Download Best Full Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

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Title: Phantom Prey

Author: John Sandford

Narrator: Richard Ferrone

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-09-09

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Lucas Davenport has had disturbing cases before - but never one quite like this, in the shocking new Prey novel from the #1 New York Times best-selling author.

©2008 John Sandford; (P)2008 Penguin

Members Reviews:

Not One Of Sandfords Best

I've been a Lucas Davenport fan for years, but this one just didn't 'do it' for me. It was pretty dull. Usually there is an edginess and anticipation to the series, but here I just didn't feel it. I felt as though the writer was bored with it and well... so was I. Usually I like the audio version of the series when Eric Conger reads it but Richard Ferrone was chosen and I just don't like him as Davenport as much. I was disappointed.

Good book if a bit boilerplate

The narrator's female impersonation was a bit cheesy. Other than that it was smooth and enjoyable. They should use two narrators in books with lots of dialogue.

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Title: Badlands

Author: Richard Montanari

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-02-08

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 333 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Months before, a teenage runaway's body was found in the desolate, dangerous North Philly district dubbed the Badlands. Dead runaways were no novelty on these mean streets, but the Caitlin O'Riordan case was different. Her corpse was found in the basement of a rancid tenement apartment, the inexplicable cause of death: drowning. In the end, nothing was solved and the case was closed.

Now, a confession to the bizarre murder on the police tipline sends Byrne and Balzano rushing to make an arrest. But instead of a killer, they discover a ghastly scene: a jar containing human remains - along with a cryptic clue leading to an unlikely witness. Laura Somerville lives far from the squalor of the Badlands, and seemingly light-years from any connection to a murdered runaway. But moments after discussing the case with this elegant lady, Byrne and Balzano make another grisly discovery, and find an enigmatic word spelled out in Scrabble tiles.

Across town, another victim's shallow grave reveals deeper mysteries. Her secret diaries portray a woman haunted by a shocking past, and obsessed with finding a depraved killer.

Now, as the body count grows, a terrifying design literally takes shape. Pieces of a gruesome puzzle are being set into place by the cruel hands of a madman using the city as his game board. His playthings are the innocent, and his opponents - and pawns - are Byrne and Balzano, who must, before time runs out, decipher the truth about a shadowy house of horrors and its elusive master.

Internationally acclaimed author Richard Montanari works his b...

Critic Reviews:

"Montanari seems poised to take his place on the top ranks of the mystery field." (

Members Reviews:

Good with some left dangling

I enjoyed this book and loved Scott Brick's narration. The style is very similar to Montanari's other works. He did a great job developing a complex villian. I did feel like he left too many loose ends in a continued effort to add depth to Byrne and Balzano. Pieces were introduced, such as the meeting with the ex-wife, and then not discussed further. Overall though, a good read.

Overwritten, overperformed

I'm on my third Montenari book and while I find he has some of the most creative and complex villains I've ever read, I find his prose borders on purple...just too overwritten. Uses three similar phrases to drive home a point that he's made in one. And after three books performed by Scott Brick, I think I'll read my future Montenari mysteries in book form, rather than audible. He is So. Dramatic. Pause for Effect. Emphasize THAT point. This. Is. Important. While his overacting is probably a perfect match for the purple prose, it just drives me nuts. Gaaaaaah!!!!

A Disheartened Scott Brick and Confusing Time Line

What made the experience of listening to Badlands the most enjoyable?

I have been on a Richard Montanari kick as of late and I have greatly enjoyed all the books in his series without question, until this one.

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Title: Killing the Shadows

Author: Val McDermid

Narrator: Vari Sylvester

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-24-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 122 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Professor Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses computer technology to help police forces track serial offenders. She used to help the Met, but vowed never to work for them again when they went against her advice and badly screwed up an investigation as a consequence. Still smarting from the experience, she's working a case in Toledo when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered. It's not her case, but Fiona can't help taking an interest.

Which is just as well, because before too long the killer strikes again. And again. And Fiona is caught up in a race against time, not only to save a life, but to bring herself redemption, both personal and professional.

Rich in atmosphere, Killing the Shadows uses the backdrops of city and country to create an air of threatening menace, culminating in a tense confrontation between hunter and hunted, a confrontation that can have only one outcome.

Members Reviews:

Too much

I read a lot of mysteries containing explicit violence. But there is a point at which mutilations and killings become too gruesome and take up so much of the book that skipping over the extreme violence leaves you with hardly anything to read. I suspect that publishers require their authors to top the level of "gruesomeness" in each new book. That is regrettable.

I doubt I'm alone in my growing avoidance of books like "Killing the Shadow". Only so much prolonged, repetitive, excruciatingly graphic and detailed descriptions of mutilations/murders can be tolerated. I only wish there was a violence rating scale so that I didn't accidentally buy books like this one.

Suspense till the end

Would you consider the audio edition of Killing the Shadows to be better than the print version?

Since I haven't read the print version I wouldn't know

What did you like best about this story?

I suppose the story itself it what I most enjoyed. The fact that you were never quite sure of what was to happen next, is to me what keeps me listening. The narration was also excellent. Even with minor changes in her voice the characters became believable and real.

Which scene was your favorite?

I totally enjoyed the entire performance

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I prefer books that have a substantial length so I can stretch them out over days.

Any additional comments?

I have listened to dozens of books over my years with audible and can say this is one of my all time favorites. I am familiar with Val McDermids work both in books and TV and always find them compelling both in subject and construction.

Disappointing, creaky plot

What better subject could there be for a mystery writer than a serial killer targetting mystery writers? Yet this book suffers from significant plot weaknesses--basically, characters must display incredible stupidity or stubborness for the plot to advance. The underlining motive of the villain was, in my view, ridiculous. That said, there were moments of suspense, and some interesting characterizations. The narration was fine. This was the first book I've read by McDermid. I had high hopes because of her Diamond Dagger win (lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers Assoc.), but I was disappointed.

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Title: An Absence of Light

Author: David Lindsey

Narrator: Dick Hill

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 45 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The investigating captain, Marcus Graver, can't rely on the "inside," so he hires an independent, a woman who has spent most of her career in the CIA's Far East operations. Her surveillance leads to a legendary deep-cover agent of the Mossad - one of the richest and most ruthless criminals in the world. Graver could be out of his league.

Members Reviews:

A little flat....

David Lindsey tends to sacrifice nuance of character in his quest for a compelling story line here. This reader did not get much sense of who the major players are and why they do what they do. Relationships are pretty much reduced to the logistics of plot development. Consequently, a tolerably good narrative falls a little flat. I went with this book largely because of Dick HIll's always competent narrations.

Long, dated, but I enjoyed it

This book was written in the 90's and is dated. I still enjoyed it just like I enjoyed the Maltese Falcon. There were no cell phones or wireless technologies. This book is long and will take a commitment. I wish there were more of the author's books in Audible library

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Title: Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

Author: Dorothy Gilman

Narrator: J. Charles

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-04-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 92 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

On arrival, Kadi and Mrs. P. soon discover that Sammat has dangerous enemies. Rumors are springing up that he is a sorcerer who is responsible for a rash of shocking murders in which the victims appear to have been clawed to death by a lion. These crimes are especially terrifying because there are no lions in Ubangiba. So Mrs. Pollifax wades into the fray, hunting for the source of the bloody terrorism that threatens Sammat and Ubangiba - not to mention Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax.

Members Reviews:

I miss Babara Rosenblat

This was an adequate reading, but I somehow felt that the reader was condescending to the characters.

Worst Narration in Audible

I have a considerable Audible library. And of the hundreds of books that I have listened to, this is the worst. For starters, why use a male narrator when it is about a woman? Worse than the readers falsetto though is the echo effect that they use when someones words are thoughts. It has all the cheesy wrongness of a 50s B science fiction movie

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Title: Higher Authority

Subtitle: A Dr. Alan Gregory Mystery

Author: Stephen White

Narrator: Dick Hill

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

But Blythe's reputation - and, by extension, Lester Horner's - is threatened when a female former employee accuses her of sexual harassment and career sabotage.

In Higher Authority, White shifts his focus from Dr. Alan Gregory, the hero of Privileged Information and the national best seller Private Practices, to Alan's fiancée, Lauren Crowder. The pool-shooting deputy D.A.'s life is already complicated enough as she picks her way through her relationship with Alan at the same time she is fighting her quiet and dignified battle with multiple sclerosis.

But since Blythe's accuser happens to be Lauren's kid sister, aspiring stand-up comic Teresa Crowder, Lauren plunges into the case. And she gets immediate help from an old law school buddy, Robin Torr, whose practice is in Salt Lake City.

When, suddenly, Blythe Oaks is savagely murdered in Washington, D.C., the lengths to which someone will go to protect secrets that might prove embarrassing to higher authorities in the church are starkly revealed. And as Crowder and Torr probe more and more deeply into these secrets, with timely help from Alan Gregory and his old friend Detective Sam Purdy of the Boulder, Colorado, police, White's tough but determined women find the body count growing and themselves placed in jeopardy by a remorseless killer.

Members Reviews:

Stephen White knocks it out of the ball park

as always, Stephen White didn't disappoint. From the first to the last page, the story was intriguing and kept me wanting more.

Good Mystery

Kept my interest beginning to end. Religious fanatics....always a nut out there to use religion as an excuse for their bad wiring.

Learn the pronunciation of significant towns

It's annoying when the pronunciation of Ouray is mispronounced over and over. Moab too. Other than that, he's a good reader and it's a compelling story.

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Title: Collateral Damage

Subtitle: The Sisterhood, Book 11 (Rules of the Game, Book 4)

Author: Fern Michaels

Narrator: Laural Merlington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 155 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The second choice seems like a no-brainer, but after a lot of harsh words and stubbornness a rift has been exposed. For the sake of their union, Annie, Alexis, Nikki, Isabelle, Kathryn, Yoko, and Myra pick their new mission and try to put their differences aside. A mysterious Washington D.C. political operative needs the women to track down a computer hacker who has stolen a list of secret fundraisers' names and sold it to an identity-theft ring. No one in either political party wants it known that valuable personal information has been mishandled, and with a presidential election looming, the stakes are high.

But as the Sisterhood set out to find the culprits, they soon discover the job is a lot more dangerous than they thought. Who really is their well-connected client? And can they stop fighting - and stay alive - long enough to see it happen?

Members Reviews:

Fast Track

I have listened to 10 of the vigilante books and love them. You need to read them in the order that they are written to get the full effect of the vigilantes and understand them.

Great Story

the stories get better and better! Thanks for allowing me to escape from the reality

Justice comes to swiftly!!

Great story but not enough details when the people get their comeuppance!! That was always the best part!!...when it wasn't too graphic.

Just not as exciting...

So much better stories when it involved the personal stories of the ladies in the sisterhood and their quests for revenge...these all seem far flung and undeserving since...

amazing

Would you listen to Collateral Damage again? Why?

No I would not ony because I do not listen to a story more then once.

What other book might you compare Collateral Damage to and why?

To any Thriller-action-suspense book written. I listen to lots of books This is so far the best book I have ever listened to.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was when LIzzie Fox bailed out Marble Rose from the Las Vegas Jail.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Lizzie Fox reveals to Ted her feelings for Cricket.

Any additional comments?

I love this series!!!! It's the best ever yet.

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Title: Absolute Fear

Author: Lisa Jackson

Narrator: Joyce Bean

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 191 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The latest murders are bizarre and baffling. The victims are killed in a ritual fashion, a series of numbers tattooed into their bodies. 212. 101. 111. 323. There is no clue to their meaning, no connection to the victims except one: Our Lady of Virtues Hospital, the crumbling old asylum that was once the scene of unspeakable madness. For Eve, it was a second home as a child. Her father was a doctor there, and she spent hours exploring its secret chambers, hidden rooms, and forbidden passageways. Somewhere in its decaying rooms lies the key to a terrible crime, a betrayal beyond imagining whose echoes are now being felt with a vengeance - a crime that seems to lead to Eve herself. And the only man she can trust with the search is Cole, her former lover and, just possibly, a cold-blooded killer.

As forgotten memories begin to surface, bodies are found and each twist leads to another terrifying piece of the puzzle. Someone is watching, planning, luring her back to the ruins of Our Lady and the shocking truths hidden there - someone who has been waiting for this moment to strike. He is deadlier than she knows. For the sins of the past must be revealed, the crimes brought to justice, and the price paid - in blood.

Members Reviews:

My Thoughts

I really connected with the characters in this book...I felt for all the characters including the killer...hes the first one so far that I actually felt bad for...To bad he couldnt receive help or something...the narrator was awesome easily conveying the emotions of the characters...and it ends on a cliff hanger!!

loved it

it was awesome and I super love all her books and can't wait to hear the next book after this

Quite exciting

This was quite an exciting thriller with lots of action and murders happening everywhere. However I only rate this book as a three star for the following reasons:

- The story became quite convoluted and the relationships between people confusing

- you had to suspend your disbelief because it was a bit unreasonable

- I listen to audiobooks over speakers not headphones so I found the sexual part of the book quite annoying as I had to rush over and turn it down so that people didn't think I was listening to pornography and so that they weren't shocked. There wasn't all that much sex in it but the words used were pretty graphic.

Was an OK read.

What did you like best about Absolute Fear? What did you like least?

I like the fact that the plot really did get serious and I didn't know who the killer was. But I didn't like that fact that the main character were so dumb and naive.

What did you like best about this story?

How it did come together.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Joyce Bean?

of course

Do you think Absolute Fear needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

yes, there is still some unfinished business.

Any additional comments?

Not the greatest by the author but was entertaining.

Family takes on a new meaning in this mystery.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

To mystery lovers this is satisfying. It's not the absolute best but it is a good read and listen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I kept an interest in the story as it has a few threads that merged and kept me interested in the next set of facts revealed. I wasn't quite able to put it all together which is not the usual case.

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Title: Shadow Man

Author: Cody McFadyen

Narrator: Kate Reading

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-26-08

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 172 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Now Smoky dreams about picking up her weapon again. She dreams about placing the cold steel between her lips and pulling the trigger one last time. Because for a woman who's lost everything, what is there left to lose?

She's about to find out.

In all her years at the Bureau, Smoky has never encountered anyone like him, a new and fascinating kind of monster, a twisted genius who defies profilers' attempts to understand him. And he's issued Smoky a direct challenge, coaxing her back from the brink with the only thing that could convince her to live.

The killer videotaped his latest crime, an act of horror that left a child motherless, then sent a message addressed to Agent Smoky Barrett. The message is enough to shock Smoky back to work, back to her FBI team. And that child awakens something in Smoky she thought was gone forever.

Suddenly the stakes are raised. The game has changed. For as this deranged monster embarks on an unspeakable spree of perversion and murder, Smoky is coming alive again, and she's about to face her greatest fears as a cop, a woman, a mother, and a merciless killer's next victim.

Critic Reviews:

"First-time novelist McFadyen writes like an old pro." (Booklist)

"McFadyen's writing is crisp and smart, and his scenes pack a visceral punch without being cheap or exploitative." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Horrifying, excellent

It was not particularly pleasant, some of it, but I could not put it down, as they say.

The purpose of my review is to merely say that I will buy whatever this author writes.

I go thru at least 20 audiobooks a month, and I rarely if ever, say that about an author.

Wow!

This book has a punch on your emotions. I really liked this one because I had a bit of a tough time with it. a bit gory in some parts for me but it challenged me to follow through with it. I loved the characters and I had some real hate for some characters. The plot was intriguing and it had a real punch in the end. Narration was great, but Kate Reading is always wonderful.

Brutal but Good

This book was recommended to me by a reading buddy because she loved it and because she knows I like Karen Slaughter books. It is the beginning of a series that is not at all light reading. A brutal tale with all the suspense and twists that make up a good crime thriller. On to the next book, I hope the series gets better as it goes. Kate Reading does an excellent job with the different voices.

A Book Full of Cliche Characters

What disappointed you about Shadow Man?

I was disappointed by everything in the book. There was nothing at all believable in it, it read like a Hollywood blockbuster - and I don't mean that as a compliment. The characters, most of all the main character were pure cliches of what we "expect" FBI agents to be - tough talking and patronising, with witty one liners spat out as often as possible. The story line in the book has been done a million times over, it even included the revelation of a secret love child! Give me a break.

I also have to mention that the amount of times "honey love" is uttered in the book made me want to puncture my eardrums with a pair of chopsticks.

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Title: The Unraveling of Violeta Bell

Subtitle: A Morgue Mama Mystery

Author: C. R. Corwin

Narrator: Lorna Raver

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 03-06-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 218 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Shortly after the story runs, one of the four women, retired antiques dealer Violeta Bell, is murdered. Maddy wants no part of the investigation, but before she knows it, she's on another of her infamous snoopathons.

Was it bargains they were hunting or something else?

Critic Reviews:

"Irascible, fearless and unapologetic, Maddy is a heroine cozy fans will embrace." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Great book, the Best of readers

A truly enjoyable book. This was my first C. R. Corwin book, and what a surprise. She's entertaining, and keeps you guessing. I especially enjoyed the narrator, Suzanne Toren. She brings Corwin's books to life with so much animation. I will definitely be listening to the rest of her books.

Good reading

This is a great book. We listened to this on the way to Florida from Michigan. The charaters and story have some laugh out loud humorous moments and dialog. Good story. Even our 16 year old son enjoyed the story.

I want more of this series

I bought it because it was on sale and sounded worth trying; now I'm very frustrated because Audible doesn't have more of these! The story was fun and entertaining -- light compared to most of the mysteries I read and listen to, but not light on the story content. It was a great story and the narrator was perfect for the character.

So Audible, where are the rest of these??

an appalling accent

This may or may not be a good book. The reader's accent made it impossible for me to get past the first 3 minutes. Do yourself a favor and listen first.

grumpy and negative

The narrator did a good job portraying a person that I really didn't like. The story was OK, but I won't EVER get another book about Violeta Bell.