Lee Child's short stories, which focus on protagonists from seedier sides of life, including hit men with varying moral compasses, are an interesting collection enhanced by a one-man show of narration by Edoardo Ballerini. Short stories might provide the biggest challenge for a narrator, and he is definitely up to it. Ballerini uses a variety of techniques--ranging from clipped tones to changing accents and pace--to make each story his own. A police officer tucked away in a documents room speaks in a minimalistic way, while other characters have more commanding tones. Child doesn't overwrite, Ballerini knows his craft, and the two team up for well-done stories.
Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696616799
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
With this diverse group of narrators, each story is powerfully performed with emotional intelligence and perfect pacing.
Ten narrators powerfully capture the jarring and thoughtful experiences contained in the crime stories in this Swedish collection. From a police officer who quickly learns his bias can be deadly to a young woman seeking revenge on a wealthy fellow student to a mother who soon commits the very crime her son has been accused of, each story grabs hold of the listener and leaves them questioning what it means to break the law, even with the best of intentions. Each narrator takes on a separate story, and their individual performances skillfully match the emotional power and complicated examination of human nature these pieces provide.
With this diverse group of narrators, each story is powerfully performed with emotional intelligence and perfect pacing.Pub Date: May 30, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228701991
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
The narrators complement each other as they deliver these stories.
Seven narrators perform this short story collection featuring characters living in Philadelphia. Many of the characters deal with society’s fatphobia, navigating a landscape of diet culture and obsession with thinness. The ensemble cast highlights the unique qualities of every story, making each viewpoint character sound distinct. All the narrators possess a sense of emotional depth that teases out the best of Eisenberg’s prose. In “Beauty,” Samantha Desz perfectly captures the loneliness and emotional complexity of the protagonist as her sense of self fluctuates as she posts videos of herself on the internet doing makeup routines.
The narrators complement each other as they deliver these stories.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593908167
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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