November 29, 2016 / Leslie

Review: Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

A Rapid Review

At Manderley, someone is always watching.

Publisher: Algonquin Books, HighBridge Audio | June 2016
Format: 229 pages | 7 hours | Rating: 4 stars
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate – Difficult

In the tradition of gothic and popular horror, with echoes of The Shining and Psycho, Security redefines fear for a generation that’s seen it all.

What’s it about . . .
Manderley Resort is a luxury hotel designed with the best security that money can buy. The grand opening is in one week, and Tessa, the hotel manager, is hurrying to get everything done in time for the big day. But someone doesn’t want the hotel to open, and Tessa’s employees begin to vanish one by one as a killer stalks the property.

What did I think . . .
The story is told through a unique point of view and in an unusual writing style. It took me a little while to figure out why the scene changes were so choppy, but then I got it — the narration was coming from the POV of different security cameras. It becomes apparent sooner if you are reading than if you are listening. I did both, and when I switched over to print, the formatting was quite unique with a split page as if it were a split screen. It’s quite different, but probably not for everyone.

Security is also not for the faint of heart! There are lots of murders. Some are gory, graphic murders. There is a lot of mystery and suspense, too. We don’t know what is going on most of the time, or even who the narrator is. This is Stephen King type horror. If you like The Shining you’ll be ok with this.

Unfortunately, we never do get all our questions answers, and I never did figure out the motive for such extreme hostility once the killer is revealed, but there was enough of a conclusion to satisfy me. With horror, I enjoy the suspense of what is going to come at you from around the corner or the next opened door… literally!

Audio production . . .
The audio was read by Zach Villa. He used a calm, almost laid-back voice much of the time as the murder and mayhem surrounded the hotel. While his voice was easy to listen to too, and the production itself was fine, this was initially difficult to follow because of all the jumping around between security cameras. I kept listening for a chapter title or some type of indication that the scene was changing, but there were none. I would recommend the audio version mostly to those more familiar with difficult or unusual formats.

Audio Sample:
[Audio Sample on Highbridge Audio site.]

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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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