Surreal would be the best description of this book if only it were not based on truth. In 1853, Denmark exercised the death penalty for a final time, cleaving the head from 15-year-old Niels Nelson. Graham Rowat narrates this imagining of the boy's final hours. His unvarnished reading offers insight into the considerations of townsfolk who view the execution only from their own narrow interests. In between, Niels quietly reminisces about his brief, wretched life. Rowat's most challenging character is a literal fly on the wall of Niels's cell. In contrast to the other characters, who have defined motivations, the fly acts as a Greek chorus of one. He comments in a sprightly, almost gleeful tone about the circumstances and details of the execution. The novel is well done and thought provoking.
(Historical fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501927676
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Santana’s ability to maneuver through multiple layers of this gripping mystery will win over listeners.
This grisly young adult thriller is skillfully delivered by André Santana, accompanied by a cast. It's been five years since the Trojan Murders in Moss Pointe that took the lives of four high school football players, and hometown journalist Pryce is out to prove that the killer was set up by someone else. Santana’s honest depiction of Pryce makes him a determined and relatable protagonist. While the writing moves quickly, Santana’s smooth performance keeps pace, delivering plenty of emotional beats and shocking twists. Sections of the audiobook including snippets of a podcast about the case feature additional narrators, making for a fuller listening experience.
Santana’s ability to maneuver through multiple layers of this gripping mystery will win over listeners. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217172078
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
A roller coaster of a young adult thriller.
Daniel Henning’s narration grabs hold of listeners and leads them through this tale of escaping from cruelty into the hands of a murderer. Desperate not to return to his religious parents and the horrors of a conversion camp, an unnamed gay teenager takes on the identity of Nate Beaumont, a boy who has been missing for 10 years. As he settles in with a family who seem to genuinely believe he is their son, he soon learns that the original Nate might have died at the hands of one of the family members. With a vocal flexibility that, like a real teenager, shifts quickly between emotions of relief, fear, and confusion, Henning captures Nate with youthful vigor.
A roller coaster of a young adult thriller. (Thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063338357
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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