Still, as a whole, this is a must-listen: urgent, suspenseful, and smart.
Despite a few missteps, this full-cast production offers a thrilling take. The next train to London will arrive in five minutes, and one of the five people standing on the platform will die. As the minutes tick down, the narrative veers off to describe the backstory of each of the potential victims, which include a struggling mother, an impatient businessman, and a gambler contemplating suicide. Kristin Atherton is a perfectly adequate guide to all this, heightening the suspense with her pacing. Theo Solomon is fine as Sonny, the gambler, but seriously misfires as Sonny’s parents, especially his mother, whose accent is a jumbled mess. Juliet Stevenson’s performance as Mrs. Worth, a formidable older woman, is a standout. But George Naylor seems miscast as Liam, the businessman: too young and sophisticated for a middle-aged character described as a coarse bruiser.
Still, as a whole, this is a must-listen: urgent, suspenseful, and smart.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 8 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217175116
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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