The Strain cover art

The Strain

Book One of the Strain Trilogy

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The Strain

By: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan
Narrated by: Ron Perlman
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About this listen

 The high-concept thriller with a supernatural edge from the world-famous director, whose films include Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy.

A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously ‘goes dark’, stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised.

When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it quickly becomes clear that everyone on board is dead – although there is no sign of any trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange occurrence before panic spreads.

The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that’s the only good news. And when all two hundred corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity.

Perfect for fans of Dean Koontz’s The Eyes of Darkness

©2009 HarperCollins Publishers (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers Action & Adventure Fantasy Horror Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Fiction Exciting Aviation Transportation City

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Critic reviews

‘The first in a trilogy that soars with spellbinding intrigue.Truly, an unforgettable tale you can’t put down once you read the first page. I can’t wait until the next one.’ Clive Cussler

‘Blood and apocalypse mix in a terrifying story that feels like it was ripped from today's headlines. Vividly wrought and relentlessly paced, THE STRAIN haunts as much as it terrifies. I cannot wait to see where Del Toro and Hogan take us next.’ James Rollins

‘A rattling piece of escapism’ The Times

‘An entertaining mix of action blockbuster and vampire myth … with Del Toro’s talent for creating fantastical, macabre characters shining through … an exciting page-turner’ Metro

‘Del Toro and Hogan succeed in constructing a driving plot and delivering a gripping conclusion. Great characters … and a flair for striking scenes get this trilogy off to a first-rate start. Kirkus Reviews
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Decent narration, fuzzy audio quality and a silly, enjoyable story for the most part, but ultimately not the most well-written I've ever read, nor the most engaging.

That said, it's a decent way to spend 16 hours and by the last 2 hours I was just hooked enough that it took up every commute to work and back until I'd finished it.

Decent pulpy vampire nonsense

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A clever and creative reimagining of the vampire myth. I loved the real world details used throughout the story. The narrator was brilliant and his gravelly voice added plenty of spookiness to the story. Highly recommended.

Terrifying and gripping. A good old fashioned tale

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Quite entertaining but I felt a little put upon as the write up did not mention that is was yet another 'vampire' story. Personally I think with all the vampire literature and movies out there the genre is done to death several times over and whilst an entertaining listen, I did find it a tad predictable and kept saying 'Oh that old chestnut' to myself at each plot twist. Having said all that, it was well written and well read.

Entertaining

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Not bad really but i didnt expect it to be about vampires, having said that my interest is sparked and i will be listening to the second book.

Not my cuppa tea

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Well, I really loved this book and the follow up novel and cant wait to get the third instalment.

Enjoyable

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Wasn't sure at first but then it suckers you in and now I love it and cant wait for the next installment. You will be hooked :)

Loved it

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The Strain is a good book, well told and really creepy. When I watched the movie "The orphanage" on movie last year it was a really creepy story about a haunted orphanage and a woman returning to it as a grown person. The problem I had with that story was that it in essence really was a retelling of Steven Spielbergs "Poltergeist" only in a different setting. After reading "The strain" where an airplane lands and shuts down after which we learn thar everyone onboard is dead. One quickly realise that this book in essence is a retelling of Bram Stokers "Dracula" although adapted and remodelled to a modern setting.
I like it a lot but I do not understand that this has not been commented before.
Those of you who have read Dracula will make a lot of knowing observations. Who does not remember the ship that was washed ashore, all crew and passengers dead, and only a strange coffin in the cargohold...?

The best form of flattery...

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Bought this after finishing the TV series. Amazing how similar narrator Ron Perlman sounds like the actor Corey Stoll, who plays Eph.
He’s a bit monotone narrating this though.. and the pronunciation of “Eeph” instead of “Eph” is a bit hard to ignore!

Okay

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I think that Hammer Horror films, with their hammy treatment of vampires, have made it well-nigh impossible for an novelist to create a serious story about an incursion by vampires into the world of the living. I enjoyed this book, but couldn't take it seriously. It should have been frightening, but I found it almost funny it seemed so preposterous.

Grippingly preposterous!

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Bought the book but didn't have time to finish reading it so got the audio instead so I can listen on train journeys.
The story had me hooked and, which has been said by another reviewer, it sounded like more of a screenplay for a film then a book. Unsurprisingly it became a TV show.

The only thing that hindered my enjoyment of this audiobook was the narrator. At times it was hard to distinguish who was who when characters were speaking as the narrator didn't really try to differentiate the characters voices. I found that he got better at it nearer the end of the book. There were many times when I would have to rewind to listen which character was talking, which disrupted the flow of story. I know narration is no script reading, but it would of made the book more engrossing to listen to if there was more emphasis on the characters voices.

Other than the mainly monotone narration, I found this audiobook to be a great listen and it will get you hooked as you get more into the story. Definitely will be getting the second book in this trilogy, whether that would be audio or the actual book.

A good thriller hindered by a monotone narrator

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