Andrew Pyper's audio-exclusive thriller Oracle was a recent free download for Audible subscribers not long ago, and, as I had just finished another book and wanted a break from my usual sci-fi and fantasy books, I decided to give it a listen.
The story follows Nate Russo, who is a psychic working with/for the FBI, helping to solve a string of suspicious disappearances and murders. It's narrated by Joshua Jackson, who does a fairly good job of the reading and the character. At a few points, it felt a little like the voice acting was straying into a cheesy 90s FBI/law enforcement cliche, but in this kind of story I don't know if that's particularly surprising or problematic.
Oracle does what it sets out to do. It's at times chilling but the focus is less on the paranormal spooky aspects of the tale and more on the 'who dunnit' mystery of figuring out who - or what - is behind the string of burial murders.
I'll admit, there were a number of points in this story where I was pretty sure I had figured it out, and I knew the ending... but I was wrong, over and over again. Pyper does a fantastic job of giving us enough doubt that we, the reader, are constantly left wondering if what we've figured out is a red herring or the real deal. Which is a wonderful treat.
If you're looking for a quick audiobook this Halloween season, I definitely recommend Oracle. It's a fun mystery that has a really satisfying conclusion and contains just enough spook-factor that it fits a Halloween theme really nicely.
That's all I'll really say about this. It's a short review, I know, but I definitely recommend snagging this if you have Audible.