by Abwilkins
The West should follow Russia’s example of sending soldiers covertly to Ukraine as “volunteers”!
Russia has waged an undeclared war against Ukraine ever since their illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
In the Gap proved to be a big surprise, not only because it was free, but also because it was really good. Before this, I had wrongly discounted the Audible Original Podcasts from being any good. They come free with any audible membership in the UK. I am speaking with some experience here, as I have completed over 200 audiobooks in the last couple of years. I have long waited for audiobooks to be provided like movies and TV shows are with Netflix and Amazon Prime. It would seems this service is fast approaching, and may already be here.1
The true story of Richard W. Miller as portrayed here is unique and one of a kind. Normally it would be hard to find a real life spy comedy, but look no further. In the Gap tells the story of the first FBI agent to be convicted for spying for the Soviet Union. The plot is almost a Hollywood comedy, where the antagonist wants to prove everyone who has dismissed him, wrong. However, this is the real world, with no guarantee of a happy ending. At times, you are left on the edge of your seat uncertain of what will happened next. The result is a story that comes with highs and lows, from the buffoonery of a comedy to the sad consequences of the hidden intelligence war. Soon you question whether Richard W. Miller was actually guilty of the crimes he was charged with.1
In the Gap is a Docu Soap in all but for its lack of moving pictures. As it includes both acted scenes and documentary style commentary with interviews from those who were there. In the Gap combines the befit of audiobooks and documentaries without many of their drawbacks. As with any audiobook, you can listen while walking or traveling on a bus. Moreover, unlike many documentaries, there are no adverts, no recaps, and no padding to fill out run time.1
The narration and the acting provided by the cast of actors nicely complement the story. Gary Wolf’s portray of Richard W. Miller provided the best performance of In the Gap. Wolf plays Miller as someone who was very uncertain of himself and way out of his depth. Closely followed by the upbeat and witty narration provided by Brittany Pressley. However, she was slightly let down by her overplayed Russian accent when portraying Svetlana Ogorodnikov. The Russian accent would have been better fitted to the hit series ‘Allo ‘Allo!.1
The only down side of In the Gap is the first and second episodes. As they feel like a generic spy documentary, as they lack the charm of Richard W. Miller’s character, as he is yet to be full introduced. It may be worth fast forwarding through these episodes, as they primary serves to provide the backstory. Then again, the first and second episodes are occasionally referred back too in later episodes.1
By Arran Wilkins © 2021 (text only)
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(1) Glijansky, Avi (Author). Pressley, Brittany. Wolf, Gary. And Sullivan, Nick. (Narrator). In the Gap: The United States v. Richard W. Miller (Frequency Machine. And Audible Originals. 2020) Amazon audible, Available at: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/In-the-Gap-Audiobook/B08LKGX9SD?qid=1611768054&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=NRDKZAN6YAEA2CB4EZG5 [Accessed on 27th January 2021].
A.W. Book Reviews 