Michael Mann has never been able to let go of the story that eventually became 1995’s Heat. Originally conceived as a TV show called L.A. Takedown, the story eventually morphed into the three-hour epic (and TNT weekend time-killing staple) Heat. But condensing a TV show into a film left plenty of straggling story points — plots that eventually found their way into prequel/sequel Heat 2. Written by Mann and Meg Gardiner, Heat 2 explores things like Chris Shiherlis’s eventual fate and the origins of Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro)’s mantra, “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.†If you’re sad the sequel to Heat is a book, don’t be. For one thing, Heat 2 may get adapted to the big screen (with Timothée Chalamet as Yung Pacino?). For another, the audiobook is a cinematic event in itself.
Heat 2 is read by Peter Giles, who is doing the damn thing. Giles reads the entire book in a gravely, Über-serious and Über-gruff rasp. Nineteen hours of “in a world …†trailer-style delivery. Or maybe even the Scream killer soundalike captions reader on TikTok. He grumbles the whole thing at a pitch that only trees can perceive it. It’s camp. It’s a perfect match for Mann’s ultraviolence and grim outlook on the cops-and-robbers game. To put it simply, at the drop of a hat, Heat 2’s narration will rock-and-roll. To listen to it yourself, check out the audiobook on most audiobook streamers, or from your local library through the Libby app.