatened her child, herself, and the rest of humanity. Jane searches for answers as to is behind this new found terror. Along the way we meet Luther Tillman, a sherrif of a small community in Minnesota, one who connects with his town, and the towns people. When one of the community acts totally out of character, and Luther cannot let it rest. As Luther and Jane join forces to find more answers, only to find how much more evil these people are, and how far they are willing to go to keep their secrets. I truly and amazingly loved this newest Jane Hawk adventure, it kept me up at night wanting to continue reading till I was done.

Jane Hawk is one kick-ass, strong character. I loved this rogue FBI special agent who has become the nation’s most wanted fugitive and takes on a secret band of bad guys hell bent on ultimate power and destruction without blinking an eye. Although I would have preferred to have insight into Jane’s past by reading first book “The Silent Corner”, it wasn’t necessary. The Whispering Room is a great stand-alone thriller, suspenseful with lots of action. Learning about the arsenal of advanced technologies and high tech devices used by intelligence agencies was fascinating. Big brother IS watching. Thanks to Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In The Whispering Room, and the entire Jane Hawk series to date, Mr. Koontz has found that sweet spot of government and corporate "rule the world" conspiracy. In addition to Mr. Koontz' amazing and detailed writing style, the idea that his topic, technology to control humans, is a possibility makes the book that much more riveting and frightening. In this installment, Jane continues her hunt to track down and kill the men that were involved in the suicide/murder of her husband. Along the way she meets up with a small town sheriff who is too smart for his own good. It was nice to see someone else in her corner as they tackle the next level of technology enslavement, the whispering room. Read the first book, read this book, and then impatiently wait with me for the next book.

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz is the second Jane Hawk book, and it delivers just as much as the first book if not more so.

The first book covered:
The method: nanotech in the brain, and
The victims: People who are judged to be game-changers, people who could change the future
Elimination: The nanotech is making people commit suicide on command.

Now, not only do the nanotechnology implants pose a threat to those implanted, but to everyone else, since the implants can take over the mind completely and program them to eliminate others, even entire buildings full of people.

The worst part of knowing someone who has been implanted is knowing they can never be made themselves again, just a shell of who they were, enslaved to a neural network that destroys the person inside. Jane's research is taking her to a resort town, and a Sherriff from small town Minneapolis is following clues leading there as well. What will happen there? What will they learn there? Will they meet? You won't want to miss a moment!

I can't wait for the next Jane Hawk book!

This second Jane Hawk novel continues our heroine's search for people behind the nanotechnology that has turned her world upside down. As it is a continuing story, and picks up where the first book left off, The Whispering Room is more action driven than the beginning of Jane Hawk's story. With that in mind, I highly recommend reading The Silent Corner first to get the full story of how Jane got to this point.
The ideas of creating a Utopian world and mind control aren't new, but Koontz takes that to a whole new level in this techno-thriller. As Jane's journey progresses, and the action intensifies, the creep factor builds to the point of spine-tingling chills. With whiplash inducing twists and turns an utterly terrifying plot unfolds, making for some jaw-dropping revelations and a story that this reader couldn't put down.
It's always refreshing to find a strong female lead, and Jane embodies everything that we think of in a heroine. She is determined, talented, and fierce in the face of a massive conspiracy, but at the same time, her love of family and desire to help those in need shines through.
Once again, Dean Koontz reminds us that the scariest things aren't always those that go bump in the night - sometimes they come from the very people who are supposed to keep us safe. After turning the last page, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next page-turner in Jane Hawk's story.

This high octane sequel to The Silent Corner is just as compelling, suspenseful, and unputdownable! Jane Hawk is a complex, fierce, intelligent, & athletic woman, mother, & widow. I wish for the next two in the series to be published speedily!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Dean Koontz never disappoints! In The Whispering Room, his second Jane Hawk novel, Koontz advances the story line of a renegade FBI agent who is determined to stop the absolute take-over of society as we know it by a powerful group using nanotechnology as its means of control. Jane is still a loner; she lost her husband and her job because of the evil she now seeks to end. In this novel, however, Koontz introduces Luther, a small town sheriff who becomes her ally when he is investigates an inexplicable case of mass murder. His core values require him to continue to investigate even when the FBI elite brush him off. The addition of this character, along with his family, personalizes the horrors of what is coming. Luther's dogged style and deep love of family make him such an honorable character that readers will root for him and his cause.

Furthermore, Koontz presents the horrors of mind control as seen through the eyes of children. Harley has lost his parents to the mind control of nanotechnology and his pain is searing. Harley is tough and creative and determined to escape but there is an element of loneliness through all of his actions. He knows his family and his town are gone; the "imposters" who surround him are just cruel reminders of what he once had. Yet, he still longs for the familiar and his pain makes Koontz's premise even more terrifying.

An unexpected twist leaves readers hanging and anxiously awaiting the next book in the Jane Hawk series.

Jane Hawk, a twenty-something former FBI-agent, is still grieving the murder-by-suicide of her beloved husband Noah. Their five-year-old son, Travis, has been safely hidden away from the people behind her husband's murder. Jane doesn't know how high up in the government this group goes, but she does know it has ties to the NSA and possibly the FBI, as a result, she can't trust any of her former colleagues. She's now relying on the criminal connections to stay one step ahead of the group that wants her and thousands of others dead. After rigorously questioning a California attorney with ties to one of the leaders of the group, Jane learns that the group has ties to a small town in Kentucky. Meanwhile, in rural Minnesota, a beloved local teacher commits an action that no one understands. Cora Gundersun drives her SUV, containing numerous gasoline-filled canisters that she then sets afire, into a historic inn and restaurant killing dozens of people. Why? Because she was told to do so by the spider in her brain. The local sheriff, Luther Tillman, discovers the reason for Cora's actions and refuses to take part in the government cover-up. He also learns that Cora hasn't been quite the same since she returned from Iron Furnace Lake, Kentucky. Both Jane and Luther converge on Iron Furnace Lake and what they found is shocking (no I won't tell you what they find, read the book!). Will they join forces? Can they protect their families? Will they be able to stay one step ahead of this all-powerful group?

Jane Hawk, star of The Silent Corner, returns to right wrongs, fight for truth, justice, and battle unseen forces of evil in The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz. I enjoyed reading The Silent Corner so much that I re-reread it before reading The Whispering Room (yes, you read that right, I've read it twice so far this year). Jane is not your typical hero, as she no longer functions in shades of black and white, keeping everything legal and aboveboard. She now has to function in the shades of gray just to stay alive. Just as the group consistently underestimates Jane, they also underestimate Luther Tillman, as he's initially written off as a simple, local sheriff with a third-tier college education and obviously no threat to these Ivy-league educated powerbrokers. There's a lot of action in The Whispering Room and just enough tech explanations to make you never want to touch a computer, tablet, or smartphone ever again. As with The Silent Corner, The Whispering Room is a story about family, friends, trust, power gone wrong, corruption, and more. There's also drama, action, and humor. Just in case you couldn't tell, I thoroughly enjoyed The Whispering Room and found it to be a fast-paced and engrossing read. For those of you that enjoy reading suspense thrillers, then I strongly recommend you grab a copy of The Silent Corner and The Whispering Room to read. For those of you that have already read The Silent Corner, I know you'll want to get a copy of The Whispering Room to read to find out what happens next. I'm looking forward to reading the next Jane Hawk installment, The Crooked Staircase, coming in the Spring of 2018 (and yes, I'll be re-reading The Silent Corner and The Whispering Room).

I was able to read The Whispering Room for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Please be advise that if you like reading books in order you can read the Silent Corner, the first book in this series featuring FBI agent Jane Hawk, but it is not necessary to have read book one in order to understand the storyline. This is a thriller, I have forgotten how reading books by Dean Koontz gives you an adrenaline rush.
Jane Hawk is an FBI agent, gone rogue, charged of multiple murders. No one is telling the truth and she has a son to protect so she needs to tell her story before 'they find him and her'.
This is a great series to read for yourself and for book clubs.

This is the second book in Dean Koontz’s new Jane Hawk series. After reading this book, I wish I had read the first one in the series, so I had more of a background about the characters. Although, it does work well as a standalone because the author takes the time to expand on things that happened before. I never felt that I was missing information.

This is one of these books that is difficult to put down. Jane Hawk placed herself in some pretty dicey situations that had me on the edge of my seat. While I understand what the motivation was, I found myself thinking, “Oh no! Don’t go there.” more often than not. The characters were so realistic, I feel that many of them could be my neighbors. (Although there are some I would not anywhere near me.) I definitely got a very good sense of what they were like, and the scenes are described so well I can visualize them in my mind.

The book was so realistic, it was actually scary to think what real people would do with technology like this. The book ended in a way that left me wondering what was going to happen next .

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz is the action-packed very highly recommended thriller and sequel to The Silent Corner.

From the first book in the series, we know that Jane Hawk's husband Nick killed himself, but Jane knows that it wasn't him. There is a foul plot afoot with some powerful men behind it. They are trying to eliminate a specific group of people by making it appear that they are committing suicide, while they are also taking control of other people's free will. Jane has gone rogue from the FBI, and is on the run, but she is intelligent and resourceful enough to begin uncovering bits and pieces of the group's insidious plans

In the beginning of The Whispering Room we meet Cora Gundersun. Cora has been a teacher of the year and is beloved by all who know her. By all accounts she is a wonderful, caring, gentle person. When Cora completes a plan that results in her taking her own life as well as the lives of others, Sheriff Luther Tillman knows that something is amiss. The act does not reflect the person Cora was known to be. Tillman begins his own undercover operation that leads to the widespread conspiracy that Jane is bent on uncovering and revealing.

I really enjoyed The Whispering Room. Admittedly it is not quite as good as The Silent Corner, but it is still excellent. Most second books in a series suffer a bit in comparison to the first, but I'm not holding that against The Whispering Room. I stayed up way-too-late with this one saying "just one more chapter." Now, they are short, quick chapters, but there is enough action that finding a good stopping point was challenging and resulted in many repeats of the "just one more chapter" mantra. In this case I really think that you need to read The Silent Corner before The Whispering Room. Koontz does include information on what happened in the previous book, but it would be helpful and increase your appreciation of this second novel if you read them both in order.

Jane is a wonderfully realized character. She is well developed at this point and a woman to be reckoned with, as she has the knowledge, background, and skills to manage to stay hidden while conducting her own investigation. I really like her. And Koontz knows how to deliver a story and keep the plot moving. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. Koontz manages to combine the action of a thriller with some of the aspects of science fiction, especially nanotechnology. It is reminiscent of Michael Crichton's Prey, but Koontz is making this his own.

While Koontz has written a wildly entertaining novel here, some of the questions it raises can be directly applied to the current atmosphere in the USA today. I'm not going to wax philosophical on this, but if you should choose to go down that path, you certainly could as Koontz has made some compelling arguments about mind control, control of the few over the many, and the existence of absolute evil.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/11/the-whispering-room.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2189105950
https://www.librarything.com/work/19523167/reviews/148349815
https://www.facebook.com/shetreadssoftly/
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/932341624260177922
AMZ & B&N after publication

*3-3.5 stars.

Huh...I can't quite put my finger on why, but this sequel in the Jane Hawk series didn't engage me as much as the first book, The Silent Corner, did. It has all the usual suspenseful ingredients of a good thriller but is perhaps lacking somewhat in heart. It is an easy trap to fall into in which the author merely says "Jane felt" rather than helping the reader really feel what Jane felt.

One puzzle with the storyline is why Jane doesn't put a huge clue she learns to a bigger advantage, to help present the story to the world, but instead uses it only to help a small group. Even one of the 'bad guys' thinks about it and works to change that situation immediately so she cannot use the information again. But using it more fully never seems to occur to Jane. Why? Is it because she is a mother that she chooses the fate of the innocent over the world at large in that instance? Her conscience? Her humanness? I wish Koontz had expounded on this theme more.

When she later comes face to face with her archenemy, he says to her,"You think a human conscience is essential for civilization to exist and remain stable. Well, I propose to install just such a thing where it does not now exist. In a sense, we're allies." Some food for thought there. What makes us humans? Is it free will? Is it compassion?

I always enjoy listening to the music mentioned in a story; in this case, it was Rachmaninoff playing the "Corelli Variations"and Glenn Gould: Bach's Goldberg Variations. Thank you, youtube!

I appreciate the opportunity to read an arc of this new book through NetGalley and thank the author and publisher.

This second book in the Jane Hawk series picks up right where book one left off and Jane is on the trail of those involved in a conspiracy to rid the world of the people the deem undesirable. It's really a ploy for domination, but it's very sophisticated and it seems to be working.

One of the scariest things about this series is that you can see some of it being possible. Mind control through injectable nanomachines that essentially turn you into a robot. It's a terrifying prospect, but one that doesn't seem that farfetched. And it definitely made me shiver as I read about the things that these controlled people were made to do.

There are several side characters introduced here that I really liked. Luther and his family were a great addition and I really liked getting to know their characters. There was definitely some heartbreak with them and I hope to see more of them in the future to find out what happens.

The ending kind of surprised me. Not so much that what happened was that surprising, just that I don't have a clear idea of where the next book will take us. I guess we shall see next year! I'm hoping the release of this one is moved up as well.

As always, Koontz is able to weave an interesting story with his beautiful writing. This wasn't my favorite of his novels, but I definitely enjoyed it. If you're a Koontz fan you should give it a read. And if you're not, then become one.