January LaVoy's performance of this thriller is as good as they get--focused, intense, smart, and skillful with the appropriate accents. Whether that will save the experience for you will depend on your tolerance for plotting that shades past thriller into gothic territory, so violent and improbable are the premise and execution. The setup: A psychopath mastermind has devised a serial extortion in which a child is kidnapped. To get him/her back, the family must first pay punitive ransom, then kidnap another child from somebody else. Like a murderous chain letter on meth. It's hard for an actor to create distinct personalities where the author has provided none in the text, but LaVoy gins up the terror of these hapless victims-turned-criminals with impressive dedication.
Pub Date: July 9, 2019
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549122415
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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