That Lucky old Son has nothin to do but roll around Heaven all day.

Last year I listened to "The Son" on audiobook and found the story unique and addictive. When my book group decided on that book for their next read, I decided to read it and compare it to the audiobook.

The audiobook is narrated by Gildart Jackson who has a slow and deadly pace as the story is revealed, almost as if Alfred Hitchcock was explaining one of his complicated plots.

Reading the story after listening to it only heightened my enjoyment. I could visualize what was going to happen but dwell in the literary descriptions and pacing of story.

After his father's suicide and the publicity that his father was a corrupt cop, Sonny Loftus spent over twelve years in prison after confessing to a number of murders. His only payoff was that he wanted to be supplied with heroin. When another prisoner informs him that his father wasn't corrupt and he only wrote the suicide note to protect Sonny and his mother, Sonny goes cold turkey, breaks out of prison and goes on a vengeful rampage seeking out the people who really murdered the people Sonny took the blame for.

Simon Kefas is a senior police official in the Oslo Homicide Squad. He is the lead investigator in search for Sonny and was Sonny's father's best friend. Simon is a finely developed character with a great love of his wife, Else, who is in need of an eye operation to save her sight.

There are complications and surprises and the events of the story come to light.  The crime scene in Oslo is also brought to life as we see the criminals and their power but then step by step, Sonny Loftus seeks out the various crime lords and takes his revenge.

Well done, powerfully written and a deep and gratifying read.