"Signum" designated as the outstanding audiobook of the year
Oops, there's a deceased individual chained to the bed in the cellar. What next? How does one dispose of a corpse without any trace left behind? In the ocean? In the backyard? Pigs could be an option. A teen, a tech whiz, and an ex-cop who pens bestselling thrillers are called upon. Once again, John Ajvide Lindqvist delivers.
Football commentators such as Claudia Neumann on ZDF and Tom Bartels on ARD are divisive due to their voices. Some find them grating, while others adore them. Regardless, after two to four hours, the broadcast concludes. Some exhale a sigh of relief, while others continue with audiobooks. But that's where the excitement truly starts. Audiobooks can range from 8 to 41 hours long ("The Arena", Stephen King). Poor narration can spoil an otherwise engaging plot and fascinating characters.
A remarkable audiobook transforms into an experience due to the captivating narration. What if David Baldacci's thrillers lost their narrator Dietmar Wunder, who also voices Daniel Craig in the Bond series? Unthinkable, indeed.
A Woman's Odyssey
Versatility is crucial. Many can read aloud, but few can convincingly bring different characters to life through subtle voice variations. Peter Lontzek and Britta Steffenhagen are two such individuals. Steffenhagen's most renowned voices belong to Kerry Condon, famously known for the "Avengers" series, but she has a broader range, excelling in drama, fantasy, comedy, and thrillers.
Steffenhagen truly shines in the thriller genre, especially when it comes to John Ajvide Lindqvist's "Midsommar" trilogy. Her vocal dexterity is at its finest here, transitioning smoothly from comedic to hard-hitting, from childishly soft to coolly psychopathic, from comforting whispers to demanding commands.
More Wit and Interaction, Less Violence
The stories offer ample room for exploration. While "Refugium" was action-packed, "Signum" is more subdued. A deer is shot at the beginning, and a villain accidentally falls off a boat later. That's as far as the violence goes. Instead, characters are given a chance to develop and take center stage.
Take, for instance, the teenager Astrid, who has been an orphan for a few weeks. Her soul is old, trapped in an adolescent, hormonal body. She's infatuated with Kim Ribbing, a taciturn, middle-aged computer nerd who was tortured by his grandfather and later in a psychiatric hospital. Now, he seeks vengeance on his tormentors. Neither Astrid nor Kim's on-again, off-again girlfriend Julia Malmros have any idea about this. But Astrid quickly uncovers Kim's secret, and later, so does Julia.
A "tragic accident" has already claimed Rudbeck's life. Now, especially for Julia, seeking help comes with a hefty price tag. Given her past as a police officer, she finds herself in a moral dilemma. To make matters more complicated, her ex-husband is investigating the disappearance of Rudbeck. Fortunately, he's currently distracted by his new relationship.
Lots of Wit and Human Interaction
Julia, Kim, and Astrid discuss the best (and least suspicious) way to dispose of a body. They receive some much-needed assistance from Julia's older friend, an author, publisher, and editor who isn't shy of red wine or joints lately. Should they cut the body up? Process it through a meat grinder and feed it to pigs? Or perhaps into the sea? They mustn't get caught, of course.
And there are the right-wing extremist "True Swedes," whose rise Julia wishes to explore in her new thriller. This doesn't sit well with the extremist group and could have serious consequences for Julia's life and well-being.
But that might be a topic for the third book of Lindqvist's "Midsommar" series. A gripping cliffhanger is half the challenge. Despite over 13 hours of gameplay from "Signum," there's never a boringly dull moment. The plot is too thrilling, the characters too fascinating, and their interactions too engaging. The expectations for the conclusion of the "Midsommar" series are high, with dtv and DAV publishing it.
In the thriller genre, Steffenhagen's vocal dexterity is particularly noted in John Ajvide Lindqvist's "Midsommar" trilogy, where she transitions smoothly between various character types, ranging from comedic to psychopathic.
In the book, Julia finds herself in a moral dilemma after a "tragic accident" claims Rudbeck's life. Given her past as a police officer, she must carefully consider the price tag of seeking help, knowing her ex-husband is currently investigating Rudbeck's disappearance.
