Janitor was more than I expected. I assumed this was a straightforward splatter punk book about a psycho janitor in the style of an 80s slasher. What I got was something much deeper and shrouded in mystery. Oscar Brady loved this movie called Janitor, and he’s been trying to find a copy for years. Little did he know, his search for the movie would lead him down a path of a real-life mystery. Janitor is one part true-crime and one part movie novelization, and the way the novel is put together is actually pretty clever.
Personally, I do wish there was more slasher action, but that’s just me. I don’t want to say much more than that because I don’t want to spoil anything. The writing is entertaining, and Brady really nails the schlockiness (if that’s a word) of 80s slashers and video nasties. From the dialogue to the plot devices, he does a great job of creating that vibe. I’d definitely like to get this in paperback as well; I think it’s on my Amazon book wishlist.
The performance was pretty decent and because this is Brady’s first book narration, I won’t judge too harshly. I did like the voice he came up with for the Janitor. Near the end, as the Janitor started to go a little more insane, he started to sound like the leprechaun from the ’90s movie with an American accent. One thing listeners may have a bit of an issue with is the inconsistency in the audio production itself. Some parts had more background noise than others, in some parts Brady’s voice had more reverb than others, and plosives could be heard throughout the recording. With that said, it didn’t deter me from listening to the whole book. Overall, Janitor was a lot of fun to listen to and I honestly would listen to it again.