RED 1-2-3; John Katzenbach

RED 1-2-3; John Katzenbach 

 Mysterious Press / Highbridge Audio - 2013

RED 1-2-3 is a page turning thriller with a psychopath who calls himself the Big Bad Wolf calling the shots -- at least initially that is.

The Wolf's targets are (3) red-headed women who live in the same general area, but who seem to have nothing more in common other than their red hair.

• Red - 1 - is a 51 year-old doctor. She's single and secretly does comedy gigs in her free time.
• Red - 2  - is a 33 year-old teacher whose husband and young daughter were killed in an accident.  She's a mess, drinking and over-medicating herself way too much since the tragedy.
• Red - 3 - is only 17 and lives in a dorm at a private prep school.

The other character that adds some interest to the plot is Mrs. Big Bag Wolf.  She seems like a pushover, but when she becomes suspicious and curious about her wanna-be writer husband's work, she does a little snooping and certainly finds more than she bargained for.

One thing the Big Bad Wolf did not plan on was the resourcefulness and tech savvy of his targets.

Red 1-2-3 had the potential to be a fantastic nail biting thriller. The author did a terrific job of hooking you early on.  The audio book reader, Donna Postel is wonderful.  Unfortunately, the story drags on and on way too long (11+ hours on audio). The author spends a lot of time developing the REDS, but not much time on the Wolf himself or his wife.  Despite this it was still enjoyable, and it's another story that takes place in Western Massachusetts a place I've fondly called home,

3.5/5 stars
(library audio book and eGalley)