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

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
All stars
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I love Ron Perlman, I love Guillermo Del Toro, so I'm obviously biased. However, this iteration of a horror icon (vampires) is both chilling and gripping, reinventing the classic trope into something far different and still, I couldn't stop listening. Perlman's reading of the series is absolutely perfect, his tone and vocal performance elevating an already interesting premise. Can't wait to hear more.

Compelling and terrifying

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Loved it. Modern take on the Vampire myth with some extra on top. About to begin the second volume. Well worth it if you are the least bit interested in Vampires.

Monstrous

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What does Ron Perlman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Ron Perlman brings masterful narration to this book. His use of accents is outstanding and really helps bring the ethnicity of the characters to life in a way I just wouldn't be able to voice in my mind if reading the book. If Hellboy is reading it, I'm listening to it!

Any additional comments?

This story can really slow down and get repetitive in places, to the point where I found myself losing my concentration through certain chunks of the story. It is however a great one to listen to at night time for the creepiness of it all, and it can be quite grotesque when it conjures up the images of these infected blood suckers. Overall the story is great, and definitely worth continuing with the next two books in the series, whose pacing is much improved. It's just nice to have vampires back where they belong....burning up (not twinkling) in sunlight and scary as hell!

RON PERLMAN!

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Nostalgic memories!! Of when I first read this in high school!! Great book and storyline!!

Incredible

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great book. Ron Perlman is a fantastic narrator. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Great twist on the vampire tale

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eally enjoyable, action, love the detail and back story of the characters. If you love Stephen King or Mathew Reilly novels this is for you.

Well paced, well researched and well written

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This felt like a tougher editor would have got a tighter story from this idea. Great premise, shaky execution.

Great idea, too many storylines

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The narrator is monotone everyone has the same voice be it male or female It also was lacking in volume and hard to hear in a Truck whilst driving. It probably had a good story I just couldn't hear it properly.

Bad Narration

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