Supernatural Doings in Multiple Universes

The latest from bestselling author Dean Koontz is a meandering tale of good and evil involving children with special powers and a bad guy determined to destroy them. Though entertaining in many ways, “From the Corner of His Eye” is overwrought and needed the hand of a good editor. (Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio; unabridged fiction; 13 cassettes; 22 hours; $44.95; read by Stephen Lang.)

Koontz blends science with spiritual and supernatural forces, giving us plenty to chew on as actions within the story affect not only the world in which the characters live, but also alternative universes.

The story begins with a bang when a seemingly happily married man brutally slays his young wife, apparently on a whim. The preciously named Junior Cain is a lunatic of monumental proportions whose egomaniacal ramblings provide some of the audio’s most entertaining moments.

Angel is born from a violent rape in San Francisco at the same time Bartholomew is born in Bright Beach, California. The two children are linked to Cain, who has perceived the young boy to be a threat and spends much of his time trying to find him. Also figuring in the mix is a priest turned police detective who believes that Cain got away with murder when his wife died under supposedly accidental circumstances.

The characters are fleshed out and worth knowing. In fact, they become more interesting as the novel unfolds. Unfortunately, it takes years for the story to culminate, and Koontz gets bogged down with subplots and tangents that provide more bloat than texture.

Stephen Lang’s pleasant voice seems rather ordinary until he begins to develop personalities for each character. Cain sounds bland and innocent when talking to the cop. During the times when he is agitated and murderous, Cain’s voice is a little higher, more intense, scarier.

The detective tracking Cain has a slower, deeper, more deliberate delivery that is quite different from anyone else in the audiobook. Lang is also remarkably effective as the child Bartholomew, sounding buoyant and guileless.

A complaint about the overall production: It is disconcerting that the tapes end without an announcement (“this is the end of side one”) or a bit of music. It is a small detail, but it does help the proceedings to flow more smoothly.

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Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.