Pulp stories in Audiobook format don't come much better than this. With professional (in some cases, even recognizable) voicework, replete with sound effects, and a strict adherence to the 'mysterioso' atmosphere of the original text... I do believe Walter B. Gibson would approve of the loving care taken with what is arguably his life's work.
This story is crucial to The Shadow canon, being the first to formally unveil The Shadow's 'true' identity: Not of Lamont Cranston (who the Orson Welles radio program outright stated The Shadow was when it was introduced to the airwaves the very same month this issue was published) but of famed World War 1 flying ace-turned-double-agent Kent Allard. Gibson, an experienced illusionist, is more adept than most at the art of misdirection and subversion, and he plies these talents to admirable effect, here. Gibson crafts a compelling crime mystery that provides a handy excuse to disseminate one of the more intriguing 'origin' tales in Pulp history. But like any master of prestidigitation, Walter Gibson also knows that for every question the author answers... another must be posed. And so, while he does spell out a number of explicit details of Kent Allard's character and his background, much of it remains vague enough to court speculation and ignite the reader's imagination. Arguably, this approach has always been the one true hallmark of The Shadow pulps.
I'm two stories in, and I can comfortably say these Audiobooks are superb. If you've been inclined toward reading the Pulps but simply couldn't find the time? Pop this in your car stereo during the morning commute. But good luck tearing yourself away from the steering wheel once you get there. You've been warned.
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